Читать книгу I’m taking her - Dmitry Nazarov - Страница 7

– I need to talk to Ivan! – Seeing Max walking towards me, I said decisively. – Where’s my phone? I want to call him.

The only thing he bestowed on me was an indifferent, cold look, which finally brought me out of the semblance of a shaky balance in which I was.

I finally came to my senses only two days later – last night. I thought that he would at least call a doctor, but what kind! He threw a package of some pills on the bed and ordered to drink everything at once, and then left. I spent the next day alone. I had no strength to get out from under the covers, and I had no idea what to do if I suddenly felt worse. But the most disgusting thing was the unknown. How long do I have to stay here? How long will you have to wait? In the middle of the day, somehow getting up, I noticed a gutted suitcase with my things at the door. The zipper was only half closed, things lay as they should. The rage that seized me was so strong that for a while I stopped feeling anything at all besides it. It was so… Disgusting! It was worth imagining how someone rummages through my things, touches them with their paws…

Not remembering myself, I left the room and rushed to the kitchen, then up the stairs to the second floor, but the fuse quickly ended. Dropping somewhere in the middle on one of the steps, I threw back my head and closed my eyes. Judging by the silence in the house, it was empty. I thought that I should find my phone, that I should call Ivan and ask him, but there was no strength left at all. Somehow, I gathered myself, returned to my room and collapsed onto the bed. Scoundrel…

– I need to talk to Ivan! – repeated, grabbing Max’s hand. Neither last evening nor this morning I saw him, otherwise I would certainly have demanded the phone earlier. If he thinks that I will sit and wait … – I want to talk to my husband! I twitched as he tried to shake off my hand.

– Went to my place! he grumbled, cutting with a heavy, annoyed look. – I don’t want to see you today!

– Do not talk to me like that! – I didn’t back down. On the contrary, she squeezed his hand tighter. These two days made it clear that he didn’t care about me, and if something happened…

– I will talk to you as I see fit, – he snapped, grabbed my wrist and, squeezing until it hurt, roughly pushed me away.

Again I went to the stairs, but I was not going to retreat. Did you take me as collateral? Fine! Only I’m not a trinket that will just lie in a box and wait for it to be redeemed.

– Give me my phone! blocking Max’s path. – I want to know when my husband will pick me up!

He gave me a disdainful look and, without answering, went up the stairs. There was intense irritation in his every movement, but I myself was just as annoyed. I am not his property! I remembered a suitcase turned upside down, gutted things. Not a single man looked at me with such contempt, not one humiliated me like that, not one allowed himself such a thing, but this one… I don’t give a damn about all his casinos! Let him have at least a dozen of them!

I ran up the stairs and grabbed his arm, turning him around.

– I asked you to give me the phone! I exclaimed. – It is so hard?! Or did you decide to show that the boss?! I’m tired…

– I’m tired too! His fingers curled around my wrist. He looked so that the blood instantly turned cold. Black eyes… He looked like a demon, invisibly penetrating into the very depths, the very essence and pulling out the soul. His fingers clenched tighter every moment, his eyes blazed with not just irritation – rage. Grabbing my hair, he spoke directly to my face:

– Your husband decided to leave me, girl. And you at the same time. So you will work for him, – the fingers clenched so tightly that I screamed in pain, but he was not going to let me go. I felt his closeness, the strength emanating from him, and I understood that now I was really scared. Work out?! What does it mean?! Ivan…

– You’re lying, – I whispered, realizing that my voice sounded pitiful. The corner of his mouth twitched in a contemptuous grin, the fire in his eyes flared for the last time and went out. I looked into his face and realized that with every second of silence, panic seized me more and more.

– I won’t… – she shook her head and groaned softly – he was still holding my hair. The hand that he squeezed began to go numb, his legs gave way. – I do not…

– You said it right, – he said. – I’m in charge here. Therefore, what you will and what not is up to me to decide. How to speak and how to dress, from this day on, I also decide.

He fell silent again, staring intently into my face, grinned unkindly, and pushed me onto the railing of the stairs.

– Now go to your place! – In five minutes, I’ll come for you.

Having finished speaking, he went upstairs, while I stood there, leaning on the railing. My heart was pounding somewhere in my stomach, my legs could barely hold. Max had already reached the top step when I shouted in desperation:

– Max! – I tried to catch up again, but he looked at me so that I froze in place. Breath escaped from the chest ragged, convulsive, fingers trembled. – Let me… I’ll talk to him, I…

– Did you hear what I said? – all the same look – blackness enveloping the soul. One more word and it will be worse, believe me.

Confused, not understanding what was happening, I returned to my room. She looked at the suitcase, looked around the room and darted around it, as if driven. I had to talk to Ivan. Should have been! And then… Call your mom? Ask her for help?

Running her fingers through her hair, she moaned. What to do? What?! And what did he mean by «you will work for him»? It was worth remembering his look… He made it clear that he did not intend to sleep with me. Collecting my thoughts, I forced myself to calm down. If he’s not going to sleep with me, then… Having calmed down a little, I began to think sensibly. If he has a casino, then…

Before I had time to think about it properly, the door swung open without knocking. I looked up and met Max’s eyes. An unbuttoned jacket, frayed jeans… Apparently, he was going somewhere again.

Do you want me to work at the casino? she asked, trying to remain calm, but he didn’t seem in the mood to talk. At least with me.

– Put on another sweater, – he ordered, looking point-blank.

I was in a hurry. His tone did not imply disobedience, and that was as clear as daylight to me. But I did not intend to be a meek puppet either. For that matter, Ivan owes him the money, not me. Ivan… at the thought of her husband, something scratched inside. And not at all fear for him, but rather… I did not know how to call what I felt. I wanted to see him, hear him, understand what was going on. He was always with me so caring, attentive… He could not. He couldn’t throw me! I won’t believe it until I hear from him in person!

Why don’t you like my jacket? – we stood at a distance of three meters from each other, and I could see how, at my words, the jaws appeared on his cheekbones. My wrist was still aching from the hard grip, and it suddenly became clear to me that it was better not to argue with him now. But still…

– Put another one on, – he repeated. I pursed my lips and, sitting down near the suitcase, pulled out a pale lilac chiffon blouse fastened with three neat buttons.

– Will this fit? – dryly inquired.

Max narrowed his eyes. He came over and, carelessly rummaging through my things, took out a black lace top. Threw them at me.

– Get dressed.

I angrily squeezed the top. She looked at Max from the bottom up, barely holding back the anger that boiled in her blood again, and snarled:

– Get out.

His gaze remained impenetrable, only the corner of his hard mouth twitched slightly. He wasn’t going to leave. He leaned his shoulder against the jamb and, continuing to squint, repeated the order with just a nod of his head. Tense, taut, I abruptly rose to my feet and, turning my back, took off the T-shirt that was on me. She put on her top and looked at Max.

– Okay, – he nodded. – Shoes.

Without arguing, I put on patent leather pumps with thin stilettos. She looked back at Max. He looked satisfied while I literally vomited to pieces. I wanted to throw myself at him, but something stopped me. A sense of danger… The same feeling that no man before him caused me.

– Let’s go, – he nodded at the doorway, and I quickly left the room. With every look, every word, he showed me that I was nobody. No one in this house, no one for him. And no matter how hard I tried to prove the opposite, to my horror, I realized that this was true.

Contrary to my expectation, we did not come to the casino. In the light of day, I could still confuse, but now it was unambiguously clear – I had never been here. Immersed in twilight, the city shone with numerous lights and neon signs. Apparently, the one that shimmered in silver-lilac right in front of us belonged to some kind of club or… I looked at the female silhouette drawn with one stroke. Or not quite a club.

– Where did you take me? – in the depths of the soul there was an unkind foreboding.

– Where you belong, – Max gritted through his teeth and, impulsively opening the door on his side, ordered: «Come out.»

I didn’t move. She looked at the sign again, noticed two men approaching the entrance and felt completely uncomfortable. Her bare shoulders were covered with goosebumps, her stomach cramped. The door on my side swung open. Without saying a word, Max looked at me in such a way that it was as if my throat was being squeezed.

– I won’t go, – she squeezed out, not knowing where to put her hands. Still silent, he grabbed my wrist in one swift motion and pulled me out of the car. – I’m not going there! I stumbled. I tried to grab the chair, the car door, but he literally dragged me out. It was like I weighed nothing at all. – What kind of place is it? What will I have to do? Panic seized me more than at home. – Answer me! Max!

He didn’t answer. He slammed the door shut and still silently dragged him around the corner of the building. I resisted, tried to wriggle out, but it did not help. Barely keeping up with him, I stumbled several times, but he didn’t even pay attention to it – he dragged me along with him through the darkness of the gateway. At some point, we slowed down a little, and I, taking advantage of this, again jerked to the side.

– You’re running into it! He pulled me towards him, and I literally slammed into him. I felt the hardness of his muscles, the smell immediately entered my lungs – tart, expensive, masculine, and this caused a shiver. He scared me. He frightened me with his strength, his silence, his impartiality. What if he makes me…

– I’m not going there! I screamed hysterically, dug my nails into his wrist. – Let me go, figlio di puttana! – (You son of a bitch – transl. from Italian.) I won’t go, understand?!

– Shut up, – he hissed, and twirled my hair around his fist.

I screamed and grabbed his hand.

– Let me go, – she squeaked somehow plaintively, even pitifully. She felt sorry for herself. What have I gotten myself into? How now… He pulled me, forced me to look into his face. His eyes shone frighteningly, and I did not see anything but this brilliance.

Finally, squeezing the strands more strongly, he released me, firmly grabbed my elbow and led me forward. I no longer struggled and did not resist. Her legs gave way, there was a lump in her throat, tears came to her eyes.

Literally half a minute later we came to the back door. Above it hung the same neon sign as above the main entrance, only smaller. And the silhouette of a naked woman was not here – only the name of the club.

– Max, what… – I started, hardly pronouncing the words, but then the door opened.

– Emil and I agreed on her, – he said to the man who appeared on the threshold and pushed me forward.

The man in black nodded, and as before, Max took my elbow. This is where I got really scared. Poorly understanding what I was doing, I tried to jerk back to where Max stood like a devil against the blackness of the night, but the one who was holding me jerked back.

– Max! I screamed as he began to close the door. – Max, I can try to get…

The door slammed shut, and the rest of the phrase was lost in the clatter of the lock.

The fingers of the man holding me were hard and hot. I was pounded. Literally turned inside out when he led me through narrow corridors somewhere deeper, farther and farther from the exit. Music was heard from afar: languid, plunging into the atmosphere of forbidden pleasures and those facets that were still unknown to me. Again, as in the house, I tried to collect my thoughts, to pull myself together. After all, the fact that I’m here doesn’t mean yet… It doesn’t mean that… It was all in vain.

A tall, long-legged girl in a dressing gown draped over her shoulders came out to meet us. I noticed that her arms and legs were painted with what looked like body art. Nodding to the man, she glanced at me briefly and walked past.

– Where are we going? I squeezed out, turning to my escort.

– You’ll see soon, – he replied, completely emotionless.

I realized that it was useless to ask anything else. Having given up, she silently walked beside her, while thoughts were beating in her head. Call Ivan… I have to call Ivan and say that I… that I…

– Come in, – the man pushed the door and led me inside the room.

I looked around. All the same music, barely audibly pouring from somewhere under the ceiling, burgundy sofas, upholstered in something similar to velor and decorated with black lace. The walls are a few shades darker, still with the same lace inserts, spherical sconces covered with lace, creating fancy shadows…

The last doubts, illusions dissipated. What else could such a room be intended for, if not for…

Turning around, I wanted to say that I was not at all suitable for this. That I’m not going to and… But all the words froze on my tongue when my eyes stumbled upon the man I saw in Max’s house. The one that examined me on the first day. The same, gloomy, high.

– Free, – he said shortly to the guard, and he immediately left without even looking at me in parting.

Emil… I realized that Max had in mind when he said that he had arranged for me. Swallowing, I instinctively took a step back.

– I’m not going to work here, – she wheezed, never taking her eyes off him.

His expression did not change, not a single muscle trembled. Closing the door, he approached me. I stepped back again, but he held on, catching the strap of the top.

So, Marika? – narrowed his eyes. Eyes as dark as Max’s, and the same smell of danger. My heart was pounding, my breath hitched.

– Listen, – I started, but he quickly grabbed my chin. He pushed his lower lip away with his finger, then his upper lip, examining his teeth. My father looked at horses like that, and this one…

– Stop it! I blurted out angrily and threw his hand away. Fear mixed with anger, eyes began to burn with tears again. Max doesn’t know who…

– Soon a client will come to you, – Emil said without listening to me, and before these words could fit in my mind, scalded by events, he left. The lock clicked. I rushed to the door, frantically pulled the handle, but it was locked. Locked…