Page 31 of Sinner's Sacrifice
“No, sir, but you’re possessive of her. I remind you of what happens when we become too attached.”
Yvgeny opened his mouth to reply, but someone else beat him to it.
“What happens?” Sam asked, her voice quiet, yet it filled the room.
Mason partially turned, then stopped at Yvgeny’s wordless snarl. He held out the clothes to Yvgeny and backed out of the room, keeping his face turned away from Sam.
Sam, who was wrapped in a towel and nothing else.
The door closed behind Mason.
Only after the echo of the door clicking shut had died did Sam speak again. “What happens?”
She stood there, dripping water on the floor, the scrap of fabric covering not nearly enough of her.
She should be afraid of him, afraid of what he might do, but there wasn’t a speck of fear on her face. She looked tired and pale, with dark circles under her eyes.
If answering her question made her afraid of him, he wasn’t sure what he would do.
She sighed. “Spit it out, Yvgeny. You’re not going to make things any worse than they already are.”
He snorted. She had no idea how much worse things could get. “I don’t want to tell you.”
“Why?”
“Because,” he said, turning to pace away, then back. “I’m not a nice man. I’m ruthless. I don’t tolerate betrayal or incompetence. I can and will enforce my rules.”
“Like you did tonight?”
Her quiet question froze him in place with his back to her.
Perhaps she was beginning to understand, but he couldn’t bring himself to turn around and find out. “Yes, like tonight.”
A flicker of movement at the corner of his eye gave him very little warning before she came to a stop in front of him.
“Are there any clothes for me in there?” she asked, glancing at the pile in his hands.
“You should be afraid of me,” he whispered.
A ghost of a smile crossed her lips. “I’m too tired to be afraid right now, maybe later.” She held out a hand, the other holding her towel closed. “Give that to me. I’ll leave your clothes in the stall for you.”
“Samantha,” he said, something he couldn’t identify stuck in his throat. “You should be afraid of me.”
“Can we talk about this when I have enough energy to dig up some terror? Right now, I’m tapped out.”
He handed her the clothes.
She gave him a nod. “Thanks.”
He stared at the spot she’d been standing in before she went back into the stall. He stared until she came out, dressed in his hotel security uniform. The black-on-black pants and shirt, with its red Breznik security patch, looked good on her.
“Your turn,” she said.
He didn’t want to leave her unattended. What if...idiot. If she wasn’t safe here, where would she be safe?
“Please lock the door,” he said as he turned and went into the stall.
As he removed his bloody clothes and put them in the bag with hers, he heard the lock click, and something inside him relaxed a little. She’d done as he asked, without argument or questions.