“Enough.” Alexei’s voice cuts through it all, the entire room coming to a halt. Weapons are trained on me now—three barrels pointed straight at my chest. The man at my feet isn’t moving. Another is coughing on the floor, clutching his neck.
I’m breathing hard, chest heaving, blood dripping from my mouth onto the concrete.
Adriana sobs openly now, her face buried against Nolan’s shoulder, fingers digging into his arm.
Alexei stands with a slow applause and a satisfied, triumphant smile.“That,”he says quietly, eyes gleaming, “is what I needed to see.” He steps closer. “You see?” he says to no one in particular. “He just needed the right motivation.”
Nolan clears his throat. “The monster came alive, it seems.”
Alexei turns toward him with a wicked grin. “He sure did. Now, several of my men will be on post at your hotel at all times. This training is required.” His gaze locks on mine. “You will be escorted back here whenever I say. Got it?”
Nolan nods, even though Alexei is staring at me. I stand there, shaking, surrounded by guns and blood and silence. And somewhere deep inside, the rage I thought I had trained has broken through its fucking cage.
I stumble into the suite, each step a battle between staying upright and collapsing to the floor. Blood is still crusted on my face, my chest, and my hands. My jaw aches, and my veins are screaming with fucking fury. Several of Alexei’s men followed us here and are watching the hotel as we speak.
Adriana storms in right behind Nolan, voice sharp as broken glass. “What thefuck,Nolan? Why the hell did he do that?”
Nolan’s jaw tightens, his hands gripping the back of the couch like he’s trying not to let his anger or guilt leak out. “I didn’t expect it,” he admits, flatly.
I don’t even look at them. My world narrows to pain, heat, and the pounding of my heart. I stagger toward the bathroom, dragging my feet across the floor. Blood from my hands leaves streaks on the marble tiles. The faucet feels cold when I turn iton, and I rub at my face, trying to scrub away more than the blood. Trying to scrub away everything that just happened.
Adriana doesn’t leave my side. “Iknewhe would hurt him,” she snaps at Nolan, her voice a little rawer. “Nolan, he’s fucking crazy. I told you that we shouldn’t have done this. He’s going to kill him!”
Nolan rolls his eyes. “Christ, Adri, don’t pretend to give an actual shit about him now. He’s a pretty toy for you. That’s it. And you don’t like that he’s getting dirty.”
“Fuck you,” she snaps.
Nolan’s pride tightens around his words. He opens his mouth, probably wants to apologize, but the words die in his throat. He just…leaves, slamming the door behind him.
I flinch at the sound, but don’t speak. Adriana’s hand reaches for mine, and I flinch again. Not because of her, but because I want to lash out at everything,includingher. I don’t want anyone to fucking touch me right now.
“You’re shaking,” she says softly, her other hand brushing my shoulder. “You need to calm down.”
I grit my teeth, shaking my head, the blood and pain making my vision swim. I can feel the rage twisting inside me like a snake, whispering for me todestroysomeone.Alexei.Every motherfucker who thinks they can own me.
I lunge at the thought, the impulse, the fury—then stop. My knuckles clench into fists, and I press them against the sink, letting my head drop between my arms. The rage is still there, but I choke it down. He wants to kill the parts of me worthy of love. Of…her.
Don’t think of her. Forget her.
Adriana doesn’t move away. Her fingers hover over my arm, and there’s this genuine concern in her eyes, like she suddenly cares.
I swallow hard, tasting blood and bile. I close my eyes and take a slow, shuddering breath.
I fucking hate him.
Adriana leans closer, her voice quiet now. “You’re going to be okay.” But she doesn’t sound that convincing.
I look up at her, barely seeing through the lingering anger. I want tokillsomeone. Instead, I take off my clothes. She watches me quietly as I step into the shower, water hot enough to scorch my skin.
It beats down on my shoulders, running red at first, then clearing. My jaw throbs every time I move it. I brace one hand against the tile and breathe through my nose, trying my goddamn hardest not to lose my shit.
Adriana’s voice comes softer than I expect. “Jude.”
I stay facing the wall, water pouring over my face. “You should leave.”
She doesn’t. I hear her step closer, stopping just outside the spray. “Nolan doesn’t know what he’s doing,” she says quietly. “He thinks he’s untouchable because he makes people money.”
I huff out a bitter laugh. “Congratulations. You’ve figured him out. After all this fucking time.”