Chapter 7
7
T wenty minutes later, they were on their way home. Viktor was driving and Sacha raised the privacy screen.
She had another blanket over her. One that he kept in his car for her.
“Are you all right?”
“I’m warm, thanks.”
Sacha sighed. “Not what I asked, Kotyonok .”
“I’m... I don’t know. I don’t know how I am. I still feel numb.” She clenched her hands together. “I keep thinking about it. Seeing it happen. Hearing that noise as the bat hit his—I’m going to be sick!”
He immediately tapped on the privacy screen. Viktor pulled over as Sacha undid her belt and dragged her from the car. Just in time, since she couldn’t hold the nausea back any longer. She vomited up everything she had in her stomach.
Which wasn’t much, admittedly.
When she was done, Sacha cleaned her face with some wet wipes before picking her up and carrying her back to the car.
He settled her into the car, even buckling her in.
Crap. That just reminded her of Colm doing the same thing. She couldn’t help but wish that he was here with her.
“You’re staying in the house with me tonight.”
So he could keep an eye on her. She’d fought for her own place, for some form of independence.
But tonight, she thought that staying near Sacha might not be a bad idea.
Not that she likely had a choice.
“You can stay in your old room. You still have everything you need there?” he asked.
“Yes. I have clothes and toiletries.” She wrapped her hand around her wrist and turned it.
Round and round until the friction started to burn.
“Stop that,” Sacha told her, laying his hand over hers.
“Sorry,” she whispered. She didn’t really intend to hurt herself. It was just that she’d learned not to show too much emotion, so it had to come out in other ways.
“Just remember, you did what you had to do. He was a fucking monster who deserved what he got.”
She nodded as they reached the estate. And it was an estate, the place where she’d grown up.
It had never been a cozy place. Sofia hadn’t been unhappy, but she hadn’t had a regular childhood either. She’d had tutors rather than going to school. And a nanny because her mom had died when she was young and her father had rarely been around.
Her father had loved her. Adored her. But he hadn’t known what to do with her. Things had gotten better when Sacha came to live with them, but life still hadn’t been warm and fuzzy.
The main house where Sacha lived was vast and majestic. It had a Spanish feel to it with its ivory walls and terracotta roof.
She lived in the two-bedroom guesthouse, accessible down a pathway in the back of the house but behind a large hedge that gave it privacy.
After saying goodnight to Sacha, she headed up to her own room. It hadn’t been changed since she’d moved out for college when she was eighteen. It felt like a lifetime ago, but it had only been five years.
She felt so . . . old.
After she entered her old bedroom, she decided to take a shower. Heading into the attached bathroom, she turned the shower on as hot as she could bear it as she tried to relax. It helped a bit. After her shower, she pulled on a pair of old pajamas and brushed her teeth before climbing into bed.
Her phone lit up with several messages. She gulped, all the tension she’d managed to get rid of returning as she saw that Oleg was texting her.
She started reading through them.
Oleg: I cannot believe you kill Dima, you stupid bitch!
Oleg: You better not have said anything to Anisimov about me knowing him.
Oleg: I will deny it all, you stupid fucking cow.
Oleg: You going to pay for this, Sofia...
Sofia swallowed heavily.
This was the last thing she needed tonight. Why did she open his messages?
“Idiot,” she muttered to herself, putting her phone to one side.
Another message buzzed through, and her fingers itched. She hated leaving messages unread.
She snatched her phone up. Perhaps she should just turn it off.
Unknown number: Are you okay?
What the heck? Who was that? Her hand shook. Her first thought was that Oleg had given her number to one of his friends. But anyone who was friends with Oleg wouldn’t be messaging her to ask if she was all right.
Unknown: Sofia? I need to know you’re okay.
Unknown: If you don’t answer me, I’ll be forced to sneak onto the estate and hunt you down.
Okay. Now, this messenger was starting to scare her. But she was also kind of intrigued. Why did he need to know how she was?
With fingers that trembled, she gathered up the courage to text him back.
Sofia: Who is this?
Unknown: Shit. It’s Colm.
Colm? It was Colm.
Holy. Crap.
She had to hold her phone face down against her chest for a moment as she took some deep breaths to calm her nerves.
Colm was texting her.
And she was acting like a giddy schoolgirl with a crush.
Well, it wasn’t like she’d had any crushes on anyone as a schoolgirl. There had been no one to crush on...
She quickly turned her phone back over as it buzzed again in her hand.
Unknown: Right, that’s it. I’m coming over.
Sofia: No. Wait.
She fumbled to change his name on her phone.
Sofia: Sorry. I was just brushing my teeth.
Really? Was that the best she could come up with?
Colm: Brushing your teeth? All right... are you okay?
She could almost hear the brusqueness in his voice. See him brimming with impatience. Probably irritation too.
Whether that would be at her for taking too long or at himself for caring, she wasn’t sure.
Sofia: I’m fine.
It was an automatic reply, said without thought.
Colm: Do not lie to me, Sofia.
Yikes. There had to be something wrong with her since just those words sent a shiver of longing and attraction through her.
She could imagine him saying that with a slight growl in his tone.
Sofia: What makes you think I’m lying?
Was she flirting with him?
Maybe.
They’d been skirting that line lately. She’d told herself it was just friendly banter. But Colm wasn’t her friend. And these feelings she had toward him...
Nope. Not friendly at all.
Colm: Feeling brave when you’re not in front of me, aren’t you, Mo leannan?
What did that mean? She’d meant to look it up the other day when he’d called her that.
Part of her was a bit worried about finding out that it meant ‘my Brussels sprout’ or ‘my friend’ or something similar, but she was feeling braver at the moment.
Sofia: What does that mean?
There was a moment before he replied and she worried it was the wrong thing to ask.
Finally, he texted her.
Colm: Nothing that either of us is ready to acknowledge.
Huh?
She wanted to push further, but it seemed that all her bravery had officially disappeared.
Colm: Tell me how you really are.
She wasn’t sure that was a good idea.
Sofia: How did you get my number?
Colm: Sofia. Dodge my question one more time...
Sofia typed something, then erased it. Then she typed again. Erased it.
Shoot.
She wanted to know what would happen.
And she kind of didn’t. Because if knowing what Mo leannan meant was a step too far, then knowing what he’d do if she kept defying him was a freaking leap over the cliff.
Colm: Tell me. Or I will be forced to come and see you for myself. And I don’t make idle threats.
Yikes.