Chapter 14
Chapter fourteen
Alisa
I rolled over on the mattress feeling like I was floating on a cloud. My entire body tensed.
This wasn’t my bed.
The second-hand mattress I’d found online felt like I was lying on top of a wooden crate. My eyes popped open and relief swelled through me when I realized I was alone in bed.
That relief disappeared the minute I realized I didn’t recognize this room. Panic threatened to block my airway. I immediately began patting my body to make sure I was still clothed. The outfit was still in place, not even the sleeves had been rolled up.
Where the fuck was I?
All I could remember was dancing with Gemma at the club, and then everything started growing fuzzy around the edges.
I closed my eyes and tried to force the jagged memories to fit into place.
One moment that stranger had been grinding against me, and then the next he’d been pushing me through the crowd.
My entire body had rebelled at his touch, but I couldn’t escape him.
I could’ve sworn Dmitri had stepped out of the shadows like my fucked up guardian angel. But it had to have been a hallucination.
People didn’t come to save you in real life. Getting rescued was something that only happened in movies.
In real life you tried to get out a strangled no, but no one listened.
All you could do was draw further into your mind and wait for it to end.
But why would I hallucinate that Dmitri of all people would be my guardian angel?
Because he saved you before.
But that had only happened because Dmitri stumbled across me in the alley. I’d gotten lucky once. There's no way in hell it’d happen a second time.
So why did my drugged mind go there last night?
Shit, I couldn’t afford to be thinking about him when I was probably in the house of the man who’d drugged me. I needed to focus.
I reached underneath the soft comforter and checked between my thighs. Thankfully, there was no sticky white residue dried to my underwear, but that could just mean whoever brought me home used a condom.
I searched the room for clues.
No clothes on the floor, and there wasn’t that acidic body odor that stunk up so many guys’ houses. Everything was neatly in order from the black curtains framing the skyline view of the city to the books pristinely lined up on the shelf.
My heartbeat skipped as I took in the quality of everything in the room. Everything was pristine, but there was no warmth to any of it.
It was obvious this guy was rich. And rich guys were the most dangerous of all.
With a swallow, I grabbed a heavy book. If the guy was looking for round two, it was the closest thing in this room to a weapon.
I tiptoed to the door and leaned my head against the frame.
There was a light clattering of metal against metal. And did I hear sizzling? Was the guy who’d drugged me going to make me breakfast, and pretend like everything was all good?
Stomach turning over, I slowly opened the door, and prepared to meet the eyes of the guy who hadn’t cared what I wanted last night.
My stomach tightened for an entirely different reason when I met intense gray eyes.
Dmitri laid down a metal spatula and settled his attention on me.
He was wearing a black v-neck shirt with rolled up sleeves that hugged the muscles of his arms. Black ink rippled down his arms and-
Dmitri raised an eyebrow. Blood rushed to my face as I yanked my attention away from his body.
“Don’t stop on my account,” he said, leaning an elbow against the marble counter. He rested his chin on top of his tatted hand.
As he slowly took me in, his eyes darkened. His perusal started at the high neck of my purple sequined dress, and paused on my curves.
The reminder of last night slammed into me like a hangover. The book clattered to the ground.
“What happened last night?” I strangled out as my hammering heart thudded against my chest. “All I remember is being at the club… How the hell did I end up here?”
“You don’t remember,” his voice was harder than the countertop he was now tightening his free hand against.
I swallowed. I’d had nights where I’d woken up with the world browned over. A touch of panic always accompanied the memories, but I’d always been able to make out the details.
This was different. This was not normal. And waking up at Dmitri’s house. Was this even his house? And-
“Breathe.” Dmitri’s voice was commanding as he stood up to his full imposing height.
“Are you seriously telling me to breathe when I don’t remember coming here? All I remember is that guy dragging me across the club.”
His eyes narrowed, and I glanced over his shoulder as if that guy from last night was about to pop out behind him.
“Is he here?” My voice rose an octave on the last word.
“No.” His voice was a growl, and I took a step back at the ferocity in his tone. My shoulders were pressed against the wall, and my fight-or-flight demanded I find an exit.
To get the hell out of here.
“For fuck’s sake, Alisa,” Dmitri muttered.
He strode around the counter, eating away the distance between us before I could even find the front door to the apartment.
His huge hand grabbed my chin and forced me to look up at him.
Dmitri’s eyes were a thundercloud as he said, “You’re safe. Now fucking breathe.”