Текст книги "Rip"

Автор книги: Rachel Van Dyken

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Текущая страница: 11 (всего у книги 18 страниц)

Police have confirmed that the Pier Killer is not a suspect in the most recent homicide at Pikes Market. –The Seattle Tribune

“MOY,” I WHISPERED AGAINST HER SKIN. “Moy.” My body screamed as I branded her with kisses. Mine, mine, mine, she had always been mine.

I’d never wanted her on paper.

Never needed a contract to know who she belonged to.

Her body had always belonged to me, since that very first kiss, that very first touch, when I replaced the pain with the pleasure, when I broke her.

I inwardly cursed as I expunged the memories of a time long ago, she had been the apple in the Garden, dangled in front of me, her core so tempting and sweet. A voice whispered in the distance. Just. One. Bite.

I bit.

I tasted.

I fell.

Maybe that was where I went wrong. The minute I’d seen her, I had desired her, wanted her, and in all my existence, I’d never coveted something as much as I’d coveted her.

It was a sin.

To want someone so desperately that you would sacrifice anything, actual human lives, possibly your own soul, to have it.

I pushed the memories back into the furthest recess of my mind, focusing on nothing but her pleasure, her release, while silently hoping this would not be the catalyst to her unlocking that precious Pandora’s box, I’d helped lock up so long ago.

Her body responded to my every kiss, my every touch… it was addicting to a man like me, a man who rarely showed emotion, someone who starved others of their humanity—discovering he very much wanted his own, one normal moment.

Boy meets girl.

Boy falls in love.

Girl never leaves.

Maya screamed out in pleasure, I kissed the inside of her thigh then climbed my way, slowly up her body, taking pleasure in the way she writhed beneath me, wanting more than anything to bring her to the greatest heights.

“That felt… too good.” She whispered, mouth swollen.

My hardness against her softness was almost too painful to bear. She reached for me, wrapping her hands tightly around me. I hissed out a curse.

“Show me what to do.”

“Your body…” I whispered, moving against her hand. “Will always know what to do.”

“But—”

“Feel.” I instructed as I moved against her then very gently pulled her hands away even though they felt so good. I hesitated, enjoying the look of hate on her face as I teased her, rubbing myself against her, sucking and nipping her lower lip, moving to her breasts.

“Nik…”

I hesitated, she typically reverted to that name only when she was remembering. My entire body tensed.

“I need… more.” She wiggled against me, then hooked her feet behind me.

I slid against her, chuckling into her neck, before I pressed an open mouthed kiss against her shoulder and inched slowly inside heaven.

Her head fell back against the pillow as I moved.

It wasn’t enough.

It would never be enough.

What the hell was I thinking? One time with her? One moment? Had it been enough all those years ago?

No, it had fed the addiction, the obsession.

And I was adding lighter fluid to dry leaves and tossing a match into the air, praying somehow it wouldn’t start a fire.

Each second that went by, I slid farther inside her, stopping when a look of pure awe slid over her face.

Our mouths met in a frenzy of hot kisses as I moved inside her, setting a fast rhythm, only to slow down as she tightened her grip on my body with her hands.

We were made for one another.

I’d always known it.

And now she did too.

I tried to stop, wanting the feeling of completeness within her to last an eternity, but it was impossible.

With one final thrust, I spent the last of my energy, perhaps the last of my soul… in that moment.

The darkness of our reality descended upon me with a choking reminder that what we’d just shared held the power to destroy everything.

But instead of screaming in horror that she’d just made love with a monster… Maya opened her eyes, as tears streamed down her face she whispered. “Just like my dreams.”

If only she knew…

They were never dreams…

But actual memories.

“I love you,” she whispered. “I’ve always loved you.”

Her eyes closed.

“And now…” I said in a shaky voice. “You may sleep.”

I could allow her that much.

Little thieves are hanged, but great ones escape.—Russian Proverb

MY DREAMS WERE FILLED WITH NIK… I wasn’t sure why he felt so familiar in them, like I could laugh with him, cry with him, and he would embrace me, wipe my tears away and tell me everything would be okay.

His heat surrounded me, and my gaze sought the clock. It read two a.m., which meant I still had a few more hours in his arms. My heavy lids closed.

“It hurts!” I screamed. “So bad.”

“Did you know…” He sounded apologetic. “That some philosophers believe pain is only another state of consciousness? That we can transcend it, if only we allowed our minds to see past the pain?”

“How?” I clenched my teeth together. “How do I see past the pain?”

“Focus on my voice,” he urged, making another slice across my arm. “I will stop when you stop reacting.”

“But—”

“Please.” He sounded like he was in pain. “Please, just try.”

“Why? You’re the one who can stop everything! You’re the one hurting me!”

“What if I promise you pleasure after the pain… what if I promise you something more?”

My vision blurred as the man in the white mask tilted his head, examining me, studying me.

“I said I’d try.”

“I’ve drawn little blood, Maya.”

“I’ll have scars.”

“Scars help us remember… they also, serve as a way to make us forget… I give you scars on your arms in order to imprint something new… it is impossible for your brain to recall events that never occurred. Therefore, I must cause the occurrence, understand?” Another slice. I screamed. “It will not stick if I do not cause either pleasure or pain.”

“I choose pleasure.”

He chuckled darkly. “They all choose pleasure. And I always choose pain.”

“But…”

“For you…” I could almost imagine his smile behind the mask. “I’ll gift you with both. The pain must happen. Otherwise, we will both be killed. But I can give you pleasure so that when you dream… it’s not of darkness…” He reached for my hand and sucked each finger before kissing my open palm. “But of light.”

I jerked awake with a gasp.

Nikolai was immediately gripping my shoulders, tipping my chin toward him, staring into my eyes like he expected me to turn into a monster or something.

“Sorry.” I gulped as my heart slammed against my chest. “Weird dream…”

“Tell me…” His voice was hoarse, his hands digging into my arms as he pulled me back into his lap. I sat with his body wrapped around mine, his chin resting on my head while he rubbed up and down my arms. “What haunts your dreams at night?”

I shivered. “Pleasure…” I sighed. “And pain… always together.”

“Some would say they are one in the same.”

“You’re a doctor,” I stated dumbly. “What do you think?”

He was quiet. I swore I could almost hear the wheels in his head turning. “I’d have to say that one cannot exist without the other.”

“Hmm.”

My body felt heavy, but I wasn’t sure why, almost like I’d had a drug-induced sleep, maybe that’s what sex did to a person.

Just remembering the way being in his arms had felt, had goose bumps popping up all over my skin.

“Are you cold?” His mouth found my temple.

“No.” I grinned. “Just thought of a really great way to forget about the weird dreams… if you’re up for it.”

“Maya,” he growled against my ear, his hands already roaming freely all over my naked body. “Can’t you tell? When it comes to you… I’m completely powerless to say no.”

“Does that mean I can finally ask questions?”

“If you can speak then I’m clearly not as good in bed as I thought.”

His hands flicked my breasts before he chuckled against my neck, flipping me onto my stomach as he whispered against the back of my neck. “But sure, ask away.”

The delicious pressure of having him on top of me was almost unbearable, I couldn’t see him, but I could feel every hard length of him as he entered me.

“I—”

“Yes?”

I had questions so many questions, and narrowing it down just seemed, pointless, but if he said he’d answer one…

“How long have you worked for my father?”

He increased his movements. I cried out as he answered. “Since you were sixteen.”

“You…” I clenched my thighs together, fighting him, holding him off. “You were only twenty-three.”

“I was around your age now when I began working full time for your father, yes…”

“What does he have over you?”

Another thrust. “I’d think you would know that by now.”

“What?” My vision blurred as pleasure exploded all over my body.

“You.” He slowed his movements pressing a kiss to my bare back and whispering, “It’s always been you.”

I need not fear my enemies because the most they can do is attack me. I need not fear my friends, because the most they can do is betray me. But I have much to fear from people who are indifferent. –Russian Proverb

Petrov : I have two new girls to send when you are ready, they are complaining of stomach cramps. I trust you’ll take care of the matter.

Nikolai : The clinic is closed until I return.

Petrov : Say hi to the Italian bastards for me.

Nikolai : I wouldn’t provoke the very beast that stalks you, but to each his own.

Petrov : I have no interest in the Italians anymore… business is too good without them sniffing around. Shall I send the girls?

Nikolai : I’ll text Jac, she can inject the first treatments.

Petrov : Kiss my daughter.

Nikolai : I thought that was against the rules of our agreement.

Petrov : A little bird told me it didn’t matter anymore. Tick-tock, Nikolai, will you confess your sins? I await your return to Seattle.

I didn’t text him back. That was what he wanted. I knew he couldn’t prove shit, but I hated that I felt nothing but guilt and dread the next morning, instead of excitement.

I should feel content.

Instead I felt sick.

I was at Andi’s funeral, gripping Maya’s hand as tightly as physically possible, and all I could think about were those brief moments of pleasure in her arms and how I wanted more.

How, if I was given the choice eight years ago, I would have still been in the same damn position. It had always been about her. It always would be.

And I could never tell her how important she really was to me without exposing my secrets, putting her in danger, and making her hate me forever.

I released her hand then rubbed my fingers along the inside of her arms where the scars remained. Six cuts on each arm.

Twelve cuts total.

All but two were lateral.

Made with glass from the car she supposedly crashed.

The fragments of glass were pushed into her arms to make sure that they looked like they had landed there and then the cuts were made.

The perfect plan.

For seeing something she should have never seen.

The perfect plan, for forcing an eager twenty-three year old into a tyrant’s service.

“A trade.” Petrov shrugged. “Your father said you agreed.”

My father lied, which meant, he must have owed Petrov a lot before his death. But Petrov never collected in money, he collected in blood. Regardless of how rich I was, I would never be able to pay the debt.

“Of course,” I lied smoothly. I was so damn good at lying, at making anyone believe anything, that it was almost boring. “What would you like me to do Petrov? You know besides run a multibillion dollar company and make sure to help you keep your practices… private.”

“Did I say I needed an accountant?”

The hairs on the back of my arms stood at attention. It wasn’t good, or it wouldn’t be good.

“I’ve been told you want to conduct illegal research on the spread of STDs, but can’t manage to get your hands on enough infected women in order to test your illegal drugs.”

“Those drugs,” I spat, “will one day cure AIDS, you bastard!” I lunged for him, but was held back by two men then kicked in the stomach.

I doubled over, trying to catch my breath.

“Exactly.” Petrov grinned. “I have girls to give you… but first, you must do something for me. It’s easy, really. I’ve been told you can manipulate people’s minds… that you’ve studied the power of suggestion, hypnotherapy.” He shrugged. ”Brain-washing.”

The only souls I’d ever told had been my father and grandmother.

One or both of them had said something.

To the most dangerous individual I’d ever known.

“And?” I smirked. “Do you need me to make you forget your sins, Petrov?”

“Mine?” He laughed loudly. “No, but a few of my men… they need to be controlled… you do some work for me here and there, make sure that I have adequate control over my business, and girls will magically show up at your clinic on a nightly basis.”

“A trade,” I whispered.

“I scratch your back, you scratch mine. What’s the harm? I need people I can trust… and you need to save the world… why not allow me to help you do it?”

I shook hands with Satan that day, and never looked back for fear of facing my own pride and turning to stone.

“And now, a few words from Andi’s good friend Nikolai Blazik.” A collective gasp rang out, apparently the rest of the made men had not been made aware of my presence.

I let go of Maya’s hand and slowly made my way to the front of the large Catholic church. I was still surprised I hadn’t been struck mute for the things I’d done in this life.

Things I’d pay for in the next.

I hadn’t written a speech.

I hoped my words would do her life justice.

“Andi,” I began, my voice never wavering in its strength as I looked out over a crowd of one hundred fifty members of the oldest Italian mafia families in the United States. I wouldn’t blink if someone pulled out a gun and pulled the trigger. I almost expected it, but nobody made any sudden movements.

Perhaps they were that afraid of the Cappo, or that stunned to see me, a Russian, in their precious Catholic church.

“Andi,” I said again. “Was the light in the darkness, the loudness in the silence, the laughter in the wind.” I cleared my throat. “Being with her was experiencing life for the first time, and I know the world is now a darker place without her in it. As a doctor, I blame myself for not having saved her. It’s too easy to get deeply lost in the pride of your abilities until you are faced with something like cancer, something so devastating to the human body that you have no choice but to sit back and watch while it eats away at those you love the most. She died, but her soul lives on in the lives she touched with the five families. She may have had Russian roots, but her blood…” I smiled. “It was Italian, and God, he sees the truth, does he not?” A few chuckles. “Bog vidit pravdu.” He sees the truth, I repeated. “And the truth is that an angel has joined the courts of heavens. Blagosloveniya, Andi. We will miss you.” Blessings, Andi, blessings my dear friend. I kissed my fingers holding the third finger pressed to my thumb, then took my fist and pounded it against my chest. The first was an ancient gesture of blessing, the second, loyalty. She deserved both.

When I took my seat, Maya grabbed my hand and squeezed. How had I thought I could ever continue living without her?

I couldn’t.

Not anymore.

Even if that meant she’d hate me forever.

I loved her enough to want her mind free.

Free to choose me.

Free to curse me.

Just…free.

“You did wonderful,” she whispered in my ear.

“Moy,” I whispered back. “You will always be mine. Thank you for being here.”

“Ah.” She smiled. “I’m getting to ask questions, and now you’re thanking me?”

My lips pressed together to keep from smiling. “Yes well, don’t get used to it.”

“Hard assed Russian,” she joked.

Never letting her go again. My heart beat for her.

Once the funeral procession ended, I made my way over to Sergio to say my goodbyes, and Maya joined me, offering her condolences.

I was suddenly thankful she hadn’t met Phoenix until recently, she would notice a familiarity about him that I wasn’t sure I was yet ready to reveal.

His features would remind her of her own.

Connecting the dots would be unwise.

For many reasons, the main one being that memory too, was locked inside her brain and I knew if that one came undone, everything else would follow.

Clearly sex hadn’t been a huge trigger for her, but the day was emotional and trying. It wasn’t over, and I knew that the more tired she became, the more she would be tempted to let her guard down.

And when the guards of your brain were down.

There was no telling what could enter… or exit.

“A walk.” Phoenix nodded to me. “I’ll have Bee take Maya back to the car.”

I kissed Maya’s hand, and we both waited until she was out of earshot.

“You asked about the whorehouses.” Phoenix slid a piece of paper into my hand. “The ones my father was involved in are long gone, but there are two addresses that haven’t been fully researched… Both are new constructions just outside of Seattle. Sergio hacked the cameras and was able to get a live feed. Seventeen cars in a little over two hours. All businessmen, entering the small temporary building, and then leaving.”

I nodded, and my stomach turned sour. “The girls have been carrying more bruises lately, the sickness starts in sooner than it ever has before. The conditions must be dire.”

“It’s your only lead, but be careful.” Phoenix sighed and looked back toward Maya and Bee. “Petrov won’t like the fact that you’re trying to save Maya and expose him to the feds at the exact same time.”

“Petrov can go to hell.”

Phoenix laughed, “Can’t say that I disagree, but be careful. It’s rarely the first hit that takes down the giant…”

“I don’t mean to destroy him with one hit… I mean to injure him so I can inflict so much pain on his person that he forgets his own name.” I said in a calm voice.

Phoenix’s brows rose. “Alright then, on that note… I’ll leave you to it, if you need a cleanup crew, let us know. It’s the least we can do.”

“Thank you.” I held out my hand.

He shook it. “Doesn’t mean we’re friends.”

“Russians and Italians? Don’t make me laugh.” I smirked.

Phoenix bit down on his lip, let out another chuckle then gave me a middle finger salute before walking off.

When I reached the car Maya was yawning into her hand and nervously popping her knuckles.

“So it begins,” I said under my breath.

“Huh?” She popped her right hand then left and as if noticing for the first time she was doing it, she winced. “I’m so sorry, I know you hate that. It’s bad for your joints right?”

“Yeah.” I nodded. “And that’s not the reason I hate it.”

“Is it the sound?”

“More of what the sound reminds me of.”

“Cracking joints?”

I stared straight ahead and answered. “The sound of a clock ticking.”

Do not make me kiss and you will not make me sin—Russian Proverb

THE FLIGHT HOME WAS UNEVENTFUL. I kept thinking Nikolai would kiss me but every time I leaned in, he brushed a kiss across my cheek and told me I needed to go to sleep.

“What is with you and sleep?” My eyes watered as I let out a huge yawn and tried to cover it up with the back of my hand.

Nikolai’s eyebrows shot up. “Tired?”

I glared.

With a light laugh he lifted me into his arms and walked me back toward the bedroom. “I’ll sleep right next to you. It’s been a long day. Rest.”

“But I want to kiss.”

“And have you yawn while I give you an orgasm?” he joked, his mouth curved into a gorgeous smile. “Doesn’t really do much for a man’s ego, Maya.”

“Your ego’s just fine, Harvard.”

“I had that coming.”

“You did.”

“Sleep.” He kissed my forehead. “By the time you wake up, we’ll be back in Seattle and you’ll feel rested.”

“Fine,” I grumbled. “But don’t leave. I feel safer with you next to me.”

“You shouldn’t,” he said in a tired voice.

“Why?” I flipped over on my side and faced him, tracing the outline of his face with my fingertip. “You would never hurt me.”

“What if I already did? Would you forgive me?”

“But you haven’t.” My head was starting to throb. “You’ve never hurt me, and I don’t believe you’re capable of it.”

“What if I’ve hidden that side from you… stupidly believing that if I had you fall for the man you see in front of you, you’d accept even the darkest of secrets?”

“You told me to sleep, and now you’re talking about secrets.” I shook my head. “Whatever secrets you have, you can trust me.”

“And if my secrets hurt us both?”

“Then we figure them out together.”

“If only…” He sighed, flipping onto his back and putting his arms behind his head. “…it were that simple.”

“But—”

“Rest,” he instructed tapping two fingers to my temples. He was right… I was sleepy. I couldn’t keep my heavy lids open any longer.

“I’ll be right there,” Nikolai said into the phone. “We just landed.”

I stretched out on the bed. We’d landed? And I wasn’t in a seatbelt? Was that legal?

“Told you that you were tired.” Nikolai’s smile was tight. “I’m going to have someone drive you back to the apartment. Something has come up at the clinic.”

“I’ll go.” I shot to my feet feeling, then got dizzy as they made an impact on the floor.

“You’re drunk on sleep. You’ll be absolutely no help.”

“Please?” I felt like he was pushing me away, like he had no choice, and I wasn’t going to let him, not if I could help it. I was pulled to him. I felt like maybe he needed me just as much as I needed him, possibly more.

He hung his head. “Fine, but…”

“I know I’m not wearing black.”

“How’d you know?”

“You have a thing with blood getting on white.”

“I do.” He seemed surprised I’d put two and two together.

“Actually, you just have a thing with blood being spilled, but I think it goes back to you being a doctor. Maybe it seems wasteful.”

“Maybe.” He was lost in his thoughts, or appeared to be so as he took my hand in his and led me down the stairs of the airplane.

Within thirty minutes we were downtown at the Pier clinic. Jac was waiting for us inside. The minute she set her eyes on me, she frowned. “What’s Maya doing here?”

Nikolai opened his mouth to speak but I interrupted him. “I begged him to let me work. I didn’t want to get sent home by myself.”

“Home?” She repeated. “You’re living together now?”

“No.” I felt my face flush. “Not exactly. You know what? I’m still really tired I think I’ll go sit by the computer while you two talk.”

Jac seemed, angry. Her frown was permanent, her hands shook. I turned away and headed for the computer. She walked briskly behind me, the heels of her boots slamming into the floor.

“The two new patients have been entered into the computer. Why don’t you go greet them by the door like a good assistant while I talk to Nik?” Venom laced her every word.

I stood on wobbly legs and made my way down the pristine white hall as lights flickered on above me.

Two knocks on the door.

A large body guard with a shaved head was leaning against the brick wall, a cigar hanging out of his mouth. “Bout time.” His words were cultured with a thick Russian accent. It reminded me too much of my father. I stepped back in a learned fear.

“Vyydite iz avtomobilya suka!” He spat, loosely translated get out of the car, bitch. Great. Maybe I should have gone home like Nikolai suggested.

The car door jerked open, two long tan pale legs that went for miles stepped out, the legs were attached to a tall gorgeous blonde in a skin tight black leather dress, her blue eyes flashed in recognition. She looked from the man to me, then back to the man. “Is this a joke?”

“Um, if you’ll just follow me.” I tucked my hair behind my ear and held the door to the clinic open.

“Bitch.” She spat at me, pushing past and stalking down the hall to the right exam room. I didn’t go in with her, she paused in the doorway and turned back to me. “You don’t remember me do you?”

“I’m sorry…” I winced. “I don’t know you.”

“Oh, that’s rich.” She rolled her eyes. “Don’t tell me your dad brainwashed you like he did your mother.”

I stared at her blankly. “I’m sorry miss, I think you have me mistaken with someone else.”

“Maya.” She cackled out my name. “You know I always wondered if he ended up using you like he did the rest of us, but apparently not since you work for the doctor. Then again, he works for him too so you’re still a whore, just a different type of one.” I lunged for her, but Nikolai grabbed me by the waist and set me on the other side of the girl.

“Maya, why don’t you go check in with Jac, hmm?”

“Fine.” I swallowed down the anger and marched down the hallway in a fury. When I reached the receptionist desk, Jac was already sitting there in the chair, her eyebrows rose when I sat with a thud and pulled up the spreadsheet.

“Got your panties in a twist?” she asked, her face appeared lighthearted but her words sliced through the air, almost like she was being passive aggressive.

“Not now, Jac.”

She shrugged and leaned back in her chair while I scrolled through the appointments, found the correct time and went to mark the girl’s first visit.

It was her third.

Hadn’t Jac said they rarely made it past the third?

“She’s…” I whispered then narrowed my eyes on the name. “Galina Ivanov.” A vision of a little girl speeding by me on a red bike pushed forward to my consciousness.

“Galina wait up!” I yelled laughing after her. “Friends aren’t supposed to cheat in races!”

“Beat you!” She giggled, her blond pigtails flying into the air. I finally caught up to her and crossed my arms.

“That was mean!” I scolded her, half tempted to push over her bike.

“Sorry, Maya. Best friends still?” She held out her pinky finger.

I shook it with my pinky and giggled. “Best friends forever, Galina, you know it!”

“Girls!” Mother called. “Come on in for a snack… Maya, you must change your clothes before your father gets home, you know how he feels about getting your clothes dirty.”

I grumbled out a response and linked arms with Galina as we made our way into the house.

Impossible. I pushed back from the desk. I was having some sort of… meltdown or something. Why was my brain suddenly remembering that? And why was Galina in the clinic?

Panicked, I didn’t even think about the rules. I had to know. I ran down the hall with Jac calling after me.

When I found the correct exam room, I pushed the door open and gasped as Nikolai inserted a syringe into Galina’s arm.

Her eyes were open.

Like she was awake.

But she wasn’t moving.

“Maya,” Nikolai said in a detached voice. “Is there a reason you’re in here?”

“I know her.”

He froze, his movements pausing midair as he slowly met my gaze. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

“Galina.” I pointed at the motionless girl. “She was… I think… I think we were friends, when I was little. I had a red bike and she had a red bike, they both had baskets…” I tried to pull from the memory but it was slipping away.

Nikolai set down the syringe. “Don’t focus on the whole picture, focus on the details, like what the air smelled like, tasted like, did she hold your hand? Did you laugh?”

“You believe me?”

“I do.” His eyes were sad.

“I’m sorry.” I shook my head. “I don’t… I can’t remember anything else.”

His shoulders tensed. “Alright, since you were friends you may as well stay in here during the procedure.”

“Procedure?” I repeated.

“She’s in an altered state of consciousness,” he explained. “I oftentimes hypnotize the patients so that they don’t remember anything that takes place afterward, they feel pain in the moment but don’t remember they’ve felt it after. Hers will be brief, I need to draw some blood, and blood always makes her faint.”

“You hypnotized her?” Fear trickled down my spine.

Nikolai licked his lips. “Yes… because at least in her altered state if I ask her a question she can answer in the affirmative, and when one is relaxed…”

“Ask her about me,” I blurted, knowing full well that I was losing my mind or having some sort of breakdown. What alternate universe had I walked into? One where I had fragmented memories of a girl in pig tails? And why wouldn’t my body want me to remember? I had no idea the car accident had done so much to me.

Nikolai shook his head. “No, that could be dangerous.”

“Please?”

With a heavy sigh, Nikolai snapped his fingers, watching me out of the corner of his eye. Something was so familiar about his movements, like a dance, like a dance he’d taught me and I’d memorized. “Galina, it’s Nik… how do you know Maya?”

“Petrov.” Galina said in a pained voice. “He thought I was pretty.”

The room seemed to tilt around me, leaving me breathless, blood pounding in my ears.

“Said I could make money once my parents died.”

Nikolai drew another vial of blood and pulled the band off her arm then pressed a cotton ball to the inside of her elbow. “What happened, Galina? You can trust me.”

Galina shook her head vigorously then started bucking off the table.

Cursing, Nikolai snapped his fingers again and said. “Sleep.”

She stopped moving.

I was horrified, not by what he did, but how easily he did it… had he ever done that to me? Would he?

I couldn’t look at him.

Fear and guilt gnawed at me while I stared at her expressionless face.

“My father… he wouldn’t… do you think?”

“He owns several lucrative businesses that have to do with girls just like Galina… I don’t just think, I know. I help as many as I can, Maya, and that is all I can safely tell you.”

“Okay.” I took two steps toward the door. “I’m… I need to go home.”

“Tell Jac I said it was okay to close early and take you.”

“Thank you.” I nodded and walked away, because I didn’t know what else to do, and screaming seemed to be out of the question since finding my voice was near impossible.

What was he involved in?

What type of lie had I lived?

And the bigger question… would I have ended up like Galina… had I stayed with my father?