“No horses,” he repeated.
Just then, I heard a snort.
A clearly horse-like snort.
I looked over the wall of the stall and saw a horse toward the back, eating.
I turned back toward him. “There’s one right in there,” I said, laughing.
“I don’t show my horses to Russian whores.”
I took a step back from him, shocked. I felt physically surprised by his sudden outburst.
“Uh,” I said, “okay. Sorry,” I stammered, not sure what else to do.
“Get out of here, you dirty Russian whore,” he said. “Go back to where you came from. Good men died because of you.”
I took a few steps backward and then turned and ran out of there.
I couldn’t believe it. Ever since I’d gotten to the compound, people had been nothing but polite to me. This man was the first person who genuinely made me feel like an outsider. More than that, he made me feel like I was somehow unsafe.
I stopped running and felt like a child. Since when did grown women run away from rude old men?
But then again, not many grown women were stuck in the middle of a hostile household surrounded by violent men.
My position suddenly felt completely insecure. I walked quickly back toward the house, totally aware of the eyes that could have been looking down from the house.
I went in through one of the many back doors and headed up the steps quickly. I heard someone coming down toward me from above, and so I quickly hopped off the stairwell, heading onto the wrong floor.
I didn’t recognize anything as I walked, but I noticed the eyes. People were staring at me, whispering to each other. I felt like I was in a horror movie or something.
Suddenly, a guy stepped into my path. He was tall with broad shoulders and was wearing a suit.
“Are you lost?” he asked.
“Yes, I am,” I said, nervous.
He was clearly a security man. “If you’re looking for your floor, you’re going the wrong way.”
“Oh, okay. Where should I go?”
“Turn around. Head up the stairs another floor. Make a left out that door.”
“Okay.”
He stared at me. “Don’t wander around alone anymore,” he said.
“I’m not allowed to walk around?”
“Not anymore,” he said.
I quickly turned and walked away from him.
My heart was pounding in my chest. I had no clue what had happened to make people treat me this way, but I shouldn’t have been surprised. My family was likely killing their friends, and I was the poster child for the whole damn thing. As far as they were concerned, it was all my fault.
I quickly followed his instructions and went up to my floor, but instead of going to my door, I stopped at another one. Without really thinking, I knocked.
And he answered. I was a little surprised when Vince pulled open the door, looking tired.
“I thought I’d see you again, Princess,” Vince said.
“Can I come in?”
“Sure.” He turned aside and I went in. He shut the door behind me.
“People hate me,” I said.
“What?”
I sat down on the couch. “People hate me here now, Vince.”
He sighed. “What happened?”
“Some old guy down at the stables called me a whore. And a security guy told me not to wander around anymore.”
He shook his head. “The guy at the stables is just some old kook we keep around to take care of the horses. Ignore him.”
“What about the people staring at me? Whispering?”
“What do you want me to say?” Vince grunted.
“Am I in danger here?”
He thought about that for a second. “Shit,” he said softly. “I wish I could say no.”
“Is my child in danger? Our child?”
“No,” he said more forcefully. “We’re assholes, but we don’t hurt kids.”
“What am I supposed to do, stay hidden in my room?”
“Might be for the best.”
“I should leave.”
He shook his head. “No, you shouldn’t.”
“If I’m not safe anymore, I’m leaving.”
“Listen to me, Kaley,” he said. “Arturo wants you alive and unharmed. You’ll be fine.”
“What happens when I’m not useful anymore?”
“Let me deal with that.”
“Will you deal with it, Vince?” I asked him seriously. “Will you go against your own people to save me if you have to?”
He stared at me, clearly surprised by the question.
“Don’t ask me that again,” he said slowly. “Don’t ever ask me to betray my people again.”
“Okay,” I said softly, feeling my heart sink.
“Listen to me.” He sat next to me. “I won’t let anyone bother you, okay?”
“Okay.”
“I’ll put the word out that you’re not to be bothered, and if anyone says anything to you, tell me.”
“Fine.”
He frowned at me, but I looked away.
“It’s going to be okay.”
“I’m sure it is.” I stood up. “I should go get Alexei and head back to my room.”
“Sure. Okay.”