She seems pleased anyway, and settles onto the couch next to Viktor, her arm sliding around his. She looks between me and Roman with calculating eyes.
“Finally settling down, Romy?”
Roman laughs, and Viktor grins as he shakes his head.
“My love, you’ll have to give up on that idea. Hell will freeze over before Roman settles for a woman. This is our new chemist, Wren Hayes.”
Olivia’s expression shifts.
“Oh. Wonderful news.” She strokes Viktor’s cheek with obvious affection. “But you shouldn’t be working on your birthday, love. Does business never end?”
Viktor looks at her with such adoration that it almost seems out of place in this den of criminals.
“This business in particular? No, it never ends.”
Olivia gives him a peck on the lips, and inside me, Zeth shrinks even further. I feel him curling in on himself like he’s about to be sick. My skin tingles with a strange, electric sensation, and panic spikes through me. I’m terrified he’s going to lose control and pour out of me right here, in front of everyone.
I stand up carefully, trying to keep my movements smooth and natural. I look at Roman.
“You’ll have to excuse me for a minute. Can you tell me where the bathroom is?”
Roman gets up with me and places his hand on my lower back. The touch makes my skin crawl, but I don’t pull away. I bite the inside of my cheek and let him guide me.
“I’ll show you,” he says.
He leads me through the dragon’s maw and down a dim hallway. The music from the club below is a distant throb. He stops at a door and gestures to it.
“Are you going to just stand here and wait?” I ask.
“Yes. You’re my gift to my father and I’m not letting you out of my sight. There’s something weird about you tonight. I don’t know what it is, but I’ll figure it out.”
I give him a dismissive look, trying to project irritation instead of the terror that’s coursing through me.
Roman narrows his eyes, and his voice drops.
“Don’t disappoint me, Wren, or there will be consequences.”
I turn away from him without responding and push into the bathroom. The second the door closes behind me, I rush to an empty stall and lock it, leaning with my back against the door. I’m panting like I’ve just run a marathon.
“What’s going on? You’re making my heart go so fast that I’m starting to worry about a heart attack.”
Zeth is panting with me, and I realize that all these physical reactions aren’t mine at all. They’re his. My racing heart, my trembling hands, the sweat on my skin – it’s all him.
“Olivia,”he chokes out.“It’s her.”
“What? Do you know her?”
“I used to. A long time ago.”
His voice sounds hollow. I only have a few minutes before Roman gets suspicious, but I have no idea how to help Zeth when I don’t know what I’m dealing with. Whatever happened between him and Olivia, it’s bad enough to shatter his control.
“Do you want to tell me what happened?”
The silence stretches for several heartbeats.
“No.”
I sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose, trying to think through his panic.
