Page 37 of Darling Wildfire
Silence.
I crossed my arms and sat back. I’d exhausted all my questions for the drive because a moment later we pulled into the office complex where my therapist practiced. The SUV pulled to a stop, and I didn’t bother opening my door as Viktor came around and did it for me. The first time he’d driven me, he’d made itveryclear I was not to get out of the car until he came and opened the door for me.
“Thank you,” I said, like I always did.
Not even a nod.Cool.
I dreaded therapy recently because with the appearance of Cooper came the resurgence of my nightmares. It was always the same dream—I was walking into my house after the gala and Cooper was there, standing over the bodies of Theron and Graham. The feeling of despair and agony in those dreams was so strong I would wake up not being able to breathe.
In those dreams there was no one coming to save me and even though I tried, I couldn’t save myself and Cooper would always drag me away and out of the house, presumably to go back to the Warren but I always woke up before I could find out where he was taking me. For that I was grateful.
I came out of therapy in a bad mood and feeling like I was on the verge of crying. I hadn’t had a hard session like that in a while and we’d spent most of the hour pulling back layers until my edges felt exposed and raw. Sometimes I wasn’t sure if it helped to talk about my trauma or just hurt more but today had drained me. Viktor was waiting for me and opened the door, then we were off.
The phone rang, and he answered it through the car speakers.
I could tell it was Konstantine by his voice but they spoke quickly in Russian. It didn’t sound like either man was happy but then again, it could be the language.
Nope, Viktor was definitely scowling more than usual as he barked something to Konstantine.
They hung up the call, and I watched us deviate from the usual path home. A short drive later, we pulled up in the back lot of a club called Elysium. I’d never been inside before but I’d heard it was a trendy speakeasy with gentlemen's club vibes.
“Do you own the club?” I asked, looking at the building that was on a side street in bustling downtown. It was obviously popular as the parking lot was packed with cars on a Friday evening.
“Something like that,” Viktor answered.
I looked at him in the rearview mirror.
“What does that even mean?” I asked irritably.
He met my eyes, probably taken aback by my tone. I was usually polite and friendly but I wasn’t in the mood for riddles.
“It’s North’s establishment,” he said, parking the SUV. “My family helps him run it.”
“North owns a nightclub?” I mused, looking back out at the building.
Viktor got out and opened my door. I followed him through the back door of the club where the vibrations of the bass from the music slammed into us but instead of heading towards the main floor, he took a set of stairs up to another hallway and opened one of the doors. It was an empty office.
“Sit,” he said, pointing to a couch. “Stay here.”
I scowled at him. “I’m not a dog.”
He ignored me and left.
The office overlooked the club so instead of sitting; I walked over to the floor to ceiling wall of windows. They were tinted on the other side so no one could see in, but I looked out over the sea of people. It was part nightclub, part lounge with different levels, floors and VIP areas. Several bars dotted the space with a massive circular one in the center. It was beautiful, modern and sleek with industrial touches while still maintaining a cozy and intimate atmosphere.
This early in the evening it was mostly people having a cocktail after work so while the music was intense, the crowd looked lively but not as much of a club atmosphere as I was expecting.
I figured North was involved with private military companies, not nightclubs, but then again, I knew next to nothing about him. I didn’t think I’d ever see him again after he left me in the Warren. I hoped I would—at one point, in the darkest times, I’d fantasized heavily about him coming to save me—but he never did. Instead, it had been Graham that’d come back from the dead to get me out. Theron said he’d tried, but that Cooper said I wasn’t there so he must have reached out once I’d already escaped.
I didn’t blame him for not coming sooner, but I was interested to know why. A man like him had money, power and influence but when he hadn’t immediately tried to get me out, I doubted what I meant to him. I was something he’d purchased for a set amount of time. I meant nothing in the grand scheme of things. What made me think I was anything special to warrant a rescue attempt? Especially since it would have had to be dramatic and dangerous with Cooper not wanting to let me go.
These were all questions running rampant in my head. The one where I thought I wasn’t worth being rescued by Theron was what was messing with me the most and I hoped once he came back, it wouldn’t be like that. I wasn’t a sex slave, and I didn’t want to be treated like one—no matter how mind blowing the sex actually was.
I lost interest in people watching and realized I had to pee. I bit my lip, debating on whether to leave the office or try to wait for Viktor to come back. Finally, I couldn’t wait any longer and poked my head out of the office door. There didn’t look to be any bathrooms along the hallway, so I headed back towards the stairs we’d used to come up here.
I reached the bottom and found the bathroom. When I came back out, two men were stumbling out of the men’s restroom. One of them fell heavily against me and I shoved him off as he mumbled an apology.
“Hey gorgeous, can I buy you a drink?” The second one asked, leaning into my personal space.
