Page 30

MARGOT

“M argot.” An insistent hand nudges my shoulder, rousing me from sleep. “ Margot .”

Immediately, my brain registers that the voice isn’t Arseni’s, but I still don’t startle as I blink open my sleepy eyes, my hand lifting to shield them from the brutal light of the lamp.

It shines over Nikita, perched at my bedside, and casts his shadow over me.

I gasp like it itself is here to strangle me.

“Shhh.” He presses a finger to his lips. “The kid is gone, but he’ll be back soon. We don’t have much time.”

Wide-eyed, I turn to the empty spot next to me, my hand slapping the cold space like Arseni could possibly still be there.

“What’s going on?” I ask, my voice panicked as I scoot away from Nikita’s hand, warming the space Arseni occupied when I fell asleep.

He looks panicked as well, his eyes darting to the door, his hands fidgeting. “If you’re going to go, you have to hurry.”

“What?” I squint at him, then at the door, then back at him. Who is he afraid is coming?

Am I in danger?

Go where?

“What’s going on? Where’s Arseni?”

I yank my legs back when his hand rests too close to it on the bed. Sighing, he places his palms in his lap.

“I sent Arseni on a job… I needed to get you by yourself. I…” He runs a hand through his hair and tugs at the ends. He looks troubled by something and not at all threatening, but his words make my stomach cramp.

He sent Arseni away.

He wanted me alone.

“I need to apologize to you, Margot. I’ve needed to apologize to you for some time, but I haven’t had the courage to do so. Arseni is my closest confidant. I didn’t want to betray him.”

I shake my head. “What are you talking about?”

He rubs the back of his neck as he lets out a long breath.

He looks genuinely bothered by something, and it’s scaring me.

“When we met, I acted like a dick. Arseni thought if I was cruel to you, it would push you closer to him. I should’ve…

” He frowns as his eyes close. “I should’ve never let him bring you here.

I thought for sure he’d change his mind and let you go. He isn’t a bad kid, but?—”

“What?” My voice comes out harsh. My brows pinch.

What the fuck is he talking about?

Nikita pulls back. For a moment, we just stare at each other.

“What has he told you?” Nikita asks.

What has Arseni told me?

Why? What… What is going on?

I look at the door like Arseni will be there to unmuddy this man’s words. To save me from this lunatic. But of course, he’s gone.

No sunlight peeks through the window. I’m not surprised that he left without saying goodbye, but I wish I was. I wish he understood what it was like to wake up to an empty bed after the night we shared.

The last words he spoke before I fell asleep drift into my mind, pulling my eyes shut. He loves me. If he left without saying goodbye, it’s because he thought he’d be back before I woke up.

He didn’t know this psycho would creep into his room. He didn’t know he’d shake me awake spouting nonsense.

I should’ve never let him bring you here.

What the fuck does that even mean?

“He told me everything,” I say, my voice strong as I open my eyes and turn back to Nikita.

Nikita’s frown deepens. He doesn’t say anything, but the look on his face shows his pity.

For me. He feels pity for me .

“He told me he brought me here as punishment for not accomplishing what he wanted with my coworker. He said I was your whore and it was his job to break me in.”

“ My whore?” Nikita raises a brow. “He said that?”

I don’t respond. My stomach twists tight, hunching me slightly.

I wish he’d go away. If I had enough air in my lungs, I might scream at him to leave.

I don’t want to hear whatever he has to say.

“He brought you here because I allowed him to bring you here.” Nikita’s tone makes it sound like it should be obvious.

“Whatever job he told you to do, he was supposed to do himself. I had no idea you existed until he brought you up… You were never here to be my whore. You were here so he could get his revenge for…” Nikita twirls a hand. “Whatever.”

“That is a lie ,” I scoff. “An obvious one. If you had no interest in me, you wouldn’t have strung me up for your party, you sick fuck.”

“You think that was my doing?” Nikita purses puzzled lips. “Margot, with all due respect… I haven’t touched you. I certainly get no satisfaction from others touching you.”

“Bullshit,” I spew, but my breath stutters.

I sort through my memory bank, looking for Nikita’s leer. For the lip ring guy’s words, telling me it was Nikita who wanted me to whore myself out.

The memories aren’t there. It was just Arseni who said that.

Nikita is right, he’s never touched me. Other than that first encounter, he’s never spoken to me. He’s acted uninterested in my presence here.

It was Arseni who wanted me here?

The answer feels too plain to see. Because of course he wanted me here. He did want revenge.

Why wouldn’t he just go to Henry directly? It never made sense that he wanted me to do it. Except, of course, because he wanted to torture me. But what would Nikita have gotten out of that?

What would Nikita have gotten out of any of this?

“Listen, Margot… I suppose all of this is irrelevant anyway. My point in coming here is to let you know you’re free to go.

I’m not allowing Arseni to keep you here anymore, and I feel badly enough about my part the other night that I don’t plan on allowing him to kill you.

I am truly sorry. No person should ever be put through what I’ve condoned Arseni to do. ”

My first instinct is to argue with him. To say once again that he’s lying.

But none of it makes sense anymore.

“You’re letting me go?” I ask, my voice weak.

“Yes.” Nikita nods. “ Of course . I wanted to let you go the other night, but Arseni begged me not to. He said you were … falling for him.” Nikita cringes like he’s embarrassed to even say it.

“Every time I insist that he free you, he tells me he needs more time, but… I don’t think he intends to let you live. ”

Arseni?

Arseni would kill me?

No.

No, of course not.

That is ridiculous .

I roll my eyes, though it does occur to me how foolish I’m being. I should just get up and leave. The man Arseni is supposed to be convincing to let me go is literally sitting here telling me I can. And still, I remain seated.

Because I’m not sure I want to leave. Not without Arseni.

How pathetic is that? How pathetic am I to be so afraid of the world, I’d stay in a crazy man’s home when he’s showing me the exit?

“You’re lying,” I say, because no matter how much sense it might make, I can’t believe it.

Arseni brought me here for himself.

He let others use me for his own pleasure.

He wanted me close to him. He even asked Nikita to be cruel just so I’d crawl into Arseni’s arms, which is exactly what I ended up doing. And when he killed that man the other night, I sought his arms then too.

It makes sense.

But I can’t believe it. I won’t.

He loves me.

I think I love him too.

“What possible reason could I have to lie?” Nikita asks, his confusion believable. Too believable.

I don’t know how to answer.

He pulls out his phone, his brow furrowed, and brings up a text thread that he holds up for me to see.

I squint at it, inching closer. Arseni’s name is at the top.

I carefully take the phone. The newest messages are from an hour ago, Nikita giving him a location, saying something about a camera being down. Above that are messages from last night.

Nikita - Have you let her go?

Arseni - Not yet. Tomorrow.

Nikita - Tomorrow never comes, son.

Arseni didn’t text back.

My throat pangs as I stare at the screen, trying to read the words in some other way that doesn’t make everything that Nikita said make sense.

Oh my God…

I put my hand over my mouth, tears blurring the words on the screen. Nikita gingerly takes his phone back and rubs an unwelcome hand over my back. I don’t jerk away like I want to. I’m not sure if this man is as evil as I’ve dubbed him. Everything I know about him came from Arseni.

“I have friends in the police department. I called in a favor for you to get that porn situation cleared up… They want you at the station to answer some questions, but I promise you aren’t under arrest. It’s a formality.”

A tear falls to the mattress when I blink, darkening a circular patch on the white sheet.

I should be thrilled at what Nikita is saying, but I’m too numb.

The police know I didn’t do it… I’m not under arrest…

“You should go now. I told them you’d be there by six at the latest. It’s 5:45.”

I still don’t move.

“Margot, you need to leave before Arseni gets back.”

Tipping my head toward Nikita, I blink away tears, trying to push the sadness away with them.

He’s right. I need to leave.

Slowly, I climb to my feet, though I know I should be running. I should be happy to leave and never look back.

As I climb into a car Nikita lends me and pull away, I burst into tears, never feeling more conflicted in my life.

I’m halfway to the police station when I notice the black SUV following close behind.