Page 120 of Venomous Desires

I shot up in the tub; water splashed everywhere, but I didn’t care. I had to find my phone. I needed to tell her something—anything—but the truth.

And then there was Alina. Shit. What if she called? Or worse, what if Ivan called? My heart raced, realising how deep I was in this mess. Ivan... if he didn’t hear from me, he’d start digging. He’d find out. And then, hell would break loose. Judas already didn’t like him for whatever reason. Even though I had doubts about Ivan, he couldn’t be as dangerous as Judas.

I scrambled out of the tub and nearly slipped on the wet floor. My legs felt weak, trembling beneath me as I grabbed the towel, barely bothering to dry myself. My hands were shaking; my mind was a blur of dread and urgency. I needed to find my phone. Now.

And the annoying thing was that I didn’t recall where I put it last night.

I stumbled into the bedroom, my eyes darting around, searching, and to my luck, the devil wasn’t there. Taking it as my chance, I stumbled to the bed. Where was it? My pulse thundered in my ears.

“Come on, come on,” I muttered under my breath, rifling through the sheets and blankets, tossing them aside.

“Think, think,” I urged myself, but my head was a frantic mess. Where did I leave it? I couldn’t remember. I found my bag on the couch and dug through it, flinging my glasses and gloves onto the floor, but no phone.

I felt a hush of wind. I turned around, and a scream tore through my mouth. My ankle twisted in panic, sending me crashing to the floor. Pain shot through my body. Throbbing and shrill. My breath hitched, and I clenched my fists against the agony.

Good Lord.

A chuckle echoed through the room, low and mocking. Myjaw tightened, and the sound twisted my insides, clutching the towel against my chest. How long had he been standing there? I looked up at him, to my relief fully dressed, not a trace of the naked predator who’d ravaged me the night and moments before. The white blazer he wore complemented his dark soul perfectly; the pale blue shirt beneath it was crisp and sharp, like the ice in his eyes. His hair was messy and wet, as if he’d just stepped out of the shower and hadn’t bothered to dry himself.

A true devil in disguise.

His lips curled into a smirk, and his eyes glinted with dark amusement as he stepped forward slowly. “If you wanted to be on your knees for me, Ptichka, all you had to do was ask.”

He tilted his head; the smirk widening into a grin as he put his hands into the pockets of his white slacks. “But falling on your ass? I mean, I knew I had that effect on women, but this—” he gestured vaguely at me, sprawled and aching on the floor, “—this is new.”

He glanced at his watch, tapping the glass with a finger. “As much as I enjoy the sight, you need to eat.” He flashed me a grin. Sharper than a knife. “Unless you prefer different kind of eating.”

My molars ground, but I kept my mouth shut and lowered my head.

They say even a cornered rat would fight back. But what could I do against a wolf in sheep’s clothing, against the monster who wore his sins like a crown?

Chapter 46

The Prey

Iaverted my eyes, heat rising to my cheeks, and tried to push myself up. The pain jolted through me, sharp and I wobbled. My breath hitched as a large hand gripped the knot of my towel, yanking me upright. Before I could react, I was pulled against his firm chest, knocking the wind out of me.

Instantly, the scent I had desperately tried to wash off flooded my senses—danger, power, and something unmistakably his. My stomach churned with a sickening vortex of fear and fury. It was like trying to outrun a shadow; no matter how fast I fled, he was always there.

His hand tightened on the towel, and I was afraid if he could feel my heart pounding in my chest. The closer I was to him, the harder it became to breathe.

“There we go,” he murmured, tilting his head at that infuriating angel that was judging me. “Can’t have you falling again, now can we?”

I hated how he always looked at me like I were a toy; the mocking in his voice and the amusement in his eyes.

I clenched my fists, nails biting into my palms as I forced myself to stay still. Every instinct screamed to pull away, to fight, but I knew it was useless. Like a moth to a flame, I was trapped, drawn into his orbit no matter how hard I tried to escape.

He who sups with the devil should have a long spoon. But I had no spoon, no shield, nothing to protect myself from him.

“Kyle will bring you some clothes,” he leaned down, and I felt his warm breath against my neck, “As much tempted I am, I have an important business to attend to.” His fingers traced the edge of my towel, and I sucked in a shaky breath. “I’ll be back in a few hours, till then, be a good girl for me.”

I bit my lip, trying to hold back the anger, the helplessness. But it was like trying to hold back the tide—impossible. His words seeped into my skin. He was going somewhere? Did that mean I could… leave this place?

“But first, let’s eat,” lips brushed against my ear.

I was caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.

Nodding, I refrained from saying anything, desperate for him to let me go. His lips brushed my neck in a fleeting peck before his teeth nipped at the shell of my ear and my body froze. When he finally released me, his intense gaze bore into me, searching for something I wasn’t willing to give. Unable to meet his eyes any longer, I turned and walked, or almost stumbled, to the dining area, the pain still sharp in my ankle. I sprained it.