And the dangerous man she’d found it with.
I worried for her, worried even more for her baby, and despite what she said, in spite of how much I could see Vasile cared about them, I wondered if he could keep them safe.
If his brother would help him.
I shook my head as if doing so would shake loose the memory of Sorin’s face.
Or shake loose the knowledge of what he was, of how I felt around him. A tremor ran through my body, one that wasn’t nearly as unpleasant as it should have been. Yes, he drove me crazy, and yes, I wanted him more than I could even admit.
It was ridiculous. Beyond ridiculous. Sorin was a monster, probably a killer…and yet, my body didn’t seem to mind any of that, and my mind was coming around.
Even at our first meeting, one that had involved me taking leave of my senses and going to confront his brother, one where he’d stared at me like he would toss my corpse down an abandoned mine shaft, I’d felt it.
And I hated it.
I wanted to settle down, find a nice, stable family man, and here I was fantasizing about a Romanian mobster. I rolled my eyes at my own ridiculousness. Lusting after a man I didn’t like, knowing nothing good could come from it, but totally unable to stop myself.
Way to go, Esther.
The one piece of comfort was that my resolve, which was weak on a good day, would never be tested.
I’d made peace with who I was, what I looked like, knew that I wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, something that was probably doubly true for Sorin. He’d want someone top-shelf, one of those impossibly beautiful girls with huge boobs, which I had, a tiny waist, which I did not, and someone mild-mannered and meek, which I couldn’t even pretend to fake.
So there was no possibility of anything there, which was for the best. And as much fun as it was, I would stop antagonizing him, or at least try not to, if only for Maria’s sake. I planned to stay a part of her life, and I knew Sorin was also going nowhere, so I’d keep the peace. It would be hard because getting under his skin, needling him right to the edge was great fun.
I’d miss it.
I pulled myself from my thoughts and looked around.
The transition from Fawn and Vasile’s to my house was always fascinating. They only lived a few blocks away, but it was like a different world. Their house was situated in one of the city’s older, well-to-do neighborhoods. Mine was decidedly not, and though I felt comfortable here, no matter how late at night, I always tried to stay alert.
My house was at the edge of the block, and as I approached I felt a strange sensation, almost like I was being watched. I looked up the block, back down, wondering what the source of the feeling was. But when I saw nothing, I continued on, keys gripped tight in my hand.
I unlocked the door, opened it and screamed out loud when a strong hand closed around my wrist.
Four
Esther
Before I could scream again, the hand around my wrist was joined by another at the curve of my waist, and though I thrashed, tried to push away, I couldn’t break the hold. The next thing I knew, I was inside my house and heard the door close behind me. The sound of the door scraping the foyer floor, one that I heard thousands of times before but that had never incited fear, made my heart boom even harder.
I wouldn’t go without a fight though; I would use the size and strength God had given me, so I turned, ready to attack.
And my gaze clashed with a brooding blue one, one I recognized instantly as Sorin’s teasing anger.
My fear turned to rage in an instant, and I pushed at him, pushed again when he lifted a corner of his mouth and laughed.
“Did I scare you, Esther?” he said, his rich, deep voice rolling through the room.
I pushed him again, halfway considered slugging him, but I half worried that hitting the solid wall of his chest would just hurt my hand.
He leaned against the door, smirking, his hand against my waist hot and heavy and the other still holding my wrist. “So quiet,” he said.
I exhaled, swallowed and then swallowed again, trying to calm my pounding heart before I finally was able to speak. “Dammit, Sorin! What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Vasile said you’d just left. I thought I’d make sure you got home,” he said, still smiling, something I’d seen more of in these last thirty seconds than I had during the months I’d known him. For a fleeting moment, I wondered if seeing me was the reason why, but I quickly pushed that aside.
I glared at him, tried to pull my hand away, but he didn’t release me.
“Come on, Esther, don’t be a bad sport,” he said, his voice dropping lower.
“Ugh!” I said. I clenched my fists and stomped, unable to form words, which only made him laugh harder.