Chapter 10
Alexei
"Boss," Yuri hurries up to me as I make my way to the driver's seat. "Let me drive you home."
"Did I not mention that you'll be staying here to keep an eye on our target?"
He goes rigid, turning still like a statue outside my door. "I'm sorry." At least he knows he screwed up tonight. I wonder if he's simply saying the words or he knows what he did wrong.
I'm betting on the former.
"Dimitri is awaiting punishment at the hotel. It was never his intention to hit you with that bottle, he just wanted to move the fight closer."
He speaks softly so I know we're not being over heard but still I step outside to look down at this incompetent man. The only thing he did right today was organise that bar fight, which I'm sure Dimitri had a hand in, not him.
He couldn't even get my car right and now Daphne must be sitting in her tiny room, wondering all sorts of things about us. I saw the look of suspicion on her face when she was looking around the car.
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class Guard isn't something you usually see on the streets, let alone in the hands of two transfer students. We had it imported all the way from Russia. I can only pray that she didn't notice it was bullet proof.
"Tell Dimitri it's fine. The bottle hitting me actually helped." I square my shoulders and Yuri takes a step back, face scrunched up in confusion. I knew it, the fool doesn't even know what he did wrong.
Dimitri on the other hand, performed perfectly. Not only were all my men disguised as red necks, their accents were perfect American and they cleared the scene before any cops arrived. The bottle hitting me square in the back and shattering on the floor was just the icing on the cake.
It's the first time I saw concern lighting Daphne's delicate features, unlike the usual skepticism she wore on her face like second skin.
She maybe suspicious of us but she let her guard down after tonight. And thanks to her drunk friend, I saw her room and that black dress. The dress that brought back all those memories.
I rub my hands together as the chill of the night settles in and then realise that Yuri - the eyesore - is still there, standing in front of me.
"Out of all the cars we have, why did you have to take this one?" I seethe, glaring at him.
"I'm so sorry boss. I didn't think--."
"Yes, you never seem to do that." Just then my phone rings, interrupting the silence around us. Up ahead, a group of students stumble along the grass, losing their footing as they laugh out loud.
"Alexei," my brother's breathy voice greets me as soon as I answer. "She's waiting for you at the hotel."
"You're going to have to be more specific. I know a lot of 'she's."
I lean against the car door, tilting my head at Yuri, gesturing for him to leave. He nods in subservience and runs up the stairs. His next task will be to bug Daphne's room, since he stole Stacey's keys sometime during the night.
One of the few things he did right.
I sigh to myself. If only Daphne was as unassuming and flirtatious as her friend. This whole thing would be so much easier if she was.
"The Greek Principessa Elina. She's fuming that you stood her up today at dinner. First time that's happened, apparently."
"Oh is that so." I mutter. I'd purposely ignored all messages regarding this ridiculous arrangement between my brother and the Greek mafia. Yes, it helped to strengthen our connections, but I'm in no way desperate and I definitely don't answer to a mafia brat.
"You should at least have the courtesy to cancel, Alexei. The last thing we want is to piss off her father."
"One - I didn't know of your plans. Two - do you honestly think I care about that old fart? I already told you to drop this, consider what happened your fault, Viktor. You handle it." I get in the car and start the engine, putting him on speaker.
He clears his throat and I just know by that tone of voice that I'm not going to like what comes out next. "Well the thing is, I'm in DC at the moment and she's well....she's at your hotel."
The brakes screech when I stop the car suddenly, jerking backwards in my seat. "At the penthouse? My house?"
"She's at the lobby. And she's causing a scene in front of the guests," he mumbles in embarrassment.
Perfect, just what I needed. More attention to what used to be our under the radar family.
"I'm going to kill you, Viktor. After I kill this stupid girl." I grit out, zooming past the gates of Daltech. I take a few turns, heading down the freeway that leads to the city.
"I'm sorry. I thought you knew. I sent you the location and everything. What were you doing anyway?"
"None of your goddamn business," I snap. "If she ruins my hotel, I ruin your campaign." I then hang up and ignore his calls until I reach the tall, slender building with the words - The Roman Court - plastered in elegant gold over the imposing obsidian entrance.
The doormen recognise my car instantly and rush over when I stop by the dark marble steps that lead to the foyer.
"Where is she?" I ask Dimitri, who is waiting for me by the entrance, his previous get up discarded and exchanged with a sleek dark suit and ear piece.
"Ms Elina is at the bar. She has some men with her, and we don't want to make a scene so we were told to wait for you," he tells me urgently and I sigh out loud. It's too late for this, all I want to do is lie down and ice my back which has begun to ache.
I walk up to the bar and it's easy to spot the girl who smashes a glass on the floor by her feet. She grabs another one and gulps down the swirling dark brown whiskey, then raises a hand in the air.
I grab the glass and tell Dimitri to clear the place. There are still some guests seated by the windows, watching the scene unfold with wide, curious eyes.
The girl whirls around in her sky high heels, nearly losing her balance, until her dark brown eyes meet mine. Her face is plastered with make up - thick white foundation and kohl rimmed eyes that have smudged on the sides.
I force the glass out of her hands, eyeing the rest of the shattered shards of crystal that lie at our feet. She must have broken at least ten glasses and I'll be sure to bill her for it.
She snatches her hand out of mine and glares at me. "You. Stood. Me. Up. No one does that to Elina Vasilakis."
So much pride emanating from that pouty mouth of hers. The girl stands tall in her ridiculous heels and I notice she's covered in a thick Chanel coat. She tucks her hair back, revealing Chanel earrings and the Cartier bracelets that adorn her wrists.
Born and bred in luxury but lacking all the class. She doesn't get a reaction out of me and this makes her scowl. By now the bar is empty, save for her bodyguards and my men.
"What do you have to say for yourself?" she demands and I almost chuckle at her bossy tone because this woman is nothing. She doesn't deserve any explanation.
She then grabs a glass and throws its contents at my chest, the cold liquid drenching my shirt. There's a sharp intake of breath behind me and Dimitri takes a step forward whilst her body guards do the same. They halt in their steps when I hold up a hand to stop them.
I then take another glass filled with liquid and flick it in her direction. It hits her face, making her sputter as she frantically wipes her cheeks.
"Are you done with the temper tantrum now?" I ask pointedly and her mouth falls open in shock.
Her body guards rush up to us as I tug her out of the bar and she drags her heels on the floor, the scratchy sound grating my ears.
"What are you doing?" she complains, trying to wriggle out of my hold. "I'm too drunk to go home. Put me up here. Viktor said I could sleep in one of your guest rooms."
Fucking Viktor.
"I don't allow trash in my hotel. Get the hell out."
"Boss, we could put her up in one of our hotel rooms. It's best to let her sleep it off." Dimitri whispers next to me. "Her father knows she's here."
"No, I want to sleep in the penthouse." Elina suddenly grabs my arm, pulling me closer and her nails dig into my biceps. She bats her eyelashes up at me, smiling coyly.
What in the..? Is this woman alright up there?
"I don't allow women up there. You can book a hotel room like all the other guests." I quickly release her, wanting to get as far away from this crazy woman as possible.
She laughs out loud, all smug and entitled. I wonder if she's ever heard the word 'no' in her cosseted, sheltered life.
"I'll see your infamous penthouse eventually, Mr Alexei Romanov. After all, we'll be getting married."
Her voice rings through the empty foyer and I don't like how certain she sounds. Like she knows something I don't. Her body guards drag her out the revolving door and I cherish the silence that follows.
Never thought a woman's voice could grate my nerves like that.
I shake my head and head towards the back, to the set of private lifts that lead to the penthouse. I study my reflection as the lift glides upwards, noticing the disheveled stained shirt.
This is why I've never had girlfriends before. Never entertained the idea of a relationship, much less the thought of bringing anyone up here. I only hook up outside or in one of the hotel rooms downstairs.
It's much easier that way, without all that emotional bullshit.
Up here, I have my peace, my sanctity and my privacy. Only Greta has the authorisation to come in and she always leaves before the sun sets.
Screw that dumb Elina brat. She's never setting foot in here. No one is.
I walk into the living room and the lights turn on automatically, illuminating the large space. My phone rings again, making me groan.
What now?
"Speak, Yuri." I snap, heading towards the fridge to grab a bag of ice. I sit down and lean against it, wincing when it touches the sore spot on my back.
"It's about Daphne."
I immediately sit up straighter when I hear her name. "What about her?"
"She left her room. She's walking in the foyer, whispering to someone on the phone."
"Then what are you doing speaking to me. You should be listening in on her!"
"Yes, boss. On it, boss." I cut the line and stare up at the ceiling, trying to relax. I'm tired and exhausted, but my body is wired, my thoughts swirling as I think about Daphne and what else she might be hiding.
I close my eyes, remembering the gold flecks in her eyes and the scowl on her face before she slammed the door on me. The sight of her angry brought a smile to my face.