The Taste of Silver | Fortune's Fool #2

23 | million dollar question

[ m i l l i o n   d o l l a r q u e s t i o n ]

♥ talisa ♥

I SWORE FOR the fifteenth time, launching onto the bed like a madwoman and pummelling the heck out of the mattress. If they had enough space to put a 6ft statue of an octopus in the bedroom, why couldn't they had fit in a punching bag?

My hair was in knots as Uncle Alek's words rang in my head. It wasn't even that. It was the tone of his voice. The same degrading tone that I'd heard for the past decade. "Screw them! Screw them all. Who the hell does he actually think he is? And his pathetic excuse of a wife."

Gripping at the corner of the gossamer bed veil, it groaned in protest as I furiously ripped it off and tore it to the ground.

Don't embarrass my sister any more that your existence already has.

I know you're not pure Russian but you better damn well try to be-

That pure condescending tone.

A smooth voice spoke from the corner of the room pacifyingly. "Talisa, calm down."

I'd forgotten he was even here. Ignoring him, I continued my assault on the bed, punching it repeatedly fist after fist.

"Those fucking aristocratic freaks," I growled in sheer fury. I needed to smash something. Or drink something. Or just do something.

Or all three.

Before I recognised what I was doing, the two champagne flutes beside the jacuzzi had been knocked to the ground.

My head was starting to spin at how tightly I was gritting my teeth together. Or perhaps it was because I hadn't smoked today.

I hate them. I hate them. I hate them.

The reflection of myself in the wardrobe mirror terrified me. She looked crazy. And skinny. A shell of a person. Unhappy with what I saw, I grabbed a pillow and launched it at it. Of course nothing happened. It bounced off and landed on the ground.

"Talisa," Gabriel's voice warned, a slither of annoyance evident.

Before I could reach for something heavier that would successfully shatter the mirror's lens, Gabriel caught my wrists tightly pressing me into the mattress. "Lisa, just calm the hell down and breathe." He sounded pissed off but I didn't give a damn. "I'm not here to babysit you so pull yourself together."

"Then get out. Nobody's asking you to be here." I didn't mean what I said but I could see nothing apart from red. There was so much aggression bubbling in me and I needed an outlet. He knew I didn't mean it.

I tried to claw my way up and Gabriel pinned me down harder. After all the havoc they'd reeked, the hopeful part of me thought they'd have learnt something.

How ridiculously naive. Time gives hope to the foolish and you are not foolish, Talisa Lisin.

I thrashed against him and continued muttering angrily under my breath. "I swear to God, I pray this damn ship sinks to the bottom of the seabed if it means the lot of them suffocate and drown. Even if I get dragged down with them, I'd do it time and time again. Time and fucking time again.

"Let go of me, Gabriel. Just wait until I wrap my hand around their throats-"

My voice was getting louder in frustration and just when I was about to let out a shriek of anger, he clamped his hand over my mouth. "Oh no, you don't," his steel eyes locked in mine as Gabriel read my mind. "Remember you're not the only damn human being on this boat."