Page 40 of Ruthless Protector

One quick glance around us, then he leaned closer, those brown eyes shimmering. “Or what?” he pushed. “You going to claw me?”

“Hey, guys.”

Damon straightened, the smile instant as one of the other women strode up. “You guys hear Baldeon is getting out of the infirmary?”

“No,” Damon answered, his focus sharpening like a shark who scented blood in the water. “I didn’t. Sounds like a cause for celebration if you ask me.”

“Ha!” she barked, and kept on walking. “So, your place at eight then?”

My pulse quickened as he hollered, “Spread the word!”

There was a second, then the snake shifted its focus back to me. “Here that, Katerina? A party at my place. I think it’ll be good for us to be seen together. For everyone to know…just how much you mean to me.”

He reached for a stray strand of my hair, tucking it behind my ear.

I couldn’t fight the flinch as he touched me.

But he didn’t care. He didn’t even seem to notice. Instead, his eyes glazed over as he smiled. “Yes, I think I like that idea very much.”

“Kat?”

I jerked my gaze toward Anna’s voice as she came around the corner. Relief swept through me. I used the distraction to step away.

“I was just coming to find you.” I forced a smile and hurried over to her, winding my arm through hers. “I've neglected you a little today.”

“Katerina,” Damon called.

But I pushed Anna forward, desperately driving her along the hall and toward the stairs. “I’ll catch you later!” I threw over my shoulder.

I didn’t stop, didn’t look. With my heart driving into the back of my throat, I hurried her down the stairs and toward the front door of the building.

“Why the rush?” She looked at me with concern.

“Need to pee,” I lied.

“You do that a lot, you know. You must have a weak bladder,” she mused.

“Probably.” I hurried her through the doors and out into the dimming sunlight.

I’d spent all day under the controlling fist of Damon Zakharov, all day with my knees weak and my panic screaming, all day trying to work out how I couldn’t get out of this without being drugged orworse.

“You okay?” Anna murmured. “You’ve got that look again.”

That look.

That was the real me.

The one hidden behind the mask.

“Painful bladder,” I whimpered, and hurried toward our building in the distance.

“So, I heard there’s another party.” She shook her head. “Is that what it’s going to be, partying every night?”

“What else is there to do?” I forced a smile.

“We’re going, aren’t we?” she grumbled, rolling her eyes.

If I didn’t…he’d come after me. If I ran, he’d hunt me down. If I stayed in plain sight like the meek little plaything he thought I was, then maybe…maybe I’d get out of this somehow.

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