But exhausting myself to spite him won’t do me any favors. I remain still, becoming even more aware of his hand resting on my lower back as his fingers shift.
“Sleepy,” I say, giving up the silent treatment before I permanently lose my voice. “Confused. Why…why am I in your bed?”
He lets out a faint hum. “You should be feeling better soon. Yelena gave you fluids, glucose, and electrolytes.”
“Why did you call her?” I ask him as I stare at the wall across from me just because I need to hear him say it.
Gavriil pauses for a few seconds before answering. “You were slipping away.”
A weak scoff leaves me. “And?”
I refuse to accept that he called her out of care for me.
“Is that what you think I want? You rotting away in my cage?” Gavriil questions me.
“Why am I in your bed?” I ask for what feels like the hundredth time.
“So that I could keep an eye on you,” he finally answers. His hand slides up my back, causing goosebumps to zip up the back of my arms. At least I’m wearing a shirt and he has on pants, but that’s it. Nothing else. He’s fucking insane.
“Dom would cut your hands off if he walked through the door right now,” I say, my throat growing tight at the thought. Gavriil chuckles but his arms don’t budge at the reminder of his overprotective brother.
That’s when it suddenly hits me.
The reason I’m in his bed, why he’s being nice, the way he’s still holding me tight like I might disappear. It’s not to make Dominik jealous or try to prove some stupid point.
Gavriil feels…guilty.
He cares about me. He could’ve let me die, but he didn’t.
And I don’t think he kept me alive just for Dom either.
Glancing over at the gigantic canvas on the wall, it occurs to me that as much as Gavriil gives Dominik shit about his feelings for me, Dom’s not the one who bought a life-sized photo of me before I ever stepped foot in his house.
I’m not just Gavriil Morozov’s hostage or captive.
I’mhisobsession.
The thought makes me even more lightheaded because it means I may have more control over the ruthlessPakhanthan I realized.
Testing my theory, I let my fingertips graze along his lower belly, just above the waistband of his sweatbands before lifting my hand to my mouth, faking a yawn.
His entire body shudders, making me smile.
“I should probably get back in the cage,” I say, which causes his arms to tighten around me. “Dominik will be furious when I tell him about this…” I trail off, blowing out a heavy sigh over his chest that makes Gavriil groan. Still, he doesn’t let me go.
He clears his throat. His voice is deeper, quieter, accent heavier than usual when he says, “Speaking of Dominik, I have another offer for you.”
A rush of words come flooding back to me. While I was in and out of my heavy sleep, I heard Gavriil’s voice. Mostly he spoke in Russian, but I remember a few things he said in English, whispers spoken like prayers.
You have to save her.
Alina, please.
Whatever it takes, just save her.
Beautiful, stubborn girl.
Forgive me.
