“Oh?” Viktor voiced as if I’d said something only mildly interesting. Got to give it to shady businessmen for knowing how to keep their cool despite how ridiculous and illegal the situation at hand.

“Yeah,” I sighed, looking at my nails and frowning at the lack of rings. Where did they put my jewelry?

“I’ll be right up,” he said before the line went dead. I pulled the phone away from my face and saw it had been disconnected. I shoved it in my pocket and paced back and forth a few times. I didn’t like having to stay in one spot. How long would he take? Would he bring a security team? Were they supernatural too?

It felt like ages before the door was unlocked and the knob twisted. I held my breath and looked on with wide eyes as I waited to see who it would be. Viktor slid into the room, quietly closing the door behind him before walking up to me.

“What’s going on? Is your team taking out the men who locked me in here?”

“My team?” Viktor asked.

“Yes, security, bodyguards, whatever,” I hissed, looking over his shoulder at the door. His large hands smoothed over my arms, rubbing up and down in firm, steady strokes meant to calm me.

“You’re practically shivering,” he commented with an amused curve to his lips.

“It’s adrenaline,” I dismissed, looking at his dark sunglasses and seeing my own reflection in them. Viktor stepped closer to me, putting our bodies almost flush together. His hands moved up my arms to my shoulders and then settled on either side of my neck. His thumbs brushed my jaw. My eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“Are we waiting in here for some reason?” I asked. Viktor smiled, looking me over while biting his bottom lip. His hands roved over me, sliding around my back and pulling me even closer. Our bodies snugly fit together.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” he said.

“Viktor, this really isn't the time,” I sighed. He shoved a hand in my coat pocket and tugged my phone out. My eyes widened in shock and I lunged for it as he danced backwards with a smile, waving my phone around.

“Nuh-uh,” he said, wagging a finger as he dropped the phone on the ground and stomped on it enough times to ensure it wasn’t going to work. I looked up from the cracked, dead screen to him—my mouth open in shock. He pushed his sunglasses up, burying them in the smooth hair on top of his head. Golden eyes glowed at me.

“It’s in my nature to be duplicitous and I understand that this unsettles others,” he said, taking a step toward me. I stumbled back, my legs hitting the bed and causing me to fall on it. My mind failed to latch on to an explanation at first–there were just too many thoughts moving around like stimulant-injected horses before the Kentucky Derby.

Viktor pushed playfully on my shoulder so that I fell on my back in the bed. He climbed over me, his knees pressing into the mattress on either side of my hips. His gold eyes glimmered nefariously at me.