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“It’s still confusing,” she says quietly, placing a piece of gauze over the wound. I hold it there for her.
“What is?” I ask.
“Your anger is disproportionate to what’s going on. You’re having an overreaction. Are you sure there’s not more to the story?” She looks into my eyes, and I find myself looking away.
“It doesn’t matter,” I say quietly.
“It does.” She uses surgical tape to stick the gauze to my chest before she places a waterproof plaster over it. “I need to know why you want the information so I can get it for you.” I look down at her hand, softly resting on my chest.
“You wouldn’t understand,” I say, taking her hand off my chest. “Thank you for cleaning my wound.”
“What wouldn’t I understand? Why don’t you try me? I’m not like other Mafia families. I don’t know what experience you have with families like ours, but we can offer you a job, protection, or anything else you need. I just have to talk to my father.”
She looks at me earnestly, and I know I shouldn’t tell her who I am. If she gets away from me and tells her father who kidnapped her, that could spell a lot of shit for Kervyn. At the same time, I need her to know she’s not just playing with a little psycho butcher’s boy. She’s playing in the big leagues now.
Elena bats her eyelids at me and rests her hands on my arm. She looks almost shy but definitely manipulative. Is she trying to seduce me? It’s cute. But it also pushes me over the edge with my decision.
“The problem is, Elena, I’m not a butcher’s son. Unless you count someone who’s butchered people,” I look at her with a small smirk. “My name is Arseny Milov. You may have heard about my family from your father and brothers.”
She suddenly sits still, and her facial expression changes. There’s a sudden tension in the air that you could cut with a blunt knife. I can see the anger registering in her eyes, and she purses her lips. This is information she didn’t want to hear.
“You see, Elena, I’m quite accustomed to what our families do, and I already have a job. It looks like you know who I am. Good, that means you know what level of danger you’re in if you cross me again. The first time was a freebie, a chance to prove yourself, which you failed. Next time, I will carve up your pretty little face.”
She pulls her hands away from me, and I yank them back. “What’s wrong? Not in love with a butcher’s son now?”
“I could never love someone below my station in life,” she growls. “A butcher’s son would be a promotion over a Milov.”
I chuckle. “So you say. I have plenty to say about the Sokolov family myself and where they stand in my food chain.”
She gets up and tugs on the chain slightly. “I want to know where my room is.”
She starts to walk away, but I yank her back. I like this feisty, fiery side of her. It’s appealing and sexy. She is more powerful than even she knows.
I stand and pull her again. “There is no your or my room, Elena. There is one room and one bed, and you’ll be damned if I’ll let you out of my sight again so you can escape a second time.”
She glares at me. “No fucking way, Milov. I need to shower, wash the mud off my legs and feet, and get some rest. You can’t stay tied to me while I do this.
“Wanna bet?” I grab her by the wrist that has the cuff on it and drag her to the bathroom.
“What are you doing?” she protests. “Let me go.”
“Why? I thought you needed a shower?” As we enter the bathroom, I stop her in front of a cupboard to the left. I open it and rummage through it, handing her things as I go.
“Shampoo and conditioner, it’s two-in-one. Shower gel. Unfortunately, it’s a men’s scent. You’ll have to live with that. I don’t normally bring princesses up here. A sponge to wash yourself with. A new toothbrush to brush your teeth. Is that all you need?”
I look at her, and she looks back at me worriedly. She says, “You’re not going to make me shower while you’re tied to me.”
“Is that everything you need or not?” I demand to know.
“You’re being ridiculous. How am I supposed to get undressed if I’m bound.” She looks around. “And there’s no way I’m getting naked in front of you.”
“Right, I assume that’s all you need then.”
I yank the shower curtain back. “Get in, get undressed, and let your clothes slide down the chain. I will remove them. When you’re done, wrap yourself in a towel from the shelf there, and I will find you some clothes to sleep in.” I sit on the toilet next to the tub.
“You could just leave me in here and stand guard at the door,” she whines.
I don’t budge. “It’s this, or you go to bed dirty. I don’t care either way.”
