Page 110 of Sadistic

"Revna—"

"I said no." I start walking, Dalla beside me. "And tell your men to stop following me or I swear to God, Doran, wedding or no wedding, I'm done."

"You don't mean that." He sounds genuinely shaken.

I whirl around. "Try me. Keep pushing, keep making decisions for me, keep treating me like property, and see what happens."

I hear Mikhail murmur something, probably trying to calm him down.

Doran's response is too low to catch, but the tone promises violence.

The jewelry box sits abandoned on the counter.

I don't want to know what's inside.

We make it to the parking garage before I break down.

The adrenaline crashes, leaving me shaking and nauseous.

Dalla guides me to her car, holding me as I sob out the fear and anger, and confusion.

"He knows everything," I gasp between sobs. "Where you go, where Mom shops, where Elfe works. We're not safe. We'll never be safe."

"Shh," Dalla rocks me like when we were kids. "We'll figure it out."

"What do we do?" she asks when I finally calm down enough to stand.

"I don't know." I wipe my face with my sleeve, probably smearing mascara everywhere. "He knows everything. Where you go to school, where Mom shops..."

"Doran won't let anything happen to us."

"Doran's the reason we're in danger!" I pull back to look at her. "Don't you see? This is what my life will be—constantly in the crosshairs because of his business, his decisions, his enemies."

"Rev—"

"And the worst part? Bembe was right. He does make decisions without me. Big, life-altering decisions that affect my family, and I don't even get a vote."

We get in the car, Dalla starting the engine but not driving yet.

She knows I need a minute.

"So what are you going to do?" she asks gently.

"I don't?—"

My phone rings.

Unknown number.

I almost don't answer, but something makes me swipe accept.

"Revna."

My blood freezes.

That voice—familiar but wrong somehow. "Njal?"

"I heard you had some trouble at the mall." His voice sounds different—manic energy barely contained, words running together. "With the Culebra."

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