Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 54103 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 271(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54103 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 271(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Finally, he lets go, looking over his shoulder to make sure that nobody is watching us. “Hide the bug. Hide the report. And just know, if you mess this up, we will find you. The Bratva will make you their little toy. Your life will become hell.”
He leaves the bathroom as quickly as he came. When he’s gone, I lean against the wall, struggling to catch my breath. I grab the report and scan it through blurry eyes. I won’t let myself devolve into frantic sobs, but I can’t do anything about the mist filling my eyes.
The report has Nico Moretti’s name in the ‘person of interest’ section, with two witnesses claiming they saw him fleeing the scene. There’s even an arrest record, which I knew nothing about… and a note that the charges were later dropped because Nico intimidated the witnesses. There’s also a note about a bullet matching a weapon apparently belonging to Nico.
I stuff the bug into my cleavage and then stumble into the hallway. I’ve still got the report clutched in my hand as I struggle to catch my breath. I stumble against the wall, almost falling.
Quickly, I fold up the report and stick that in my cleavage, too. I’m going to need to be careful about having physical contact with Nico now.
Is that going to be a problem?
My man, my lover… it was only a couple of nights ago he promised he wouldn’t make me regret trusting him.
Chapter Twenty-One
Nico
Viktor sidles up to me as I approach the bar. I don’t even want another drink. I’m nursing a glass of whiskey. But I need an excuse to leave Anya so I can look for Sienna. She disappeared to the bathroom and hasn’t returned. Maybe seeing me with Anya was more difficult than she thought.
“Lovely evening?” Viktor asks.
“Not too bad, Viktor,” I reply, knowing full well his shit-eating grin is fake. There’s a large chance he was behind the hit Adrian tried to walk me into.
“Who are you looking for?”
“No one.”
“You were scanning the room as I approached.”
I smile tightly. “Occupational hazard.”
“You shouldn’t leave Anya waiting too long. She’s been looking forward to this evening.”
I grind my teeth. There’s a chance that Viktor wasn’t involved with the hit attempt. In that case, it’s in my best interest to play along with the charade. Part of the deal was giving Anya the best night of her life, and I’m not sure I’m going to be able to do that when it clearly means causing Sienna, the woman I actually care about, pain.
After getting Mother a glass of champagne – my excuse for going to the bar – I walk across the ballroom, looking for Sienna. I lean into my mother. “Find Sienna. She’s disappeared.”
Mother takes her glass of champagne and leaves me and Anya alone. Anya smiles shakily at me. “Anyone would think you’re trying to avoid me.”
“Not at all,” I say politely.
“Do you like my dress?”
“Uh, yes.” Even saying this feels like a betrayal. “Are you… having a good evening?”
“Why won’t you look at me, Nico?”
I turn to her. “I will.”
She rolls her eyes. “I shouldn’t have to ask.”
“I’m…”
“Sorry? Is that the word you’re looking for?”
Yeah, I’m sorry that she’s so desperate for attention her father had to make a deal for it. I want to tell her she can do better than wait around for scraps of attention from me, but that would mean risking the deal.
“I’m going to get another drink,” she says. “By the way, you could’ve offered to get me one when you saw I was almost out.”
She walks away with a toss of her head. From across the room, Viktor glares at me.
Mother returns with Sienna by her side. There’s something different about Sienna. She looks skittish, which is unusual for her. Even in the Cattle and Vine, when the Russians were trying to bully her, she seemed tough.
“Is everything okay?” I ask quietly.
She replies, but she doesn’t look at me. She glares into space as though thinking about something else. “I’m great.”
“Are you sure?”
“I just said that, didn’t I?”
Mother looks at me questioningly. I shake my head. She’s probably angry at seeing me with Anya. I can’t blame her. If the positions were reversed, I’d want to tear this entire hotel down.
I hate parties, especially mob parties, when things spiral into drunkenness. Mother and Sienna sit in the corner, talking, observing. I spend some time with my men and a collection of Russians, pretending to be someone I’m not, just getting through it.
When someone touches my arm, I spin, my instincts ready for a fight. Anya laughs awkwardly. In the thirty minutes since she left for the bar, she’s clearly consumed a lot of alcohol. She seems shaky on her feet.
“You need to listen,” she says, slurring her words.
She almost stumbles. I’ve got no choice but to take her arm, steady her. Sienna is probably watching. When Anya seems like she’s able to stand upright, I remove my hand.