Page 27 of Lethal Devotion
A jolt of irrational anger slices through me. This man owns the club I was trafficked from. I knew that, of course… but it didn’t feel as immediate as it does right now, looking at him. Something got past him, something happened, and I nearly died as a result… or worse. I want to say something, to ask him if he understands what the fuck almost happened to me, if he cares… but I can’t make the words pass my lips. I’m frozen, acutely aware of how much power this man has over me, even more than Damian. If he chose to, he could throw me out, Damian’s wife or not. Damian might have extended his protection to me, but ultimately, this man holds all the power.
I instinctively press my hand to the back of Adam’s head, holding him closer to me, and I see Konstantin’s eyes flick to the movement. His mouth twists briefly.
"I'm not going to hurt you," he says, in a tone that’s meant to be reassuring, I think. "Or your son. You're under Damian's protection, which means you're under mine as well."
“I… thank you,” I manage, though my voice comes out smaller than I'd like.
"Damian told me what happened last night," Konstantin continues,studying me with an intensity that makes me want to hide. "It sounded as though you were very brave."
Brave.I almost laugh. I was terrified out of my mind, completely helpless, saved only by a man who then forced me to marry him. There was nothing brave about any of it.
"I wasn't brave," I say. "I was just trying to survive."
Konstantin pauses. “I’m sorry for what happened,” he says finally. “It’s complicated. But I didn’t know what was occurring. I’d given orders not to permit that to go on in my clubs. They were clearly ignored. It won’t happen again, to anyone else. And you’re safe now,” he reiterates.
I want to tell him that won’t help Cara, or the girl whose name I didn’t know, who I saw bloody and dead on the concrete as Damian dragged me out of the warehouse to safety. But once again, I can’t speak. And as I fight to find the words, Adam tugs on my hand, bored with the adult conversation and eager to explore more of the estate.
Konstantin's gaze shifts to him, and I tense. But when Konstantin looks at my son, his expression softens slightly.
"How old?" he asks.
"Three," I answer, still wary.
“A difficult age, I hear,” Konstantin says with a laugh. “I’m sure I’ll find out soon enough.”
There’s an awkward silence for a moment after that. I hear a door opening behind him, and a moment later, a beautiful woman walks out from a pair of French doors. She has long, thick, dark hair, pulled back at the front, and a beautifully lithe figure, with the slight hint of a swell to her belly, visible under the long, floral-printed maxi dress that she’s wearing. “Konstantin?” She pauses, looking at me, and then understanding seems to dawn on her face.
“You must be Damian’s new wife.” There’s a hint of amusement in her voice, like she’s in on a joke I don’t understand. It makes me tense, prickling, especially when she looks at Adam, but she smiles a moment later, and I relax slightly.
“Sienna,” Konstantin introduces me, and I swallow hard, wishing I could say something for myself. I feel on display, like a zoo animal,faced with these people I don’t know who could ultimately decide my fate.
“I guessed as much. You told me last night,” the woman chides teasingly. She approaches, holding out a hand. “I’m Valentina. Konstantin’s wife.”
“Nice to meet you,” I manage, taking her hand briefly and shaking it. It feels soft—probably as soft as mine does now, I reflect, after that amazing lotion that I found this morning.
“And this must be Adam.” She smiles at him again. “I heard you like trains.”
Adam grins, pulling away from me to look at this new, interesting woman. “I do,” he confirms, and I give Valentina a small smile.
“Mrs. Horvat was nice enough to bring him a train set to keep him entertained this morning.”
Valentina laughs. “I know. I suggested she go upstairs and dig through Konstantin’s childhood things in the attic. I don’t know how they got saved, it’s not like his father would have cared to, but I suppose he never went up there, so he never knew. I’ve already gone through them once, for our little one. I’m sure I will again, before he or she gets here.”
Konstantin leans closer to her, murmuring something in her ear, and she turns toward him, giving him a quick, hard kiss, her hand touching the side of his face before he goes back toward the house. I almost flinch back at the display of affection, it’s something that I’m so unused to.
There’s a strange pang in my chest, too. I don’twantDamian touching me…but to have someone want me like that, to kiss me like that… it feels like something that would be nice. Something I’ve never had.
As Konstantin walks away, I start to feel as if I can breathe normally again. Valentina, who is still standing there, seems to notice my relief and gives me a sympathetic look.
“I know he can be intimidating,” she says, offering me a small smile. “But he's a good man. They both are, in their own way.”
I want to ask her how she can say that about men who live in aworld of violence and danger, but I don't. I bite my lip, trying to think of what to say to this woman who is also, in and of herself, intimidating.
“How far along are you?” I blurt out, before realizing that might be too intimate of a question for someone I barely know. But Valentina just laughs.
“A few months.” She touches her stomach. “I hear it gets a bit easier from here on out.”
“It did for me. I was so sick the first few months. I felt like I could barely get out of bed. And then, month four—” I laugh, the sound surprising me a little. It sounds like my usual laugh—normal, easy. “It was like a switch flipped. I felt back to my normal self.”
