I raised my gaze and was met with those blue eyes once again. They were darker in this light, but showing nothing but concern, as he reached out to me one more time. This time, I didn’t move away. He put one arm around my shoulders, and I leaned into his chest. I realized I was crying. He gently stroked my hair and told me everything was going to be alright.
The next thing I knew, he hooked his other arm under my legs and picked me up, carrying me back to the kitchen. It was empty when we walked in. He walked over to one of the food prep tables and sat me down on the table.
Standing in front of me, he produced a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to me, his hands never leaving my thighs. I stared at his hands while I wiped the tears from my face and tried to compose myself.
I felt his hand, gently, under my chin. He raised my head and tilted it all the way back so he could look at my neck.
“You’re going to have a gnarly bruise tomorrow.”
“Perks of being a redhead. You can look at me hard enough and I’ll bruise.”
He chuckled softly and I let out a laugh as well. It might not be the healthiest coping mechanism, but humor made everything better for me. I’d endured some hard times and made it through because I never lost my sense of humor.
Adrik tenderly wrapped one of my loose curls around his finger, while he scanned my face, concern still in his eyes.
“Redheads have a special place in this world. Legend has it they stole the fires of He*ll and that they carry the mark of Cain.”
“It’s all true. I also steal souls, but only on the weekends. Work has been busy lately and I have a surplus of souls, with not enough storage space right now.”
A wide smile came across his face as he laughed. Good grief this man was handsome. I found myself smiling in response to his laughter and in that brief moment I had forgotten the events that led us to this moment.
“You are a unique woman, Persephone.”
“Yeah, that’s true too. Redheads are only 2% of the world’s population and of that 2%, only 2% have an eye color as unique as mine. So, basically, I’m a unicorn.”
I looked into his eyes as I was talking. His smile faded slightly and the intensity returned. He stared into my eyes long enough that I got nervous. I dropped my gaze and started fidgeting with my hands.
My body does this weird thing in response to trauma. It’s like I’m shivering, but I’m not cold. Of course, this was the moment that started up. My therapist had informed me years earlier that it was a somewhat normal trauma response. It hadn’t happened in years, so I wasn’t expecting it to start. I couldn’t get away from Adrik fast enough and he felt my legs shaking.
“Are you cold, solnishko? I can get you my jacket,” he said, his hands running up my arms to cover my bare skin.
“No, it’s…I’m fine,” I said as I hopped off the table. “I should get back to work. Thank you for helping me.” I folded my arms under my chest and walked out of the kitchen without looking back. The past always has a way of showing up at the most inopportune times.
Sephie
When I walked back into the meeting room, it was completely empty. Everyone had vanished. I can’t say I was disappointed by this development. I busied myself with gathering up the empty glasses and the few plates I hadn’t managed to clear already to take them to the kitchen. I hear Max whistling as he’s walking down the hallway toward the back room.
“Hey, why did everyone leave in such a hurry?” he asked as he walked in and started to help me clear the tables.
“No idea,” I said. I kept my gaze down, as I was once again on the verge of tears, trying desperately to keep them in so I wouldn’t cry in front of Max. I hated crying in front of people.
“That was weird. I saw two of those giant bodyguards that came in last take a very drunk guy out front and beat the living sh it out of him, then walk back inside like nothing happened.”
I dropped the glass in my hand and looked at Max, wide-eyed.
“They did what??”
“Yeah, it was comical. And somewhat sad. But mostly comical. I think it was one of the guys you said was always an as*shole to you, so I may or may not have cheered as the bodyguards came back in the restaurant.”
“Max, you have to be careful. You know who these people are.”
“I know, I know, but I was cheering for the Karma that guy was clearly receiving. Hey, wait a minute – what the he II happened to your arms?? And your neck??”
“This was the reason for the Karma.”
“Holy shit, Sephie! Are you okay? What happened? Why didn’t you come get me?”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.