“Fucking stop it, Desmier!” Zakh yells.
While he struggles to hold Desmier back, Malik has Viktor in a lock that prevents him from moving around.
“Stay the fuck away from my wife,” Desmier growls at Viktor with feral rage.
“I would if she didn’t find me.”
“Stop it,” Megan cuts in, rushing up behind Viktor. Her hair is still a mess, but at least she’s wearing clothes.
I glare at her, remembering all the times she was nice to my face and probably laughing behind my back.
“Anastasia caught us together,” she explains, cutting me a sharp glance. “She was upset and Viktor went after her.”
The moment she says that, Desmier looks at me again and takes in my tears once more. Then his expression morphs into something I can’t quite read, and I know he’s not as angry at Viktor as he is with me.
“Clearly she’s still in love with me if she can be so upset,” Viktor spits, making everything so much worse by using my fury to his advantage. “Look how distraught she is.”
The change in Desmier is instant. It’s like something drains from him, taking away the magic we shared not even an hour ago.
“No,” I cut in. “I’m upset because I just found out they were together the whole time I was with him.”
Despite my attempt to clarify, Desmier doesn’t look like he cares for my explanation.
“I explained that,” Viktor says to me, but I’m not even looking at him anymore. I keep my focus on Desmier.
This is bullshit and it’s best we get away from here.
“Desmier, can we please just go home?”
He doesn’t answer and he doesn’t look at Viktor again.
Zakh releases him, and he takes my hand, leading me away.
By the time we reach the parking lot Desmier is walking so fast, he’s dragging me along in my heels. I almost regret being so eager to leave with him in this volatile state, where I don’t know what to expect from him.
He’s undoubtedly enraged because he thinks I’m still in love with Viktor, and he’s not looking past that part to understand what I explained.
When we get in the car, he takes off like we’re in a high-speed chase. It’s like he’s stepped back into the shoes of the man he was weeks ago—when he was evil.
I catch him glancing at me while I dry my tears. When they subside and I’m calmer, I think of something to say to explain myself further, but no words come.
We get home in that dreadful silence and head up to our room. Desmier switches on the light, sending the darkness fleeing as if it, too, can sense his anger.
I’m about to walk into the bathroom because I just need some space from him but he stops me, placing a heavy hand on the nape of my neck.
“Not until I’m finished with you.” His fingers clamp down on my skin, cold, hard and demanding, making my nerves jump.
“Why? What are you doing?”
“You’ll soon see, my dear Valkyrie.” I don’t like the subdued hollow in his voice, or the way he didn’t answer all my questions.
“Desmier… I told you why I was upset.”
“I heard you. Loud and clear, baby girl.” He steers me toward the bed and moves behind me to pull the zipper down the back of my dress. Chills curl down my spine and race over my body, making me numb.
“If you heard me, what are we doing?” My voice is as stiff as my body. “The kiss meant nothing to me. I didn’t expect Viktor to do that. And what he said wasn’t true. I’m not in love with him.”
That’s the first time I’ve said those words out loud, but no answer comes; Desmier just continues taking off my clothes. The dress, my bra and my panties float to the floor, pooling at my feet as I’m left naked and vulnerable before him.