Page 27 of The Red Room
I purse my lips and shake his sweaty palm. He’s nervous from the look of it. I’m not sure why. It’s not like the last person he dated was rich, successful, oh and turned into a three-hundred pound killing machine right in front of him. Even now, I can’t help but notice the stark differences between the two.You are stunning, Nik had said, a small hint of a growl in his voice. Those glowing eyes exuding confidence when he kissed my hand, and how he continued to stare as if he would lose me if he glanced away for even a second. Everything about him was so alluring and nothing close to the anxious man shaking my hand a few times too many.
“Thank you, Landon. That’s—uhm—really sweet.” I pull away and sit beside Courtney. When our eyes meet, she tilts her head. I know that look, and when she arches her brow, I can sense exactly what she’s thinking.
Her:So, what do you think?
I widen my eyes and fight the urge to roll them. Landon might see us and put two and two together. While I’m not sure if I’m interested in him, I’m also in no position to scoff at someoneshowing interest in me. Probably best to just stay neutral.He’s okay, I think, hoping she can read my thoughts just as easily.
A quick elbow to my side and a small yelp flees my lungs. Yeah, she can. If Courtney hit me any harder I might’ve ended up on the ground again, only this time I somehow doubted Landon would be strong enough to lift me back to my feet with the same grace Nik did. I shake my head at her in warning.
“Are … you guys having a conversation right now?” Landon asks, a somewhat confused expression puzzling his slim features. “Telepathically?”
“Yup,” Courtney says and sips from her glass, leaving lipstick smudges on the straw. “Natalie thinks you’re cute.”
Welp. There goes my fucking theory. Blood rushes to my cheeks and I stare forward, avoiding them both. She has no clue what I’m thinking, but honestly, that’s probably for the best. The less she knows about Nik and the wolf he hides beneath his designer shirts, the better. It’s not like I can tell her even if I wanted to.Hey, remember Nikolai? Well I walked in on him naked and chained to the ground.What would follow is Courtney asking how big he is, and if I thought it would fit. Never mind the chains, she would hear the word naked and everything else would vanish from the conversation entirely. As far as it fitting? More blush creeps to my cheeks unintentionally. No, I don’t think it will.
The bartender comes to my rescue, thankfully enough, and asks what we’re having.
“Martini, two olives,” I say, holding up my hand before anyone else has a chance.
Landon steps forward and leans against the bar. He rubs his sweaty palm against the fabric of his tailored slacks and places it on his hip. While he might be trying to give off a suave appearance, from where I’m sitting, the way he fidgets makeshim look even more awkward than before. “You can put it on my tab. And I’ll take another vodka cranberry.”
I gnaw at my lip, fearing if I bite down any harder blood might be the only thing I’m drinking tonight. “I can buy my own drink, Landon. Thank you, though.” That was only partially true. My credit card will cover the martini, if it isn’t maxed out already. And the last thing I want to do is give him the wrong idea.
He places his hand on the small of my back and leans closer. “No, no. Don’t worry about it. I have you covered.”
It feels empty. Nothing like the intense heat traveling up and down my spine when Nik touches me. How a small fire could turn to hellish flames in a matter of seconds, radiating as high as my shoulders and as low as my thighs. Nothing about Landon holds a candlelight to Nik, and despite my many pleas to come here tonight with an open mind, I’m not sure if it’s something I’m capable of. Especially when all I can imagine is being back in that alleyway.
The bartender pauses for a moment and appears apprehensive. “Her, uhm, drinks are already paid for.”
There’s no way I heard that right. My drinks? Paid for? Roman must’ve picked up the tab for us all. He’s done it before. The hairs on my neck prickle to attention, and an eerie unease settles in my gut. “What do you meanpaid for?” I ask.
“Paid for by whom?” Landon adds, his expression as baffled as mine.
After another brief pause, the bartender points down to the opposite end where the solid oak bar cuts into the wall. There’re sports memorabilia strewn across the area, a few autographed photos, and even a glass case with a Dodgers jersey. But that’s not where my eyes land. No, my narrowed gaze fixes on the man sitting across from us, and he does little else than glare in our direction.
“Who is that?” Landon says, his hand still resting at my lower back.
No.
No, no, no.
This isn’t happening.
This is a dream.
I’m asleep in my loft with stacks of useless shit thrown in front of the door.But I’m not. I’m awake, and my eyes somehow widen an extra inch the longer I stare.He’s here.I grab the silver necklace, kneading the crescent symbol with my finger and thumb. A pair of golden eyes practically glow under the lights of the room. A swift crack echoes as another pool match begins; none of us pay it any mind. No, we simply watch one another from across the bar, him, that same confident smirk. And me? Well, I’m right back to thinking about being bound by my hands and feet. The man sitting not even ten chairs away cocks his brow, and a snarky grin works from one side of his face to the other. Then, Nikolai Vostik waves at me.
FOURTEEN
We stare ateach other, neither yielding. He has afar too pleased with himselfexpression on his face. His human face. I’ve seen the other one I’m sure very few have seen and are still breathing. Did he follow me here? It’s bad enough he knows where I live, but now it’s like he has some sort of tracker on me. I grind my teeth until they might crack from the pressure. I’m afraid, obviously. I don’t think anyone who has seen Nikolai Vostik during a full moon wouldn’t be. But there’s something else bubbling above the fear keeping my limbs idle. Anger? Lust? I can’t be sure. But all I know is I’m done with this fucking game he’s playing.
The bartender places the martini on a napkin in front of me and fades away to the other end of the bar, apparently avoiding the darts I’m glaring in Nikolai’s direction. Smart.
“Is that your friend?” Landon asks, his voice trailing off.
I grab the martini glass by the slim stem and stand. “No. He’s not.” Without another word, I maneuver around the people crowding the room, careful to keep each drop in the glass I intend to paint his face with. My only hope is that the toothpickholding two olives somehow finds a place in one of those golden eyes. He won’t change into a monster here. At least … I’m willing to bet he won’t.
Courtney says something from behind me but it’s impossible to make out over the ragged heartbeats thumping to the exact tune of Club Völk on its busiest night. He doesn’t shift in his seat, no, Nik simply follows me with those glowing eyes, scanning my face, dress, and legs, and then back to my face. His smile deepens, and there’s not a single doubt in my mind.This ends tonight.