Mikhail
"What do you want?" My teeth grit into a scowl as Gunsyn grins at the scene he abruptly interrupted. Maria takes an instinctive step back at the sight of him leering at us— at her. But her expression isn't fearful. Her wary gaze is alert, and her hands are clenched in fists.
She's changed. She's no longer so easily intimidated by dangerous men around her.
Instinctively, I wrap my hand around her upper arm, guiding her past Gunsyn and toward the open door. Putting distance between them is necessary for her protection. I give him a look to convey my thought—you better not try to take her again. Holding onto Maria tight, I scan the living room for Alexander, then coax her out the door when I see he's not around.
"Go," I tell her a little too harshly, as if Gunsyn being here is her
