Page 64 of The Enemy Protector
Arguing is useless.
And I wasn’t all that set on putting my fellow students at risk.
“Fine.”
“You’ll be safe here,” Sergei says.
“Will I?”
“Yes.”
“How can you be so sure?”
"Because I'll kill anyone who tries to hurt you."
He says it simply. Like it's not a threat. Just a fact. I should be horrified. Instead, I feel relieved.
“Thank you,” I say quietly.
“Don’t thank me yet. You haven’t seen what this costs.”
“What does it cost?”
Something dark moves behind his eyes. “Everything.”
My heart kicks hard against my ribs. I can’t catch my breath. I can’t tell if he’s warning me or promising me something. Maybe both.
Before I can ask what he means, his phone rings. He steps away to answer it. I hear him speaking in rapid Russian. His tone is sharp. Angry.
He hangs up and turns back to me. “I have to go. Your things…I think it’s better we buy new.”
“Why?”
“Your father can’t be trusted.”
“You think my father would hurt me?”
“Would he protect you?”
I don’t want to admit the truth. “I’ll have some things delivered.”
“No. Make a list. Give it to Nelson. Someone will pick it up. Nothing that leads back to you here.”
“What the hell is going on? How much danger do you think I’m in?”
He doesn’t answer. My stomach drops.
Holy shit. This is far more serious than I thought.
“Okay. I see. Well, I guess Nelson and I are going to know each other intimately.”
“The hell you will.”
He sounds murderous.
“Are you going to be the one buying me panties, Sergei?”
The man jerks, and I swear I heard him groan.
