Page 44 of Forgive You
My gaze moves to his face, but his eyes don’t come to mine to erase the sarcasm of his words.
“Is this about the Russian?” I go on.
Irritated by my insistence, he pivots to me so fast that he startles me before sliding his hand into my hair and pulling me closer.
I smell like flowers from the hair shampoo, while he smells like spicy cologne.
“Go to sleep, Carmina,” he says in a quieter voice, tilting his head down so he can murmur in my ear. “I don’t want you to be a part of this.”
My legs almost fold under me when I feel him close, his breath touching my cheek.
He breaks away from me, holding his jacket, and moves toward the other side of the suite, where I hear the bathroom door opening and closing.
He doesn’t want me to be a part of this?
Is that even possible?
How can I not be a part of this? I already am.
I wait for him to get out of the bathroom, although his warning couldn’t be more clear.
Eventually, he walks out.
His footsteps trail the corridor and enter his bedroom, and when he slams the door, it’s clear to me he doesn’t want me anywhere close to him.
21
CARMINA
The followingday
I don’t knowwhat happened last night after I left the casino.
Some sort of a scuffle, I guess, but I have no one to ask.
The early morning hours come with bubbling anxiety that pushes me out of bed.
Tomorrow is Friday, and it’s been two days since I talked to Jen and Tina.
My father will be back this weekend. If not, then sometime next week. Whatever the case, I need to call them and make sure they are all right.
I could use one of the regular phones in the hotel.
Yes, I could.
But if my father gets ahold of Jen and the information on her phone, we’re all screwed.
And then, Beau is another risk.
He might tell my father where I am, and what’s worse, he could do bad things to Tina.
The thought that I haven’t talked to them in two days makes me grapple with swirling, panicked thoughts.
So, I wake up and craft a plan.
First, I’ll do my best to please Salla, and then I’ll talk to him about the things I need from him.
He’s not in the suite when I wake up, and I don’t have any instructions about what I have to do today.