On any other day, it would hit the spot perfectly.
But I’m so wound up, I’m not sure I’d be able to swallow past the iron fist around my throat.
And every time I pause my cleaning, the doubts come flooding back.
I shouldn’t have been so obvious about my connection with Svetlana. And I definitely shouldn’t have voiced my concern that Miko would hurt her.
His blue eyes flash in my mind’s eye, their icy coolness sending a shiver down my spine when I think about the displeasure I saw in them.
Or perhaps it’s the desire that lingered there—like he wanted to punish me for speaking out of turn.
Something about Michelangelo Chiaroscuro throws me off balance. It has from the moment I met him.
My attraction to him is a weakness—more than that, it’s a liability.
Because it makes me respond unexpectedly and without thinking.
That hinders all the carefully honed instincts about self-preservation that I’ve developed over the past year.
And for the first time, I find myself missing Pyotr.
Because as cruel as he could be, as much as I hated him, at least I could predict him—as well as my own reactions to his brutal kind of discipline. “Better to face the devil you know…” I breathe, recalling the saying once more.
When it comes to Miko, I can’t even make sense of myself, let alone him.
Chastity returns several hours later, when the sky is inky black outside and I’ve turned on all the lights to continue my deep cleaning.
As she announces that dinner is ready, she spots the uneaten sandwich on the dresser and collects it without a word.
Then she opens the door again, casting a last troubled glance in my direction before she leaves me in peace.
I know it would put her mind at ease to go down and eat something. But Miko will no doubt be there with his brothers, and the thought of facing him still turns my stomach.
All I can think about is when the other shoe will drop. I can feel it coming.
A storm is brewing in the air, an electric current of anticipation warning me that I’m not going to like it when his patience comes to an end.
Maybe I should make a break for it while his guard is down.
But then, it hasn’t even been a full day since he gave me free movement around the house.
He might just be testing me to see if I’ll take advantage of an open door.
If I’m being logical about it, he likely has someone keeping an eye on me from a distance.
Ready to tighten the leash at the first sign that I intend to run.
No, now is not the time to do something rash.
Tossing my dirty rag into the laundry hamper with a huff, I slump into the reading chair tucked into the corner of the room by the window.
I’m driving myself crazy overthinking what happened, and I know it. But I’m too much of a coward to go out and face Miko.
I’m not ready.
Tilting my head back to rest it against the overstuffed chair, I close my eyes and will myself to calm down. But that’s easier said than done.
And when the bedroom doors fly open a moment later, I nearly levitate off my perch.
