My stomach sank. Could she sign me into some kind of psychiatric facility against my will? Money could open doors, but it could also lock you behind them.
“Katya’s off-limits to you from this point forward,” Maverik said coldly. “And maybe we should talk to Richard about the bottles of pills you keep in your purse. I don’t think it’s safe to have a drug addict around a bunch of teenagers, do you?”
Hate burned in Nina’s eyes. “We’ll see.”
Maverik didn’t take his eyes off her as she strode back to the seat next to Richard. Richard was still completely engaged in his phone call and oblivious to the conversation that just occurred.
Maverik patted my seat, and I briefly considered yelling at him, but instead, I threw myself back in my chair.
“What are we going to do?” Kingston stage-whispered to his brother.
Maverik switched his gaze back to his brother. “Our plans haven’t changed.”
“Katya kept us in hockey camp,” Kingston pointed out. “We should return the favor.”
“We’ll talk about it when we get back,” Maverik said noncommittally.
That was enough for Kingston, because he sat back in his chair to play on his phone.
I glanced at Maverik out of the corner of my eye. I wasn’t sure if he was a potential ally or enemy. He’d helped me get to New York, but he’d also bribed my best friend for information about me. He stood up for me against my mother’s threats, but was that really about me? It was more of a power struggle between the two of them - with me as the pawn.
I was going to be crushed between Sergei, my mother, and Maverik if I couldn’t find a way out of this world. I was fooling myself if I ever thought I was starting to belong here. My only hope for survival was to get Sergei what he wanted, then get as far away from here as possible.
For now, I’d put on my headphones and pretend I was far away from this nightmare. I’d need a few hours in my ballet studio before I worked out enough anxiety and frustration to be able to sleep tonight.
Chapter 36
Katya
I had to take the elevator back to my room after my late-night ballet session. My legs were sore and wobbly like they were filled with jelly, but my mind was calm. I knew part of the reason why I felt so weak was because I hadn’t eaten all day, but I couldn’t find the energy to go down to the kitchen. And if I were truly honest, the pain and exhaustion had a numbing effect that might be buffered by a solid meal. I had a better chance of collapsing into an exhausted sleep if my belly stayed empty.
I sat on my floor to stretch out my muscles, so they didn’t stiffen up. I was too tired to even think, so I just stared off into the distance as I stretched.
Maverik came to my room that night, his presence looming in my doorway. His dark jeans hung low on his waist, his shirt snug against his toned body, and his feet bare.
I was startled by his sudden appearance, but a part of me was secretly pleased to see him. I immediately squashed those feelings down. He was probably here to threaten me, or to let me know that the truce between us was over.
“Can I help you?” I asked sarcastically.
Maverik tilted his head to watch me as I stretched on the floor. “Maybe,” he murmured. I thought I saw a flash of heat in his eyes as he gazed down on me, but that must have been my imagination.
“Your mother’s a vengeful bitch,” he finally said.
“I’ve noticed,” I said drily.
Maverik crossed his arms over his chest, and it was impossible not to notice the way his cotton t-shirt stretched to accommodate his flexed muscles. I swallowed as we both looked at each other without speaking.
Maverik was completely confident and unaffected by the awkward silence that stretched between us. It was only me that was flustered by our encounter, and I hated it how cool and calm he always was. I wanted to see him unsettled.
“She pushed too far today,” he finally said. “I can’t let that go.”
“What are you going to do?” I asked softly.
“You need to leave,” he said flatly.
“What?” I spluttered.
Out of all the possible things he could have said, that one surprised me. Little pricks of hurt stabbed me in the heart, and I ignored them. Maverik was an asshole. I knew that from the moment I first met him. His mission had always been to get me out of his life, so why did his declaration have the power to hurt me?
“King and I are leaving for Canada after our ‘punishment’ is over. It’s not safe for you to be left here alone with her.”
My stupid heart soared. The almighty Maverik actually gave a fuck about what happened to me?
“Why do you care?” I asked in a whisper.
Maverik wiped his face of all emotion, giving me nothing but a blank stare. “Your mother threatened to send you away to a psychiatric facility.”
“You don’t want to see me locked up in a mental institution?” I meant for my question to be challenging, but a little bit of my vulnerability snuck through toward the end of my words.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Maverik told me with an intense look.
“Like what?”
Maverik swallowed. “Like I might be a good guy. I’m not.”
I huffed. “I’m not going to argue with you there.”
“Listen,” Maverik said hesitantly. “I have reason to believe your mother is actively participating in illegal activities with the Russian Mafia.”
