Chapter Four – Olya
I checked my hair in the mirror, running my fingers through it and fluffing it out. This was going to be the first time I saw Francesca in months, and I wanted to make sure, at the very least, I was looking good.
Of course, at the back of my mind, I knew there was way more for me to be worried about than how I looked. Because there was currently a man standing watch over my door, and I got the feeling he wasn’t going to let me leave until he had quizzed me on where I was going, who I was going to be with, and where exactly he had to stand to cover all the exits and entrances in the process.
I still couldn’t fucking believe that my father had gone through with bringing these bodyguards into my life. It felt like some kind of sick joke, having them hanging around all the time, and it had only been a few days since they had gotten here. I had mostly spent my time sulking in my room, doing my best to avoid them, but when Francesca had texted me to suggest we get together for a drink and a catch-up, I had jumped at the chance to test the boundaries of this new set-up I was living in.
Solomon and Alex, those were their names. I hadn’t asked, but I’d heard them talking to each other, my ear pressed to the door to try and work out what their plans were, what they were saying about me, what they were going to do now they were here.
I was pretty sure they didn’t like me. And, shit, with the greeting I’d given them, it wasn’t as though I could make like I was surprised at that fact. I had been furious when they had actually turned up, proof that my father really didn’t trust me one little bit, proof that he didn’t care what I wanted for myself as long as he was able to get what he wanted out of this. I knew he was just trying to protect me, but couldn’t he see that there was nothing to protect me against? Couldn’t he tell that I had been living in a whole other country for months now, and he should have trusted me with grocery runs and nights out with my girlfriends when I was living just a few blocks down the street from him?
But no – he had decided that I needed guards, and that was how it was going to be. A year, a whole year of them, that’s what I had to look forward to. I could already feel the drudge of it starting to settle in on top of me, the stress of it making my head spin. I’d had so much freedom when I’d been in Budapest, but now, I was basically a prisoner in my own apartment.
Or, at least, that’s what it felt like. I guessed I was going to find out just how far that stretched, now I was going to go out for the first time. Francesca was a friend of mine from high school whom I’d stayed in touch with through college, and she had insisted that I come down to see her and share all the stories of what I had been up to when I was abroad. I had so much to fill her in on, but I didn’t want to do it under the watchful eye of one of my father’s lackeys.
Slicking on a last coat of gloss and hooking my bag over my shoulder, I stepped into my boots and made my way towards the door. Glancing this way and that, I made sure neither of my new babysitters were hanging around, but it looked as though I was in the clear. I hurried to the door, pushed it open, heart pounding in my chest, and then-
Where are you going?
My heart sank. Alex. He was standing outside the door, staring down at me, towering over me and blocking my path. I lifted my chin to look into his sharp gray eyes.
Out, I replied.
Out where?
Does it matter?
Yes, he replied bluntly. He had this way about him like he was never afraid of what the response was going to be. He never fucked around. I rolled my eyes skyward.
I’m going out with my friend, I replied. We’re just getting a drink at a bar. That allowed?
I’m coming with you.
I raised my eyebrows in shock.
No, you’re not! I blurted out. You think I’m going to let you come along and get in the way?
He crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head at me.
I’m not letting you go out unless Solomon or I are with you.
I gritted my teeth. Oh, so he wanted to play it like this, did he? Fine. Fine. I could handle it. I wasn’t going to let this asshole dictate what my life was going to look like.
I’m not going anywhere with you, I told him, brushing him off like it was the most natural thing in the world. I’m going for a drink with my friend. I’ll be back before midnight-
You’re not going anywhere without me, he replied firmly. Fuck, I had always hated being told what to do, but by this asshole, more than ever. What right in the world did he have to tell me what I would do?
Yes, I am, I replied, and I tried to brush past him, but he put his arm out to stop me. God, he was ripped – he was just wearing a tee right now, and I could see the muscles of his bicep rippling beneath his skin. I drew my gaze up to his eyes, narrowing them, letting him know that he didn’t scare me one little bit.
I’ll tell you what bar we’re going to, I offered him, trying to barter on this. That had to work, right? I would just tell him what bar we were going to, and he could keep an eye on it, and if there was any trouble-
Yeah, you will, he replied. I’ll drive you there.
I can get there myself.
He sighed, looking at me and shaking his head. I couldn’t help but notice, this close-up, the smattering of dark hair across his sharp jaw. For a split second, for some reason, I couldn’t help but wonder what it would have felt like beneath my fingertips. I pushed that thought aside. The very last thing I needed in the world right now was to get all up in my head about how hot he was. It didn’t matter what he looked like, or Solomon, for that matter – they were here to try and impinge on my freedom, and that meant there was nothing at all attractive about them to me.
You don’t have to make this difficult for us, he remarked. In fact, it could be easy. Just let me come with you. I won’t get in the way.
How could you not get in the way? I exclaimed, gesturing to him. Look at the size of you! Everyone’s going to notice you.
He was really huge – at least a foot taller than me, and I wasn’t exactly some receding wallflower. He shrugged.
Then you’re not going to have to worry about any trouble, he pointed out.
I won’t - I won’t have to worry about any trouble anyway!” I protested. I’m just meeting with my friend. She’s not going to put me in any danger. I promise.
His expression didn’t change. My shoulders slumped downwards. Shit. I wasn’t going to change his mind, was I? He had already decided he was going to see this through, and nothing I could do would shift his opinion on it. No matter what I said, no matter what I did, he had already decided that it was going to go exactly as he had decided.
I paused for one more moment, hoping the silence might get him to offer me another way out of this, but he just stood there, looking down at me, as though daring me to put up more of a fight.
Fine, I muttered. But keep out of our way, alright? I don’t want you getting in the way of my night out.
I’ll be as discreet as possible, he replied. I doubted that was possible. The way he was built, the way he carried himself, he clearly wasn’t used to going under the radar.
But I wasn’t going to be able to convince him to leave me the hell alone. Maybe it was better for me to just give up and accept how this was going to go.
No. This was just for tonight. Just for tonight, and after that, I was going to be more careful when I tried to sneak out. I wasn’t going to give in to them and my father and let them control where I went and what I did, not a chance in hell.
I had gotten used to the freedom of life in Budapest, and I wasn’t going to let go of it now.
No matter what these assholes seemed to think.