29. -28-
Nina
The elevator door closed behind me with a quiet sound that felt like a period at the end of a terrible day.
I stood in the entry hall for a long moment with my back pressed to the wall.
My breathing was shallow; the suffocating silence surrounded me, and that was when the panic found its way into my system.
Sonny’s voice echoed in my mind in an endless loop.
His diabolical smile flashed at me from the darkness.
The way his fingers tightened on my arm when no one was looking made me shudder with repulsion and fear.
The familiar calculation in his eyes, measuring how far he could go without anyone noticing anything, forced my poor heart into an overdrive.
I saw it all again. Moments stitched together into a montage I couldn’t shut off.
I slid down until I was sitting on the floor and pulled my knees to my chest, my forehead resting against them. My fear wasn’t dramatic or loud. It was quiet, hardly noticeable to the outside world. But on the inside, I was barely holding together.
Six weeks, and the nightmare going on repeat in my head would become my new reality. In six weeks, it would become permanent.
I pushed myself up before the spiral could swallow me whole. I changed into blue ripped jeans and a soft white sweater. I tied my hair back, splashed cold water on my face, and stared at my pale reflection until my breathing evened out.
“I’m stronger than this,” I chanted, staring at the pale face opposite me. “Stronger than anyone I know. I just need to clear my head and continue where I left off with Dorian. It will be okay.”
Exhaling deeply, I grabbed my keys and left the apartment that was always my sanctuary. But right now, the walls were too close, the memories of Sonny were too loud. My head needed resetting. My lungs craved fresh air.
The Camry hummed to life obediently. At first, I drove without direction, letting the city carry me. Streetlights smeared into lines of gold and white, storefronts blurred past, and somewhere between tall buildings and intersections, my thoughts drifted where they always did.
Dorian.
His smile came to me uninvited, infuriatingly vivid.
The way the one corner of his plump lips lifted just slightly, like he knew something no one else did.
The warmth in his eyes didn’t match the stories about his family or the violence stitched into his last name.
He was dangerous, yes, but in a way that felt controlled, contained.
He didn’t lash out. He carried his darkness like a weapon he only drew when necessary.
Staring out at the empty street, I wondered what he was doing. Was he at work or at home? Was he determined to continue ignoring me? Was he thinking about me at all?
The buzzing of my phone jolted me out of my thoughts. With a roll of my eyes, I looked at the screen. Lucas. I answered it through the car speakers with a sigh.
“Hi.”
There was a brief pause on the other end, but still long enough for him to catch my depressing mood.
“You sound like you’re driving instead of spiraling on your closet floor,” he said carefully. “Which tells me something went very wrong.”
“I’m fine,” I lied, my grip tightening on the steering wheel.
“Statistically improbable,” he countered. I clearly imagined him shaking his head and rolling his eyes. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“No,” I snapped, but instantly regretted it. “Not right now,” I softened, knowing he only wanted the best for me.
“Okay,” he mumbled after another pause. “Is there anything else I can help you with? Perhaps checking the legal consequences in the state of New York for using a car to solve your ‘fiancé problem’?”
A quiet laugh slipped past my lips, but the reality hit hard. It was an option, a desperate one, yet still possible considering the failures. However, my mind was swirling around only one plan right now.
“Can you find Dorian for me?” I asked, my teeth sinking into my lower lip.
“Ninaaaaa,” Lucas whined, long and tired.
“Please.” I kept my voice steady to show him I was stable, not barely functioning on memories of the man of my dreams. “I just need to know where he is.”
“I don’t like this,” he muttered, his fingers already moving. I heard them in the faint tapping. “Every time I help you with him, something explodes.”
I didn’t want to push more because he didn’t hang up. It was the only sign I needed to understand he would fulfill my request. I drove in silence while he worked, my heart beating faster with every passing second.
“Found him,” Lucas finally announced proudly. “He’s at Maxime.”
My stomach dropped. In Malin’s club?
“Of course he is.” I shook my head, pressing my lips into a thin line.
It fit too well. It was that kind of famous place where rich people drowned in noise, bodies, and expensive alcohol.
If Dorian was trying to forget me, it was the perfect destination.
Some expensive hooker would gladly take my place.
Fuck! Bloody fucking fuck!
“Can you get me in?” I asked as if I wasn’t internally panicking again. Just the mere thought of imagining Dorian with another woman turned me murderous.
“No,” Lucas barked. “Absolutely not. You need an invitation. Malin tightened the security after the last breach. It’s too risky.”
“Fine,” I groaned, already turning the wheel. Just because I couldn’t go inside the club, it didn’t mean I couldn’t wait outside and see Dorian. It wouldn’t be my first time spending the night in the car because of him anyway.
Lucas was quiet for a beat, and that silence told me he knew exactly what I was planning.
“Nina,” he warned, “seeing things you don’t like won’t help you right now.”
“I’ll survive,” I said, ending the call before he could argue.
The parking lot across from Maxime was dimly lit and discreet, tucked just far enough away to avoid attention.
The club itself glowed like fire, sleek and impenetrable, with guards positioned around the perimeter with casual alertness that screamed professionalism.
People arrived in expensive cars, laughter spilled out of open doors, and confidence dripped from every movement.
I stayed in my car, watching the entrance. Bouncers checked everyone. No one slipped inside unnoticed. The building didn’t have windows, and the metal doors on each side were guarded. It was a sealed fortress.
Minutes stretched into hours. My pulse settled into a restless rhythm.
I sat with my eyes glued to the door, my feet bouncing against the car floor.
I went through all the options of invading this place, but none included my survival.
With or without a mask, Malin or his men would notice me, exactly as they did at Dorian’s party.
Best case, they walked me to the sidewalk. Worst case, I met my maker.
My mind worked relentlessly, but nothing but waiting remained. However, my patience was running out, and my phone battery was dying. I didn’t know how long I would be able to sit on my ass without my favorite game.
Leaning my head against the window, my eyes zoomed in on the movement at the entrance. For the past half an hour, it was quiet. All guests were inside, and it wasn’t even midnight, so when the door opened, it instantly caught my attention, and my heart missed a painful beat.
Dorian stepped out into the night. He looked different from the last time I’d seen him, more relaxed. His brown leather jacket hung open, his hair was artfully messy, and he smiled broadly at… a woman.
My stomach dropped to my shoes. Beside Dorian was a woman, tall and elegant, her arm confidently hooked with his. She laughed at something he said, her head tipping back as if it was the funniest thing ever.
The sound hit me like a slap. Dorian didn’t look haunted or conflicted. He looked… alive.
I watched, frozen in horror, as he guided her across the street, his hand placed protectively at her back, and disappeared with her into the hotel entrance connected to the club. The doors slid shut behind them, sealing the image into my brain with brutal efficiency.
Jealousy attacked my chest, followed closely by a hollow ache that spread until my breathing hurt. I felt stupid for expecting anything else, idiotic for believing that one shared intensity could outweigh a lifetime of options.
I sat there, staring at the hotel doors, my thoughts spiraling into darker places.
Who was she?
What did she have that I didn’t?
Was she temporary, or was she a threat?
If Dorian could replace me this easily, then what had I been to him? A placeholder? A curiosity? A problem he’d already solved?
Leaning my head back against the seat, I closed my eyes for a brief moment, letting the resolve settle in my bones.
“Fine, Dorian,” I whispered into the darkness. “If you’re trying to forget me, I’ll make sure you remember exactly who I am.”