The suite’s plush carpeting muted my footsteps, but anxiety drummed in my chest. If I could get out without anyone noticing, I’d be golden. But as I reached for the doorknob, my hand froze midair, and I turned after hearing a loud scoff.
Her disheveled appearance suggested she had been up all night, and with a subsequent sly smirk curling her lip, Jenna sneered, “Are you seriously slinking away like a dog with its tail between its legs? I get Alek calls you kitten, but damn, you must really be into pet play.”
Jenna’s words struck a nerve, the insult cutting deep into my already vulnerable state. Anger and humiliation surged within me, but I refused to let her see how much her words hurt. I squared my shoulders and met her gaze head-on, determination flickering in my eyes.
“Is that the best you’ve got?” I mocked, my voice steady despite the sea of emotions swirling inside. “What’s your deal with me? Do you feel threatened by my presence? You scared you might lose the Crow?”
Jenna’s smirk wavered for a split second as I touched a nerve of my own, and a flicker of surprise crossed her face. But she quickly regained her composure, her eyes narrowing once again.
“Lose Nikolai? To you? That’s laughable. You wouldn’t last one round with that man. He’d be so damn bored.” Jenna’s voice dripped with venom, the hatred intense.
Anger flared within me, but I bit my tongue, unwilling to give Jenna the satisfaction. Instead, I mustered my composure and locked eyes with her, determined not to show my vulnerability. My trusty blade tucked in my front pocket didn’t hurt, and I focused on that, feeling bolder by the second.
I sized her up the way Owen taught me. I could take her—I just hoped it wouldn’t come to that. The last thing I wanted was to be caught slapping and pulling hair like some immature high schooler, but a knife fight? I could go for one of those, but only if absolutely necessary. Damn Owen and his rules on responsibilities.
I hissed, “I want nothing to do with the Kings. Nikolai’s ability to get bored easily says more about you than it does me. If you fear that may be the case, perhaps it’s time you revisit your contract with one another. Since your dynamic isn’t my business, I simply don’t care. But I’ve heard communication is key, so you should probably start there.”
I moved my hand to rest on my hip so it would be closer to my blade, itching to draw it. I somewhat prayed she would do something, anything, to warrant me pulling it.
To my utter disappointment, she didn’t. Instead, her eyes raked over me in disapproval. “Just remember, little girl, there’s a vast difference between playing the part and truly embracing it. Last night showed exactly how immature you are.”
“Another random thing you seem to be obsessed with. If it’s not Alek, it’s my age. I’m not a little girl, and you have no idea who I am, what I know, or how strong I can be,” I seethed.
Jenna rolled her eyes and turned. She must have realized she wasn’t going to make me cower. Her laughter echoed down the corridor, making me clench my fists and breathe in gulps of air.
“We’ll see who is right, won’t we? Enjoy your little escape.”
Shaking with rage as her last words rang in my ears, I yanked open the door, not even caring if it was loud. I paused to collect my thoughts, but then I heard that deep, rich baritone of Ivan King and groaned.
“Where are you running off to, little love?” He walked toward me, causing me to back up. The suite’s solid door met my back. Holy hell, standing this close to him only made me feel smaller than ever. Now he intimidated me in more ways than one.
His rich black hair was disheveled, and I had the strongest urge to straighten it and run my fingers through it. My gaze traveled down his body even though I willed it not to. Clad in gray sweats that clung to his form, I couldn’t help but gulp at the mouthwatering way they hung on him.
The tank top he wore revealed strong, muscularly defined arms that were bigger than my thighs. He must have just come from working out, as beads of sweat dotted his forehead. All it did was add an element of raw sensuality to his already magnetic presence. It didn’t seem fair for one man to possess the strength of a god and be so damn good-looking at the same time.
“I got called in for a shift today,” I lied.
“How about you try again?” Ivan scowled, seeing right through my lie. Shit, why did I have to run into him?
“I called an Uber to…to take me to the airport. I’ve booked a flight already. Please tell your brother thank you. I did my one and done. Well, more than that, actually. You can pass along that message. While you’re at it, tell him to leave me alone.”
“One and done?”
“Yeah, your counselor friend said to soothe Alek’s ego, I should go out with him at least once. He loses interest easily, so hopefully that works in my favor. If you don’t mind,” I said, trying to push past him.
He stepped closer, lifting his hands on either side of me. As he leaned in, I sucked in my breath. His body was so close to mine I could feel the heat radiating from him. Remembering our exchange from last night, I allowed my eyes to drift to his tattoo.
“I’m not sure he’s quite done with you. He may need one more date. Maybe you should spend the day with him.” His eyes lingered on my lips.
“I’d rather have my nails pulled out one by one with pliers than spend another minute in his presence. I need him to leave me alone. In fact, I’d like it if all of you left me alone.”
“I don’t recall bothering you.” His voice was oddly curious. “At least I haven’t yet, but I suppose it’s still early in the game.”
“I’ve had enough playing games with the three of you, so no thanks. Now that Pash—Pavel Lenkov has left, I think we can all go our separate ways.”
Damn it, Kinsley, why don’t you out yourself, for crying out loud?
Taking a deep breath, I added, “Look, the last few days, for the most part, were fun. But this deeper game of yours, this one that you have no business involving me in, is…is…is—”
