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I got off on her very evident apprehension.
Her gaze skated over the rental I was in, staring at it for just a second before she looked away.She felt me.
I wasn’t done following her, watching her… thinking about all the filthy, degrading things I’d do to her. She’d cry for me and I’d lick her tears, drag my tongue along her face and taste all that fucking fear and sadness.
Maybe all of that shouldn’t have brought me as much pleasure as it did, knowing she was uneasy right now because she could sense my gaze on her, probablyfeltthat sliver of fear, that tingle of warning.
Oh… I was going to have fun with her.
6
Amara
The day of the dinner had the staff bustling around and my father barking out orders. I could feel the tension radiating off of him whenever I was within a five foot radius of him. He was nervous, that was painfully obvious. And it was strange seeing my father so worked up, so on edge over something like this.
Dinner.
I’d seen him upset, rigged and on the verge of seeming like he would murder the next person who crossed him. But tonight was supposed to be just a formal dinner between my family and my future husband. So the fact my father was so tense over this? Told me he feared the Petrov brothers. No doubt didn’t trust them either
My father wasn’t one to feel fear easily, so seeing him show it, actually let it manifest so it was visible to all who had eyes… that in itself worried me. Because if a man like my father was anxious around Nikolai and his brother, what hope was there for me to make it out alive?
If I stayed in the house one more second, feeling that pressure grow all around me, I was going to snap.
I left my room and walked down the stairs, my feet barely making any sound over the plush floor runner. I passed many servants, but they ignored me otherwise, and when I got to the landing and headed for the front door, I wasn’t surprised to see Edoardo move out from the hallway.
I wanted to snap that I didn’t need him to watch me. I was home, with so much security around that I was drowning in it. But I kept my mouth shut and ignored him. I didn’t like the way he looked at me, staring at me with this slimy gaze.
Once outside I felt his heavy presence behind me, the sound of the door clicking shut seeming overly loud. For just a second I closed my eyes and inhaled, the promise of spring in the air enough to drive away the chill when the wind picked up.
Adjusting my cardigan so it was a little tighter around my chest, I walked forward, wanting to look at the fruit trees at the front of the property by the main gate and see if there were any new blossoms.
I could hear the steady footfalls from Edoardo behind me, and looked over my shoulder, confirming he was right there, yet he did give me some personal space.
There were several gardeners working on the property, making sure the bushes were trimmed, the landscaping just perfect. The soft soles of my flats kicked up some of the decorative pebbles as I made my way toward the line of fruit trees.
Once I got to the line of trees I weaved my way in and out of them. They were pretty sparse, bare for this time of year, but I didn’t care. I just wanted out of the house, wanted to get away from all the chaos and hectic atmosphere that was all because my life was irrevocably, dramatically changing.
I stopped and ran my fingers over the bark of an apple tree, the texture slightly rough, chilled from the cold air. I trailed my fingers along the branches, imagining the leaves filling it out this summer. Sound to my left had me looking at the massive gate that lined our entire property. From the ground to about waist high was decorative stone, then that’s when the intricately twisted wrought iron bars started and climbed up about fifteen feet.
I could hear Edoardo start a low conversation with the guard at the gate, and glanced over my shoulder to see their heads angled forward as they spoke in hushed voices. I focused on the trees again, looking at the branches, and reached up, rising on my toes, to touch the small buds that were starting to sprout along the spindle lengths.
It was only a moment before the sun caught something, causing a glint to draw my attention back to the gate. I saw a sleek black luxury car with darkly tinted windows drive-by. It wouldn’t have had me take notice otherwise, but because it was moving at a slow–creepily speed–had the hair on the back of my neck standing on end.
Although we didn’t live in an exclusively private area, with houses having about an acre between each, and our home in particular was situated across from a thick line of woods. That meant car traffic down this road wasn’t frequent.
I found myself glancing at Edoardo again, but he was still immersed in a quiet conversation with the gate guard. My focus went back to the car, which was now completely stopped just ahead of me, the vehicle idling, the low hum of the engine speaking of wealth, it was almost silent.
I felt my heart jerk in my chest the longer I stared at the car. I couldn’t see who was inside with how dark the windows were tinted, but I felt whoever was in there watching me. It took meback to earlier, that same feeling I’d had as I stepped out of the boutique, the same sensation I’d experienced at the cafe.
It seemed like time stood still, but I knew only moments had passed, seconds of this almost stare-off with this strange vehicle. And then it was gone, disappearing down the road and around the corner. Only then did I exhale, letting out the tensions that had been slowly growing in those short seconds. I knew I should tell someone, Edoardo at the least, but a little voice whispered no, to keep it to myself.
I had turned and made my way back to the house before I realized I was moving, wanting to go in my room, shut the door and lock myself away from everyone and everything.
Yet I couldn’t shake the feeling of almost… anticipation settling deep inside of me.
7
Amara
