Page 20 of Nemesync
A tall man with broad shoulders and a familiar dark and deadly aura came into view. The closer I got, the more his scent triggered recognition.
Fuck.
What the hell? Elijah?
“What brings you to grace my car with your presence?” My voice was laced with irritation and sarcasm.
He turned, stowing away his phone, and eyed the hefty bag of books in my hands. “You had important things to do, right? Where is your father’s security?”
“Home. Why would they be here?”
“He’s reckless; I knew it,” he muttered to himself.
“I’m just a few minutes away from my place, in a bookstore; I don’t need the cavalry to buy books. And where’s your security? I thought the Pakhan couldn’t go out without thousands of men. Heard he was nothing without his bodyguards,” I said, with a sneer, provoking him and pushing him to the edge of disrespect while aggravating his ego.
A dark chuckle echoed between us, his eyes soaring with amusement. Long fingers traced my cheek slowly and paused at my jaw.
Cold and deliberate.
He then dragged his fingertips across my throat, mimicking the motion of a blade. Line by line, his smile grew wider. “Careful with what comes out of that pretty mouth.” He then shook his head and added with the same condescension, “Get in your car, Zanae; I’ll take you to see Nikolai.”
“I didn’t know you were his personal driver?”
He opened the car door and said, “I’m his associate; I’m nobody’s chauffeur,Milaya. Get in now.”
With a smirk, he grabbed my heavy bag, tossed it in the back, and shut the Jeep’s door. I slid into the driver’s seat, in disbelief, “BE CAREFUL, THOSE ARE BOOKS NOT YOUR FREAKING HEART! THEY’RE FRAGILE!”
“Just follow my motorcycle and stop yelling; your voice is giving me a headache.”
“Oh, poor boy,” I drawled, leaning back in my seat. “Want me to kiss the pain away, Volkov?”
“Watch yourself, I wouldn’t want to hurt that pretty face, I have a tendency for breaking beautiful little things,” he retorted, his voice dripping with sarcasm and a strange honesty.
I raised an eyebrow, my irritation at its apogee. “You think I have a pretty face? I thought you wanted me dead.”
He chuckled and leaned closer, closing the door with a smirk. “Your pretty face makes the thought of possessing you before destroying you even more exciting,” he whispered, his breath grazing my cheek, before casually walking away.
“Beauty and destruction then,” I teased, still looking at him as he put on his helmet.
“More like beauty and annoyance,” he answered.
Ouch, rude.
I prepared to drive, when suddenly, the roar of his motorcycle pierced the air as he sped out of the parking lot, leaving me no choice but to follow.
This fucking asshole didn’t even bother to give me a warning. Don’t even get me started on the journey. He drove his bike as if expecting me to match his speed, but my car couldn’t weave through traffic like his. He just didn’t care a bit, and it was driving me crazy. We reconvened at a red light, and this time, he continued at a more measured pace.
He parked beneath a casino, removed his helmet, and patiently waited for me as I joined him.
We made our way to the elevator, and I couldn’t stop thinking.
Curiosity, excitement, and fear intertwined, overwhelming me.
Of course, I was eager for vengeance, and if this mission could help me achieve that, then all was well.
I wanted to be selfish for once. I wanted to get rid of my suffering and feel revenge running through my veins. It can’t be worse than what I feel now, right?
Every ounce of pain, grief, sadness, and loneliness I had ever felt, the perpetual knot in my stomach with every forced smile, could fucking disappear.
