“You were only a child,” Mikhail growls. “If those men had a problem with your father, they should have taken it up with your father, not you.” His hand shakes with rage.
“I think you’re more upset about this than my father was.” I’m trying to lighten the mood, but Mikhail still looks murderous. I curl my hand over the bleeding scratches I left on his cheek. “I don’t like to feel trapped—in a space or… a relationship.”
He goes rigid. “You’ve said a lot of things tonight, Viviana. But comparing me to the men who kidnapped you is the worst of it.”
“I’m not—That’s not what I mean.” I release a shuddery breath. “I just want you to understand how it feels for me. It’s why I fought so hard to get away from this whole world. I wanted to be able to choose what happened to me and I never wanted
