Everywhere.
“Let’s try this again,” Mikhail said in a voice I had never heard from him before. My hand moved to my mouth to keep from making any noise. “Why don’t you tell me where your information came from. How do you know about Ricci?”
“I-I already told you. I make it a point to know everyone. A foot soldier caught sight of the Bianchi enforcer sneaking off with a woman. I did some digging and—and—”
Mikhail smiled, and I moved back.
He looked nothing like the man who had given me my first kiss. He looked like someone deranged. Someone I didn’t want to know.
His powerful arm pulled back, and the whip came down on Henry’s bare skin.
I couldn’t stop the small scream that came out of me at the same time Henry screamed. I was sure both men still heard me, though. Mikhail froze and slowly turned to me.
My heart pounded harshly in my chest, the blood roaring in my ears as the edges of my vision tunneled.
Mikhail took one step toward me.
I took one step back.
“Catalina—”
I didn’t know why I did what I did, but I turned around and walked out of there.
“Catalina!” he yelled. I made my legs move faster until I was running.
I didn’t notice anything around me or hear any of the yells coming from the prisoners.
My eyes honed on the staircase no more than several feet away from me, and I pushed myself harder.
Almost there.
Just …
Almost …
Mikhail wrapped his arms around my waist just as my foot touched the bottom of the staircase. I let out a scream and thrashed in his arms.
He tightened his hold, pulling me close to him as he took the stairs two at a time.
I cried out, but he didn’t pay me any attention. He walked through the house, ignoring everything and everyone, and I—
The fight left me halfway to the room. I didn’t have the energy to fight him, and what was more, I didn’t want to fight him.
I went slack in his arms.
This was the first time since the dinner that he held me in his arms.
I was pathetic because despite what I had just witnessed, I still fucking missed him so much. I didn’t want him to leave. I wrapped my arms around him, burying my face in his neck and letting my tears soak his skin.
I felt him pause in his step a fraction of a second before he continued, bringing us back to my room and closing the door with his foot. He moved to the bed. I tightened my hold on him when I felt him let me go.
“Fuck, kotyonok,” he whispered desperately against me. “Let go. Let me go. Fuck. Please.”
It was the“please” that did me in. I decided right then and there I didn’t care what kind of monster I saw in the dungeon.
Mikhail wasn’t my monster. He was my angel. My savior. A steady comfort when my world felt so tumultuous.
I shook my head. If he wanted to leave me here, he would have to pry my fingers off him—he would have to hurt me because I wasn’t fucking letting go.