Page 73 of Dmitri

Chapter 19

Daelyn

Guilt for ghosting Dmitri grinds my conscience the entire way home. My pussy hurts, my head’s banging, and there’s a hollowness in my belly that feels a lot like regret.

But I couldn’t stay with him a minute longer. Not with how good it felt. How safe it felt.

How right it felt.

We’d fucked until I finally tapped out. Then he cleaned me up, made me drink water, and peppered kisses all over my sweaty skin before holding me all night. He fell asleep first, his deep, even breathing lulling me to sleep too. When I woke, it was in a panic. I had no clue what time it was and needed to get back to Addie.

And back to reality.

I’m also no further at finding information out about Dmitri than I had been two days ago. Because the things he shared about his mom and fighting and stuff? I’m not telling Kaleb any of it. There’s no point. The past is in the past.

It’s not because I want to protect Dmitri. Or… well, that’s what I’m sticking with, anyway. And it’s definitely not because I’m falling for a guy I barely know. I’m not that stupid.

No. Kaleb wantsnewinformation. The past can be googled if it’s that important to him. Though I have no clue why he hasn’t looked Dmitri up already. In fact, why hasn’t Kaleb joined the Monarch Club to get closer to him that way? He can afford the membership fees. Either he’s letting everyone else do his dirty work again, or he doesn’t know about the Monarch at all.

Or maybe he tried to get in and got denied?

Pulling my cell out, I check it for the hundredth time.

No notifications.

I’d taken a big gamble yesterday, not only by going to the Monarch Club and spending the night there, but I’d turned my cell off before I left my house. Kaleb tracks my location sometimes, and I didn’t want to risk him seeing where I was. Stupid, really, because he could also have someone tailing me. It wouldn’t be the first time.

My stomach clenches the instant I take the first step up to my front door. Something’s off. I feel it. Digging out my key, I unlock the door in a hurry. Dread consumes me when I see the state of my living room. Furniture is knocked over, plates are shattered, picture frames lay on the floor broken to pieces. My TV is busted.

My home has been destroyed.

“Where the fuck have you been?” Kaleb steps down from the upstairs landing, each thud of his boots on my wooden steps collide with my rapid heartbeat. “Where.”Thud. “The.”Thud. “Fuck.”Thud. “Have.”Thud. “You.”Thud. “Been?”Thud.

Hooking my thumb over my shoulder, I play it cool. “I was just—”

He punches me hard in the stomach.

Doubling over, I gasp for air, my mouth opening and closing like a fish.

Kaleb grabs me by the back of the neck and pushes me into the kitchen. I stumble in a rush to keep up because I know damn well he’ll drag me across the floor by my hair if I fall. He picks up a chair and shoves me into it.

“Let’s play a game.” He snags another chair and sets it next to me at the kitchen table before straddling it. Pulling out his knife, he grabs my arm and holds it down before slamming the point of the blade into the wood, nicking my thumb.

My eyes widen as terror floods my system. “Kaleb, why are you doing this?”

“That’s not an answer.” He yanks the blade out and thrusts it down again, not looking at where he’s stabbing. He misses the tip of my middle finger by a hair this time.

“I went out to clear my head. That’s all.” Tears spill and the bees in my belly swarm. “I swear that’s all.”

“You had to clear your headall fucking night?” Kaleb frees the blade again, slaps his hand over mine to keep me locked in place, and glowers at me, waiting for my answer.

“Yes. I… I stayed at a hotel. I didn’t realize my phone died.”

Kaleb palms his knife tighter, holding it above his head. His expression is so dark, so fucked, that panic has me jumping out of my seat so I can try to wrench my hand out from his grasp. “Kaleb! Don’t!”

He brings the blade down, cutting the side of my forearm. The more I fight his hold, the more the knife cuts into my skin. “Kaleb, stop!”

He pulls it out and I know this next strike will be a clean impalement. He’s been toying with me so far. I’m going to lose a finger or have a hole in my hand or arm next. I’ve seen him do this before.

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