Page 123 of Cruel Knots

“Come on,” Mikhail says bracingly and plucks me away from Leon. “Let’s go back to our seats and order some food. They serve some amazing steak here.”

“Fine,” I say with a sigh, letting him lead me back to our table.

Within minutes of being with Leon and Mikhail, I forget all about my short exchange with Casey. They give me a break and bicker between themselves. Their effort to make me smile makes it easier to forgive them.

Excitement floods me when our drinks finally arrive. The Grasshopper is a bright green drink served in a martini glass.

Leon and Mikhail watch me as I take my first sip.

“This is delicious,” I say, loving the strong mint and chocolate flavor. “It’s like a milkshake for grownups.”

They chuckle.

“Can I have one more?” I ask, sipping eagerly.

“Sure, but first, have something to eat,” Leon says in a grim tone. “We can’t have you drunk and hanging off our bike on the way back. Damien will kill us if we don’t take you back in one piece.”

I smile to myself. It’s no secret they want me as much as I yearn for them, but can we ever get past the shitty mess Callum made?

The next few hours pass by in a blissful haze. I watch people dancing and fooling around from my vantage point while enjoying the drinks and food they order. As Mikhail said, their steaks are melt-in-the-mouth good and served with the most luscious wine sauce.

“I need to use the restroom,” I say when my plate is licked clean.

“I’ll come with you,” Leon says at once.

“What?”

He shrugs. “You could be planning to make a run.”

“I’m not.”

Throwing his napkin down on the table, he stands up. “Come on. I’ll wait outside while you do your business in there.”

Memories of that awful night when Mikhail forced me to pee in front of him in a bucket rise in my mind. I frown at the thought of Leon following me but at least, he’s agreeing to give me privacy.

“Fine,” I say, getting to my feet.

I totter a little, realizing the effects of the four Grasshoppers I greedily drank earlier. Leon wraps an arm around my waist, steadying me.

Reaching the restroom, Leon hangs back while I push through the door. The place looks well-lit and clean, impressing me at once. It looks like none of the crowd downstairs is allowed to use this bathroom.

Liking the cleanliness, I’m about to head inside one of the cubicles when something stops me in my tracks.

A woman’s moans and soft cries reach my ears, followed by the shuffle of feet and wrestling arms. My first thought is someone is using the privacy here to fuck.

However, there’s something disturbing about the constant shuffling and noise of struggles coming from a faraway stall.

“Hello?” I call out, hoping these people would quiet down.

“Help me,” a slurred female voice sounds from inside the stall. “Please...”

To my surprise, there’s banging on the wall, followed by a man’s curses. “Stop moving!” a venomous male voice hisses impatiently.

There’s no way to ignore what is happening in the stall. I have to check if the man is hurting her.

Proceeding to the stall, I knock on the door hard.

The door shifts under the pressure of my pounding fists. Wrenching it open, I stare at an awful scene of a crumpled woman and a man with his dick out.

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