Yet, I wanted to get rid of my purity, so I had no value to them. It was a silly thought that has me releasing air quickly from my lungs. I would have other uses. We all did.
My mind was damaged, and somewhere in the recesses sat my sanity and understanding of the depth of what I had been brought into.
A shiver snakes across my skin, and I can’t pull the dressing gown any tighter across my flesh to try to shield it off. I start to leave the bathroom but pause over the threshold at the sound of Lucca’s voice.
He’s right outside my open bedroom door. “Guard the door until I find out who she called.” His words are growled.
I’m moving but gather myself at the last second and pause before barging after him. The muscles around my heart squeeze painfully, and I clutch my neck like I can stop the fear and panic that is erasing all logical thoughts from my mind.
My legs start to move as fear clouds my judgment. The one called Michail glares at me. He’s ready to ask me something, but Lucca’s voice fills the hallway.
“Don’t speak to her.”
Dread curls its bony hands around my stomach, and all I can think of is what have I done?
If he traces the number to my home, would he kill my parents? My feet hit the floor hard. I’ve always been obedient. I’ve always had such control but never before was my parents’ existence threatened.
I’m in the hallway, and Michail reaches to stop me.
“Leave her.”
My head snaps up. Lucca stands outside the study. There is a knowing glint in his gaze as he watches me. “You can either tell me who you rang, or I can find out myself.”
The hallway dims, and the world falls out from beneath me, but somehow I manage to stay standing. “The authorities.”
Lucca claps his hands. The noise bounces around the hall. The clap is too severe. His anger pours into his fingers, and I’m tempted to take a step back.
“Final time, Evie.”
Fear crawls up my spine and settles on my shoulders, weighing me down.
“A friend.”
Lucca reaches me. “What a beautiful liar you are.” His hand moves quicker than I could anticipate and envelopes my face. “Now you have me really curious.” He pushes my head back, straining my neck. “I will make a phone call of my own. I shall ring Igor and tell him what a disappointment you have been.”
It’s like a syringe has been injected into my skin and sucked all the blood and life out of me.
Lucca releases my face, I want to rub the aching skin, but I don’t dare move a muscle. He’s waiting for an answer. He’s waiting and not leaving to make that phone call to Igor. That says a lot and gives me a second to calm the sheer loss of control of my mind.
He’s calling my bluff.
I force my head high like I carry all the confidence in the world. “A friend. But their number is not in service. So the phone call was pointless.”
“Nothing, Evie, is pointless. Tell me about this friend.”
I’m thrown off guard at his question.
“A childhood friend, and it doesn’t matter. Like I said, the number was invalid.”
There is a beat when Lucca does nothing. A slow tug of his lip has ice-cold fingers prodding my spine.
“I’ll tell you if it matters. Do you know what I do, beautiful Evie?” Lucca juts his chin at Michail, who steps back and away from us.
“Work for Igor.” I blink before glancing at Michail; why did he have to step back? Was Lucca going to punish me? I’m ready to remind him he can’t touch me, that Igor would be mad, but the dangerous glint in Lucca’s gaze keeps me silent.
“I’m the Handler.”
My core grows hollow, as though everything inside me has been removed, all my organs, and I’m filled right up with ice-cold air.
The Handler.
The Bratva’s assassin. Of course, I knew who he was. I just didn’t know what he looked like or that his name was Lucca.
The Bratva’s personal assassin. My mind keeps circling around this fact. Why was I placed in his care? Why was he on this case?
“Do you know what the Handler does?” He asks.
I nod. Words right now have failed me. I could beg and plead, but I didn’t think to a man like Lucca that would change the outcome of this situation.
“So you know what I am capable of.” He takes a step closer until his cologne surrounds me. It’s a stark reminder that I haven’t been around men much, especially not ones like Lucca.
The Handler.
“Please.” It’s silly. It’s pointless. It’s naïve, but I have to try.
His grin of delight is frightening. “Who did you ring?”
“A friend.”
“Stay in your room.” His departing words have a chill sliding over me. Michail reappears, and I step back into the room, knowing for the first time I’ve really messed up. Before, it was my life on the line; I had known that from the moment I hid behind those crates in the loading bay. Now, it was my parents.
I couldn’t stay here and just wait. I had to escape. I had to find a way
