Little? The audacity. I’m six-five, and I tower over him. I step fully into his space, pressing him against the wall.
“You like to bully people?” I hiss with bared teeth. “Throw your weight around, rough people up, take whatever you want? You think you have that kind of power?”
His eyes are as wild as his hair. His tie is askew, his jacket rumpled. He looks like he hasn’t slept in days. He looks at me, and there is raw fear there, but when he looks at Leanna…well, it puts ice in my veins. I can see his intent.
Hewillkill her.
I can’t make a move, not here. We’re in the hallway of a major hotel. Sensitive negotiations are happening just steps away. Something tells me he knows more about Leanna and me than I realized. I’ve underestimated him, even just a little, but he has zero poker face.
“Get the fuck out of here,” I say with gritted teeth. “Before I strangle you with your tie until your eyeballs pop out of your head.”
He inches his way down the wall until he’s out of my looming shadow. His eyes never leave his sister, though, and it makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. But then he turns and goes, all the way to the end of the hall, out the stairwell door.
I wait,count to thirty, then turn back to Leanna.
“Did he hurt you?” I ask.
“What do you care?” There’s no real bite to it.
I watch as she pulls out her room key and slides inside our shared space. I follow her in, watching as she pulls off the suit jacket, the shoes, the pants. She’s shaking, I realize. Her hands are shaking, and soon her whole body will tremble. She’s going into shock, I think.
I don’t hesitate. I scoop her up, feeling the shiver roll through her, and race to the bathroom.
I turn the hot shower on full blast to chase the cold from her skin. While it warms up, I help her out of her lacy corset bodysuit. I wrap her in a hotel bathrobe while I pull away my own clothing, my suit parts scattered across the bathroom floor by the time I help her under the spray.
Leanna’s teeth are chattering, and her stare is vacant as the warm water hits her skin. I pull her to me, using my own body to help warm her up.
After a long time, I back away, pumping shampoo into my hand. I lather her hair, massaging her scalp and temples, as well as her neck. I work the water through the long locks, ensuring all the soap is rinsed out, then follow the same routine with the conditioner.
She chatters through her teeth. “Itttt’sss n-n-not hhhair-w-w-washing d-day.”
I can’t help but laugh. “Oh. Sorry.”
“Itt’ss o-o-kkay.”
I pull her close again, glad she’s at least coherent enough to scold me. But when I pull away and really look at her, I can see the marks. The ring of light bruises around her throat. The blooming bruise on her upper arm.
“I’m going to fucking kill him,” I say.
She makes a choked noise that breaks me. “He deserves it.”
I put my hands on her cheeks and made her look at me. “Ana, how long?”
“Forever?” she says, and it sounds small. “He’s always hated me.”
I shake my head. “Does your father know?”
“No,” she says. “I never…I refused to let him make me feel weak. I refused ever to let him know it hurt me.”
“Oh,malyskha,” I say, leaning in to kiss her lightly. “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry.”
She cries, then cries truly.
I realize this is not a woman who lets herself break down easily. I had no idea how brave she was being. Even today, when I told her we were through, she did not cry.
I turn off the water and help her step out of the shower. I dry her with the fluffy towel and wrap her in the robe once more. Afterdrying myself off, I pull on a pair of boxer briefs and pick her up, carrying her to the bed, where I lie down with her, pulling her back to my front. I just let her cry for a long time as I hold her.
She cries until she’s spent, and I spend every moment imagining the torture I will inflict on that fucking pissant of a brother of hers.
