Page 114 of Untamed

My throat tightens because I know two things…

First, Shawn has signed his death warrant.

Second… this isn’t temporary, and it never was.

Chapter 25

EMBER

“Rodion. Come here.”Rafail stands in a doorway by three other men.

Rodion blows out a breath, kisses my cheek, and whispers in my ear. “Stay right here.”

They all want him, everyone wants to talk, to network, to congratulate him.

He leaves the terrace outside and heads in. I welcome the garden air. The faint hum of voices inside fades, muffled by the tall hedges that line the estate.

A few minutes later, Rodion is locked away with his brothers and those official-looking men. I know he’s here on business and that his brothers are trying to make the most of their time here. So I spent the next hour with Polina and Zoya, but I miss being alone, on my own.

I live alone because I like the solitude. It feels suffocating in here. It was nice, comforting even, to chat with the girls, but eventually, it felt like the air around me was pressing in on me.

Now, the quiet and cold make me breathe a bit easier. I tilt my head back, closing my eyes. Above me, bright stars are deeply embedded in the night sky, flickering above the haze of the city. I give myself space to breathe.

The sound behind me comes so softly, at first, I almost miss it. The faint crunch of footsteps on gravel. But before I can turn, a hand slips over my eyes.

A blindfold.

“Rodion.”

This isn’t the time or place. If he thinks he’s going to?—

A hand catches mine, wordlessly pulling my hands behind my back. Rope—maybe silk? Tightens around my wrists.

“Shh,” a voice whispers behind me.

This doesn’t… feel like Rodion. I can’t tell if it sounds like him, but…

I sniff hard, trying to see if I recognize his scent, but it’s impossible in the frigid air. Rodion smells like cedar and gunpowder, sharp and dangerous, and so utterly masculine it makes me ache. This… this is different.

Unfamiliar.

And even though Rodion can be rough, he never hurts me.

The grip on my wrists isn’t just restrictive—there’s an underlying roughness that feelswrong.

Rodion would never hurt me.

It feels like this person might.

“Rodion?” I whisper again, my pulse spiking, praying that he’ll give away some clue that it’s just him, and he’s just enacting one of my fantasies again. Maybe he has a secret room or a shed he’ll bring me to, maybe?—

A hand over my mouth is my only response.

Chapter 26

RODION

I sip my drink.Cold air bites through the open balcony. I should be inside. Playing the part. Shaking hands. Smiling like I belong here.

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