But as I followed her out of the library, keeping a careful distance, all I could think about was how good it would feel when she finally stopped fighting me. When she let me close, I would pin her down and show her exactly what it meant to be mine.
Soon, I promised myself.
Very soon.
Mikhail
Shanice didn't come back down for the rest of the day.
I knew because I checked three times. Each time I found an excuse to walk past the guest wing where she was staying, and each time her door stayed firmly closed.
By evening, I was pissed off and hard, a combination that made me dangerous.
I found Katrina in the kitchen, pulling something that smelled like cheesy garlic and herbs out of the oven. She glanced up when I walked in, and her expression told me Shanice had already gotten to her. Her baby bump was showing and it looked good on her. Cute.
"So," she said, setting the dish on the counter. "You're my best friend's new shadow."
"Your husband's idea."
"Uh-huh." She wiped her hands on a towel, studying me the entire time and missing not a single thing. "And you volunteered because you're so dedicated to protecting random civilians?"
I leaned against the counter, keeping my face neutral. "She's not random. She's part of this household now. That makes her my responsibility."
"Your responsibility." Katrina's lips twitched. "Is that what we're calling it?"
"I don't know what you mean."
"Mikhail." She crossed her arms. "I've seen the way you look at her. Like you're two seconds away from throwing her over your shoulder and hauling her off to your cave."
My jaw tightened. "I don't have a cave."
"You know what I mean." She moved closer, lowering her voice. "Shanice has been through hell. The kidnapping, the warehouse, losing her apartment, and not to mention helping me be on the run from my now dead ex. She needs stability right now. Safety. Not some intense guard with bedroom eyes following her around like a stalker."
Bedroom eyes. Christ. Was I that far gone off her?
"I'm not going to hurt her," I said.
"I didn't say you would. But you will complicate her life, and she doesn't need that right now." Katrina's expression softened slightly. "She's my best friend, Mikhail. I love her like a sister. And I know what it's like to be in her position, to feel like your whole world got turned upside down and you have no control over anything."
I knew she was talking about how she'd ended up with Olek. The contract. The desperation. The way he'd inserted himself into her life whether she wanted it or not.
"This is different," I said.
"Is it?"
"Yes." I met her eyes. "I'm keeping her alive."
"And if she doesn't want you around?"
"Too bad."
Katrina sighed. "You sound just like him, you know that?"
"Good. Because he's right about this. Those assholes are still out there. They could come looking for her any time. She needs protection."
"She needs a choice."
"She had a choice. She chose to stay here instead of going into hiding. She chose to go back to school. Those choices come with conditions."
