Chapter 15
The Prey
Thudding. I heard it in my ears. Felt it in my chest. The suffocating sensation worsened.
Chills ran down my spine. I tried to look unfazed.
Feigned ignorance. Glued to the door. His thigh brushed against mine.
Even through layers, I felt his warmth. Hated it.
But in this biting Russian cold, I wished to move closer.
The frost bit at my skin. His presence was a fire I couldn’t ignore.
My breath hitched. Heart raced. Desperation mixed with disdain.
I was trapped in a cruel, silent dance. Where he was leading.
The consequences were dangerous. So dangerous, I could see my life flashing before my eyes. Was my end near? I hadn’t atoned for my sins yet.
I jumped, startled when the phone rang, the sound piercing the silence of the car. I nearly clung to the window in shock. From my right, a low Russian grumble sent a shiver down my spine. Daring to glance his way, I saw him: a hulking figure with broad shoulders that seemed to dominate the space.
Casually, he lifted his phone, not even looking at the screen as he swiped his thumb across it. The dim moonlight highlighted his stern features and cold, calculating features.
“Надеюсь, у тебя для меня хорошие новости, Карло,” he grumbled into the phone, his voice a low, dangerous growl.
The amusement and thrill that had been plastered on his face earlier faded into a deep, foreboding gloom.
I didn’t know who had pissed him off, but ever since I walked out of that washroom, he seemed to be in a heated conversation with Kyle.
(It had better be good news, Carlo.)
Kyle noticed me first, obviously since the demon beside him was blind, his hunter’s eyes hidden behind dark shades. I was relieved; at least it didn’t feel like he was glaring at me. The tension in the room was palpable, and I could feel the oppressive weight of his anger seeping into my bones.
But that seemed to be the least of my worries right now. Whatever the other person said on the phone only made him angrier. His jaw clenched tightly, the muscles twitching with barely restrained fury, and his fist curled into a tight ball, knuckles white with the pressure.
“Intercepted? By whom?” I could hear the barely contained rage simmering beneath the surface as he spoke in rapid Russian, and I was sitting next to him. What were the chances his fist would kiss my jaw first, or his knee?
“Hunters is dead. Find me someone else. I need a name.” His words dripping with menace. The suddenly small space was not enough, and I couldn’t help but shiver.
A haunting pause, and I realized my right knee was shaking uncontrollably.
“Time is not something you can afford, Carlo. I’m giving you fifteen minutes, you find the rat or become the example.”
He ended the call with an unsatisfied growl, his hand on my knee clenched into a fist. The silence that followed was deafening, filled only with my fearful breaths.
Whatever he said, I hardly caught a word.
Cause damn me, his Russian was fluent. And his voice seemed to deepen whenever he spoke in his native language.
I still had no clue where he was taking me, or what would happen if I decided to fling open the car door and make a dramatic exit.
Though the thought was tempting, I wasn’t quite ready to become a splat on the highway just yet.
His hand on my knee stayed there, and I sat there alarmed, hugging my bag tighter and sweating in the cold. He didn’t move, nor did he make any move to let go of me. The only thing I heard was my pounding heart and the roaring of the car.
I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. His expressions were unreadable, like always. His grip on my knee was firm, not painful, but a reminder of his control over me. I tried to calm my racing thoughts, to think logically about my options.
“Where are you taking me?” I finally asked, my voice barely more than a whisper. It took all my courage to speak up, to break the heavy silence.
He turned his head slightly, and I hated how I couldn’t see what was swirling in his eyes hidden behind the shades.
“You’ll find out soon enough,” he muttered lowly.
His words did little to ease my anxiety, but at least he had answered. I clung to that small piece of hope like a caffeine addict to their morning coffee—maybe today wasn’t the day I’d be permanently decaffeinated.
Minutes passed, maybe hours—it was hard to tell. The car eventually slowed down, the scenery outside becoming more familiar. We were approaching the heart of the city. I recognized some of the buildings, the hotel, and a few nearby cafés.
The car came to a stop in front of a large, shimmery hotel. The demon of a man finally removed his hand from my knee. I contemplated my options. Should I make a run for it?
Judas was blind. Surely I could outsmart a blind man... right? Except Kyle was driving. He wasn’t built like Judas, but he was still twice my size. Meanwhile, the closest thing I had to cardio was walking between lectures.
If he came after me, I’d lose before the chase even started.
“Step out,” Judas commanded. I hesitated, opened the door, and stepped out onto the pavement. Kyle circled the car and handed the cane to Judas. I almost scoffed. Vulnerability didn’t suit him. Not when he looked like he was a walking-talking ticking time bomb.
A pervert at that.
Kyle helped Judas beside me.
A lazy smirk played on his lips, making me almost forget how to breathe as he extended his hand to me. “I pay you for your work, little bird,” he said. The breeze slowly ruffled his perfectly styled hair, as if afraid to disturb his perfection.
“I know my place; you have made it clear,” I grumbled, taking his hand in mine.
The moment our skin touched, a surge of current roared through my veins, electrifying every damn neuron.
His hand dwarfed mine completely.
I swallowed at the overwhelming size difference between us.
He towered over me in every sense. If he stumbled, what exactly was I supposed to do? Catch him? I nearly laughed. I’d hit the floor long before he did.
I refused to look at him and gave his hand a small tug.
A quiet chuckle rumbled from his chest. Before I could react, he turned my hand over, slid his fingers between mine, and laced them together.
I looked at him in shock.
“Keep giving me that attitude,” he murmured as he leaned closer, “and I might have to do something about it.”
His shades prevented me from seeing if his eyes were glinting again.
But I could feel his attention on me.
I was starting to think something was wrong with him. We’d spent almost an hour together, and he hadn’t threatened me once.
I was this close to checking if he had a fever. Apparently, everything was fine. And he has episodes now and then.
Threatening me was simply part of his daily routine. Making my life miserable.
I supposed making women’s lives miserable was a hobby most men took seriously.
“Everyone is waiting,” Kyle mumbled, and Judas said something in response.
The moment we stepped into the lobby, I was reminded just how extravagant the hotel was. Kyle led the way at a brisk pace and then to the elevator.
I ignored how most women turned to look at him. Only if they knew how shameless he was.
“Right this way,” Kyle said.
The demon leaned heavily on me. “Don’t even think about trying anything,” he warned in a low hush.
Was threatening women a competitive sport? If so, he’d definitely make the finals.
I ignored the warmth radiating from him and tried to slip under his arm. Bad idea. He shoved me into the elevator with enough force to make me stumble. I barely caught myself before I hit the floor.
An arm wrapped around my waist, hauling me upright before my knees could give out.
“Clumsy,” he muttered.
Heat rushed to my cheeks. “You pushed me.”
“Still.”
I pushed futilely against his arm. But only tightened his hold and pulled me more into his chest.
“What are you doing?”
“Holding you.”
“Against my will.” I looked over my shoulder, but he was staring at the door. I averted my gaze to Kyle, but he only pretended not to see.
“You’re observant.” I glared at the hand still locked around my waist.
“People usually ask first.”
“Do they?”
“Civilized ones.”
A quiet chuckle escaped him. “That’s where your expectations went wrong, Ptichka.”
I tried prying his arm away again. “Let me go. I can stand now on my own.”
“Do you now?”
“I will scream.”
“Even if you scream, no one can hear you.”
I groaned, realising there was no use in talking to him. If he weren’t blind and twenty thousand dollars weren’t at stake, I’d have head-butted him.
A blind man had the power to make me want to be blind so that I could not see his volatile eyes.
“For the next two hours, I want you to behave.”
When I failed to respond, the fingers of his left hand slipped under the jacket, underneath my right breast, the fabric of my sweater suddenly feeling too transparent. My breath hitched; something I shouldn’t feel bubbled in my stomach.
My knees buckled, and my chest rose up and down frantically. I took a breath and leaned away from his touch, forcing my eyes shut into the skin of my raised arms.
His lips caressed the shell of my ear. “Are you going to behave or do I have to use force?”
I mustered up my courage and nodded. “Y-yes.”
I felt his lips curling against my ear, and then his fingers held my chin. I felt him lean into me. My whole body was burning. “Yes?” He repeated mockingly. “Yes, you will behave? Or yes, I have to force you again?”
My heart raced. I felt his breath on my cheek. There was suddenly not enough air to breathe, not enough space to store it. “Or you’re just going to be a problem for me.”
“I will behave.” I stammered.
I knew he smiled, though I couldn’t see it. A shiver, magnetic, pulled me towards him and ran through my veins. “Good girl.”
He kissed me softly on the cheek. I thought I whimpered. Then he released me and stepped away, leaving me paralysed even after I heard the elevator door open.
I lost my balance, my knees buckled, and my whole body trembled as I fell onto my knees.