32. Afterparty
Chapter thirty-two
Afterparty
Jolie flicked her eyes around the room. Humiliation was building as the seconds ticked by, and Adrik didn’t return.
He had used her.
He used her like a whore.
His semen was dripping down her thigh, and she looked around for something to wipe it away. She ended up having to use her ripped underwear. After pushing her dress down and slipping her breasts back inside, Jolie fell against the desk and slapped a hand over her mouth.
She hated him for it, but she knew she deserved it. She just hadn’t thought Adrik was capable of treating her like that.
Jolie looked around the room, holding herself. Should she go home? Walk out the door and move on? Jolie rubbed the wetness from her face. She wasn’t the same girl she was six weeks ago. After staying with a monster like Vincent, Adrik’s actions weren’t the worst. She could even forgive it and toss it up as the byproduct of grief. But it was now clear to her that he had no more use for her. That fuck was a last goodbye.
Jolie strengthened her back and walked out the door. One of Adrik’s guards stood there. “Mr. Morozov would like me to escort you back to the party. ”
“Why? To rub it in my face? I have more respect for myself than he thinks.”
The soldier took her arm, guiding her, and though she struggled against him, he continued to bring her back. She was angry and embarrassed and didn’t want to be here anymore. When a tray of drinks walked by, rebelliousness curled into her, and she snatched a glass. If Adrik wouldn’t let her leave, then she was going to piss him off in a different way. Last time she got drunk and had fun, he went on and on about ‘appropriate’ behavior. She’ll show him what’s appropriate.
Jolie went to the bar as she finished her first awful drink. She nearly gagged, the liquor more like gasoline, then juice. When the bartender asked for her order, she tried to remember what Katia had gotten them. Jolie had never been more drunk in her life, and she still hadn’t understood how she got so wasted in such a limited time. “Something fruity,” she answered. Thinking of that woman was never pleasant. Everything Katia had done had been strategic. And now that Jolie had so much time to think about it, she saw all the signs. It was a learning experience, one that will help her from now on. Trust needed to be earned. Jolie would have to be selective in those that she allowed in her circle.
The bartender put a pink drink with a blue umbrella in front of her and Jolie paused as she stared it. With Katia in mind, Jolie didn’t want to get back at Adrik. She didn’t want there to be a game of revenge between them. There would be no ‘keeping score’ on who hurt who more. That wasn’t the type of person she was.
Adrik came to the bar beside her, just a few steps away. He ignored her completely as he ordered a drink. He wanted only to let her know he was watching her. She was probably pissed by his actions, but getting even with her was the only thing he knew to make it better. Hurting her would help him forgive her. But now, Adrik felt a ridiculous amount of guilt he wasn’t used to. Hurting Katia was fun and kept the power in his hands. But with Jolie, he felt like he was ruining something he only wanted to protect.
Apologizing was out of the question. If Adrik could only talk to her, he could make it better between them, but talking about emotions wasn’t a talent he had ever acquired. Adrik dared to glance in her direction. Her cheek was healing. The bruising and swelling had gone, leaving behind a thin, raw pink scar. For the rest of their lives, that was going to remain, constantly reminding him how he almost lost her.
When Jolie felt his gaze, she shifted away. Adrik clenched his teeth. She needed to get a stronger backbone if she was going to stay with him.
Is she staying? Is that what I’m deciding to do?
Fucking her had been necessary, he realized. But it was like taking only a sip of water when he’s dying of thirst. It made him want her more. The momentary lapse in pain quickly became an addiction. It was better than any drug. If he could drown in her, he could forget the loss of his brothers.
It was a sign that even with her betrayal, Adrik was going to forgive her.
Eventually.
That was an odd thing for him. Usually, he had no problem letting go. But it made sense, didn’t it? He may not know if he loved her as deeply as Alexei, but on some level, he felt something that wouldn’t allow him to give her up .
Trevor approached, and Adrik controlled his eye roll. Desperation was repulsive but needed in business. To his surprise, the boy stopped to lean into Jolie’s ear. She pulled away from it, eyeing him with revulsion, but Trevor rested a hand on the back of her neck to keep her still as he whispered something.
Adrik sipped his drink, watching with disinterest while his stomach clenched. The boy was putting his hands on something that didn’t belong to him. Adrik swallowed the liquor, letting it burn his throat to keep himself from reacting.
Trevor pulled away, and with a head nod to Adrik, he walked back to his group of friends, and they laughed at his story.
Jolie kept her head down, her hands clenching her drink.
Adrik pushed off the bar, and though he heard Jolie whisper his name, he wasn’t about to stop. He approached Trevor and his buddies. They sobered slightly, but Trevor’s smirk never faded. Adrik stood beside him, both of them looking at Jolie when she glanced over her shoulder.
Trevor waved as if she was looking at him. “She’s hungry. Look at her.”
Adrik asked, “What did you say to her?” and he took a sip.
The boy cackled. “Just letting her know there’s more Russian dick available.”
Adrik nodded. “Hold my drink.”
Trevor took it without much thought, and Adrik slapped a hand on the boy’s shoulder. He punched him hard in the stomach, and the kid bent over with a groan. Adrik pulled him up straight, even as he struggled to breathe. “Don’t spill my drink,” Adrik reminded Trevor before he punched him again. The boy gasped, groaning through tight-knit lips. Adrik straightened him up once more and leaned in. “You insulted my brother, and you insulted my daughter’s tutor. Leave my house and tell your father you will never be more than a fucking errand boy.” Adrik took back his drink, downing it. Onlookers whispered behind their hands and stared with wide eyes, and Adrik returned to the bar, ordered another drink, and didn't give a fuck who said what.
Jolie stared, wide-eyed, at the bar top. She bit her lip, a rush of desire flooding into her. She wanted to be mad at him, not crave him. But this was what Vincent failed to do. Adrik had a power that Vincent could never possess. It was something that could be taught. Such strength was ingrained in Adrik from the day he was born.
Six weeks without him, Jolie almost began to think Adrik was a figment of her imagination. All his little quirks and comments were on repeat, but still, it was like a fantasy she couldn’t get out of her head. But here he was, real, tangible, and everything she ever wanted. And he was still out of her reach.
Didn’t he understand how she needed him to heal everything that broke inside her? She lived in fear every day. She stayed for him, for his daughter. Didn’t that mean anything? Or was her one mistake going to ruin them?
Jolie pushed off the bar and headed for the exit. When a guard blocked her path to her bedroom, she stood stiff and turned her gaze to Adrik. He was watching her from across the party. His blank look was beginning to piss her off more than ever before. Perhaps he could see the misery in her face, because he nodded to his soldier, and Jolie was allowed through.
In her room, she showered and changed into her pajamas. But she wasn’t going to sleep. She was gonna find out what he planned to do with her, because she was done waiting. After feeding Tae-Tae and giving her a little love, Jolie left her room. “Bring me to Adrik’s room,” she ordered the soldier at her door.
Jolie followed behind him. There were stairs at the end of the hallway leading to the backside of the house. And he brought her up to his private section. The soldier let her in, leaving her to stand on the flawless white carpet, and then shut the mahogany double doors.
It was a suite like his mother’s, with a living room, a wet bar in the back, and another set of doors leading to his bedroom. The whole room smelled like him. The servants kept it clean and pristine. There was only one picture on his vanity, and it was him holding Helina. The only smile she’d ever seen captured on film. She sat on the couch and waited.