Page 91 of His Darkest Obsession

31

INDIGO

I runthrough the corridor of the Met, brushing past guests who give me startled looks as I push forward. My chest feels tight, each breath harder to draw than the last as my heels click like a hail of bullets against the marble floor.

But I'm not running through a museum. Not really.

I'm running through memories I've tried so hard to bury.

I can feel the crinkling paper of the examination table again. Smell the familiar antiseptic stench of the hospital. Hear the doctor’s voice like the buzzing of a million wasps, angry and harsh. And I’m being overwhelmed by that familiar sense of shame. Of panic. Of guilt clawing at my insides like a wild animal trying to escape.

I snap my jaw shut but I swear I can still hear the same guttural scream being pulled from deep inside me that awful summer.

I thought that after watching Anatoly kill the two cops who murdered my parents, I would finally have the strength to faceGrant Bennet again. I convinced myself I was powerful now, protected.

That I can face him without crumbling.

But the moment I saw him again, all my bravado and power faded away. With a single look of recognition, he still managed to make me feel small, insignificant, and weak. It’s as if the past two years never happened.

As if I'm still that terrified intern in his office.

I shudder as I duck into an alcove and pressing my back against the wall. My hands tremble as I try to steady my breathing. My right hand rises to cover my mouth. A strained scream bubbles up from my throat as my left hand reaches down to my thigh to dig my nails into my skin.

I’m in control. I tell myself as the pain flares and blooms.I’m still in control! I’m still in control!

My eyes squeeze shut, and I force myself to focus on the pain as I slide down to the floor. But it’s no use. The memories from two years ago threaten to overwhelm me and tears start running down my cheeks. My breath comes out in ragged pants, and the world spins underneath me.

Breathe!I tell myself.Just breathe! Anatoly is here. He’s here and he won’t let anyone hurt you! Think about him!

Slowly, the panic starts to dissolve, and I wrestle with my own rattled mind to focus on Anatoly, and on the warmth of his hands. Air rushes into the bottom of my lungs as I gulp down the first breath.

In.

Out.

I draw another breath. Then another. Each one just a little less shaky than the last.

And that’s when I sense I'm no longer alone.

The sound of deliberate footsteps approaches. It’s not the hurried pace of other guests but something more purposeful. Something slow yet light.

Something dangerous.

When I look up, I find myself staring at possibly one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen standing in front of me in a mauve dress with a fox scarf wrapped around her neck. She's tall and slim with sharp cheekbones that can cut glass. Full lips painted a deep crimson. Blonde hair done in a braid that wraps around the top of her head. It accentuates her sharp green eyes.

And those green eyes are now studying me with calculated interest.

"So this is Anatoly's new pet project."

Her voice is clipped and cold, with only a light hint of an accent. I blink as I stare at her and notice that she’s accompanied by a man in a suit who bears such a striking resemblance to her he can only be her brother. He has the same blonde hair, the same green eyes, and the same look of terrifying beauty.

I straighten up as I slowly rise to my feet, cursing silently that my heart is starting to race again from unease. I want to step back from her, but something tells me that if I do, my life will only get worse.

"Who are you?" I manage to keep my voice steady.

"How rude of me,shlyukha.” The woman's lips curve up in a cold smile that reminds me of a shark. “I'm Lola Volkov."

Shlyukha.