I recalled the deranged smile Luis had sported as he roughly pulled me out of the car ran through my mind, and I shivered slightly.
Nikolay saw us then. “Princess. Come here.”
I looked up at Damien, and he gave me a subtle nod. I let go of his hand and moved toward the dining table.
Nikolay opened his arms for me, boosting my confidence a smidge, and I quickened my pace, hoping I didn’t look as desperate as I felt.
I slowed down when I was no more than a foot away and carefully moved into his arms.
He wrapped them around my shoulders and turned me toward Gabriel. I worked hard to control my face.
Gabriel’s dark eyes took me in carefully.
“Catalina, I’ve heard so much about you.”
Nikolay scoffed. “You’ve heard nothing, and you need to stop looking at her like that if you want your dick to stay connected to your body.”
My eyes widened, and I tensed. Why would Nikolay just say stuff like that?
I waited for the bloodshed to come.
Instead, Gabriel’s booming laughter quickly filled the room, startling me.
He ignored Nikolay, focusing his eyes on me. “As I was saying, I’ve heard so much about you. Not from this fucker, of course. But you, my dear, are famous in this world, are you not? The treasured Mute Princess.”
I didn’t know what to say to that, even if I had been comfortable speaking in front of strangers, and I wasn’t. So I said nothing. Gabriel’s lips twitched. “Please, while staying here, make yourself comfortable. And should you need anything, don’t hesitate—”
“She won’t be asking you for anything she needs,” Nikolay interrupted, his voice coming out rough.
Gabriel moved his eyes to something above my head. “Possessive, isn’t he?”
Damien walked into my line of vision. “Possessive and unhinged. I wouldn’t test him if I were you. He’d throw away years of friendship and make good on his threat, no doubt there. And me? I will help him hold you down.”
My hand moved to Nikolay’s chest, rubbing in soothing circles when Damien said unhinged. I wouldn’t call Nikolay unhinged. Just …
Different. And that was all.
If Gabriel was worried about the threat, he didn’t show it. Instead, he just smiled and winked at me.
Before Nikolay could react to that, Gabriel clapped his hands. “Let’s eat. I’m hungry. Where is Mikhail?”
I perked up, looking around the room as if Mikhail would somehow make an appearance simply because someone mentioned his name.
I felt more than saw Damien’s eyes on me. “He’s … downstairs.”
“Ah,” Gabriel said lightheartedly, though I felt he only sounded like that for my benefit.
Nikolay had mentioned something about going downstairs when I’d woke up earlier. I grimaced, catching on.
Was that why Mikhail hadn’t been by to see me?
He was busy … tormenting men?
“Let’s eat. I’ll make sure the chef saves him a plate,” Gabriel announced.
I tugged on Damien’s arm as everyone moved around the table. He looked at me, leaning down a little so I could whisper in his ear.
I felt Gabriel’s eyes on us.