Page 21 of Dark Possession
How did he get these here so fast?
I push myself off the floor and strip off the underwear, replacing it with clean, silky undergarments I find in the large closet’s drawers. A thin, silky sweater is draped across a padded ottoman in the center of the closet, along with a pair of slacks that are comfortable-looking but elegant. The fabric clings like chains wrapping around my limbs, each stitch a reminder of the man who now controls my fate.
I don’t see any shoes. I frown, looking around for them. Was it a deliberate oversight? The idea that maybe if I don’t have shoes I can’t run?
Desperate for a distraction, I slide the phone into my pocket and slip out of my room, the carpeted runner soft under my bare feet. My room sits in the center of a wide hallway that branches out in several directions. Ahead of me, a staircase winds down and around, disappearing around a curve. After a brief hesitation, I choose the staircase and begin to wander through the maze of the mansion.
The grand hallways stretch endlessly, each turn leading me deeper into a world I don’t belong to.
Eventually, I stumble upon a gym. The rhythmic thud of fists slamming into a punching bag echoes through the space in sync with pounding bass piped through speakers. Through the open door, I see him—sweatpants hanging low on his hips, shirtless chest glistening with sweat, muscles taut and rippling with every powerful movement.
My breath catches.
I should leave.
I don’t.
I linger at the threshold, my pulse betraying me with its erratic beat. He moves with the precision of a predator, each strike calculated, each breath controlled. There’s no hesitation in him, no doubt. Only power.
Then he stops.
Without looking, he grabs a towel, wipes his face, and turns. His gaze finds mine immediately, locking onto me like he knew I was there all along.
I wasn’t moving, and yet everything in me freezes all the same.
“Tell me,” he says, voice smooth, lethal, “why do you think Sergei wanted you so badly?”
My mouth goes dry. I force a shrug, masking the unease prickling down my spine. “He’s like a child on the playground, wanting the toy another child has. We always want what we can’t have.”
Lev tips his chin in response, his eyes unreadable. “Maybe so. And what is it you want?”
What do I want?I hesitate. A moment too long. The tip of my tongue darts out to lick my bottom lip. Yesterday, I’d have said to clear my sister’s debt and see us all free from the shadow of the bratva.
Today… Today is more complicated.
When I finally answer, my voice is softer than I intend, tinged with something fragile. “I don’t know.”
Something shifts in his expression. The subtle crack of amusement vanishes, replaced by something colder, more calculating. He steps closer, his presence crowding mine, dominating the space. I can smell the musk on his skin, can almost taste the sweat. With an effort, I keep my eyes above his neck.
But beneath his eyes. I can’t meet his gaze for too long. He sees too much.
“What did you study?”
The question catches me off guard, and my shoulders stiffen. “I didn’t study. My father died when I was young. I had to work instead. College wasn’t an option.”
He studies me, his intense gaze making me squirm. “Then how did you learn to speak English so well?”
“I am self-taught.” My chin lifts as I fight the urge to step back. His proximity, combined with the heat radiating from his bare skin, is unnerving, but I refuse to concede to the discomfort. I’ve already given too much.
“That’s impressive,” he muses. “Any other talents you’re hiding?”
I shake my head, but the way his lips curve into another of those damnable knowing smirks makes me uneasy.
“We’ll see.” Lev turns and walks toward the punching bag.
Before I can retreat, my phone buzzes.
My stomach flips.
