CATALINA
Nikolay stayed closeby my side.
I tried not to overthink the what-ifs, convincing myself that Roberto was okay. He had to be. He was smart and resourceful, and what was more, he was able to work for Father for the last twenty years.
He was okay.
He had to be.
I looked up when Nikolay walked in with a tray with a steaming bowl of soup.
I wasn’t supposed to eat anything hearty.
I didn’t know who made the stupid rules. Nikolay said something about inflammation, but I stopped listening to him halfway through, and now he was sitting on the edge of the bed.
I turned away from him when he tried to force-feed the soup to me. I wasn’t hungry, but I was especially not hungry for chicken noodle soup.
He let out a sigh. “Eat, princess. This is good for you.”
I pouted and turned my head away.
“Oh, no. Acting cute isn’t going to get you out of this. I’m not Mikhail. I won’t let you get away with shit, so either fucking eat or I’m fucking hooking you up to an IV line.”
My eyes widened as I looked at him. That seemed a little drastic, and I couldn’t tell if he was serious or not.
I grabbed the spoon out of his hand and fed myself. He watched me for a beat. I took three more spoonfuls and smiled sarcastically at him.
He shook his head and stood, grabbing his phone. “I’ll be back. Eat it all.”
He left before I could ask him where Damien and Mikhail were.
I was feeling a little bereft that the other two weren’t here yet.
It was probably my insecurities talking, but there was a weight on my chest that I knew wouldn’t go away until I saw them.
I needed them.
I looked down at the half-eaten soup, wondering if that made me greedy.
I should be happy with just one man.
I wasn’t.
I took another spoonful of the soup, hardly tasting anything.
I was done with the food.
I could hear Nikolay talking to someone on the phone just outside my door. Unlike earlier, he didn’t sound so hostile.
I looked down at my body.
I stank.
I quickly moved the tray off me and climbed off the bed. The bedroom I was in had a connected bathroom. I found a clean towel in one of the drawers and more men’s shirts. What surprised me was that the bottom drawers held my panties.
I smiled and moved to the bathroom.
My face surprised me.