Page 6 of Break

With my heart pounding, I do a quick glance around the office. There are a few other people lingering around or talking to the workers, but I don’t see Jaxon and Knox. There’s no telling where they are, but I’m not going to stick around long enough for them to find me.

Keeping my head down, I hurry to the elevator just straight ahead, praying that I’m able to make it to my apartment before Dimitri gets to me.

A man walks in front of me to get to the recreation room attached to the office, making me stop in my tracks.

“Excuse me,” I say, an awkward, apologetic smile forming on my face as I quickly side-step him.

The man pitches me a strange look, probably wondering why it looks like I’m running for my life.

In a way, I am.

When I reach the elevator, I press the up button what feels like a hundred times. “Come on. Hurry up.”

I lift my eyes, watching the red digital number slowly go down toward the lobby. My skin grows warm and clammy, and I swear I’m on the verge of a panic attack as the elevator gets closer and closer.

“Where are you running off to so fast?”

My blood runs ice cold as I whirl around and face Dimitri, my heart threatening to pound out of my chest. He’s wearing a black bomber jacket, a white T-shirt underneath, and black pants. Dark just like his short hair.

“I’m going home. What are you doing here? Are you stalking me?” I bite out as I try to take a step back from him.

Dimitri laughs, the sound chilling me to my core. “No, me and the guys live here. I was getting an extra pool key.”

I can’t stop my jaw from dropping. “Wait, what? You live here? Why?”

Dimitri gestures around us. “This is a nice place, and it’s closeto the stadium.”

Those things are true, but there are other nice apartments. Ones that are better, and more importantly, away from me. How can I deal with them at work and as neighbors?

When the elevator dings and the doors slide open, I step inside, turning around just as he steps on. Our bodies almost collide, and his eyes only leave mine to hit the button for the third floor.

“What floor?”

I keep my mouth shut, not wanting him to know where I live. He knows the building, but he doesn’t know the floor or unit number. I’d like for things to stay that way.

When the doors slide shut, Dimitri suddenly surges forward and grips the lapel of my army green jacket, pulling me forward. “Do you really think we won’t be able to find you? Do you think you’re smart enough to dodge us?”

I stare up at him with wide eyes, my breath getting trapped in my lungs. I grab his arm to keep myself from falling, my heart pounding heavily. “Let me go!”

Dimitri pulls me even closer until our bodies press together. The warmth of his body seeps into mine as his ridged muscles box me in. “We finally found our little plaything. We’ll never let you go.”

I can’t stop the shaky scoff that breaks from me. “Plaything? I’m not your puppet to control! You can’t just storm back into my life and ruin things!”

Dimitri laughs in my face as he tightens his grip on my jacket. “We didn’t come here to ruin things. We came here to claim back what’s ours.”

My blood runs hot now, a twisting sensation filling my stomach. The problem with them is that they don’t just talk the talk. They act on their promises. “Where are the others?”

Dimitri smirks. “What? Just one isn’t enough for you?” He scoffs. “It never was.”

His words are like a punch to the stomach, knocking the breath right out of my lungs.

The elevator doors sliding open saves me, and he finally lets go of my jacket. I catch my breath, my hands slightly shaking.

“We always get what we want.” Dimitri pats my cheek, making me grimace. “See you around, sweetheart.”

More churning in my stomach. I turn and watch him walk out of the elevator, waiting for the doors to close before mashing the button for the fourth floor over and over. When the elevator finally reaches the fourth floor, I rush down the hallway to my unit, throwing myself inside and locking the door behind me.

I press my back against the front door, listening to the sound of my heavy, rapid heartbeat. I can barely wrap my head around today.

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