Page 16 of Darkest Game
All I can do is nod.
Liam sighs deeply. “Listen. You’re the enemy in my eyes. I’ve been taught to hate the Russians all my life. But… I’m not going to let you sit out here all night covered in Sean’s beer smelling urine. Come on.” He pulls out a set of keys and unlocks the kennel.
I don’t move because I don’t trust Liam one bit.
He motions at me. “Come on.”
“I’m not a dog.” I sound braver than I actually am.
“Ok?”
“So please don’t boss me around like one.”
He looks at me like I’m crazy and maybe I am but I’m tired of being bossed around. Denis did that for the past two years of my life.
“Fine,” he says. “Do you really want to stay out here covered in Sean’s urine?”
“No.”
“Good. Then come on.”
Slowly, I step out of the kennel. Liam instantly grabs my arm so I can’t run. That didn’t even cross my mind. We’re in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by trees and these men have dogs. Even if I tried to run, they could hunt me down. I’m better off staying put so Mikhail and Nico can find me.
Ifthey’re coming for me.
Liam brings me into the main house. Sean is in the living room, talking to the other men. There’s around ten of them total. Jack is there and he sets his eyes onto me the second Liam and I enter.
“What is the meaning of this?” Jack asks, motioning at me. “Why are you bringing her inside?”
“Sean pissed on her. I’ll get her some new clothes. Let her take a shower.”
“No.”
“Why not? You’re going to make me marry her soon. I’d rather her smelling good than not. And last I checked, you wanted to fuck her on our wedding night so I suspect you want her to smell good too, do you not?”
Jack looks between me and Liam before he motions to a hallway. “Fine. But make it quick. She’s our prisoner. Not our guest.”
Liam guides me down the hallway to a bathroom. “Take a shower. I’ll be back with some clean clothes you can wear.”
“There are no other women here,” I force myself to speak.
“Not at the moment but some women come by on occasion. They leave behind clothes. I’ll get you some. And don’t think about leaving the bathroom. For your own benefit. And lock the door. You don’t want Sean wandering inside when you’re naked, now do you?”
I nod. Liam continuously tells me that he doesn’t care for me and yet, he seems to not want me to get hurt. None of it makes any sense.
Once he walks away, I shut the door behind me but I notice that the lock is broken. There’s nothing to prop against the door so I’ll just have to take a quick shower before any of the other men try to enter.
It’s strange getting naked in a strange bathroom inside a house full of Irish mobsters. My father would tell me to keep the urine stained dress on if it meant protecting my modesty. But I can’t wear a dress that a gross man like Sean peed on. I just can’t.
The shower water is warm at least. I let myself get lost in it for just a moment and forget where I am. Forget that I’m a prisoner. Forget that I’m going to be forced to marry a man I want nothing to do with if Nico and Mikhail don’t find me in time. And forget how handsome Liam is.
He’s disarmingly handsome and I don’t know what to make of that.
A knock on the door makes me jump. “Uh…” It’s then that I realize there are no towels in the bathroom. How does a bathroom have no towels?
Liam wiggles the doorknob and then opens the door. “Why isn’t this locked?” He stops when he sees me naked.
I grab the shower curtain and wrap it around myself. “It was broken.” My face is on fire. “And there’s no towels.”
