Page 72 of Twisted Cage

We stare each other down, neither willing to give in, which always seems to be the way with us now. A server heading in our direction takes one look at Konstantin’s face and shifts course.

“Wait! I want one of those.” With a wary glance at Konstantin, he stops and offers me a nervous smile and my choice of champagne flutes.

I pick the fullest one and wish I could actually grab one for each hand—actually, I snag a second and smile. “Thank you.”

Take my hand now, fucker.

“You’re welcome—uh, m-miss,” he sputters before scurrying away.

Konstantin snatches one of the glasses from my fingertips and tugs me along with him, with less force but no less determination.

I may have gotten my hand free from him once, but the man made sure I wouldn’t again with the way he interlaced our fingers this time.

Damn him!

He marches straight up to where Grigori monitors the party from the bottom of the stairs, only coming to a stop when he’s looming over him.

Grigori’s eyes widen for the briefest moment before he settles into the deceptive look of indifference he’s so good at.

“No one goes upstairs. Got it?” Konstantin snaps out, dropping my hand to lean menacingly over Grigori.

Hands folded in front of him, Grigori glances about and leans in. “Boss, this is a bad id?—”

“I know what you’re going to say. Save it,” Konstantin snaps. “No one goes up. Get someone to cover the other staircase.”

“Christ.” Grigori shoves a hand through his hair in a rare show of frustration and slides his phone from his pocket. “Fine.”

With one last quick look around, Grigori uses his body to conceal the fact he’s unhooking the velvet rope blocking off the stairs and steps back for us to pass.

“And what the hell do I tell Nikolaj if he comes looking for you guys, boss?”

“Tell him we’ve stepped away to discuss wedding plans.”

“Here,” Grigori says, shoving what looks to be an untouched drink into Konstantin’s one empty hand. “Keep your hands full… of anything but her,” he says, sliding a worried look my way before taking in the determined expression, carving hard lines into Konstantin’s face.

Konstantin glances back and forth between my extra glass of champagne and the highball glass in his other hand, then downs the champagne in one greedy swallow before shoving the glass back at Grigori and taking my hand once again.

“Jesus. At least try to look like you’re just checking out the festivities and not—whatever the hell you’re going to do up there.”

I can’t help but glance at the crowd, constantly checking to see if anyone sees us as he drags me along behind him. The music grows louder with every step. The foyer and curving staircase almost create a funnel effect where the noise rises and collects in the shadows.

The minute we clear the top stair, he circles me, slamming down the drink Grigori gave him on a marble table tucked along the wall. Long fingers wind around my neck, squeezing a gasp from my lips.

Taking this chance here, of all places, is absolute insanity. Being on the Grand Serpent’s estate all but guarantees we have cameras on us at all times, in every single corner of this house.

Backing me into the shadows along the wall, pinning me there, he dives his other hand under the slit of my dress, his palm cupping my pussy with a rough squeeze.

Out of control, unpolished, he’s at the mercy of his every emotion.

This could easily get us killed. If anyone catches us, Nikolaj will lose precious standing within the Order he’s counting on to help him wage a war—and to protect me.

It’s the logical thought coursing through my brain because it’s what I’m trained to believe, not because it’s how I actually feel.

Because when it comes down to it, I don’t care.

Everything I’ve done to break free from the cage led me right here, to dependency. On Konstantin, on my brother, now on the Order, and eventually—some powerful, polished man I’ll struggle to remember the name of long after I’ve married him because I feel nothing. Nothing for him—nothing for the marriage and life trapping me.

But right now, in this moment, I get to feel it all.

---