“Like you said. You’re alive. You’re safe.” He reached out and touched my face.

I jerked back. “No.”

“Aurora, come on, I know you feel it too.”

I frowned. This was so very different. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

I continued to take a step back, and he followed. I kept on walking until the wall stopped me from moving. I tensed up as his hands came out and were placed on either side of my head.

“You think I don’t see the way you look at me? Slavik doesn’t deserve you. No one does. I see it. I notice your pain.”

“Sergei, you’ve got to stop.” I didn’t have any feelings for him. He was my guard and it mattered to me that my actions didn’t get him hurt or killed, but that was all.

“No, I don’t think I need to stop. I see how they all treat you. They all ignore you. I can’t stand that.” He pressed his body against mine and the hurt I’d been feeling morphed into something else. Fear.

Before I knew what was happening, Sergei had grabbed my face and started to kiss me. His tongue traced across my mouth, and I instantly tried to push him away. This was not a kiss I wanted.

I’d only ever kissed Slavik, and right now, this made me feel like I betrayed him. I didn’t ask for Sergei’s kiss, but because I hadn’t reported his inappropriate behavior to Slavik, did he think this gave him a right to me?

I tried to cry out, but Sergei was strong. I was no match for him.

I kept trying to hit him, to force him to get away.

All of a sudden, he was off me, and I panted for breath until I saw what was going on. Slavik had come home and now he pounded his fist against Sergei’s face.

Within the few seconds it had taken me to gain my composure, the sheer violence Slavik displayed shocked me.

Over and over, he slammed his fist against his face.

Blood spilled, splattering on the floor and the wall.

“Slavik, stop it.”

I couldn’t get through. Over and over, the pounding went. I reacted, grabbing Slavik’s arms, trying to get him to stop, but he shoved me away and I fell hard, my ass hitting the floor.

There was nothing else for me to do.

Right there, in front of me, Slavik drew his gun and shot Sergei in the head.

My mouth fell open. No sounds came out.

Sergei, my bodyguard, was dead.

Slavik spat on him and got to his feet. His hands were covered in blood, Sergei’s blood.

He turned toward me, and as he advanced, with all the blood, I scrambled away. I was no match for Slavik either. He grabbed my arm and dragged me up, slamming my back against the wall.

I cried out. Tears ran down my cheeks as he pressed the gun against my temple. I whimpered as the heat seemed to burn right through my head.