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“Come in,” I call out.
I’m expecting to see my secretary, but instead, it’s Ivan who walks in. His presence makes me straighten in my seat, my brows furrowing.
“What is it?” I ask.
“Dimitri and Igor are in the elevator,” Ivan tells me. “They’re on their way up to see you.”
There’s no relief in my expression. It wasn’t too hard to guess why Dimitri and Igor are here. I’ve been expecting them.
“Get Roman and Peter,” I order. “I want the three of you here with me when they come.”
“Should I tell them to bring guns?”
“Yes, but conceal them,” I reply with a nod. “We’re not shooting anyone, not if it can be avoided.”
Though I try to sound calm, I can’t pretend that I’m not feeling the tension in my muscles. The only good thing that could come out of this would be getting rid of Igor and Dimitri for good.
Another knock comes from the door. This time, it’s Roman with Ivan and Peter on his heels. They enter, and I wave them over. Their faces are grim. They know to stay quiet and let me do all the talking.
“I’ve stationed men along the hallway,” Peter tells me. “If this goes south, we’ll be ready.”
I nod but don’t comment. I’m saving my words for Dimitri Sokolov.
This time, it’s my secretary who knocks on the door. I gesture to Peter to open it, allowing our guests to enter.
Dimitri waltzes in like he’s the king of the goddamn world. His broad shoulders roll with confidence. But Igor slithers like a serpent, ready to pounce on his prey. This level of caution is unlike him.
“What a surprise,” I say sarcastically.
Dimitri smirks.
His smile is self-assured, charming, and ruthless. He extends his hand to me, but I only glance at it. There’s no way I’m shaking his hand as if we are friends.
“Sorry to stop by unannounced,” he starts. “But you haven’t taken any of my calls, so I figured perhaps I could catch you here. It’s rather important.”
“I’m all ears,” I say in a neutral voice, acting clueless.
“Have you seen Katarina?”
I lean back in my chair, raising my hands up behind my head. “No, not lately. Why?”
“She hasn’t been home in the past few days.”
“You think I have something to do with it?” I feign offense.
Dimitri arches one of his brows. “It’s in your best interest if you let her go unharmed.”
“That’s interesting,” I retort calmly. My tone sounds so genuine that even I can’t believe my words are lies. “Do I hear someone threatening me or were my ears malfunctioning? Did you guys hear the same thing?”
Roman, Ivan, and Peter all make a disapproving sound.
Dimitri opens his mouth to speak, but I don’t let him interrupt me. Instead, I get to my feet. Despite my effort to act unfazed, it’s hard to ignore the sweat sliding down my spine. “But you’re right, Sokolov. I do have Katarina.”
Surprise registers on his face. He wasn’t expecting me to confess. His reaction is almost comical, and I push my amusement away.
The air is suddenly full of tension. Like everybody’s readying themselves for a physical assault.
I’m not foolish enough to fall into this trap.
