And I categorically refuse to let him feel the effect he has on me.
Yulian flashes a grin, his eyes unhinged, glittering like the sea that rages beneath the cliffs. “You can’t control your temper when you’re angry. Good to know.”
Only when I’m angry at him, apparently. I’m usually skilled at reining in my anger, phasing it out before it shows.
“I’m telling you this once, Yulian. Stop messing around.”
“I’m not messing around—I’m trying to pursue you very,veryseriously, swear on everything holy.”
He tries to shove himself farther into my space, but I tighten my grip on his throat, pushing him back, maintaining the distance.
And my sanity.
A horn blares, alerting me to the fact that we’ve stopped the car and the bike dead in the middle of the road.
A man leans out his window, glaring. “Fucking fags! Get out of the road!”
“Suck my dick!” Yulian shouts back, flipping him off. “Oh, wait! Yo mama did it first!”
I freeze, turning my head sideways even as the car speeds past.
Fuck.
I was so worked up and distracted by Yulian’s provocations, I completely forgot we were outside.
Inpublic.
Someone could take a picture, and it’ll get back to our parents.
To our entire entourage.
We’d be hunted down, and this would destroy my parents’ position.
What the fuck have I done?
What am I?—
“Hey.”
Rough, bandaged fingers squeeze my throat, pulling my attention from the abyss to Yulian’s mismatched eyes. He lifts his other hand and palms my cheek. “Don’t worry. I memorized his plate number and will cut his tongue out for daring to say that.”
I let him go with a jerk and back off, my breath wild and chopped off. “I’ve got to go.”
“You’re leaving?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I don’t owe you an explanation. You mean nothing to me.”
“Anothingyou keep coming back to?” His voice rises a notch, stripped and raw. “When will I expect you next? When I fight Nikolai? That doesn’t seem to work, so maybe I’ll sleep with him. Yup, I will do that tonight, actually. Sit tight and wait for another video?—”
I swing around and punch him. “Do that and I will kill you.”
He touches his cheek that’s reddening, and I expect him to punch me back, go blow for blow like he did with Nikolai in that ring, or get in my face like he usually does.
I’m fine with violence.
