6. Emily
6
EMILY
I hate being late.
I especially hate being late to a lunch that I organized.
Granted, it’s with Danil, so I know he won’t mind, but still.
Summer is almost in full swing in New York and despite wearing a cotton sundress, I’m still sweating buckets after practically running from my lecture hall to the café where Danil and I have our weekly lunches.
I slump down into the seat opposite him and reach for a glass of water.
He smirks. “You’re freaking out about being late, aren’t you?”
As usual, he’s wearing his all-black ensemble that makes him look incredibly sexy, which only makes me more aware of the fact that I’m a sweaty mess.
“No,” I lie, which causes him to chuckle.
The deep rumble of his laugh sends a shiver up my spine.
I down my glass in one go. “Okay, fine, a little.”
“It’s okay, Emily.” He picks up the menu.
I don’t know why he’s bothering to read it. He always has the same thing—a club sandwich with extra bacon and a side of pickles.
“My lecture ran over because some girl got into an argument with the professor over some stupid economic principle that we’re not even going to be tested on, so it was a complete waste of everyone’s time and…” she frowns. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
Danil’s peering up at me over the top of his menu, wearing that sexy little smirk on his face.
I wonder if he has any idea that all the waitresses that work in this place have a huge crush on him. I don’t miss the way they all glance in his direction, and only ever pay him attention when they come over to our table.
It’s annoying, but also, who can blame them?
I know he’s constantly comparing himself to his brothers and Anton, but in my eyes, he’s the best out of all of them by a long shot. Not just in the looks department, but also in how incredibly kind and funny he is.
“Because you’re cute when you get all worked up.”
Heat scorches my cheeks.
He thinks I’m cute?
“Thanks?”
“You’re welcome.”
Danil disappears behind his menu again, and I take a moment to admire his tanned and muscular forearms that are on show. There’s just something about them that has my mind filled with many filthy thoughts.
“I am ridiculously thirsty.” I pour myself another glass of water and down the contents in one go when the waiter comes to our table.
We place our order, and the waiter walks away.
“Other than your lecture running late, how is your day going?”
I can’t help but notice that he’s avoiding eye contact with me. Instead, he’s running his finger around the rim of his coffee cup.
And then there was the hiding behind the menu even though he always orders the same thing…
Why is he being weird? Is it because he heard what Jana said at the bar the other night?
My body stiffens at the thought.
That must be it.
This is exactly what I was afraid of—that Danil would act differently around me if he learned how I truly felt about him.
But then again, Danil is never one to shy away from difficult conversations. Surely, if he overheard, he would have brought it up?
Between the stalker incident and the possibility of Danil learning about my true feelings, my head feels like it’s about to explode with all the thoughts that are swarming around inside of it.
With all that’s happened over the last couple of days, I can’t get my brain to focus. I spent an hour this morning finishing up a multiple-choice quiz that should have taken less than ten minutes, all because I couldn’t stop worrying about the guy who’s been breaking into my apartment.
Not only that, but when I avoid thinking about my stalker, my brain fixates on whether Danil overheard Jana telling me I should just fuck him.
He’s not brought it up that makes me think that he didn’t, so I should be relieved. But I’m not.
I guess on some level I was kind of hoping he had heard and would decide to act on?—
“Hello?”
I snap back to reality to find Danil smiling at me. “Huh?”
“Am I that boring?”
“You are many things, Danil Koslov, but boring is not one of them.”
He quirks an eyebrow. “Oh yeah? Then, what am I?”
“A pain in my ass?”
Danil throws his head back and laughs, and I find myself laughing too. Being around Danil never fails to make me feel better.
I smile at him. “So, what’s new with you?”
“Nothing much. Anton’s still following behind me with a whip to make sure I stay on top of things.”
I like Anton, but the way he’s treating Danil is completely unfair. He’s more than proved himself, so I don’t understand why Anton insists on treating Danil like a kid.
“Surely, he should back off soon, right? You’ve been working for him for a long while now, and the place seems busier than ever.”
“It is, but Anton likes to make sure I don’t forget who’s really in charge.”
“Maybe it’s time to branch out on your own. Open up your own place.”
Danil shrugs as he stares down at his coffee.
I wish he could see himself through my eyes.
Then his eyes lift to mine. “What else is new with you? How was the rest of your weekend?”
My stomach sinks.
“Uh…pretty uneventful.”
Danil narrows his dark eyes at me, and I try not to cringe under his stare.
I’m a terrible liar, and I want more than anything to tell Danil the truth about the guy who’s stalking me. But I’m not ready to answer the questions that are bound to follow, like how I met this guy.
I need to change the subject. Fast. “This weather reminds me of when you had that great idea to go to the beach to study. Do you remember?”
“Of course I do. It was a great idea! Fresh sea air, great view, amazing company…” His low tone makes me shiver.
“Sure, it was great, until the huge gusts of wind came in and sent my entire collection of notes flying all over the place.” I laugh. “I was so mad at you that day. I mean, who doesn’t check the forecast before suggesting something like that?”
“I was trying to be spontaneous, which is your fault. You were making fun of me because I plan too much.”
“You do plan too much.”
“Yeah, well, we had fun, though, didn’t we?”
“We always do.”
Danil smiles at me, and the way his eyes crease at the edges makes my heart melt.
That day might only be a fond memory to Danil, but it sticks in my mind for another reason.
Sitting on the sand, crying with laughter, as I watched him chase after my notes, was the moment I knew my feelings for Danil ran deeper than friendship.
“I remember you didn’t stay mad at me for long, seeing as I stayed up all night with you and helped you rewrite all your notes.”
“Only because you felt guilty.” I pick up my coffee and take a sip.
“That wasn’t the reason.” His voice is so low under his breath that I almost don’t catch the comment.
“What was the reason?”
“I just wanted to keep spending time with you.”
My eyes lock with Danil’s and for a second, time stops.
All I can see is the deep chocolate color of his eyes, and the thick dark lashes that surround them.
But then he looks away as his phone buzzes and time restarts.
“Sorry, it’s Anton.” He quickly types out a response.
“Have you pitched any of your ideas for Espionage to Anton? I remember you talking about doing theme nights and limited-edition drinks.”
“I did, actually.” He sets his phone down on the table. “I pitched him an idea for an exclusive event, and he surprisingly agreed to it. I think he must have been sleep deprived or something because I’ve never known Anton to agree to something so easily, but who cares, right?”
“That’s great! I’m excited for you.”
“Thanks, Em. If it goes well, Anton said he would consider letting me plan more stuff.”
“I thought you were the manager? Surely, you can do what you want?”
“Yeah, well, my idea of managing is completely different to Anton’s.”
His phone lights up again on the table, and I catch sight of the time.
I groan as I get to my feet. “Oh, no, I need to get going. I didn’t realize the time, and I’m going to be late for my next class.”
“Can’t you skip it?”
I’m almost tempted by the hopeful look on his face, but today is not the day to be playing hooky.
“I’m sorry. It’s a pre-exam prep class, and if I’m more than five minutes late, the professor won’t let me in.”
“Okay. Well, text me later.”
“Will do.” I grab my bag and head toward the door before I can talk myself into skipping my class.
One of my major character flaws is that I overbook myself and then complain about the fact that I’m busy. Zara says it’s because I don’t like to be alone with my thoughts, and she’s probably right.
Today happens to be one of those days.
Not only did I schedule lunch with Danil alongside a packed class schedule, but I am also hosting a dinner at my apartment for Zara, Dimitri, and my parents, and I don’t even have the ingredients to make said dinner.
“Why do I do this to myself?”
I pull out my phone and start typing out a shopping list as I’m leaving my lecture hall.
Hosting a family dinner became a sort of monthly ritual when I first moved out because if we didn’t schedule in time to see each other, we never would.
Despite my father being a retired cop, he still goes to the precinct regularly, and he also volunteers for various organizations that help underprivileged youths stay off the streets, so he’s always busy. It’s the same with my mom. She retired from full-time teaching a few years ago but still somehow ends up substituting at the local elementary as well as hosting various book clubs and coffee mornings.
I wonder where I get it from…
Booking in a monthly dinner means that my parents get a chance to catch up with both of their daughters at once, which I know means a lot to them.
After my exam prep class, I stop by the grocery store to get all the ingredients for dinner. I’ve always loved cooking and entertaining, so it doesn’t feel like much of a chore to host, though I do wish I had left myself a little more time, considering the fact that they’re all due over in less than two hours.
I will say I’m grateful that the twins are staying with Lucia and Mikhail tonight.
The first time I had everyone over, I insisted on Zara bringing Sasha and Ben too, but it turns out having twin toddlers confined in a small apartment is a recipe for disaster.
It’s a miracle they left me with any plants or books at the end of the night.
By the time I get home, I’m desperate to wash off all the grime and sweat that always seems to cling to my skin after a day in the city. So, after I quickly put the Mediterranean vegetables in the oven to roast, I jump in the shower.
I wish I had time to spend ages exfoliating my skin and washing my hair, but I don’t. So, I settle for a quick once over with my vanilla body wash and call it a day.
When I walk back into my bedroom, dripping wet and wrapped in a towel, I scream at the top of my lungs.
There is a man standing at the end of my bed, admiring the dress that I’ve laid out for dinner.
He’s huge, six foot four at a minimum, and easily over two hundred pounds, with a shaved head that is covered in tattoos.
My heart pounds in my chest as I realize there’s no way I’ll be able to fight this guy off. And there is still over an hour to go before dinner, so I’m all alone. No one will be here in a while, and I have no idea how I’ll be able to ditch this guy or even save myself.
Looking at him, it is clear locking myself in the bathroom would not stop him from taking me. He’d just blow the door away, like some big, bad wolf wannabe.
I don’t know if the security system Dimitri installed has some kind of alarm that is triggered by screaming, but I guess I’m about to find out.
“Get the fuck out of my apartment!”
He glances over his shoulder at me and grins when he notices my lack of clothing.
“I don’t think I will.” His voice has a heavy Russian accent, and he turns to face me completely.
Before I have a chance to scream again, he grabs me by the arm and yanks me toward him.
His fingers are calloused, and I squirm against his touch as he tightens his grip on me.
“You’re coming with me.” His hot breath scorches my face.
He reeks of sweat, and I fight the urge to vomit.
“Get the fuck off me?—”
The sound of knocking on my front door causes us both to freeze.
Oh, thank god.
I tear up as I realize help is here.
“That’s my father who’s a cop, or my brother-in-law who’s a bratva boss. It’s up to you if you want to stay or not.”
He narrows his gray eyes at me, as if trying to decide if what I’m saying is bullshit, but I don’t back down.
My life is literally in his hands, and I’m not about to give it up easily.
It seems whoever is waiting on the other side of my door poses enough of a threat to this guy that he releases his hold on me.
“You’ll be seeing me again.” He bolts for the open window.
My entire body sags as I watch him disappear out the fire escape into the night.
It’s a warm evening, and I didn’t want my room to get stuffy with the steam from the shower, but I should have known better than to leave my window wide open. Especially considering the fact that someone broke in only a few days ago.
The knocking sounds again, and I jump. I had almost forgotten that someone was waiting outside my door.
I only hope it’s not my father.
I stagger out of my room toward my front door and when I peer through the peephole to see Zara and Dimitri waiting on the other side, a strangled sob escapes me.
“There was a man,” I gasp the moment I open the door. “He was in my room?—”
Dimitri doesn’t even wait for me to finish before he storms into my apartment and heads straight for my room.
Zara’s eyes widen as she takes in my lack of clothing, as well as the dark red mark around my arm. “Emily? What happened?”
I pull her inside and shut the door. “You need to call Mom and Dad and cancel dinner. Tell them I’m sick or something. I-I can’t face them like this.”
“What the hell is going on?” Zara looks terrified, but I don’t have it in me to assure her that everything is all right, because I don’t believe it myself.
That man wasn’t the same guy from the party. So, either I have two stalkers, or whoever was just in my room is working for him.
The web I’ve found myself caught in is becoming more and more tangled by the minute.
“Zara, please .” I cover my mouth with my hand, trying to muffle my sobs.
I don’t want to freak my sister out, but also the adrenaline rush is wearing off, and the reality of what just happened is setting in.
I bury my face in my hands and let the sobs come.
“Of course, I’ll call them. But are you sure you don’t want Dad to come?”
“No…I-I don’t want to tell them.”
If my father ever learned the reality of what I’ve gotten myself into…
It’s not even worth thinking about.
Zara wraps her arms around me. “It’s okay, Emily. Dimitri will take care of it.”
As my sister hugs me tightly, all I can think is that I wish Danil were the one taking care of it. Taking care of me .