firmed into a hard line. Raising her hands, he kissed her knuckles then released her. “You’re aware I’ve been watching over you, and I understand that, and many other issues, have to be addressed if we are to move forward. I hope you’ll give me the chance to explain my actions.” He aimed a dark look at Gabriel. “After we’ve dealt with our most pressing issue, of course.”
Alarmed by the look, she slipped her arm through Gabriel’s and hugged his hard bicep to her chest. Regardless of their future—if they had one—she wouldn’t let Gabriel take the blame for his brother’s actions. “Yes, there are a few things I’d like to address as well. But, you’re right, they can wait.” They’d have plenty of time to talk after they dealt with Stefano.
Her father’s eyes narrowed on the possessive gesture as his cell rang. He said something in Russian that had Gabriel making a quiet, satisfied sound, then he excused himself to answer the call.
As Eva absently rested her cheek on one man’s shoulder while staring at the other, she was disturbingly aware of how easy it would be to fall in love with them both.
TWENTY-TWO
“What do you think’s happening?”
Eva was perched on the edge of the sofa, the remnants of dinner spread around the coffee table in the suite Vincente apparently used whenever he was in Seattle. She’d long ago exhausted the topic of her father and how she’d felt meeting him for the first time, Nika had finally stopped asking when she could go home, and now it seemed they were both listening for the sound of footsteps outside the door. The TV was on CNN but muted.
“I don’t know. Do you smell leather?” Nika, who was sitting next to her, had her nose in the air, sniffing delicately. “I smell leather.”
“It’s probably Caleb.”
After bringing her down the hall, Gabriel and the others had gathered in his suite to confirm flight times, who would stay behind, who would go to New York, etc. Caleb had been put out when he’d been left to babysit, but he’d come around when Eva had asked him to spill what he knew about the Moretti and Tarasov families. He had, with relish, supplied a good deal of information while they’d eaten, and the more Eva heard, the less intimidated she felt. Not that she would ever disregard who these people were and what they were capable of, but her apprehension was slowly taking a backseat to respect.
Caleb had explained, quite eloquently, that most factions of organized crime—he’d thrown the ODMC in with an expected note of pride in his tone—were basically businessmen just like any other. The main difference between them and government officials or CEOs of major companies was that the supposed criminal organizations ran their ventures openly and without apology. The “respectable” groups didn’t. Yet they did the same sorts of things, some legal, some not.
Eva was still thinking on that as she tucked her hands beneath her thighs to stop her nails from sounding like castanets.
“Vincente kissed me.”
The room rippled like she’d just been dropped into another dimension. Her head swung toward Nika. “What did you say?”
Nika glanced at her brother, who was on the other side of the room lifting the stoppers and sniffing the contents of the decanters clustered on the bar as he tried to decide what to drink. He kept muttering about rich assholes and no fuckin’ beer. He clearly hadn’t heard his sister’s revelation.
Pulling her legs up and hugging her knees to her chest, Nika’s straight teeth were on full display as she held a wince, like she was expecting the hotel to come down around her ears.
Eva slapped her arm. “Speak,” she hissed, knowing she wouldn’t get shit if Caleb returned.
“We kissed outside the meeting room,” Nika rushed out in a whisper almost too quick to decipher.
She gaped. “Like, on the mouth?”
Red hair shimmered around a hard nod. “On the mouth, with tongue, his big, muscly body holding me against the wall.” Nika winced again, holding the expression.
“And you’re just telling me this now?” She landed another slap to her friend’s arm, causing her to gasp like a big baby. “How…what were…did you…but…God, Nika.” She shook her head to dislodge a full question. “What happened?”
“I saw him outside and nearly died. He’s gorgeous, don’t you think?” She continued to whisper, rushing through her words, her eyes darting to Caleb to make sure he wasn’t paying attention. “Anyway, I insulted him somehow, and like a