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“If you had me on your side it'd be easy.”
I don't for a second entertain what he's offering. I'll never be ready to abandon Maksim.
“I'm going nowhere. I'm going nowhere until Maksim orders me away. Have you got that?” The veins in my neck tick. “Now, just leave me alone.”
He sidesteps me when I try to rush past him.
“Why are you doing this to me?” I ask in frustration, uncrossing my arms to squeeze my fists at my sides. “Last night you had Maksim send me home, tonight you're provoking him into making me fight, and then you almost call it off because you didn't want to see me 'half dead',” I air quote 'half dead'. I know it was him who shouted for Maksim to stop the fight. He's the only person I've ever heard address Maksim by only his first name. “And now you're trying to influence me into turning my back on Maksim?”
“I'm not doing that.” The tranquil expression on his face makes my blood boil.
“Then what are you doing, Charlie?” I have to squeeze out every word through clenched teeth. “Because I can't work you out.”
“Maybe I just think you are a waste as 'his little pet'.” He also uses air quotations, to mock me, I think.
“That's not an explanation for all your actions,” I say with anger. “Why won't you leave me alone?”
“Okay...” shrugging and nodding at once, he gives in to me, “I don't think I need to explain why I made him send you home last night—no young girl wants to watch that perverted shit—and as for the fight tonight, I wouldn't have let it go too far. If I thought you were in trouble, I would've stopped it myself.” He sounds genuine, and given his actions, I think I believe him. I'm not sure.
Maybe I'm just too proud to admit to myself that I believe him.
“I can't be doing this.” I push him out of the way, using both hands to move his large body. “Maksim is waiting for me.” As I walk past him, he grabs my wrist, forcing me to gasp in anger.
“Don't do that, Charlie,” I warn, looking down at his hand wrapped around my wrist. “I don't want to hurt you.”
He yanks me into him with powerful force, causing my head to jerk back.
“I'm not afraid of you, Blaire,” he whispers in my face, his brandy seasoned breath warm on my cheeks.
I glance between his blue eyes, fear and fury surging through me. “You should be.”
We're like this for a moment, staring at each other in a power standoff, and then I realize...
...All of Maksim's men are surrounding us in the SUV's. They can see what's going on.
I'm going to get in trouble if Charlie doesn't back off.
“Blaire, listen to me-”
“Let me go,” I say to cut him off. “Please, Charlie. All of Maksim's men are here and they're probably watching. Just let me go.”
He frees me then without hesitation this time. I stumble back a step and hug my middle, letting out the breath I've been holding.
“You don't have to go back in there,” he says, shoving his hands in his jeans pockets. “My car's over there. You can come and work for me if you want. You can utilize yourself in a better way, Blaire—you don't have to live like an emotionless robot.”
There it is. The way the world sees me.
“You know nothing about me,” I say, boldly meeting his gaze. “You know nothing about what I've been through or what I feel.” There's so much more that I want to say to him, but I won't. I won't let him break me down because Maksim will only have to put me back together again. “Leave me alone, Charlie.”
My eyes on the ground, I walk past him, through the welcome hall and into the snooker room where I take my position next to Maksim.
My hands are shaking like crazy. I hide them behind my back, gathering my composure.
“Do you think Charlie will attend?” Umberto says, blathering on about some party Maksim is holding next week. I don't pay attention to the rest of their conversation. It dawns on me that I didn't once attack Charlie for touching me. No one but Maksim has ever laid a finger on me without reaping my wrath.
My head is a vapor of confusion. I don't get this.
Maybe I didn't attack because Maksim said in his office that I'm not allowed to fight Charlie.
