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“What happens in two weeks?” She already knew though. He stalked away without answering, leaving her with an amused Ayaan who was going to feel the sharp edge of Leeza’s tongue if she didn’t stop grinning like an idiot.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
It was their first formal family gathering at the Koba mansion and Leeza felt the ordeal down to her toes. It wasn’t the company, which was fine, but the constant sense of oppression from being in her childhood home and under the protection of the man who’d killed half her family.
She took another long sip of her wine wishing the evening would end sooner rather than later.
Perhaps Havel was right to move her and Kris to Zmatek and away from the memories that bombarded her relentlessly here at the estate. The cruel ones but also the good ones, Krystoff's rose garden, Dasha's salon, Leeza's childhood bedroom. They reminded her of everything she'd lost.
Attending the dinner was Shaun, Jozef, Fatima, Saskia, Leeza, Havel and Kris. It was strange sitting among what was left of the Koba family, but Shaun did her best as hostess in an awkward situation and Saskia tried to help, though she’d never been comfortable with social gatherings.
She smiled gratefully at Shaun who topped up her wine glass, filling it to the brim with an expensive Cabernet Sauvignon. Leeza sighed deeply as she took a sip and settled into the couch. A strong, warm arm banded across her shoulders.
She tried to shift away from Havel, but he brought his hand down on her, pinning her in place under the guise of cupping her shoulder affectionately. She gave him a side-eye glare from over top of her glass as she took another sip. The wine sloshed dangerously as Saskia dropped onto the couch beside her, bouncing in place with a huff.
“It’s kind of a big deal to have people over for supper,” she said, reaching for Leeza’s glass and taking a healthy swallow before handing it back. “I had no idea how much work mom put into these dinners. She must’ve…” Saskia drifted off into silence and Leeza squeezed her knee in solidarity, trying to silently convey that it was okay to remember their mother with affection.
It was Shaun who eased the moment, saying, “Your mother was a remarkable woman. I’m honestly overwhelmed by this place. She must’ve worked round the clock to keep it running as smoothly as she did.”
The ever-present spike of grief dug itself a little deeper into Leeza’s heart, making it difficult to summon the expected smile. Her voice wobbled as she replied, “Yes, she was quite remarkable.”
Though it wasn’t Shaun’s fault that Dasha had died, she still wished Shaun would refrain from commenting on their mother. She’d already stripped everything that was Dasha from the mansion, modernizing most of the furnishings and brightening the rooms with lighter colours. Leeza didn't blame Shaun for making the place her own – it reflected the woman's taste and maybe it was also a way of keeping Dasha's memory from haunting her new home. Still, it didn’t ease Leeza’s pain and anxiety as every trace of her mother disappeared from the mansion.
Leeza caught Jozef watching her and wondered if he understood her conflicting emotions. Though he’d been the one to kill Dasha and Krystoff, he hadn’t wanted to. It couldn’t be easy living in the family home with the memory of the woman who raised him only to find out she was the one who murdered his parents when he was a child.
Leeza let out an involuntary moan of distress at the thought and then tried to cover it with a cough.
Jozef caught her eye. How are you and K-R-I-S settling into your new home?
“Not too bad,” she admitted. “I don’t hate being in the city and having access to the shops.” She thought it was an appropriate response, but Jozef continued to watch her, a hint of pity in his expression.
What are you doing to fill your time? His question was direct and Leeza began to wonder if he was interrogating her rather than showing a passing interest. She supposed it was his prerogative considering she had tried to take over a rival mafia organization. For all he knew, she would try again the moment his back was turned.
“For now, I’m setting up the condo at Zmatek and working on Kris’s upcoming lessons with his tutor.”
Jozef beamed at her like she was a dog who’d performed the correct trick. Excellent. Let me know if you need anything else for your condo.
“If she needs anything, she’ll let me know.” Havel’s deep drawl drew everyone’s attention, and though his words held a challenge, his expression remained mild.
Of course, Jozef was quick to correct himself. She is yours now and you must provide for her.
“She’s not a piece of meat!” Saskia snapped, glaring at Jozef. “Leeza is perfectly capable of providing for herself.”
Leeza wanted to laugh for the first time that evening. Trust Saskia to lighten her mood, even when she was being contentious. Still, it lasted for only a few seconds as the weight of her world crashed in on her again. “Actually, I have no way to provide for myself or Kris right now,” she admitted, dropping her gaze. “No money and no job skills puts me in the position of being dependent.”
“How did you manage while you were on the run?” Havel asked, shifting on the couch to look at her.
Leeza stiffened her back and rolled her shoulders, trying to dislodge his grip. It didn’t work. Looking past him, she said, “I had some cash set aside and I sold some jewelry.”
“You ran out?” Havel asked. “The place you were staying in was small and remote but would’ve been expensive for the area.” She found a deep frown marring his brow when she looked directly at him.
“Not that my finances are any of your business,” she replied frostily, choosing to forget that Havel had decided to make every part of her life his business. “But I had plenty of money left over. Kris and I could’ve moved several more times before there would’ve been a strain.”
“Where’d the money go?”
“The asshole who kidnapped me forgot to kidnap my cash and jewels, so I have to assume they’re either still hidden in my Sumatra cottage or the landlord found them and sold them.”
Havel looked mildly guilty. “I should’ve asked you if there was anything you wanted to take.”
