Ryer got closer to me, opening the screen and sliding it back. I did not know it even did that. I leaned out the window as far as I could without falling out the fucking thing. Even this far proved to be too far for Ryer who grabbed the back of my sweatpants by the waist.

“Do not jump out the window, or fall for christ’s sake.”

“I want to go outside.”

“Later you need food.”

I hung out the window until Ryer came back to collect me for lunch just a few moments later. I sat down and shoved the two nicely made sandwiches down my throat a fourth of the sandwich at a time. I was well and done mine before he was his first of the two. I couldn’t even say what I had eaten because I hadn’t tasted it, I had eaten it too fast.

“Sit and digest your food. You can wait until I’m done.”

I stared at him the whole time he ate. Not because I wanted to creep him out, but rather I wanted him to understand he needed to eat faster. I wanted to go stand out in the snow. He took his sweet time eating, and I started to tap my fingers on the table and it was clearly getting under his skin. I could practically hear his angry chewing from where I was sitting across from him.

“I’m going outside.”

“Sit and wait.”

“Outside.”

“Go close the window, well I finish up here.”

I groaned, carefully getting up from the chair and limping to the bedroom and closing the window. I knew he was going to draw this out. He was annoyed with me and wanted me to have to wait for what I wanted. I spied his nicely made bed and got a bad idea.

I lifted the corner of his comforter and tucked myself into it, and rolled. Once I was wrapped in the blanket, I just laid there. I was pretty warm and cosy in his blanket. I snorted thinking about having a nap in his bed when he decided I could be left alone again.

I heard his footsteps on the tile but couldn’t look to see where he was from my blanket burrito. I could wait a few more minutes inside the blanket before going outside.

“Well, let’s go—-Sasha, really?”

“Shh. I’m busy.”

“Get out of my damn blanket and my bed.”

He was a little rough when he pulled the blanket and me apart and remade his bed. It was perfect again. I looked right at him, knowing I was pushing it again. He had pushed me several times; it was only fair now.

“Wow. What happened to you wanting me in your bed? Your tastes change quickly.”

I limped from his bedroom to the door. I wanted outside now since he was removed me from the comfortable blanket, where I had been momentarily content. He was right behind me as I tried to leave his section in just my sweater and no shoes.

“You need boots at the least.”

“Go away.” I hissed.

“I can’t, It’s my job to look after you.”

“You're fired. Now go away.”

“you don’t have that privilege of firing me.”

“I’m going to break into your office and poke around for that comment,” I complained, looking right at him.

“You won't find anything worth breaking into the office for. Also, Why must you violate my private spaces?”

I glared at him then, remembering that just a few weeks ago this man had pinned me up against a wall and forced a kiss on me, and then shortly after that a few days later, sank his teeth into my skin and left a perfect set of bite marks on my shoulder. But I was the one violating his private spaces.

“I’m violating your private spaces, huh? Do you need me to remind you that you forced a kiss on me, and sank your teeth into my skin, leaving a perfect set of teeth marks? I have photos if you need evidence to jog your memories.” I snapped at him.

He was quiet then, almost like he was thinking over his next words, but it let me get the last words in.

“That’s what I fucking thought.”

He slipped his own stuff on and stepped around me. He was pissed, But so was I. He still waited for me to get my boots on, but he didn’t offer to help me. He watched me flinch and struggle. I didn’t ask for his help either, I would deal with the pain.

Ryer walked ahead of me the whole time, right to the side door. He opened it with his phone and slammed it behind us. We were in the side yard and just standing on a snow-covered deck. I walked off the deck or rather limped off the deck into the snow. Ryer didn’t move from where he stood with his arms crossed, it was clear he didn’t want to be here.

I carefully lowered myself into the snow-covered grass and just lay in the snow. I moved my arms out wide and spread out my legs and moved them slowly back and forth until I made a snow angel. Ryer checked his phone, getting a phone call a few minutes later, they spoke in Italian and it made me wonder if they were discussing me or something to do with me. Ryer supplemented his Italian with English words making me lie there snorting in the snow.

“Your Italian is shit.”

“Still better than yours, Sasha.” He sneered pulling the phone back from his ear for a moment.

“Still shit though.”

I felt snow hit my shoulder and splatter all down my side and into my hood. It was freezing and I couldn’t move fast enough to remove the bits of snow before it melted. Ice cold water ran down the back of my neck. It wasn’t all terrible, the cold from the snow felt fantastic on my back.

“We should head back in now, we have been out here for half an hour,” Ryer said, tucking his phone back into his pocket.

“No. I’m not ready yet.”

“I am, so let’s—-”

The back door we had come out of, flew open and Lukas flew out the door and down the deck. He was still dressed in shit from work. He dropped in the snow just an arm’s length away from me.

“Hey, I saw you from the door window as I was passing by, Saw your guard too,” Lukas said motioning to Ryer.

I raised an eyebrow Lukas.

“How was work?”

“Long, but nice to have returned.”

“I can’t wait.”

“Soon enough.”

“Six months minimum before he will be allowed to return to work,” Ryer said from where he stood on the deck. Arms still crossed like this was the worst experience of his life.

I watched Lukas roll his eyes before he tossed snow at me, and spoke.

“Snowman. Let’s build one.”

“You do realise we are in our thirties?”

“Are your point is what? You are never too old for snowman building. I’ll text Andrei, I’m sure he will lend a hand.”

“He is probably busy, don’t worry about it.”

“Nonsense, He has a right hand that can go make himself busy elsewhere.”

Ryer, looked at me before he looked back at Lukas, trying to keep his tongue under wraps. But Lukas further pushed it when he spoke again.

“Besides, Not like he is all that pleasant to be around. Glaring and shit, he is more than welcome to go the hell away.”

Ryer had it then.

“Just what the hell is your fucking problem with me? I’m standing here being quiet and you are just ripping on me. Like seriously what the fuck.”

In the next few moments, Lukas and Ryer were only a foot apart and yelling at each other. Andrei who no doubt had got Lukas’ text opened the door to witness the same shit I was. He also seemed to be the only one who realised I was struggling to get off the ground.

“You two knock it the fuck off.” Andrei snapped, walking right past Lukas and Ryer and coming over to me.

“Here, Let me help you up.”

Andrei helped me up back onto the deck before he went and got involved with Lukas and Ryer’s current bullshit. Those two had become like water and oil after Lukas found out about how he was coming after me. He was civil to Ryer but made comments when he wasn’t around and had even before this. Honestly, I was over it. As I limped past Ryer, I took his phone from his hand and used it to open the door before giving him back his phone.

“Where are you going, Sasha?”

“Away.”

He tried to grab me but I backed up. Andrei wasn’t about to let him walk away from that shit either. I was cold and wet by the time I made it to Alexi and Creed’s office. I knocked once before opening the door and walking inside. Alexi was the only one inside, and he was relaxing in his chair sipping coffee.

“Long time no see.”

He smiled. Setting his coffee down on the desktop.

“I wanted to come sooner. But between your cousin and my new babysitter, I haven’t been able to.”

“Right, I heard about Alessio abducting you this morning.”

“Hide me here. I beg you.” I groaned.

“My office is your office, you know this. Hell, you can even hide in the spare bedroom if you need to get away from him. But I’ve tried to get Maddox to let you stay with us again and he is still solid about you staying with Ryer.”

“I appreciate that you tried.”

“Of course I did, We are friends Sasha, and I don’t have many of those.”

I sat on the couch and told Alexi about everything that had just gone down outside. He just shook his head before sighing.

“If you want to get changed, I can lend you some dry clothing, and we can go out somewhere. I’m itching to get out of this office and you need to get out of this house before Ryer smoothers you.”

“If only you knew everything, Alexi.”