Page 61 of Promise of Destruction (Destruction & Vengeance Duet #1)

fifty-seven

Soren

I blink, but it doesn’t adjust the photos before me into anything that makes sense. It doesn’t change anything about the information, doesn’t help my brain process it.

I really am going to be sick this time. The world blurs before me, the air thick and heavy, making it hard to breathe. My mouth waters in anticipation of the bile that’s about to force its way up my throat. I take a breath through my nose, pushing the laptop off of me.

“Soren.”

My name bends and morphs into something unrecognizable. The walls are closing in, the ground rushing up to meet me.

I think I stumble—I’m falling, and then I’m not.

“Are you okay?” The words are warbled, and the voice isn’t Declan’s. I glance up to see his business associate Dimitri looking down at me in shock, unsure of what just caused me to go from okay to damn near about to pass out in front of him.

“Get your hands off of her!”

That is Declan’s voice, I’m sure of it. I turn to look at him, but doing so hurts. I knew he was a monster. I knew he wanted to hurt me for attacking him so publicly. But somewhere along the way I let my guard down and forgot that he isn’t my friend. He doesn’t give a damn about me.

He’s standing now, his work forgotten as he reaches for my arm. I shrink into Dimitri’s chest, because I still feel too dizzy to slip away from him but I can’t let Declan touch me.

Dimitri tenses—I feel his body stiffen against mine, and his arms circle me.

I should be angry that a complete stranger is touching me like he has any right to.

I should feel pathetic that I’m letting this complete stranger offer me some sort of comfort.

He’s not even a friend of Declan—I know nothing about him.

But maybe the enemy of my enemy is a friend to me. At the least, he may not be worse than the man who’s made it known he is trying to torture me.

“I need air.” I gasp, grabbing a fistful of his shirt and turning my eyes up toward him.

“I’ll take you out for a breath.” Declan says, making to grab my arm.

Dimitri shrugs out of his touch, pulling me with him. My head jostles against his chest as he moves, and then a little click sounds near my ear.

Blinking, I lift my head away just enough to see the gun pointed at Declan.

“I’m not sure what just happened, but you stay right where you are.” Dimitri’s voice rumbles through his chest

“Dimitri,” Declan’s voice is full of warning, but he’s outdrawn right now. “Don’t touch her.”

“I don’t know what’s going on.” Dimitri confesses. “But she clearly doesn’t want to be near you. You are here to do a job, Declan. If you can’t do it, we’ll have to discuss the next step in private.”

“You can’t be serious.” Declan sneers.

I can feel his eyes on me, waiting for me to acknowledge him, to unlatch myself from Dimitri and sit back at his side like the good little whore he’s paying me to be. But I can’t. I feel like I may suffocate down here in this room.

“I’m quite serious, Evers. Now I’m going to take your girl here inside and get her a glass of water. I assure you, she’s safe on this property. You, on the other hand, are given no such guarantee so sit your ass in that chair and fucking find her !”

I wince at the intensity in his voice, but don’t have to contemplate it long because he holsters his gun and guides me toward the exit.

From the corner of my eye, I see Declan, his jaw squared, every muscle in his body rigid and tense as he watches Dimitri steal me away from him.

The fresh air is an immediate relief when he opens the door and I stumble into the light of day. Maybe it’s the ocean breeze, maybe it’s the sun shining down on my skin, or maybe it’s knowing that Declan isn’t untouchable, that he follows orders from others even if it’s not with good intent.

I sink to my knees, pushing away from Dimitri and taking in shallow breaths until the rest of my disgust starts to wane.

He drops his weight on his knees, crouching down to be at my side. I catch a glimpse of the gun hanging on his hip and think I should feel terrified, but I can’t bring myself to feel anything other than grateful to him for bringing me out here.

“Are you okay?”

I don’t think I’ll ever be able to close my eyes again without seeing those images in my head. The betrayal feels like a blade slicing through my stomach and severing my spinal column, and my heart hurts like it’s being crushed under the weight of the world.

I am not okay, but I haven’t been for a while.

“I just needed air.”

Dimitri appraises me, looking for any sign as to whether I’m telling the truth. He’s quiet a moment, so I close my eyes and press my fingertips against them, hoping the pressure will gouge the photos out of my mind’s eye.

I hear a gull squawking somewhere and choose to focus on that. I may not have liked therapy, but it did teach me a few useful things… healthy ways to cope with obsessive overload.

“If you need help…” Dimitri hesitates when my eyes fly open to find him close to me.

He’s a good-looking man… sandy blonde curls fall in his hazel eyes, and his lips are the softest shade of pink.

He’s pretty more than sexy, the opposite of Declan with his rugged, all-man exterior.

And yet, he’s still got shoulders that look capable of carrying the weight of the world.

I think inexplicably of Atlas, forced to carry the world on his back day in and day out.

“What?”

“I don’t know your situation.” Dimitri nods, like he’s agreeing with something I’ve said.

“But if you need out of his grip, if he’s hurting you, we can help.

It may take some time, but its what we do.

You just have to let me know if that’s what’s going on because from an outside perspective…

” He stops, sighs. “Remy is better than me at all of this. I just mean if he’s forcing you, all you have to do is let me know and we’ll get you out. ”

“Forcing me?” I blink. “No.”

Dimitri raises an eyebrow. “No?”

“No,” I nod. “It’s nothing like that. We work together. I just… I think I had a panic attack down there.”

“Mm,” He stands, then offers me a hand that I take before I can overthink it. He’s sturdy, his grip comfortable as he helps me to my feet. When my eyes meet his, they’re gentle. “Does that happen often?”

“More than it used to.” I sigh. “I’m sorry, you don’t have to worry about me.”

He doesn’t look calmed by that. In fact, his eyes flash with something I don’t understand. “Let me take you inside. Get a glass of water… or something stronger if you wish.”

“Oh no…” I shake my head automatically. “I don’t need anything.”

“Look,” I’m not sure what he wanted me to look at: his face, or his fingers that brushed against mine.

My breath catches in my chest, uncomfortable with the sudden contact though it didn’t seem intentional.

I glance from where his touch met mine to his warm eyes.

“I don’t play with people who hurt women.

If you say you’re okay, I have no choice but to believe you.

But that’s not going to stop me from protecting you from the shit that you don’t need to see.

I’m not sure why Evers thought bringing a friend to our business meeting was appropriate, but this isn’t the place for you…

not now. So, I am going to take you inside.

The housekeeper, Elaine? She will be ecstatic to have something to take her mind off of everything for a little bit. Okay?”

He just said a lot of words that my brain hasn’t figured out how to comprehend yet, so I simply say “okay” and let him lead me into the house.