41. Kyril
41
Kyril
M y father had become increasingly tetchy. Any minute now, and he’d unleash the hounds of hell to bring me back to London. He and Ekaterina normally spent the holidays at our mansion in Moscow, but this year, they’d stayed in the Mayfair mansion.
I guessed it had something to do with whatever deal he’d cooked up with Lucian Forsyth.
When my phone rang for the millionth time, I finally picked up.
“ Otets .”
“Kyril, where the fuck are you?”
“With friends.”
“You should be here, not chasing pussy,” he snapped. “You’re my heir!”
“It’s New Year’s Eve. I’m sure you can cope without me.” I tucked my phone under my chin and buttoned my shirt. Declan’s club better be serving premium vodka tonight.
“It looks bad if my son can’t be bothered to show up for a party Ekaterina has spent months planning!”
A snort of laughter escaped. “I doubt Ekaterina did any of the work.”
“Do not insult my wife, Kyril,” Dad growled.
“Look, I’ll be back in a few days. Chill, old man.”
I ended the call and tucked my phone in my pocket.
As the heir to the Orliov Bratva, I had responsibilities to uphold, but I planned to move my base of operations to the States. Dad would not be happy about it, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense.
The US represented a whole new and potentially profitable market for us. The family owned a casino in New Jersey. At the moment, it was little more than a blip on the balance sheet, but with a bit of work, it could become our flagship operation on the East Coast.
Dad didn’t need me in the UK. The only reason he’d sent me here was to pick up a college degree. Well, two years of school was more than enough to tell me I didn’t need a fucking college degree to run the Bratva.
Besides, Cassian had all the smarts we needed. I planned to make him the brains of my operation. Milo could manage the tech side of things, and Lan could schmooze the clients. I wasn’t sure if Dario planned to stick around, but I’d bring him on board if he wanted. The guy had proven himself in Italy, and I could see he was in love with my girl.
“Hogmanay is a big deal for us Scots,” Landon was telling Milo when I walked in.
“Yes, it dates back to pagan times,” Milo agreed.
I looked around. “Where’s Thea? Is she not back yet?” It had been hours since she disappeared to talk to Declan. My pulse kicked up a notch.
“She’s with Eden. They’re getting ready in Eden’s room,” Landon said. “Eden texted me.”
“You banging Eden too?” Dario asked, always happy to wind Landon up.
“Eww, no.” Landon grimaced. “She’s like my sister. A really annoying sister.”
Having failed to provoke Landon, Dario picked up the bottle of whiskey sitting on the bar cart and poured himself a drink. He caught me watching him and lifted the bottle, but I shook my head.
Maintaining a clear head was essential. Until I’d reassured myself that Declan had plenty of security in place in the basement club, I couldn’t afford to relax. Not with Thea’s father out there somewhere.
From what Dario had told me, her father was becoming increasingly desperate. If he didn’t produce Thea soon, Marku would demand a refund. And unfortunately for di Luca, he had cash flow problems.
The door opened from the hallway, and we all turned around. For a moment, the world stopped spinning as I clapped eyes on the woman of my dreams.
She’d pinned her dark hair up, but a few loose curls escaped, framing her face. The dress she’d worn at the Christmas Ball had been spectacular, but this one stole my breath away.
Red silk with a thigh-high split. Tasteful yet sexy. Ruby red lips, smoky eyes, and towering heels completed the look.
Nobody spoke. Thea scanned each of our faces while looking nervous. “Too much?” she asked, a small hitch in her voice. Nobody spoke and her face fell. “I can change.” She half-turned toward the room she’d chosen, but Cassian grabbed her wrist.
“You look perfect,” he reassured her, saying what we were all thinking.
“Damn, I have a fucking hard-on now,” Landon grumbled.
“What are you, like 12?” Dario scoffed, but I noticed he could barely tear his eyes away from Thea.
“So it’s not too much, then?” Thea’s gaze found mine, her pretty eyes full of anxiety. For someone so confident in violent situations, she had very little confidence in her appearance.
It made me mad that she couldn’t see what we all saw: a beautiful, sexy woman.
“ Malyshka , I promise you will be the most beautiful woman here tonight,” I told her before taking her in my arms. “And if I have to spend the rest of my life telling you how beautiful you are every single day, then I consider it my duty.”
I curled my fingers around her slim neck and pulled her in for a kiss. For a moment, she tensed in my arms, but as the kiss deepened, she melted against me.
Dammit . Now Lan wasn’t the only fucker with a hard-on.