deep for Sergei because of his last name. If the Pakhan gives an order to eliminate me, Vladimir will be the first to make it happen.
At the dining table, there’s an easy chatter in which he doesn’t participate and just nods when Rai whispers something to him. Kyle quickly steals her attention because he doesn’t like her talking to anyone but him.
A small sigh leaves Lia, and even though I make it my mission not to look at her in public, I’m tempted to sneak a peek. It’d be a break in my pattern, something that Vladimir, Rai, and especially that fucker Kirill would notice.
My high alertness about this night is turning me into a paranoid dick, like Mikhail.
In the six years I’ve been married to Lia, I’ve treated her like a stranger in public. Everyone in the brotherhood thinks she means nothing to me, and that the only reason I have a sickly doll-faced woman by my side is because of an unplanned pregnancy.
Sergei didn’t shy away from suggesting that I should leave her—even to her face. That’s why I made use of every chance I had to not bring her here. Sergei and the other elders, Igor and Mikhail, never approved of her unknown origins or her ‘nobody’ status. They preferred I marry Igor’s daughter and procreate to produce a ‘pure’ Russian bloodline.
Their aggression toward her is tangible, that’s why I didn’t want to give them more tangible reasons to act against her. She’s not to draw their attention to herself. At all.
Lia releases a second sigh and I lean in, pretending to grab a piece of bread as I whisper, “What is wrong with you?”
She flinches, her hand fisting around her fork as she meets my gaze with her wide one. “Why are you asking?”
“You haven’t been paying attention or eating.”
“It’s n-nothing.”
“Lia,” I warn under my breath.
“It’s Jeremy,” she blurts. “I’m worried about him.”
I don’t believe her, not because she’s not concerned about Jeremy, but her tone suggests it’s only an excuse.
She secretly touches the side of my jacket, her nails digging softly, almost hesitantly, into the material. “Can we go home?”
I don’t miss the way she calls my place ‘home’ or how her voice shakes around the word.
She probably considers it one because of Jeremy, but I still take a moment to let that word sink in as I stare at her. At her desperation and the way she’s breathing heavily. There’s definitely something wrong with her, and I’ll figure it out, but that’s for later.
Shaking my head once, I say, “I have a business meeting to attend.”
She drops her hand from my side and focuses back on her food, shoving a forkful in her mouth. I force myself to look away from her because she’s had my attention more than I like to show.
I catch Kirill’s smirk from my peripheral vision. He’s sitting on my left, licking his fork and wearing a cunning smile. The motherfucker.
For the rest of the dinner, I don’t glance in her direction again, even when I catch her stealing glimpses at me, begging me with her eyes to take her and leave.
There’s nothing I want to do more than that, but Sergei has called for a meeting after dinner. Not only for the elite members of the brotherhood, but he also asked the heads of the other crime organizations to join us. As a show of respect to Igor’s rank, he invited Lazlo, the Don of the Luciano family, and his underboss. There’s also Kai, the second-in-command of the Yakuza branch in New York, and his leader, Abe, an old man who has the temper of a silent mountain. Yet he’s been actively bugging Damien during the entire dinner, something for which our own black bull is about to shred the table to pieces. He has absolutely no patience whatsoever when it comes to using diplomatic methods.
A few other members from the Triads are also seated at Sergei’s table. I need to be at that meeting tonight. Which means I have to leave Lia again. Under the circumstances, that’s the last thing I want, but at least Kirill and Damien will be there with me and I won’t have to worry about them.
Yan has been given clear orders to keep an eye on her from afar.
As soon as dinner ends, everyone stands. When Lia gets up and starts to follow me, I say, “Stay here,” without turning toward her.
If I see her, if I get caught in her soft features