Chapter 4 #3
I have no doubt that Alina is going to loathe his choice of attire. I hate that, like my brother, I’ll probably enjoy seeing her in the skimpy clothes more than I should.
“Do make the gag and duct tape look authentic,” Gavriil adds since that’s his favorite part.
I can’t deny the effect the image has on my own body either. Alina will be tied up and at my mercy again, her body barely covered in all the right places. I shouldn’t want to see her that way, much less be the one who orchestrates it all.
With a chuckle at the discomfort that’s likely visible on my face, Gavriil says in Russian, “If you fail, well, she’s wasted here.
I’m sure she would be a decent earner in one of our brothels.
Not two million worth, but enough to appease some of my fury, especially after I get to break her in nice and hard first. Maybe I’ll make you watch me ruin her. ”
My temperature spikes and my pulse thrums in my ears after hearing his vile words.
He’s using her to motivate me; the same way we plan to motivate Archer. Only an evil asshole would want the innocent woman to suffer, or to be the one to cause her pain.
“You’ll have Archer and the money in a week,” I grit out through clenched teeth. “Do what you want to me if I fail, but she’s not going anywhere but home when this is over,” I assert. My tone is as respectful as I can force it to be.
Gavriil notices. He won’t let me get away with the disrespect for long before reminding me that he’s in charge. “I guess we’ll see. It depends on you and Archer now, doesn’t it?”
It’s a loaded question.
Gavriil turns his attention back to Alina. He hums under his breath as he rakes his eyes over her, his forefinger tracing her jaw like he’s touching a sculpture. “You’ll be useful to me one way or another,” he tells her as she narrows her eyes at him.
The urge to step between him and Alina is stronger than it should be. I don’t want him touching her. Hell, I don’t even want him looking at her, much less thinking about using her in that disgusting way.
“Get your fucking hand off me,” she warns him and knocks his hand away before I can intervene.
Gavriil laughs, which puts me even more on edge. Her defiance is a new thrill for him. I’m doing my damn best to keep her from walking right into his cage, but she’s not making it easy.
“Your zashchitnik has wagered his life on you. Try not to disappoint him,” he says to her in English.
Alina is finally silent, but her expression certainly isn’t friendly. Her fingers curl once against her thigh. Not fear. Pushback.
Gavriil’s smile sharpens before he walks toward the door without glancing back at my men or at me. Only Alina.
The room doesn’t exhale until after the door closes behind him and the elevator dings.
Alina lets out the breath she held.
My hands are still shaking in anger when I go and pour myself a vodka. Petrov gives me a nod and goes back to readying the guest room. Renat returns to my office without a word to check the cameras, and Viktor says, “I need a smoke,” before slipping out the door.
Alina goes over to the kitchen island. Her hand trembles as she picks up the mug and takes a sip, but her voice is even when she says, “So, that was the Pakhan?”
“Yes.”
She nods. “You don’t seem to like him.”
Ignoring her assessment, I say, “You were told not to ask him questions. You were also told to only provide short answers.”
She’s afraid but not as terrified of Gavriil as I need her to be. After the photoshoot tomorrow, that may change. Although, she’ll probably hate me more than him for following his orders.
She holds my gaze across the island; her pretty green eyes narrowed in annoyance. “He’s furious with Archer and pissed that you didn’t bring me to him?”
“Yes,” I answer after taking a long, deep swig from my glass.
“And he came here for me?”
“Yes.”
“You refused,” she remarks as if I left any room for her to doubt that.
“I did.”
“What did he say to you?” she asks. “The parts in Russian, I mean.”
“Nothing good,” I answer honestly.
The back of my neck warms at the reminder of Gavriil calling me out for wanting her, how he knows I’ll resist my dark urges while he bragged about how he would not.
Gavriil would simply tell her that her only option for saving Archer’s life is to get on her knees for him.
She would probably bruise herself from the speed in which she would kneel.
“I still don’t know which of you is worse,” Alina admits while staring down at her mug and biting her bottom lip in consideration. “But I’m guessing it’s him since he appears to be a megalomanic who has zero accountability for his actions and puts women in cages.”
Wanting to prove to her that she made the right decision, I tell her, “You should eat something.”
“I’d rather have a bath. Or a shower.”
“Fine,” I agree. “Petrov will show you to the guestroom.” The man appears as if he was waiting in the hallway for the order. “He’ll bring you a change of clothes. You’ll have your own bathroom so you can shower if you want. The door locks from the inside.”
Her eyes widen a fraction in surprise because she was obviously worried about being locked away.
“If you don’t come out when I call you, I’ll remove the door and drag you out myself. Don’t make me do that,” I warn her.
She swallows making the slender column of her throat move. I want to put my mouth there and feel her heartbeat against my tongue. The thought is immediate and unwelcome. I quickly shove it aside.
Alina glances at me for another long moment. Her mouth opens and closes as if she’s about to say something. But then she just walks away from me without another word.
While I dislike her absence, I have work to do.
Including taking Petrov with me on one final late-night mission after I get the tribute list compiled.
On the way to my office, I make a quick pit stop.
I tell myself that I’m only checking to make sure she locked the door.
But I know she did, and I stand in the hallway too long for that to be the truth.