“Oh? Now I am visible to you? You’ve finally figured out I am no specter that you can just walk through? Do I have to cause a scene to make you less passive?”
“This anger is not for me,” he said steadily, but his eyes told me I’d reached the end of his patience.
“Who else would it be for?”
“Well, that’s what I was hoping you’d tell me,” he said through a clenched jaw, loosening his grip on my wrist.
Tears pricked at my eyes, my throat sore enough to croak.
“I wish to bite someone. Enough to draw blood! Splatter it everywhere and paint the walls! Only then will I be taken seriously.” I yanked my arm from him and paced toward the large chest at the end of the bed, angrily plucking at the buttons and clasps entrapping me.
“They will take you as seriouslyillif you do that.”
“Better than not at all!”
“Petre, what troubles you?”
“It would be easier to tell you whathasn’ttroubled me.”
“Then start there.”
“Pastries. They don’t disappoint.”
A hand slipped past my waist to the front, pulling me away from my rummaging. Then another arm looped around and held my back to a strong chest.
His cologne overwhelmed me; it seemed stronger now that I was overstimulated. A tickle of breath fanned across my neck, his lips hovering. I watched his thumb brush over the fabric of my blouse, and suddenly wet spots began to appear. One by one, tears fell before I realized they were mine. My tears. Just as the slightest touch, cracking like ice after a clean pour of liquor.
“Tell me about it,” he whispered, his hands smoothing over the front of my torso.
I swallowed my words with an audible gulp, not that they would have been coherent if they’d manifested.
“Biting your tongue isn’t good for you,” he said as he dragged his lips over my ear and down toward my jaw, over my shoulder. I stole a glance at him, and his eyes met mine. He was one of those men who looked like they were always up to no good, no matter how charming they acted.
“The commissioner caught me in the street,” I breathed, not trusting my words to be solid if I spoke any louder.
His eyes narrowed, and I saw his pupils get small enough where they could fit maybe a pin. “And what about it?”
“He’s going to blackmail us.”
“With what? He has nothing”—he lowered his lips to my shoulder, kissing the fabric gently—“or else he would have us in custody by now.”
“But he said—”
“You need to stop taking every man’s word as gospel,” he snapped.
I gulped and looked away, but his hand left my waist and grabbed my jaw, making me look at him through the mirror in the corner.
“As long as you keep quiet, we will be fine.” His tone was assuring, but his grip was a warning.
“What if we aren’t fine?” I blurted. “Will you kill him for me?”
That brought a smile to Arkady’s face, but his eyes didn’t change. “My dear, after all I have done for you thus far, youstillquestion my loyalty?”
“I mean it.”
“So do I.” His smile dropped, and so did his hand, releasing me from his grip. “Your mother rang for you. It is best you go out and make an appearance.” He backed toward the door. “I fear you may be too fussy to keep cooped up here.”
I turned to him. “Will you come with me?”
