Blood of My Monster (Monster Trilogy #1 ) by Rina Kent

She’s watching me as if I’m the greatest threat to this family or something.

I’m thankful Kirill actually dressed me in a shirt and sweatpants. But there’s one tiny fact that I can’t change.

Me in Kirill’s bed.

What must she think of me?

“Uh, I…” I scramble from the bed, wincing at the ache between my legs, but I wrap the blanket around me. I’m not naked, but I don’t have my chest bandages on either.

Anna stands in place like a dictatorial headmaster who’s a fan of dishing out punishments.

“I wasn’t feeling well, so Boss must’ve…uh, carried me here.” I sound like a fucking idiot.

The small woman’s expression doesn’t change. Whether in affirmation or the opposite. She’s like a statue whose sole purpose is to judge me.

“I…I’m going to take a shower.”

“Eat first.” She motions at a tray that’s overloaded with food. “Kirill told me to prepare him breakfast, and only after I brought it here did he mention that I have to make sure you eat.”

Oh.

That must be why it looks like one of those luxurious breakfasts. Kirill must’ve known that she wouldn’t have put any effort into the meal if it was for me, so he tricked her into thinking it was for him.

Honestly, manipulative should be that man’s middle name.

“Thanks,” I say.

She doesn’t reply, but nods instead.

“Do you know where Boss is?” I ask in my most amicable tone.

“You should be the one to know that, considering you’re the bodyguard.”

Ouch. Okay.

I sit on the couch and sigh. “Look, Anna. I don’t know why you hate me…”

“I don’t hate you. I just don’t trust you,” she says simply. “Kirill is the only person who’s able to lead this family, and to do that, he needs competent people by his side. Not people he has to save each and every time something happens.”

Ouch again.

I can’t even say anything in reply, because she’s right. I’m supposed to be saving Kirill’s life, not the other way around.

“I’ll tell him you ate your breakfast,” she says, then leaves the room.

I take a bite of toast and drink some orange juice, then wince when I shift in place. My pussy feels sore and achy, but for some reason, I’m desperate for more of the torture Kirill inflicted last night.

Once again, my cheeks heat.

I can’t believe I fainted.

But then again, it was too hot in that sauna. Add his touch, and it was impossible to keep up.

It also doesn’t help that I was overwhelmed with all the cryptic emotions that were going through me at the time. Even now, I can’t put a name to them.

Except that I…probably enjoyed it more than I should have.

Maybe that’s why I had that nightmare. Uncle Albert asked me if I was happy with the new life and setting I chose for myself.

It was also the second time Mike asked me for help, and I haven’t been there to answer his plea.

My phone vibrates on the nightstand, and I manage to swallow the contents of my mouth before I stand, stumble on the blanket, then release it and go to check the text.

Something knots in my stomach when I don’t find Kirill’s name on the screen.

Viktor: You’re on the night shift at the club tonight. You have no orders until then.

I type.

Aleksander: Am I not needed at Boss’s side now?

I could’ve asked the man himself, but I’m too embarrassed to talk to him after what happened last night. Especially since he didn’t contact me first.

Viktor: No.

Aleksander: Do you know where he is?

Viktor: Nowhere you should concern yourself with.

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. Leave it to Viktor to be the most unhelpful person ever.

So I text my friend.

Aleksander: Morning, Maks!

The reply is immediate.

Maksim: Morning, Sash. I’ve been waiting for you to come back to the annex, but then I recalled you were on night duty. Was everything all right yesterday?

Aleksander: Yeah, why wouldn’t it be?

Maksim: Boss looked kind of angry or annoyed. I couldn’t tell for sure, and since he doesn’t look like that most of the time, I was worried something had happened.

Aleksander: Nothing happened. Just the usual, I guess.

I’m such an excellent liar in texts. Which can’t be said about real-life interactions, because I was so close to telling Anna everything if she so much as pressed me earlier.

Maksim: Thank God. It’s never good to be on Boss’s radar.

Tell me about it.

Aleksander: I know, right? Speaking of Boss, do you know where he is?

Maksim: He headed out with Viktor and Yuri last night and still hasn’t come back.

I grow taller, my breath catching.

They can’t be in danger, or else Viktor would’ve said something or called for backup. But for some reason, I still don’t feel good about this whole thing.

After mulling over the information, I walk into Kirill’s closet in search of something I can use as temporary chest bandages.

My jaw nearly hits the ground when I find my clothes in the corner—all my suits, shirts, and sweatpants. Not only that, but underneath them, there’s a duffel bag with my bandages inside them.