He makes a sound that’s a nonresponse just as a blurry image resurfaces in my mind. It couldn’t have been real. “I had the strangest dream that you…that you shot Petrov.”
Dominik places his hands on my arms, leaning close until his forehead touches the bars separating our bodies. “That wasn’t a dream.”
“It wasn’t?” Gavriil must have forced his hand. Did he tell Dom that Petrov was working for Gavriil? Before I can ask, Dominik says, “Try not to worry about him. You need to take care of yourself,dikaya koshka. I can’t stand being away from you, not knowing if you’re okay.”
Gavriil must’ve told him that I was refusing to eat and drink. But why? To torment him even more?
“I’m okay,” I assure him as I draw back to get a better look at him. “I?—”
My voice cuts off when I see a healing bruise on the left side of his jaw, a spark of fury igniting within me. My head snaps to the side, my glare finding Gavriil. “We had a deal. You agreed to not hurt him or his men if I went with you!”
Gavriil’s jaw tightens, while Dominik visibly stiffens at my outburst.
“Watch your tone when you’re speaking to me,” Gavriil states but there’s a glint in his cold eyes. Dammit. I gave in and did exactly what he wanted me to do, to stand up to him. “You should behave unless you want to face the consequences after Dominik leaves us.”
“Don’t,” Dominik warns him, hands clenching like he’s ready to swing.
Anger burns through the intimidation that he wants me to feel, but I don’t react. I don’t give him more of what I know he craves—my defiance.
Gavriil’s eyes dart between Dominik and me before narrowing. “Get him out of here.”
“What? No!” I protest as I dig my fingers into Dominik’s shirt, trying to hold on to him as Valentin steps closer to drag him away.
Dominik snaps at Valentin and Gavriil in Russian, thrashing around to try to break Valentin’s grip. I can’t understand a single word that he’s saying, but I doubt any of them are kind. Especially when Dom sees the canvas of me on his brother’s bedroom wall.
“I warned you that you couldn’t trust her,” Gavriil grits out at Dominik before turning to me. “She’s wearing my shirt, sleeping in my bed. She has no loyalty to you. Her words are worthless. She’ll never actually forgive you for killing Archer.”
My jaw drops at his blatant lies. Well, not lies exactly, but not the full truth either. Panic spikes within me because he wants Dominik to believe his version, and he very well might.
I look over at Dominik as Valentin yanks him toward the doorway, wishing I could explain everything to him, but he would only worry more if he knew about last night. And I can’t honestly say if I will forgive him or not. It’s still too fresh.
Fucking Gavriil.
Everything he does is to manipulate and hurt. He brought Dominik up here to hurt him, not appease his concern for me.
Uneasiness twists in my stomach as Valentin pulls Dominik out of the room before I can say another word to him, leaving me alone with Gavriil. He paces near the cage in agitation. I guess things didn’t go exactly the way he wanted either.
“This was a mistake,” Gavriil murmurs under his breath.
I can’t tell if he’s talking to me or to himself.
When he abruptly storms out of the room and lets the door slam shut behind him, I still can’t take a proper breath.
Making Gavriil crack like that should make me feel like I have the upper hand. I like getting under his skin.
But I’m not sure if I’m ready to see his breaking point yet.
Because when Gavriil breaks, I don’t think anyone near him survives it untouched.
15
Gavriil
A lingeringburn sears its way down my throat as I knock back the last remaining sip of my glass of vodka.
A faint haze blurs the edges of my thoughts after three glasses on an empty stomach, but nothing short of unconsciousness would quiet what’s slingshotting through my skull.
It’s been days since I held her limp body through the night, praying she would survive.
