Page 97 of Wicked Knight

“Hey, there.” That rich, rusty voice scrapes against my nerves.

"Hi." I pretend I'm not fazed by his presence and like I'm not hold-on-to-the-edge-of-your-seat scared of him.

He walks up to me, towering me with his height. He's an inch shorter than Dimitri and lanky without the muscle, but that takes nothing away from his creepiness. "I thought I'd take the opportunity to talk to you."

"Oh,” I straighten. “That's nice of you.”

He chuckles deep and low. “I'm not nice, though, am I, Mackenzie? You and I both know that. So, this isn't about me being nice.”

My breath hitches and my throat dries, causing my lungs to burn. I did not expect him to say that. Couldn’t he even pretend for the sake of keeping up appearances?

And he’s talking to me as if we’ve met before. Before tonight, I’ve never even spoken to him.

"What is this about, then?" I hate the quiver in my voice, but there's nothing I can do about it.

“A warning.” Ryan nods. “You're with me now, and you're not going to do the same shit you did to Levi by entering some auction to escape me.”

“I didn’t plan on doing that.”

“You better not.” He leans in closer. "If you cross me, I won’t hesitate to punish you. Am I clear?"

I'm so stunned I can't speak. I stare at him, absorbing the threat ofpunishment.

I've heard enough things about him and his family to know that whatever punishment he’s talking about is worse than death. It will be the kind that will make you beg for death.

"Do you understand me, Mackenzie?" His voice is firmer, louder.

"Yes,” I mutter.

He touches my face and runs his finger down the side to my jaw. “Good girl, because I'm sure I'll have fun with you. It would be a shame to mess up your pretty face or break your little ballerina bones. I like beautiful things, but somehow, they don't last long around me. Don't let that happen to you.”

Oh my God. I won't last.

Something will happen somewhere along the line, and it will be the end of me.

A shudder ripples down my body. The smile Ryan gives me could make Hannibal Lecter shit himself.

“Is everything okay in here?” Mom's delicate voice pierces the fog of fear shrouding me.

Ryan steps back and gives her a pleasant smile. A complete opposite to the one he just gave me. "Yes, Mrs. Domachenkov, Mackenzie and I were just getting to know each other."

He keeps a smile pasted on his face as he walks out, walking past my mother.

As soon as he disappears through the door, Mom is at my side, seeing that I'm shaking. "Are you okay, Mackenzie?" She searches my face, checking me over.

I shake my head slowly. "No, Mom.”

“Oh, sweetheart. What did he say to you?”

I gaze back at her. I shouldn't hate herormy father. They've given me a life with everything I wanted up until now.

It wasn't my father's fault that he was framed.

It wasn't my mother's fault that any of this happened.

It's not their fault that no one can do anything more than what they're doing.

"What difference does it make, Mom? It won't change anything, will it?"