Page 136 of Wicked Villain

I rush to the window and open it. A gust of wind blows through. The coolness helps for a moment. But only for a moment.

The horrid sensation of a panic attack surges through my veins. The rush prickles beneath my skin, making me feel as if I’m about to explode.

The last thing I want to do is faint and have Zoya find me on the floor in the morning.

I need to calm down.

But how?

Cold water on my head? No.

That always triggers a migraine.

Get Zoya? No, no, no.

I can’t. I won’t out of principle.

I bring my hands to my temples.

Mama. Call Mama.

Yes.

I grab my phone and call her. She usually answers on the first ring, unless she’s fast asleep or away from her phone. A quick glance at the clock tells me she’s most definitely asleep. It’s after one.

The phone rings out, going to voicemail.

I drop the phone on the bed, not bothering to leave a message. It’s not fair anyway. If Mama is asleep, I shouldn’t trouble her.

Something comes to my mind.

Another crazy idea. But it just might work.

I rush over to the laundry basket in the corner of the room.

I open the basket, panting, but relief floods me when I see a couple of Lev’s dress shirts. I reach for one, and I don’t care how crazy I look, or how desperate, I put it on.

Immediately, the scent of him wraps around me, filling every breath.

That scent of danger, yes, but safety and protection as well.

Protection.

There was no one to protect me when I was taken. And to be honest, I’ve never really had protection. Everything Papa did was for his own benefit. Protecting something because you need it for your own selfish purposes is not protection.

Still panting, I return to the bed and lie there, burying my nose in the collar of the shirt.

I inhale the scent, Lev’s scent, and my breathing slows. Then it steadies.

Minutes later, it calms right down, and my nervous system doesn’t feel like it’s on fire.

I lie there in the dark, calming myself, until everything stills. The flutter of fingers across my cheek calms me further.

It takes me a moment to realize there’s someone in the room with me.

I lift my head and meet a pair of eyes and a chiseled face in the dark. The soft moonlight is just bright enough to give the handsome face staring back at me that subtle, silver glow that makes him seem unreal.

Lev.