I’m on my feet, scurrying away, but I don’t make it from the room before he speaks again.
“Markel,” he says. “Show the suka to the bathroom.”
I stall near the door. “I remember where it is.”
“I know,” Kassian says. “I just do not trust you.”
“But—”
“Either he escorts you,” Kassian says, cutting me off, “or you go right here in front of us all. Take your pick. There is no other option.”
Markel chooses for me, grabbing my shoulder and pushing me out of the room, his grip so tight I grimace the entire way down the hall. He shoves me inside of the nearest bathroom, feeling along the wall to blindly turn on the light. Stumbling, scowling, I grab the door to close it when his palm smacks against the wood, shoving it right back open.
He shifts his body into the doorway. Crossing his arms over his chest, he leans against the doorframe. He doesn’t look happy.
“Well?” He raises an eyebrow. “You said you had to go.”
“Can I get some privacy?”
“No.”
“Seriously? Can you turn the other way, at least?”
“No.”
My stomach drops. I just stand there, frozen.
“Stage fright?” he asks.
“This is humiliating.”
“I have seen you in worse predicaments. So go. I’m waiting. Tick, tick, stupid girl... time is being wasted.”
Rolling my eyes, I just do it. I didn’t really have to go, but I force myself to so not to raise suspicion. Afterward, I stand there, taking my time washing my hands, buying myself a few seconds to think.
Groaning, Markel comes closer, shoving me out of the way as he steps over to use the bathroom.
I move away as soon as his back is to me, stepping out into the hall and pulling the phone from my bra. It’s locked, so there isn’t a lot I can do, trying a few codes but they all say try again. Kassian’s too smart to use something I can guess.
Out of luck, out of time, I hit the ‘emergency’ button. Can’t do much besides call 911.
Not like it’ll help me right now, but maybe they can trace the call.
I hit the button to end the call after I’m sure it connects, shoving the phone back into my bra as Markel steps out of the bathroom.
“You didn’t wash your hands,” I tell him, making a face.
“Give it to me,” he says, holding his hand out.
He still doesn’t look happy.
“Give you what?”
“Give it to me,” he says again, his voice louder. “I will not tell Kassian as long as you give it to me right now.”
I stall, hesitating, about to say I don’t know what he’s talking about, when a soft buzz echoes around us. My chest starts vibrating. It’s ringing. Fuck.
Before I can give it to him, he shoves me against the wall, patting me down and taking the phone out of my bra. I try to snatch it back, but Markel slams his forearm into my throat, pinning me there as he answers the call.
“Hello,” he says, glaring at me as I struggle to take a deep breath. “Ah, yes, I am very sorry, but it was a mistake. Just a little girl playing on the phone, pressing buttons. There is no problem.”
He hangs up on them, still glaring at me, saying nothing for a moment, just clutching the phone.
“You know how he is, Markel,” I whisper. “You know what he’ll do.”
“So why do you do these things? Why do you always have to anger him?”
“What choice do I have?”
“You could be what he wants you to be.”
I look away from him when he says that. He knows I can’t. He knows it’s not right, that it’s not fair. Markel may not be a saint, but he’s not like his brother, either. There’s compassion in him somewhere, and sometimes it feels like it’s buried so deep it can’t ever be unearthed, but other times, I see glimpses of it.
He takes a step back, removing his arm from my throat to slip Kassian’s phone in his pocket.
“Where is she?” I ask, my voice trembling, hoping this is one of those moments. “Have you seen her?”
“Why should I tell you anything?”
“Because she’s my little girl. I need to know that she’s okay. I need to see her.”
He tells me nothing, instead nodding toward the den, wordlessly ordering me to go. My gaze trails along the floor as I cross my arms over my chest, making my way back to Kassian.
He’s hunched over the table, snorting a thick line of snow-white powder when I step into the room. I hesitate, watching that, as Markel knocks into me from behind, moving around me to approach Kassian. Leaning down, he whispers, and my heart hammers hard, wondering if he’s ratting me out. Kassian’s gaze seeks me out as he listens to his brother, his eyes dark, so damn dark, his pupils massive.
Kassian says something in return, I don’t know what, the words rushed and in Russian, like they’re arguing. After a moment, Kassian groans, throwing his hands up, dismissively waving Markel away. “Fine. Fine! Go.”
Markel reaches into his pocket, pulling Kassian’s phone out, sliding it onto the table before stalking off. He slows as he passes me, walking so close his shoulder bumps mine, as he says, “I will see you later, suka. Be a good girl while I’m gone, and he will be nice.”
Nice. That’s not the word I’d use for it. He’s erratic on coke, hot and cold. He either thinks you walk on water or he wants to bury you in the dirt.
There’s no middle ground.
A smile lights his face as he looks at me.
My stomach sinks.
I’m walking on water at the moment.
I think I’d much rather want him to bury me.
Slowly, I approach, to take my seat on the floor, but Kassian grabs a hold of my hips and pulls me onto his lap instead. His arm snakes around me, shifting me in the chair, pulling me back against him as he relaxes, sipping from his bottle of vodka. I don’t move, don’t fight it, even as his hand caresses my stomach, even as his lips find my shoulder blade, kissing it.
I bite my cheek, squeezing my eyes shut.
Happy place.
A loud chime echoes through the house. Everyone grows silent. Reopening my eyes, my gaze meets Declan’s across from me. He doesn’t look like he’s afraid, but he’s certainly not at ease, either.
It isn’t until the chime rings out for the second time that anyone seems to realize what we’re hearing. Doorbell. Kassian shoves me off of him, and I slide down onto the floor, taking my seat once more, hugging my legs. He sets his bottle of liquor down in front of me on the table before waving toward his minions. “Somebody answer that.”
The guy closest to the door gets up and walks out, leaving Kassian here with Declan and I and two others, now that Markel is gone.