Page 129 of Cruel Demands

“Name one.”

“Mainly, then you own my family’s business.”

“That is not a problem.”

“Oh, that’s a problem.”

“We will discuss it.”

“No, we won’t.”

“Pack one suitcase.”

Before I turn to go to my room, Arkady appears at the end of the hallway. “Clear,” he tells Mikhail.

I look at him. “What do you think he was looking for?”

Mikhail shrugs. “Maybe leverage. Maybe just letting me know he is closing in. Playing with his food before he eats it.”

Anya’s mouth drops open. For a second, she only stares at him. Then she takes my elbow and drags me into the bedroom. “Taylor,” she says quietly once we are inside. I look at her. She gestures around my ruined room. “This happened because of him.”

“I know.”

“You cannot go with him.”

“He’ll keep me safe.”

“You believe that?”

“I do.”

Her expression changes in a way I don’t like. Fear, maybe. Or disbelief that I can say that after everything she has just seen. She pulls me into a hug. When she lets go, I realize that her tears are on the shoulder of my shirt, and my tears are on the shoulder of her shirt.

We gather clothes while two armed men stand in the hallway. I’m folding a sweater when Mikhail comes to see what’s taking so long. “You will not need that,” he remarks glibly.

“It’s a sweater. This is Russia. I’ll definitely need a sweater.”

“I can buy you more sweaters.”

“I don’t want more.” He looks genuinely confused by this. I shove the sweater into my suitcase. “And Anya cannot stay here tonight.”

“I already arranged a room for her.”

Anya turns on him. “You arranged what?”

“A hotel under another name. Sofia Morozova. My driver will take you there.”

“I do not need your driver.”

“You do tonight.”

Anya opens her mouth. I touch her arm. “I know he can be overbearing, but please. For tonight.”

She looks at me, and her anger fades. “If he gets me killed, I will kill you,” she says, and it’s the first time I’ve laughed all day.

She turns to Mikhail. “And if you get her killed⁠—”

“You will kill me. Reasonable. If I get her killed, I will kill myself,” he says.