Chapter 8

Clara

 

I wake up and get startled when I see a man hovering over me. He doesn’t speak, just stares at me like I’m the rarest thing he’s ever seen. It isn’t Alexei, but this man is just as powerful.

“Good morning,” he says never looking away from me. I hold tightly to the sheet and glance around the room to find anyone else there, but there is no one. “I’m not here to harm you. In fact, I have a visitor that wants to see you. I was just making sure you were up to it. I’m Dmitry.” I tilt my head to the side and study the man. I’ve seen him here before but I’ve never really looked at him. He’s just as gorgeous as Alexei.

“Are you feeling up to a visit?” he asks, and I narrow my eyes. Who the hell would want to visit me? Who knows that I’m here? It doesn’t matter because before either of us can say a word or react, the door flies open, and she walks in. She stops when she sees me, her eyes filling with tears. I sit straight up in bed, my mouth dropping open. It’s the girl from the other cell. The girl that cried so much that it killed a piece of me. Tears fill my eyes as she rushes toward me. As soon as she’s close enough, she throws her arms around me, hugging me tightly as I do the same to her. I didn’t know what they’d done with her. Has she been here the whole time? So many questions, but all I can do is hold onto her. She was a mess in that cell and I hated every second of it for her.

“I’ll leave you two alone,” Dmitry says before leaving. I hear the door click shut and that’s when she pulls back to look at me.

“Are you alright? They are treating you okay?” I nod my head unsure of what to do here.

“I was so worried about you. When I woke up, all I could think was that you were still there in that cell. I’m so glad Alexei took you too,” she cries harder. I reach up and wipe the tears from her eyes as she smiles at me. “Alexei is a good man. He will get you home if you just tell him who you are. He’s my cousin, so you have no worries with him. Why won’t you speak to them?” I swallow hard and look at her. She deserves my words. She has been so kind to me.

“They have taken everything from me. I will not give them my voice too,” I tell her. Her eyes widen and more tears stream down her face.

“Alexei is different. He may have bought you, but he had a reason.”

“Which is?” I asked, tilting my head to study her.

“I wouldn’t know. He thought you looked familiar to him, but he can’t place who you are. If you would speak to him, I promise he will get you home.” I can’t do that. I can’t go home and face my father as a failure. That’s what I am after all. I’ve failed his orders, and to be sent back there would mean my death. I wish I could run away and hide, but for now, I must figure out a way to escape this place and finish what my father has ordered of me.

“I have no home anymore,” I tell her.

“You have a home with me. I’m Alina, by the way. I’m sorry I never told you my name before.”

“Do you live here, Alina?” I ask trying to figure out how I can go about this. If she does and I can stay for a short time once I’m feeling better, I can use her to help me get free. I can gain information as to the whereabouts of the man I’m after.

“No. This is Alexei’s home, but he and my father don’t see eye to eye on what happened to me. In fact, he is away now meeting with him,” she tells me as she frowns. She holds my hand in hers and that small amount of contact sends my heart spiraling. This is what we did in those cells. We held tightly to each other because that’s all we had.

“Will you be leaving here?”

“Not any time soon. Alexei made it clear that until he figures things out, I’m not allowed to leave. Not as if I could even if I wanted to,” she giggles a little, but I don’t understand. I narrow my eyes once more and she grins. “This house is a fortress. You would never be able to slip out unnoticed from here. Everything you could want is here and there are twelve-foot concrete walls around the perimeter,” she says. The more she talks, the lower my stomach drops. What am I going to do? Bide my time and hope that one day he will grow tired of me and let me go? Or, do I just remove myself from the equation altogether? Either option could work. There is no way I can return home, nor will I tell them who I am.

“What is your name?” I knew she would ask but all I will give is my middle name. The name I go by.

“Clara.”

“That’s a beautiful name. Where are you from? I can tell by your accent that you’re Irish. Are you from Ireland?” Shaking my head, I sigh. A content feeling washes over me.

“I was born here in New York.”

“That is why your accent isn’t heavy. I was born here too.” The more time that Alina spends talking to me, the more comfortable I become. She tells me all about her life and growing up. She tells me about her one brother and how he is a pain in her ass. She makes me smile even when on the inside I feel like I’m breaking apart. The door opens, and Alina doesn’t stop talking even when Alexei walks over and stands next to her. She glances up and smiles at him, but her mouth keeps moving. My eyes move over him until I reach his face. Our eyes lock and my breath is nearly ripped from my lungs. He stares at me, watching me, never uttering a word. It’s unnerving but also intriguing.

“I should probably let you rest now. I’ve chatted your ear off,” Alina finally says breaking the spell as I drag my eyes back to hers. She smiles and leans in to hug me once more. I watch her stand and leave but Alexei remains. The air is thick with tension and the more he looks at me, the hotter the air in the room becomes. I scoot back on the bed, crossing my legs as I watch him. He studies me much the same as I do him.

“You speak to Alina. I saw you on the monitors,” he says calmly. Fear races through my veins. He has a camera in here? Why would I have thought differently? Alexei moves closer to the bed and sits on the edge. I hold my breath as he reaches for me, grabbing my hand in his.

“There’s something about you.” He shakes his head as if he's trying to process it all. “I can’t place it. I’m not the men that took you. I would never harm you that way.” Yet he’s the one that told me he would shatter me. He might not harm me the way they did but I’m sure it would be worse. So much worse. His calloused fingers move slowly over my hand causing my breath to catch in my throat. He looks up, his eyes focused on mine.

“You feel it too, don’t you?” I don’t want to say yes. I don’t want to nod but I do feel it. Some strange pull tugs me toward him. The way his fingers caress mine reaches into me and holds on.

“There’s a fear in your eyes, воробей. One I didn’t put there. I’m sure Alina has told you that if you would just give me your name, I will find out where you belong and return you there,” he says but I tense.

“You don’t want to go home?” He asks noticing the way I stiffened. What am I doing? I can’t think straight with the scent of him lingering around me. He makes me dizzy and confused. So, when I shake my head no, I surprise myself. Alexei smiles a soft smile.

“Very well. You don’t have to go home then. You may stay here as long as you’d like but be warned, воробей. I will not let you leave until you speak to me.” My heart hammers against my ribs. The air is still thick, and his fingers haven’t stopped moving over my skin. Sweat beads on my temples at the sudden shift in the temperature. Alexei notices it too. He leans in closer, near enough to kiss me if he so chooses.

“What do you see when you look at me?” I swallow hard and do something I know I shouldn’t. I speak.

“An diabhal.”