Page 83 of Betrothed
My eyes slowly became used to the shadows that had formed creatures in the room from the slender light of the moon coming in through the blinds. I took a deep breath, finally fully awake.
As soon as I threw back the covers, my breath hitched. Either I’d been dreaming or I’d heard a cry of agony.
With cautious steps, I rose from the bed. I’d been certain I’d left a light on. Hadn’t I?
I’d been dreaming, the images of Hawaii lingering but instead of being there with Gabriel, I’d been with Kirill. He’d been the oneto die in a fiery crash. Shuddering, I touched my face. It was hot to the touch and I could swear his scent lingered in the room.
Taking a single step away from the bed, my knees tried to give out. Now the silence was an unnerving as before, the shadows in the room oppressive.
Why I’d thought Kirill would stay in the room was beyond me. Where had he gone? A lump had already formed in my throat, butterflies in my stomach as I headed for the door. As quietly as possible, I opened it, cringing when the hinges creaked.
A light was on in the room that had been locked before.
I took another deep breath before deciding to find out where Kirill had gone. I’d only gone a few feet when another noise had me clinging to the wall. Within seconds, I realized the sound was his voice. And he was obviously very unnerved.
A few more steps and I was just outside the room. Why in the world was I hesitating? We’d had an enjoyable dinner, his questions less pointed than I’d been expecting. Yet he’d never taken his eyes off me as if expecting me to try to run.
If he’d been so concerned I would, why not lock me in the room?
I peeked around the corner, my eyes taking a full minute to process what I was seeing.
The room was a mess. Not because of work being done but because of a tantrum thrown. A computer was on the floor, the screen still glowing white from a Word document. There were papers everywhere, two phones. Oh, God. He’d found a way to look inside my phone.
On the desk was a bottle, liquid dripping ever so slowly to the floor.
And Kirill stood with his hands on the surface and his head down.
I stepped inside, uncertain what to say or what had occurred, but with his shoulders rising and falling in a scattered pattern, I sensed his mood.
Without me uttering a word, he sensed my presence, spinning around to face me. His face was contorted, his mouth twisted in a horrible way. I felt as if I was confronting a monster.
There was no other light but the laptop’s screen, but it was enough for me to see the darkness within his eyes, a reflection of his soul that I’d been witness to more than once.
Only this time, the vivid emotions that he was grappling with controlling were directed at me. No words were spoken as he slowly lowered his gaze to my bare feet.
But the beast inside him gained momentum and he took three long strides toward me and before I could react, he slammed me against the wall.
“Vivian.”
His teeth were gritting, the man spitting fire, his hot breath creating a series of electric vibrations.
“What’s wrong?”
“You…” His fingers dug into my bare arms, but he shifted one hand, wrapping his fingers around my throat.
“Kirill. What are you doing?” His breathing wasn’t normal, far too labored for his rage. Something was off. Very wrong.
“You lied to me. You of all people.”
“What are you talking about?” I pressed my hand against his chest, trying to keep my tone even as I studied him. I needed additional light, but I sensed he was sweating.
“You’re a fucking Irish princess.”
I’d known he was going to discover who my uncle was. I should have told him myself, but I’d enjoyed the time with him. I’d been stupid in doing so. “So what? He’s a terrible person. I don’t want anything to do with my uncle. He’s worse than my father.”
“But you lied to me. You lied. To. Me!” He dropped his head so our lips were almost touching. The man was struggling with his emotions while I was doing everything in my power to keep from freaking out.
He could very well decide to hurt me. I smelled alcohol on his breath, but that’s not what concerned me. “Kirill. You need to listen to me. I think your infection has gotten worse.”
