Page 164 of The Harbinger

Mia tossed the sheet off, but I caught her arm as she swung her legs over the side. “Where are you going?”

“I need to clean up.”

I tugged her back onto the bed and pulled the sheet over her legs. “You’ll sleep with the reminder of me between your thighs until you realize I’m not going anywhere, and neither are you.” Her back settled against my chest as I kissed the back of her honey-scented head, wrapped my arm around her waist, and pulled her tight against me.

“Okay, Sacha,” she said with a lilt that hinted at a smile.

Chapter 40

Mia

EverymuscleachedasI stretched my arms over my head, toes pointed in tight peaks. A yawn escaped me, and my jaw widened until it threatened to pop from its sockets. The space beside me was cold, illuminated by the open blinds, revealing his Gothic-style bedroom. He’d left the door slightly ajar, and the sound of busy bees working downstairs filled the air.

I crawled out of bed, and as I stood, ice picks stabbed at my eyeballs, shooting straight into the back of my skull. It was a mistake last night, letting my cravings get the better of me. Now, the symptoms of my stupidity reigned supreme.

Stupid. Stupid.

Katya’s voice rose above the drone of activity below.

“What’s going on?”

With a swift tug, I stripped the sheet off his bed, draped it around my bruised and aching body, and then waddled out into the hallway, my thighs aflame.

Katya stood at the bottom of the stairs, barking orders at a pair of young girls in matching black and white uniforms. The girls clutched vases bursting with an array of vibrant flowers before turning and heading toward the backdoor.

As if she sensed me, she glanced up and smiled. “It’s about time you got up.” Another man in an identical uniform walked through with a covered tray, and Katya pointed him in the same direction. “Why don’t you get dressed? There’s lots to do.”

What was going on? Who were these people? And how could she act normal after she so callously pretended to be my friend?

I rolled my eyes and cinched the sheet tighter to my chest before finding my way around the banister to my room, then closed the door tight behind me.

Everything was as I’d left it. The tidbits of powder on the vanity, my old shoes still in the middle of the floor. I couldn’t bring myself to touch them; evidently, neither could the staff.

I showered, scrubbing my body and hair, then picked out jeans and a sweater. After putting on socks and shoes and re-bandaging my arm, I trudged downstairs, throwing my damp, brushed hair into a messy bun, then searched for Sacha.

His office door was closed, and the bustle of dozens of people coming through the front door had me darting out of the way like a kid trapped in traffic. They carried in chairs, tables, and boxes. Three more women had flowers in large vases, much like before. And Katya was nowhere to be found.

I dipped my head into the kitchen, glancing at Francesco, but he concentrated on slicing some orange vegetable, making it long and thin.

Was he still mad at me for not liking his fish dish?He had said little since then… but then again, that wasn’t really new.

“Francesco, have you seen Sacha?”

He popped his head up, and Albina entered the kitchen. She gave me a sideways glance, then wiped her hands on her apron and proceeded further into the kitchen, grabbing a wrapping of silverware before leaving the room.

Francesco leaned back and looked through the doorway Albina left through, then back to the cutting board, his knife moving with expert precision across the orange flesh.

Silence rang loud like a church bell despite the hubbub in the hall behind me. My shoulders dropped as he tended to his kitchen duties, snuffing me as though I were the town pariah.

He couldn’t expect me to like everything he cooked.

I shuffled down the hall when Vlad exited a storage room, shutting the door behind him. “Finally, someone who will tell me what’s happening,” I said, trudging up to him. His body stiffened with visible tension straightening his spine. “What is going on? Why are there so many people? Do you know where Sacha is?” I put my hand on my hip.

He huffed and shook his head. “Working.”

He left?

“Oh.” I lowered my head.

---