“Suit yourself,” Hugo growls, and then he storms me. I move to my left and deliver a kick right into his gut. It sends him staggering backward, and it has Vince climbing to his feet. Hugo regains his balance and storms me again. This time I take the impact of his body. Using his shoulders to brace myself, I bring my knee repeatedly up, delivering blow after blow to his chin and nose until he drops backward.
My eyes snap to Vince. It looks like he’s about to piss himself. Like I said, he’s no fighter.
“You’re choosing the wrong side of this war,” Vince snarls at me.
I just stare at him until he steps over Hugo, trying to get to the door.
Winter struggles to sit up, and she looks out of it.
“What did you do to her?” I growl.
Vince gives Winter a deadly glare. “I just had her drugged. Unfortunately, I can’t kill her. Yet.”
Before I can reign in my temper, my arm shoots out, and I deliver a crushing blow to Vince’s nose. Blood spurts from him like a fountain as he staggers back.
Shock registers on his face, and then he growls, “You’re a dead man walking, Vetrov.” Like the coward he is, he runs from the room, leaving Hugo behind.
I walk to Winter, where she’s still trying to sit up while wiping blood from her lip.
Crouching by her, I say, “Next time, lock your door.”
“I can’t feel… anything,” she mumbles.
I take hold of her chin and lift her face to mine. The first thing I notice is the glassy look in her eyes. Whatever drug Blanco gave her must be taking effect.
She begins to tip sideways, and I catch her by her shoulders. “You okay?”
Winter shakes her head, then mumbles, “Dizzy and numb… weird.”
“Blyad',” I mutter. I can’t just leave her alone tonight. She’ll be vulnerable to attacks. God only knows what Vince and Hugo were planning on doing to her.
Chapter 9
WINTER
Mother of saints, I’m exhausted. It feels like I haven’t slept in weeks.
Damien’s face appears in front of me, and then darkness tints the edges of my vision. I feel his arm slide around my back and another under my knees, and then my world tilts as he lifts me from the floor.
The side of my head falls to his shoulder, and for a moment, I have a clear view of his neck and jaw, both looking kissable. It’s only for a couple of seconds, though, and then my vision blurs again.
Damien begins to walk, every forceful step he takes vibrating through my body.
Crap, where is he taking me?
I try to lift my hand, and my knuckles brush against his chest before my arm goes numb again. “Where?” I manage to mumble.
“Shhh.” It sounds more like a threatening hiss than a sound of comfort, and it makes the hair on my body rise.
My mind feels clouded as if I can’t wake up. As if I’m stuck between reality and a nightmare. All I remember from earlier was not feeling well, and when I got to my room, Vince and Hugo were there waiting for me. I managed to fight them off, but as the drug took more of an effect on my body, they overpowered me. If Damien didn’t show up, I’d probably be dead by now.
Damien… He can kill me, and there’s nothing I can do to defend myself.
The thought sobers me a little, enough to lift my head from Damien’s shoulder as he walks into another room. He kicks the door shut behind us, the sound echoing through my dazed mind.
Damien’s arms are strong beneath me, taking my full weight as if I’m as light as a feather, even though it feels as if I weigh a ton and gravity is fighting to drag me back down to the ground.
The moment he walks into a bedroom, fear trickles down my spine.
He wouldn’t.
Would he?
No. The Vetrovs have honor. He wouldn’t rape me.
When he lies me down on the bed, and our eyes meet, there’s nothing I can do to hide the fear I feel. The last time I was this vulnerable was the day I lost my mother and almost lost my own life.
I never thought I’d feel that way again. Hopeless. Lost. Terrified. But here I am, at the mercy of Damien Vetrov.
I try to push against the mattress to get myself up into a sitting position, but whatever drug Vince gave me makes my bones heavy and my muscles numb.
How did he manage to drug me? Did he pay one of the waiters to spike my drink?
Lying paralyzed on Damien’s bed, my eyes lock on his. God, he looks even more intense and dangerous now that I’m unable to protect myself.
Damien braces his hands on either side of my head, and I’m instantly engulfed in the scent of his aftershave and heat coming from his body.