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“Are you sure about this?” Lia replies.
“Yes. No more hiding. No more game playing.”
It’s like he’s forgetting there are other people in this car. “Well, brother, this whole thing is a game.”
He gives me a dark look. “Hmm.”
We finally reach the venue, a hidden Bratva basement converted to look like the most luxurious restaurant, with actual fires in the walls, expensive rugs, and a host with a mortified expression on his face. I’m so ready for blood. Just sitting in the limo next to Mila, being unable to comfort her even when I could feel her pain radiating, was enough to turn me half-feral.
“Mr. Sokolov, sir,” the host says, approaching Dimitri. “I’m so sorry for the delay. I trust your team has informed you that everything is safe? Of course! Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here!”
They exchange some words, with Dimitristillholding Lia’s hand. My Bratva-promise cut burns as we cross the room, which is fairly busy with people who didn’t have as long of a drive after learning there was no bomb. When we reach Nikolai’s table, Mila makes a soft noise of fear that almost has me putting my arm around her.
Dimitri tenses, causing the other men to tense as well. Oleg gives me a serious look, and that’s how I know it’s on. That’s how I know I will get what I want—the vengeance I need. As I stare at Nikolai, I find it difficult to focus on what he and Dimitri are saying. All I can think about is getting this over with.
“She’s my woman, Nikolai,” Dimitri says, referring to Lia. “You can arrange any marriage you want to, but she’ll never stop being my woman.”
“This is—” Nikolai’s face is coated in sweat. I can tell he’s about to explode. “Dimitri, perhaps we should talk in private.”
This is precisely what Dimitri wanted to happen—the whole reason for his plan to rub his closeness with Lia so obviously in Nikolai’s face.
“Yes, let’s do that,” Dimitri says. “Away from the women.”
Just like that, we all turn away. The men make for the closest exit, leaving the women at the table behind. I know what’s going to happen next. It’s just like we’ve planned. Dimitri and I are going to tell Nikolai that if he agrees to kill Oleg, we’ll spare him. The point is for Oleg to have concrete proof that his own Pakhan would betray him just likethat.
Either this goes to plan, and I’m left in a room alone with the scumbag, or it goes badly, and the Sokolov brothers walk willingly to their deaths.
CHAPTER 21
MILA
“Iguess that was his secret plan, then,” I say, tugging at the corner of the table mat. “To make my dad mad. Dimitri told you to keep it secret, right?” I look at Lia, forcing her to meet my gaze. Does she know the rest of it? Does she know my dad might already be dead?
“I’m sorry,” Lia says.
“I stood between you and a gun,” I tell Lia. “I made a mistake. I was scared. I felt lost. I made amistake.”
Ania touches my hand under the table, giving it a gentle squeeze. Across from us, four women sit. One is my dad’s date, but I don’t recognize them. He’s never had a long-term girlfriend. Maybe some of them are even victims of hisbusiness. Perhaps he’s done far worse to them than he’s ever done to me.
“It’s all going to be okay,” Ania says quietly.
I’m not sure if she knows what’s going on tonight. Maybe she’s just being nice. Whichever it is, I’m grateful, and I hold her hand just that bit firmer to let her know. Mikhail could end the man who’s brought me so much misery any second now. Evenso, there’s a twisted part of me that wonders if this makes me a terrible daughter, but then I remember the pain of his fist and my brother’s tears. I can’t be weak now.
“I know,” I say, meeting her eye. “Whatever happens, we’re strong enough. We can face it. We can fight it. We can beat it. I know we can.”
Ania tilts her head, and then a small smile touches her lips.
An awkward silence comes over the table, and everybody turns and faces the door. Dimitri strides across the restaurant right at Lia as if his life depended on it. My heart pounds hard as I search for Mikhail, but there’s no sight of him. Instead, Oleg approaches me. I’ve met him many times, but he’s never been anUncle Oleg-type person to me, probably because my father’s men always seem like they’re trying to keep their distance.
One of Dimitri’s men approaches Ania. Another one—Denis, I think his name is—approaches me. “Miss, would you come with me?”
He speaks far more respectfully than the soldiers usually do to me. I follow him out of the room, and then Oleg approaches me purposefully. There’s activity all around us, and people are leaving the party. Oleg lowers his voice so only I can hear. “Miss, I am to take you to your brother.”
“Says who?” I ask, dreading the worddad.
“Mikhail …” He nods to the side, and we walk out of everybody’s path. “He told me to give you this.”
It’s a few lines of code that match his tattoo—Hello World,with a note underneath it.This is a new world for us, my motherboard muse. I know that one was crap.TrustOleg. He’s on our team.Suddenly, I’m smiling like a dork with an ear-to-ear grin. People are walking from the party, and the music stops. Lia and Ania are already gone.
