Page 88 of Lilies from Hell

I frown when I see Sergei leaning against the car door, looking at me with displeasure.

“Hi,” I greet with a smile. He ignores me completely before opening the door and getting into the car. “Are you always this rude?” I ask, sitting down next to him.

“Are you always this annoying?”

“I just greeted you.”

“And I just ignored you.” I press my lips together at his sarcastic tone.

Letting the conversation come to an end, I turn my gaze to the window. The silence between us is uncomfortable and tense. The kind you hear in horror movies when someone is about to be killed.

“Can I put on some music?”

“No,” he says without even looking at me.

“Why not?”

“Because I said so.”

“That’s not even a reason.”

“Will you ever shut up?” he asks, looking at me out of the corner of his eye.

“What did I ever do to you to make you dislike me so much?”

“Do I need to remind you about you and your little friend?” he mutters under his breath.

“We’ve already apologized,” I whisper, my cheeks turning red at the memory. “Besides, if we’re going to keep seeing each other, I think it would be good if we had a truce.”

“No,” he quickly replies, and I remain silent. It’s a waste of time and breath.

After what seems like an eternity, he stops the car in a place full of trees and grass.

“Where are we?” I ask as I watch him get out of the car. “Hey, I asked you a question,” I complain, getting out of the car quickly as he starts walking somewhere.

“Walk and shut up, will you? I’ve heard enough from you.”

“Where are you taking me? Are you going to kill me and bury me here?” I ask sarcastically, trying to follow his footsteps.

“I’m not that lucky,” he says without a hint of mockery. I’m just joking, but he really didn’t want to get rid of me, did he?

With those doubts, I resume walking, this time at a more prudent distance. In a few minutes, I find a helicopter parked at a base, and when my eyes meet his, I can’t help but smile. I quicken my pace until at some point along the way I start running. My body collides with his and soon I am caught by his arms, which then lift me up and envelop me in an embrace. My legs wrap around his waist, digging the wedges of my sandals into his backside. Then he tilts his head, brushing our lips together. A fake cough behind us interrupts us, but before we can find out who it is, Sergei says something in Russian to Alek without even looking at me. His brown eyes finally lock onto mine with a smile that doesn’t match his usual demeanor at all.

“Have a good time, Lena. It had been nice bringing you.” I raise my eyebrows at his sudden kindness, but when I notice the tense curve of his lips and Alek’s direct gaze, I think I understand the reason for his change of attitude towards me.

My attention is drawn to his blue eyes when he grabs my chin and forces me to turn my head until our lips meet. His hands squeeze my arse as I run my fingers through the back of his neck, eliciting a hoarse moan from him.

“I’m still here. Witnessing everything.” I glance quickly behind me, finding the owner of that voice. The blond guy.

“Where are you taking me?”

“If I tell you, it won’t be a surprise anymore, beautiful.” My lips stretch into a smile that I hide by biting my lower lip.

Before setting me down, he kisses me again, causing the blond man behind us to snort in resignation and get into the helicopter. Inside, it looks luxurious and spacious, with leather armchairs and a table in the middle trimmed with gold. I can’t look any longer, because his arms hold me and place me on his lap to fasten our seatbelt.

The way he massages my scalp and the views of Los Angeles from above don’t stop me from thinking about that note. I don’t have many options other than to unleash chaos. If my father finds out, he’ll probably lock me up until I grow gray hair, which would mean being away from him. It wouldn’t sit well with him. They would end up fighting, and my attempts to hide our relationship would result in a pool of blood. If I tell Alek, the result wouldn’t be much different.

My thoughts are interrupted by the blonde guy telling us that we are about to arrive. As we descend, the first thing that greets me is the sea. We have landed on the roof of a house.