Page 90 of Voracious

“With you, let’s go kill whoever has hurt you.”

His smile comes back.It’s always so soft and warm, I could fall into it, then it’s on my lips and he holds my face between both hands as he speaks into me. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

He kisses me hard enough to steal the air from my lungs. Thumbs stroking against my cheeks and his mouth on mine. I’m dizzy when I’m finally allowed to come up for air and he rests his forehead on mine, his mouth opening and closing like a fish in slow motion without any sound coming out.

I’m dazed by his weirdness, but he only shakes his head of whatever thoughts are screaming at him and whispers, “One day.” He doesn’t give me any information, not that I need it, whoever hurt him enough for him to be angry is all I need to know, there’s no background or justification required. I’d happily go to war for Dima, he’s my favorite person and he always smiles at me.

There’s a sinking in my stomach as I think about him not being in front of me and I nearly trip over my feet as I launch myself at his back. My arms wrap around him, trapping one of his at his side and he slowly turns his head. His muscles are rigid, and the violence is more potent than before as he asks, “What’s wrong?”

I shake my head, not understanding how to explain it. But he doesn’t let it drop and grabs my arm to gently move around himand pick me up. I wrap all of my limbs around him, and he kisses each of my cheeks before he softens his voice.

“Tell me, lisichka.”

I sound dumb as I hide in the crook of his neck.

“You do everything for me, and I don’t want you to go anywhere, but I know you will because I’m not a good friend.”

All the shows I watched to learn how to be around normal people had arguments because one person was selfish, they kept taking or causing drama and then the other person didn’t want to be around them. That’s what I’m doing to Dima.

He relaxes and kisses my shoulder before promising, “I will never go anywhere without you, and you’re not my friend.”

Everything turns cold at his words and my throat is dry. Until he kisses my cheek again and whispers against my ear, “You are mine, and I am yours. What’s around my neck, beautiful?”

“My sticker?”

He nods and gently pulls me out of his neck to press his lips above my pendant between my collarbones before he asks, “And what does this mean?”

“That I’m yours and you’re mine,” I say.

Another nod and he tightens his arms around me in answer.

I expectto go to a warehouse as it’s the usual setting for torture, but we pull up outside of a gym, it’s one everyone knows as being associated with the Vartanovs and Valentin’s car is the only other one outside. Humming my song in my head to stop the uneasy feeling taking over, I act like Dima’s shadow and follow him inside.

His entire demeanor changes as soon as we step through the steel side door, it’s more intense than when he’s been in thecage. Looking for the source of it, Val stands with his own anger beside Tali, all three of them are pissed at the unknown man standing in the center of the gym. His eyes are watery, the lights reflecting off the liquid, distorting the color and he looks at Dima as though he’s seen a ghost.

The freak’s eyes come to me next, and he tries to smile but it looks wrong, as his thick Russian accent is coated in emotion.

“Do you remember me, dochenka?”

Why is he calling me his daughter? I’m not his kid. Dima’s laugh is harsh and filled with disgust, making the man flinch before he takes a step forward, covering me.

“You stupid fuck.”

The scoff around his words is worse and the man bristles with the insult.I’m confused when everyone else seems to know who he is. Val and Tali automatically come to my side while Dima finally clues me in.

“You thought she was Katya? Father of the fucking year, you don’t even remember your kid’s eye color?”

I don’t look anything like Katya, she’s taller and has hazel eyes. With or without my contacts it doesn’t match.

Now that I know it’s his dad, I look at him properly. They have a few resemblances, but it’s drowned out by the differences of who they are as people. This is the man who hurt him, killed his mom and gave him the scar under his jaw. I’m going to have so much fun killing him. An arm wraps around my shoulders and Val keeps me in place with a whisper, “This is his Yulia.”

It’s Dima’s kill, not mine.

I have to force myself not to move when the fucker tries to act intimidating.

“Watch your mouth, I’m still your father.”

For the first time, I see true cruelty on Dima’s features, he doesn’t like torture, it’s going to change as he takes a step closer, daring him.

---