I go out and test the emergency exit out in the hallway again. There’s no give.
Is Dominik watching me?
Is he still angry?
When I turn around, he’s there.
Dominik stands at the end of the hall, hands in his pockets, dark and unreadable. He walks toward me with controlled steps, close enough to feel the weight of him but far enough that I have to choose to lessen the distance.
I don’t move.
His eyes flick from the door to my face. No question is spoken, but I answer with a small shrug. I had to try again, even if it was pointless.
“So,” he says softly, “you finally decided to eat.”
“There wasn’t anything else to do.”
“You could sleep,” he counters. “Instead of wandering around looking for an escape route that doesn’t exist.”
“I don’t sleep well in cages.”
Something flickers in his expression. Almost a wince. “At least this cage has privacy. And a lock you control.”
“Like you wouldn’t kick the door down if you wanted to?”
The corner of his mouth lifts. “Only if you made me.”
It’s not funny. None of this is.
I don’t reply. I just turn and walk away, doing what he told me to do for once. I crawl into bed and stare at the ceiling until sleep eventually drags me under.
9
Dominik
I should be trackingArcher right now, not watching his sister pace circles in the guestroom. Every Bratva contact I have in the state is hunting for the little bastard. Gavriil wants his money, wants his revenge, and he wants both yesterday.
He didn’t exactly make a request when he called an hour ago. He ordered me.
“I want every dime of my money, Dominik. I don’t care how. And if keeping the girl is slowing you down, I’ll gladly take her off your hands.”
I don’t answer right away even though I should. That’s how I know this is turning into a problem.
The thought of Gavriil getting anywhere near Alina feels wrong. He would love nothing more than to punish a pretty hostage who glares at him.
Protecting assets is my job. Wanting to put myself between her and the world is something else entirely, and I don’t like not having a name for it.
I turn back to my laptop and pull up the intel file on Archer. I’d feel better if we had eyes on him before the meet tomorrow, and I need him to have all our money.
Every few minutes, I glance at the security feed. Alina’s pacing again, her hair loose for once, chewing on her lip.
The first morning while she was in the shower, I installed a small camera in the air vent to watch her because I knew she was a flight risk. Now, I find that I need to know how she thinks.
It’s good that she hasn’t given up yet.
People who think they’re in control don’t surrender, and that’s exactly what I fear she will do if it comes to it.
And while I would love to have her surrender to me, it’ll be Gavriil who offers her what I can’t.
