Chapter 3
Mikhail
Shanice didn't come back down for the rest of the day.
I knew because I checked three times. Each time I found an excuse to walk past the guest wing where she was staying, and each time her door stayed firmly closed.
By evening, I was pissed off and hard, a combination that made me dangerous.
I found Katrina in the kitchen, pulling something that smelled like cheesy garlic and herbs out of the oven. She glanced up when I walked in, and her expression told me Shanice had already gotten to her. Her baby bump was showing and it looked good on her. Cute.
"So," she said, setting the dish on the counter. "You're my best friend's new shadow."
"Your husband's idea."
"Uh-huh." She wiped her hands on a towel, studying me the entire time and missing not a single thing. "And you volunteered because you're so dedicated to protecting random civilians?"
I leaned against the counter, keeping my face neutral. "She's not random. She's part of this household now. That makes her my responsibility."
"Your responsibility." Katrina's lips twitched. "Is that what we're calling it?"
"I don't know what you mean."
"Mikhail." She crossed her arms. "I've seen the way you look at her. Like you're two seconds away from throwing her over your shoulder and hauling her off to your cave."
My jaw tightened. "I don't have a cave."
"You know what I mean." She moved closer, lowering her voice.
"Shanice has been through hell. The kidnapping, the warehouse, losing her apartment, and not to mention helping me be on the run from my now dead ex.
She needs stability right now. Safety. Not some intense guard with bedroom eyes following her around like a stalker. "
Bedroom eyes. Christ. Was I that far gone off her?
"I'm not going to hurt her," I said.
"I didn't say you would. But you will complicate her life, and she doesn't need that right now.
" Katrina's expression softened slightly.
"She's my best friend, Mikhail. I love her like a sister.
And I know what it's like to be in her position, to feel like your whole world got turned upside down and you have no control over anything. "
I knew she was talking about how she'd ended up with Olek. The contract. The desperation. The way he'd inserted himself into her life whether she wanted it or not.
"This is different," I said.
"Is it?"
"Yes." I met her eyes. "I'm keeping her alive."
"And if she doesn't want you around?"
"Too bad."
Katrina sighed. "You sound just like him, you know that?"
"Good. Because he's right about this. Those assholes are still out there. They could come looking for her any time. She needs protection."
"She needs a choice."
"She had a choice. She chose to stay here instead of going into hiding. She chose to go back to school. Those choices come with conditions."
"Conditions she didn't agree to."
I pushed off the counter, frustration building in my chest. "What do you want me to do, Katrina? Let her walk around campus alone? Wait for someone to grab her again? Because I can't do that. I won't."
She was quiet for a moment, watching me. Then she said, "Why?"
"Because it's my job."
"Bullshit. You've never volunteered for protection detail before. You hate babysitting. So why Shanice?"
Because I can't get her out of my head. Because the thought of someone touching her makes me want to commit murder. Because I've been fantasizing about her for two months and I'm barely holding on to my control.
"Because she matters," I said instead. "To you. To Olek. To this family. And I protect what matters."
Katrina studied me for a long moment. Then she nodded slowly. "Okay. But Mikhail? If you hurt her, if you make this harder for her than it already is, I will personally kick your ass. Understood?"
I almost smiled. Katrina was tiny compared to me, but I didn't doubt she'd try.
"Understood."
"Good." She turned back to her cooking. "Now go upstairs and apologize for being a controlling caveman. She's in her room, probably plotting your death."
I headed for the stairs, taking them two at a time. When I reached Shanice's door, I paused, listening. Nothing. No movement, no sound.
I knocked.
Silence.
"Shanice."
Still nothing.
"I know you're in there."
"Go away, Mikhail."
Her voice was muffled but clear. I pressed my palm against the door, imagining her on the other side. Was she on the bed? At the window? Pacing like I'd seen her do when she was thinking too hard?
"We need to talk."
"We really don't."
"Five minutes."
"No."
I leaned my forehead against the wood, frustrated and want churning in my gut. "I'm not going anywhere, Shanice. I can stand here all night if I have to."
A pause. Then, "You're insane."
"Probably."
Another pause, longer this time. Then I heard footsteps. The lock clicked, and the door swung open.
Shanice stood there in yoga pants and an oversized pink sweatshirt, her hair pulled up in a messy bun. She looked soft, warm, and sleep rumpled, and I wanted to push her back onto that bed and find out what sounds she'd make when I got my hands on her.
"Five minutes," she said, crossing her arms. "Then you leave."
I stepped inside before she could change her mind, closing the door behind me. The room smelled like her, that warm, clean, floral scent. It made my chest tight.
"I'm not the enemy," I said.
"Could've fooled me." She moved to the window, putting distance between us. "You show up, tell me I'm a liability, announce that you're going to follow me everywhere like some kind of prison guard, and now you're surprised I'm pissed off?"
"I didn't call you a liability. Olek did. And I corrected him."
"Oh, great. So I should be grateful?" She spun to face me, eyes flashing. "Thank you so much for not treating me like a problem that needs solving."
"You are a problem," I said. "Just not the kind he thinks."
She blinked. "Excuse me?"
I moved closer, slow and deliberate. "You're a problem because I can't stop thinking about you. Because every time you walk past me, I have to remind myself not to touch you. Because the thought of you going anywhere without me makes me want to break things."
Her breath caught. "Mikhail."
"I'm not doing this because Olek told me to," I continued, closing the distance between us. "I'm doing this because the alternative is watching you from a distance and slowly losing my mind. At least this way, I can keep you safe."
"I don't need you to keep me safe."
"Yes, you do." I was close enough now to see the pulse hammering at her throat and her breath hitch. "And whether you want to admit it or not, you know it."
For a long moment, we just stood there tense. Then Shanice lifted her chin, defiant as ever.
"Fine," she said. "You want to be my shadow? Go ahead. But don't expect me to make it easy on you."
I smiled. About damn time. "I wouldn't want you to."
Her eyes narrowed. "I'm serious, Mikhail. I'm going to live my life. If you can't keep up, that's your problem."
"I'll keep up."
"We'll see." She moved past me, reaching for the door. "Now get out. Your five minutes are up."
I left, but not before letting my fingers brush against her hip as I passed.
Just a touch, barely there, but enough to make her suck in a breath.
At that moment, I knew that Shanice was doomed.
Because she wanted me too. And if just a brush of our hands was enough to set her aflame, I could only imagine what would happen if she submitted her entire body to me.
She’d feel more than a startling spark. She’d become engulfed.
This wasn't over.
Not even close.