Page 7 of Conceal

"I'm still going to have to ask you to leave. This is a very safe campus, and I'm sure Miss Chernov will be fine for the next hour."

He's been gracious about this entire thing. I just want the floor to open up and swallow me whole.

"Then you're clearly stupider than you look," Lev replies.

"Oh my gosh!" I shout, standing then and dragging him up the stadium seating. My face is hot, and I'm embarrassed, and he's only doubling down on harassing the staff and students. If the gossip wasn't about my fucking Mik, it's going to be about how my guard dog couldn't keep his mouth shut.

Lev only smiles as I struggle to manhandle him, but I manage to drag him up the stairs and shove him down in a chair in the very back row.

"Please," I whisper-beg. "Please be quiet."

He shrugs and raises his hands.

"I'm so sorry, sir. He'll be quiet from now on," I announce, glaring at him so he knows I'm serious.

My face is on fire as I walk back down the steps and take my seat again, avoiding any eye contact with any of the other students.

As the professor picks back up his lecture, I focus on taking deep breaths. Mik holds my left hand as I try to pay attention and take notes with my right. His thumb rubs a circle on the back of my hand, trying to soothe me. But the longer I sit with this embarrassment, the more it morphs into anger.

He works for my family. He works for me. My brother would never have allowed an employee to embarrass him. His ass needs to fall back in line, or I'll have him relocated to a position a little less comfy than being my babysitter.

Chapter six

Mikhail

Professor Manning ends the lecture, and the students stand. I'm quick to toss my books in my backpack, but Tatiana's faster and is out of her seat, stomping up the stairs to confront Lev.

Shit.

I rush behind her to stop what she might do to him. He deserves everything coming his way, but I need to protect them both. People are already watching to see what's going to go down, and after Lev's scene earlier, Tati will be more embarrassed if she causes another one. But she's hot-headed right now, and used to getting her way, so I'm not sure she's thinking straight. She needs a place where she can fall apart without an audience.

If her parents got wind of a possible embarrassment to the family name, or that she was caught publicly fighting with her guards, they would pull her from school. Her father couldn't care less about her, but her mother will use any excuse to bring her home.

"You sukin syn," she whisper-shouts at him. Son of a bitch.

I grip her by the arm gently, before pulling her into the hallway and dragging her behind me, opening door after door until I find an empty classroom. I gently pull her inside, knowing Lev will follow. He has no choice.

"In here, Tanyusha," I say quietly. I have a cochlear implant that lets me hear, but I don't really like anyone hearing my "deaf voice" but Tatiana. She's always said she loves my "accent" because it's uniquely me. I don't know if she's just being sweet about something I don't have any control over or if she means it. I think she means it.

Lev follows behind us, wearing a shit-eating grin that this Bratva princess is about to wipe off of his face.

The man's an idiot. A reckless, hot-headed, hopeless idiot.

"Why would you do that!?" she shouts, throwing her hands up in the air in frustration, spinning and pacing up and down the small classroom.

"They were talking shit about you behind your back! Why won't you stand up for yourself!" he shouts back. He should know he needs to back down, apologize, and deescalate the situation. But that would require him to admit he was wrong. I'm not sure he knows how to do that.

"I don't care! I don't care what anyone thinks! I don't care if they think Mik and I have slept together!"

Oh, no. Her breathing is speeding up; she runs a hand through her hair, and her hands are shaking. I think she might be on the edge of a panic attack.

I stand between them, trying to calm them both down with my body language.

"I just want to have a normal college experience! Even if that includes bullying, Lev! It's not normal to have bodyguards. It's not normal to cause a scene! It's not normal to call out mean girl behavior!"

Oh. Poor Tati wants to be the lead character in her own rom-com. Lev's dark brown eyes meet mine as he has the same realization.

Angry tears start to fall down her cheeks, and I can't stand them. The sight of them makes my skin crawl and my chest ache to fix it. I pull her to my arms and let her bury her face in my chest. Her vanilla lavender scent fills my nostrils and creates a familiar burn in my stomach. It's her. It's some heady combination of her creams, hair conditioner, and perfume that is all signature Tatiana. The urge to say 'fuck it' and drag her mouth to mine is as familiar as breathing.