Page 79 of Arseni

I almost told him no.I wanted fuckingdesperatelyto tell him no.

I’m tired of this.I’m tired of his obsessions, of helping him stalk everyone around him.I’m tired of his tests.I’m tired ofhim.

Luka was right.I really hate to admit it, but it’s true.I don’t know how I can commit my loyalty to this man for the rest of my life.

I also don’t know what choice I have.

Trudging upstairs, I keep my steps soft.I was gone longer than I hoped, so it’s possible Margot is up wondering where the hell I am.But I’m banking on that not being the case.

I ease open the bedroom door, cringing when it creaks.I step inside and quietly click the door shut behind me, but when I turn toward the empty bed, my shoulders deflate.

“Margot?”I check the dark bathroom.Empty.

“Margot?”I call louder as I turn and go back out into the hall.I check the kitchen first, then the dining room, then outside.All empty.

“What the fuck?”I mutter under my breath, my heart beating faster.I go back inside to continue my search and find Nikita in the gym.

He’s doing some yoga pose that’s basically a handstand, but his bare feet are together and he looks like a ripped monk.I’d be impressed, but I’ve always considered yoga to be feminine.Same with gardening.And the color purple.If Nikita wasn’t creeping on random women, I’d suspect he was gay.I still wouldn’t be surprised if he was.

“Have you seen Margot?”I ask, trying to keep the worry from my voice.

Nikita lowers his good leg to the floor and takes his time with the other, gently tapping the ground before jerking himself to standing.He swipes his towel off the mat and mops up the sweat on his neck.

“She isn’t in my room,” I say, as if that wasn’t implied.“Did you take her to the basement?”

Tossing the towel back down, he limps over to the rack of dumbbells, one shoulder lifting in a shrug.“I sent her home.”

My rapidly beating heart pauses.“What?”

Nikita flicks his gaze at me before pulling weights onto his shoulders and raising onto his toes.“About a half hour ago, she woke me up with her scream.She had a nightmare and was still freaked out when I checked on her.I think she thought I was going to hurt her or something because she was begging me not to kill her and sobbing about how she wanted to go home… It felt like the right thing to do.”

Air whistles past my teeth as I stand with my mouth agape.I look around like I’m thinking, but really, I don’t know how to process it.

She’s gone.

Margot’s gone.

“You just let her go?”I ask, my voice weak.“Just like that?”

He looks up from his calf raises.“Should I have done something different?”

Yes.

No…

No, I guess not.

“Did she say anything about where she was going?”

“Home, I suppose.She kept saying she wanted to go home.I gave her the keys to the Jag, so she’s probably there now.”

Home.Where a police car is staked outside, just waiting to nail her.

“She wouldn’t go home.”I say it almost off-handedly, like Nikita is going to help me solve this.Like he cares at all.

She wouldn’t go home.Not only that, she wouldn’t tell him that’s what she wanted.

She would’ve said she wanted to leave, maybe.But not to go home.