Читать книгу I’m taking her - Dmitry Nazarov - Страница 5

Max let me out of the car only when we drove into the garage. All I could do was slam the door of his expensive car for the last time, but he did not react to this. He didn’t even show that he was annoyed. Adjusting the bag strap on my shoulder, I wrapped my arms around myself to warm my fingers and immediately felt the strap creeping down again.

– What are you doing? She quickly turned around and met Max’s gaze.

– You won’t need it anytime soon, – he snapped, clenching the strap in his fist and nodding toward the exit.

I didn’t move. Another wave of resentment, anger, fear, misunderstanding, curled up into a huge lump.

– These are my things! – I tried to grab it, but he, instantly grabbing his shoulder, pushed him to the door:

– Come on, I told you!

Involuntarily, I took a few steps. She felt that he was walking some centimeters behind, and struggled with all her might to do something… to say something… What exactly, she did not know. Not a single man allowed himself to treat me like that, not a single one looked like that – with indifference and even disdain. What I experienced in his casino room was the biggest humiliation of my life, and I still couldn’t get over it. Undressing in front of him and offering myself to him, I acted stupidly, this is indisputable. But what else was there for me to think? He is…

– Move, – as soon as I slowed down, he pushed me forward again. Didn’t even let me look around. I barely had time to see the green carpet of the lawn, and the spacious glazed veranda.

– Enough! Unable to restrain myself, I stopped and, throwing my head up, looked at him. – I’m not a girl from the road!

– And who are you? – restrained, cold tone, and in the eyes all the same disdain.

I didn’t answer. She just stared at him, unwilling to back down. Slowly, an understanding took root inside me – what will happen to me next depends on this man. I was on his territory, in his house, at his disposal. And my husband… my husband owed him three hundred thousand dollars, and I had no idea how fast he could get it. He must have to put them out of business, but how is that done? Or maybe sell some real estate. He said that he has a villa in Portugal and something else… I think in the States.

– I’m not a girl, – I repeated firmly, without looking away.

He didn’t say anything. He only looked at me for a while in such a way that at some point I really felt like an empty place. She held on, gathering all her will and pride into a fist. Who is this Max? That it is he who owns the casino where Ivan lost, I already understood. But who is he anyway? The energy emanating from him literally absorbed everything that was nearby. And I… I was close too. His gaze passed indifferently over my body, lingered for a moment on the neckline of my blouse, and I swallowed.

My nerves gave out, impetuously turning around, I literally rushed to the low, two steps, porch. She ran up and only then was able to exhale. He just looked at me, and it seemed to me that I was again standing in front of him naked, only this time… As if he was unbuttoning my blouse button by button, he was taking off my underwear. I always liked the company of men, I liked the attention, but Max… I have never met such people. And something told me that it would be better not to meet at all. You need to stay away from those.

Max didn’t let me see the house from the inside either. And I had no desire to look at the walls while he was walking beside me. The decor seemed to me restrained, with a touch of retro, but that was the only thing I noticed.

– And what, you order me to sit here and not stick out? – as soon as he took me to a small room on the ground floor, I said.

My purse was still in his hands, and this annoyed me even more. Phone, documents, credit card… There was nothing on it, but he seemed to have deprived me of the last. The suitcase with things remained in Ivan’s car… which, by the way, he also lost.

– For now, I’m not offering you anything, – he snapped with a look, forcing me to moderate my anger a little. But a few more words…

There was a warning in the voice. What exactly he meant, I did not understand, but just in case, I retreated deep into the room. She looked around and turned back to him.

– I need my things, – she said more reservedly.

My handbag swayed on the strap clamped in his fist. Without saying anything in response, Max went to the door.

– Hey! – shouted to him in the back. – I need my things, do you hear?!

– I hear you, – he looked lazily. He looked again at the neckline of his blouse and walked out the door.

I exhaled nervously. She walked across the room from wall to wall, stopped at the window, which was heavily barred, behind which there was nothing but a patch of lawn. She touched the button of her blouse and fiddled with it. She looked at the door. If someone else had been in Max’s place, I would certainly have demanded clarity, but with him… The warning that sounded in his voice was not feigned. I had no idea what he was capable of, but I had no doubt that he was capable of much. Another thing is that I could not allow him to treat myself as if with an empty place. That’s just… And what if Ivan does not find the right amount at all?! As soon as I thought about it, my hands were covered with goosebumps, and this time it was not at all from the cold. No. No no and one more time no! You just need to calm down and wait a bit.

The door creaked. The creak went through my nerves like a knife blade, and I immediately tensed up. The man standing in the doorway looked at me carefully. Rather tall, with deep-set eyes, he looked gloomy and did not inspire confidence.

– Nothing like that, – he said, addressing someone. It dawned on me that Max was standing near. If only she were a virgin…

The door slammed shut as abruptly as it opened, and the voices began to recede. And I stood, stunned, confused and understood that now I was really scared.

Things were not brought to me either an hour later or in the evening. For some time I sat on a narrow bed and looked at the door, waiting for it to open again and… That was where my thoughts ended. Having no idea what kind of man it was, I understood that it would be better if I never saw him again. It turns out that if Ivan does not repay the debt, Max will take me in payment? AND? And then what?!

Over and over again, I repeated to myself that I was not at all a rootless girl from the street. In the end, I have someone to turn to for help. But if my brother finds out about this story… No, I have to solve my problems myself. Mom will probably start looking for me anyway, and if my brother gets involved in this… This is what I feared, perhaps, most of all. Let him be my brother rather nominally, because until recently I didn’t even know about his existence, it didn’t take much time to understand what kind of person he was. And the question is what is worse – to be under his control or to be a hostage of Max.

No one else came to see me. And everything would be fine if it were not for the growing feeling of hunger as the night approaches. The last time I ate, I didn’t even want to think. A long time ago, right after Ivan and I signed last night. Sort of like a honeymoon dinner. A bottle of champagne and one plate of light snacks for two at a local restaurant. Excited, I couldn’t really swallow anything, but now I would have eaten an elephant!

After hesitating for about half an hour, I went out into the corridor. The house was immersed in pleasant twilight and shrouded in silence. I found the kitchen without any problems – it was not far from my room. Large, well furnished. There wasn’t much food in the fridge. Obviously, the owner of the house preferred to eat at his casino or somewhere else. A few apples, a bunch of grapes. Taking the bottle from the door, I uncorked the cork and sniffed.

– Good vodka, – she suddenly heard right above her ear and dropped the cork in surprise.

– What do you need?! She blurted out before she could think of anything. Max looked from his face to the bottle in my hands.

– I can ask you the same question.

– Isn’t it noticeable? – I responded angrily, starting to get nervous. Either from his impenetrable gaze fixed on me, or from closeness, or from an incomprehensible anxiety that tickled my mind like a nervous tickle. Not fear, but something… incomprehensible and unfamiliar to me.

Taking the bottle from my hands, Max walked over to the table and set it down. Then he took out two glasses.

– I won’t drink it, – I said immediately.

– Then why did you take it?

– Just… – I felt uncomfortable and stupid again. Why did I really take this… what did he call it? Vodka.

Was it just me, or was there a smirk at the corner of his lips? He’s also funny! Surely he knew that I wasn’t going to try it and anyway! Whether it gives me pleasure to anger me, or to put me in an awkward position. I already opened my mouth to tell him everything I think, but then I remembered the man who had examined me in the morning, and the words somehow stuck in my throat by themselves. If I piss him off…

– I’m hungry, – I said, pushing away my annoyance and the feeling that he was trying to humiliate me again, looking at him. – I haven’t eaten all day.

– Fine, – he poured a little into one glass.

He walked over to the refrigerator, hitting me with his shoulder. I started. A slightly receding feeling of incomprehensible anxiety again seized me. I hastily pulled away from him. I watched him take out sausage and bread. Dark-dark, which I tried only when I was at my brother’s wedding.

Returning to the table, Max put a few pieces of sausage on the bread. He took a glass and, draining it in one gulp, snorted. He sniffed the sandwich and only then took a bite.

– Make it for me too, – the hunger intensified, the smell of raw smoked sausage tickled my nostrils. – I like your Borodan bread.

– Borodinsky, – looking at me with a mixture of sympathy, disdain and condescension, he threw the sausage on the second piece and put the sandwich on the table.

I clenched my teeth. I approached and stretched out my hand to take it, but Max immediately nailed my palm to the table. His hand was warm and heavy. I instantly tried to pull mine away, but he wrapped his fingers around my wrist. My heart skipped a beat, pounded in my throat, I was pierced by a previously unfamiliar panic. Max remained completely calm.

So Italy? He ran his thumb across his wrist. I held it in my vein and no doubt felt my pulse quicken. – Marika Fabiani… Do you have relatives in Russia?

– N-no… no… – I stammered out, not abandoning my attempts to free my hand. Finally I succeeded, and I repeated already firmly: – No. Only husband.

Without answering, he pulled out a chair and, turning its back to me, saddled it, legs wide apart. He casually placed his hand on the back of the chair. He looked at me again, and I realized that I didn’t even want to eat. A chill ran through my body, followed by a sudden wave of heat. Not knowing where to hide, I went to the countertop and turned on the kettle. She awkwardly jerked her hand and pushed a cup half-filled with cooled tea. According to the law of meanness, it fell to the floor, shattered into pieces, spattering my jeans. I didn’t see Max, but I knew he was looking at me.

– Diamine! Accidenti a te, Max! In modo da cadere nella tua sedia! (Damn! Damn you, Max! May you fail in your chair – translated from Italian.)!

He didn’t fail, of course. Instead, I wanted to fail. From embarrassment, from rage, and still it is not clear from what. As soon as I moved, fragments of a cup crunched under my feet. Light-colored jeans were covered with disgusting stains, and his feet were also wet.

– I need my things. – I turned around. Max did not look at me, he stood near the open refrigerator and took out something. My God, how does he move so silently?! It’s just not normal!

– Max! I screamed. – I need my clothes, I need my suitcase, I need…

– Do you really think that I’m interested in what you need? – pulled out a piece of meat wrapped in a transparent film from the refrigerator.

– My suitcase is in the car that you took from Ivan! I spat. Anger began to seize me again, but now it was somehow powerless, helpless. It turns me inside out, and this bastard… He is not even able to deign to look at him once again! Cold… from him it just blows cold.

– I didn’t take anything from Ivan, – closing the refrigerator, he finally turned his attention to me. Do you understand, Marika? Your Ivan made a bet and lost. Made the next one and lost again. If your husband is a loser…

He’s not a loser! – immediately objected hotly. – And he’ll give you back your damned money! – He has a business and a villa in Portugal, and…

I stopped mid-sentence. Something in his eyes changed. The features of the face remained hard, only… What «only», I could not explain to myself. There was an unpleasant, nasty feeling inside.

– Wipe the floor, and then cook the broth from the turkey, – putting the meat on the table, he threw it and went to the door. – To be ready in forty minutes.

– I’m not your servant!

– Yes, – he stopped. He frowned and nodded slightly. You are not my servant. You are nobody. So shut your mouth and get to work.