A splash of water echoes around me before a small figure presses into me.
I stare down to find Annika lying against my chest. Her trembling fingers stroke my clenched jaw and two streaks of tears stain her beautiful face.
My muscles slowly relax and I wipe her cheeks with my thumbs. “Why are you crying?”
“Because I want to reach out and hug that boy, but I can’t.” She wraps her arms around my waist in a tight, warm embrace. “I’m so sorry.”
My fingers fist in her hair and I wrench her face away. “That boy is dead, along with those scum who called themselves parents. A completely different person resurrected from his ashes and the only parents I have are called Aiden and Elsa King. So why the fuck are you sorry? Did I not say not to pity me?”
“I’m not.” Her lips quiver and she doesn’t attempt to fight my grip on her hair. “I just want to share your pain.”
“There’s nothing to share. That chapter has ended.”
“But—”
“Shut up.” I release her hair. “And get out.”
She’s the reason I dug into a part of me I like to keep buried deep, with no one ever having a chance to uncover it.
Annika fucking Volkov just had to stuff her nose where it doesn’t belong.
She meets my eyes. “If you keep pushing me away, you won’t have anyone left.”
“I can live with that.”
“Well, I can’t.”
“Annika.” I grind my jaw. “Either leave or I fuck you. Sore or not.”
She doesn’t make a move or even hesitate, her eyes never leaving mine.
“You should’ve run while I was being nice, little purple.” I pull her by the waist. “Sit on my cock. This will be a long fucking night.”
Then I fuck her, bite her, mark her, and make her completely regret ever choosing me.
Getting under my skin.
Being the person I didn’t know I needed.
20
ANNIKA
Lick, lick, lick.
I wince as the up and down of a harsh tongue continues.
On my face.
I startle awake and my eyes nearly bug out at the tiny little face, ears, and whiskers.
“Tiger?” I all but shriek, and he jumps back on the bed, startled, then he slowly waltzes in my direction again.
He’s grown since the last time I saw him at the shelter weeks ago, but I have no doubt that it’s him. He even has the cute heart-shaped mole between his eyes.
I sit up and wince when my sore muscles cry out in pain. The bath barely did anything after Creighton fucked me on all fours on the tiles, then against the wall and on the bed.
It was so powerful and raw and he didn’t hold back like the first time. He took and took and gave me blinding pleasure in return.
He was enraged, absolutely animalistic and unhinged.
To say I escaped with my life intact would be an understatement.
Well, I did enjoy it, but I don’t like that he felt distant afterward. Even as he took me to the shower and cleaned us both. There wasn’t that tender touch from when he ran me a bath and washed my hair.
For a moment, I thought maybe I’d taken down his walls, but he proved that was wishful thinking on my part.
But he gave me the most beautiful necklace ever as a birthday present. I glide my fingers over it to make sure it’s still there.
Also, he had me sleep tucked into the crook of his body, so maybe it’s not all hopeless?
Though he’s nowhere to be seen now and I’m the only one in bed.
With Tiger.
He jumps on my shoulder, reaching for my head like he used to, and I laugh, petting him. His purrs fill me with a much-needed dose of dopamine.
“Were you here all along, baby? You even have a collar, so cute.” He bumps his head against my hand and purrs some more, then meows, probably for food.
Leaving him on the bed, I stand up with effort and search the room, but there’s no food or any sign of my clothes.
So I throw on one of Creighton’s hoodies that swallows me whole and step into the hall, carrying a fussy Tiger.
“All right, all right. I’ll just find you some food.”
That’s easier said than done, because I soon get lost, not sure which direction I should go in.
It takes me a few moments to find the stairs and even longer to reach the base of them.
Then I walk through the living area, looking around and wondering if I’m somehow trapped in a ghost house.
The lack of noise in such a huge place raises the hairs on the back of my neck and I hold Tiger tighter.
Now would be a good time for Creighton to show himself.