No.
I shoved him off me, and I hated the way he smirked at my trembling body. More than anything, I wished Dmitri was here with me.
The moment I thought of him, the shivers in my body subsided.
“Do you think threatening me is a good idea?” I said, warmth flooding through my body as the memories of the last few weeks swarmed me.
The reminder of Dmitri's dark aura soaked through my fear, and for the first time since I’d entered this room I felt calm.
“One time when a man hurt me, Dmitri chained him from the ceiling andsmiledwhile torturing him,” I said. “What do you think he’ll do toyou?”
Roman’s face turned deathly pale. This time it washis handthat was trembling. The implications swarmed across Roman’s face, and I treasured each and every string of discomfort and fear.
“Gemma-” he started.
“If you touch her,” I snarled. “Iwill track you down and kill you. You’ll always be looking over your shoulder, not knowing if that girl in a brown wig is the woman intent on poisoning you, or just another friendly face at the bar.Do nottest me.”
“If you kill me, then the Pakhan will kill you too,” he said, his expression relaxing.
“So be it,” I said, taking a step forward. Shock skittered over his expression. “I will die for the ones I love.Don’t push me.”
Before he could reply, the front door swung open and Gemma waltzed back into the room.
“My landlord is awful,” Gemma groaned, swooning against the door for dramatic effect.
Her head tilted as she took in the heavy atmosphere in the room. “Everything okay?” she said, her expression melting into worry.
“Fine,” I said with a pointed smile at her ‘boyfriend’. “Roman was just leaving.”
“But… why?” Gemma said, her head jerking between the two of us like there was a puzzle she was missing a piece of.
Roman’s expression smoothed, and a warm smile spread across his face. His smile failed to reach his eyes, but Gemma lit up like a sunflower reaching towards its sun.
“I’ve got a busy day tomorrow, baby,” he said, squeezing her into a hug.
It took all of my self control not to throw one of my hidden knives at his fake face.
Roman pulled Gemma in closer while locking his eyes on me. “But I’ll see yousoon.”
The evening’s conversations swirled through my mind as I gripped the cold metal subway railing.
After Roman had left, I’d hung out with Gemma, digging out the details on their relationship. I watched her expression for hints that he’d hurt her in any manner, but whenever she spoke of Roman, her face melted into bliss. It had made me want tovomit out every detail of how he’d hurt me until it erased that look.
The subway car rattled to a stop, and Natalya’s angry words that it’d been my fault scraped through my mind.
No, Gemma was my best friend… she wouldn’t react that way. Gemma would believe me, but it didn’t change the fact that once she cut ties with Roman, she’d be at risk.
The problem was that the moment Roman lost his leverage over me, he’d likely lash out at Gemma. So instead of spewing out the truth earlier, I’d kept my mouth shut and promised myself I’d solve this.
My body braced against the cold as I stepped onto the platform and walked up the dirty subway stairs into my neighborhood.
A glass bottle shattered to my left. My eyes darted around the dark street of my neighborhood, praying that I wouldn’t have to use the knife in my purse.
Thankfully, I reached my apartment without incident.
I nudged open my propped building door, relief beginning to loosen my tense body. Inside my apartment, I’d hidden cash to get my mother into a safe house in case I ever convinced her to leave my father.
Tomorrow, I’d tell Gemma the truth about Roman, and use that money to place her in hiding.
