Page 43 of Marked By His Touch
“I know it was you,” I say, my voice firm. “You work with Sarah, don’t you? Why?”
“I do,” Cole says, his lips curling into a sinister smile. He gives me a long, calculating look, a lingering gaze on my body. “We make a good team, Sarah and I.”
I can’t believe he admits it. So, what are they doing together? Are they partners in crime now? Or something more?
“Did you hurt her?” I step forward, my voice rising with anger. But a gun from one of the men jams into my temple, stopping me in my tracks.
“Relax, Sarah is fine,” Cole says calmly. “She’s helping me with some, uh, off-the-grid programming. It’s much easier to export and import humans with a good legal cover.”
“She would never do that!” I say.
“Oh, but she already did,” Cole says, his smile widening. “Now back up into the room, all of you. We don’t want to scare our—customers.”
My plan to throw him off balance mentally fails miserably. He’s playing me, manipulating me.
The girls are gritting their teeth behind me. I can hear it. The men behind Cole are entering the room as we back up, their weapons raised, a wall of steel and threat.
“If the feather wasn’t you, then—” I start, my eyes narrowing. I try to retrace my steps and analyze every move and every detail, but the fog of confusion persists.What did I miss? What clue did I overlook?
Behind Cole, I see a shadow and a powerful presence fills the room. Nikolai steps in, his handsome features hardened with a ruthless determination. His aura is a storm cloud that makes the air crackle. The room freezes as if time itself has been caught in his gravitational pull.
“That was all me,Ava Parker,” he says, his voice is a low rumble.
“You know my real name?” I ask.
“Of course, I know name. But if you prefer Daisy in certain—settings—I don’t mind that at all.” He winks, his eyes glittering with amusement. “That was not so creative, Ava. I would have expected more from you after you walked into my beauty shop. You were so innocent, so—-krasivyy— beautiful. I knew it was you straight away.”
Me? What is he talking about?
There must have been more hidden cameras in the salon.I’d been so naive, so trusting. I’ve been playing in a game with a master manipulator, and I’ve been playing by his rules.
I catch movement out of the corner of my eye. Zara is shifting her weight, her eyes fixed on Nikolai, her lips pressed into a tight line. She’s planning something, a storm brewing beneath the surface. I’m ready. Every nerve and muscle in my body is coiled, ready to spring at her command.
“So sweet of you to walk straight into the—how you say—honey pot,” Nikolai says, his voice laced with a dangerous charm.
“You—you—” I start, but he cuts me off.
“Yes, me.You and me together, like it should have always been.” His voice is like a siren song, a seductive whisper that promises both pleasure and pain.
“What are you talking about?” I demand. His words are a riddle, like a cryptic message that frustrates me.
“Later, beautiful Ava, we will have to catch up,” he says, his eyes resting on my breasts. I feel a wave of heat, a surge of anger that burns like molten lava.
“Let the others go!” I shout.
Nikolai walks over to the girls, one by one, stopping at Zara.
"Privet, Zara, milaya. Davno ne videlis.” His voice is laced with a honeyed sweetness that makes my skin crawl.
Zara fidgets with her hair, her eyes flicking between Nikolai and me. As Nikolai takes her hand, “Welcome home, Zara,” andkisses her hand. Then, he leans in and kisses her mouth—a deep, tender kiss that sends a jolt through me. He pulls away, his eyes still locked on Zara’s.
Zara steps towards Nikolai, a slow, deliberate movement, “Privet,Nikolai. I brought you Ava Parker, and more—-women.”
My mouth gapes open, my world tilting on its axis. That was one betrayal I hadn’t seen coming.
“Z-Zara,” I stutter.
“A-ava,” she mocks, her voice cold, her eyes like ice. “Stupid girl. Too trusting,da?You should have known better.”
