Artem freezes just long enough to make me want to put a fist through the wall. Then he moves, silently grabbing his jacket and keys from the counter.
I drag a hand down my face, my jaw clenched so tight it aches. The whole penthouse suddenly feels like it’s closing in, too quiet and too empty.
She had been in my hands just hours ago, breathless, soft, and pressed against the wall, begging for release. She had just let me touch her and unravel her.
She’d come apart for me.
And now she’s just… gone?
No fucking way.
I pace the hallway, fists clenching and unclenching, mind spinning through possibilities.
She wanted out, and then she slipped through my fingers like smoke.
No screaming. No tantrum.
She played me.
The corner of my mouth twitches. I can respect the move. Hell, I might even admire it.
But that doesn’t mean I’ll let it stand.
There’s one thing Sienna doesn’t seem to understand.
No one walks away from me.
Not without consequences.
And especially not her.
13
Sienna
I don’t breathe until I hear the door slam, and Benedikt’s voice disappears.
And even then, I don’t move.
Not until the elevator dings down the hall.
I wait at least five more minutes before I crawl out from behind the heavy blackout curtain, my heart pounding.
My legs are stiff, my neck hurts from being folded in half, and my ass is numb from sitting cross-legged on the cold floor.
But at least I’m not in a closet or under a bed. That’d be the first place they’d check.
I push the curtain aside and creep out of my temporary hiding spot.
The room is a disaster.
The bedsheets are tangled and hanging off the mattress. The armchair near the window is knocked sideways. Benedikt’s shirtfrom earlier is balled up on the floor next to the bed, right where he dropped it. A hole in the wall explains that the loud bang I heard was his fist.
The air smells like him. Sharp cologne, clean soap, and the faintest trace of mint.
I can still feel him in the room, like the air hasn’t figured out he’s gone yet. Like he’s still here, watching and waiting.
I wrap my arms around myself and step carefully through the mess.
