"Wraith is harmless," I tell her with a wave of my hand. "Well, unless you get on his bad side. Then he's anything but harmless."
"I'm sure," she whispers in agreement.
I study Katerina for a moment while I eat. Her long, blonde hair is like a veil around her pretty face. She's wearing some more of Adeline's clothes. They don't fit very well since Katerina is so much taller than Adeline, but they're good enough for now. Maybe I can plan a trip to the mainland soon to buy her more fitting clothing. I bet she'd appreciate that.
Fuck, what am I even saying? It's like I'm already planning on her staying here for a long time. When, in reality, the woman doesn't evenwantto be here. She did agree to stay since it's clearly safer here than anywhere else in the world right now; but I'm sure the first chance she got to get off this island, she would take it.
Clearing my throat, I ask her, "Since you've explored most of the house, I take it you'd like to go outside?"
"Oh, I didn't think I'd be allowed," she tells me in surprise.
"Well, I'll have to let the guards know you'll be out on the grounds. Don't venture too far. They're on high alert since…everything happened," I say, my voice dropping down low. I still can't believe I wasn't here when Lucien was shot and Adeline was taken.
But fuck, maybe I would have been dead right now. The reason I'm still alive is sitting right next to me. If Katerina hadn't distracted me, things could have ended very differently.
I'm just happy that I was able to save Lucien's life and keep him stable and alive. We can work on getting Adeline back when he's well again.
"Will you join me outside today?" she asks, and it rips me out of my thoughts and throws me completely off guard.
She wants me to spend time with her? Why? I thought she hated me. "Uh," I mutter, stalling. "I have some things I need to take care of, and I have to check on Luc," I explain, blowing her off.
"Oh, sure," she says with a single nod. She seems almost miffed by my rejection, but just a few short days ago she was the one rejecting me. It sort of feels nice now that the shoe is on the other foot.
Finishing my breakfast and juice, I stand up with my dirty dishes and tell her, "I'll see you later."
As I walk into the kitchen, my thoughts are on the blonde in the next room. I'm beginning to wonder if Katerina has an ulterior motive. All I know is that she's playing some sort of game.
And I'm most definitely the pawn.
CHAPTER 15
KATYA
AFTER A FEW hours in the sunshine, I feel slightly better. I'm still upset that Jackson refused to join me outside. I thought he would be an easy conquest, just like every man I've ever been around has been.
Pavel loved to share me with his friends. They were never allowed to hurt me beyond the point Pavel would allow, since that would be like signing their own death warrants, but most of them got close many times to bringing me to the brink of death.Too close.
Those men only wanted two things — to hurt me and to fuck me.
But Jackson is different. And it's frustrating me, because I can't figure him out. At all.
After I grow tired of lying around in the sun and hoping that a certain brooding, gray-eyed man will appear, I decide to go inside.
If he won't come to me, I'll simply go to him.
Starting up the steps, I hang a left and go down the hall to where I know his room is. Having snooped in the time since I've been here, I know my way around the house pretty well.
His bedroom door is closed, so I rap my knuckles softly on the wood. After a few moments, Jackson opens the door.
He looks surprised to see me, and I flash him a smile. "Hi," I say. "What are you up to?"
He opens the door wider and leans against the frame. He's wearing a black button-down shirt and dark jeans. He looks like a handsome, dark knight. "Nothing. Just got out of the shower," he tells me, running a hand through his damp hair.
I move a little closer and inhale. He smells good, masculine, like soap and sandalwood.
"Mind if I come in?" I ask politely.
"Not at all," he replies before stepping aside so that I can walk in.
