Chapter 16 #3
“Why the fuck would I know where Trish is? She’s your employee, ain’t she?
” Widow really throws in with that gravelly, homegrown Prescott accent of his and I love it.
I’ve got goose bumps listening to his voice rumble out from behind me.
He’s stationed just slightly to my right like a bodyguard.
In the crowd, Bohnes continues to slither, making his way over to one of the building’s many doors and disappearing through it. He better not go outside.
“How about Ernest? The police chief has also mysteriously disappeared. For some reason, I do feel like I saw that Adrian had a warrant…” Jonas trails off, tapping his chin. To anyone else, he probably appears disinterested. I can read his fury in his eyes, a refusal to be beaten.
Reminds me of my own eyes and that bothers me a little.
Insane people do insane things; that’s what makes us so dangerous.
“If you have something to say to either Ash or Widow, then you may address me or Scarlett instead.” Alexei keeps the smile on his face.
It’s not a real smile, of course. It’s also more than Mayor Kelly deserves, but we’re trying not to spook him.
If we let Jonas believe there’s a slim possibility that he can make it out of this without the mob trying to kill him, we can keep Ash safe until after we deal with Chet.
More of that delicious social maneuvering that I love so much.
“Lovely video of my son sucking your cock,” Jonas continues politely, taking advantage of our relative privacy in the corner of the room.
He looks specifically at Alexei when he says this, gauging his reaction.
Also smiling. His smile appears friendly, warm and genuine.
“Is he going to wear a dress to the church as well? Or is Scarlett your only bride and my son is simply your whore?”
I find myself another champagne, praying to God that I don’t end up poisoned tonight. It’s always a possibility when playing games with high stakes.
Wait until Jonas sees how much money he’s gonna lose tonight. I smile.
“Should the mayor of Springfield really have such a filthy mouth?” I wonder, sipping my drink and studying Jonas like the prey he is.
Burt wants to see what we do to people who screw the family over.
I’ll tell you this right now: it’ll be a lot more creative than a rat, a bucket, and a blowtorch.
“I thought you were a politician of the people?”
Mayor Kelly laughs and Ash’s breathing picks up behind me. His father’s eyes slip to the gap between my head and Alexei’s shoulder, zeroing in on his only remaining son.
“Not even a hello for your old man, Ash?” Jonas asks, using his son’s name so blatantly that even I’m surprised.
I thought it’d be in his best interests to keep pretending he was Aspen.
“I’m hurt. We’ve been missing you at home.
” The mayor puts his hand over the woman’s, squeezing gently.
She looks up at him with a relieved smile, like she’s grateful to him for something.
“Yua and I, we have something important to tell you.”
Ah. Yep. I was right.
It’s tough, being right all the fucking time.
Ash moves slowly around to stand on my left side while Widow stays behind us, never allowing us to have unguarded backs against a crowd of bejeweled daggers.
I see the rage in Ash’s eyes, the hatred that sweeps over him. His right eye twitches but that’s the only tell. He lifts the corner of his lip in a scowl.
“You brought the help to this party? You’re an embarrassment.” Ash meets his father’s gaze like he feels confident enough to take him on. Good. That’s how I want him to feel. Even if Jonas knows that Ash isn’t Aspen, it doesn’t matter. We’re way past that.
Where you at, Bohnes? If you’re not back in five, we’re going after you.
“No, son,” Jonas says, and I feel like his use of the word son is purposeful and punitive at the same time.
Damn. He’s completely cold. Aspen ran a little hot, but this is what anger looks like when every last molecule of it has turned to ice.
Jonas doesn’t care which twin is standing here.
Either way, he wants him to suffer. “You are the embarrassment, sucking dick on your knees like a streetwalker.”
Jonas smiles sadly and lifts Yua’s hand up to his lips for a long, lingering kiss to the knuckles. His eyes never leave Ash’s.
“Embarassing?” Alexei replies, like he’s genuinely confused by the statement.
“How so? We’re in love. Relationships in this day and age are invariably complicated, aren’t they?
My family supports us though. That’s all that matters.
” He rests an aristocratic hand on his chest, using the other to take hold of Ash’s wrist.
With his green eyes on Jonas, Alexei strokes a gloved thumb over Ash’s pulse before raising their hands to his lips.
Without flinching, the germaphobe mobster runs his hot tongue along the path he just traced with his thumb.
Ash looks bored and rich, like he’s perfectly okay being the plaything for a Borisov.
Ooh.
Yes.
More of this.
“I do hope my family is as supportive as yours.” Jonas gets dimples when he smiles even wider, glancing down at Yua with something like hunger in his eyes.
It’s hideous to look at. “Ash, I’d like to get your blessing for my relationship with Miss Ito.
After all these years of loyal service, I’ve realized how deeply my feelings for her run. ”
“You brought a hostage out in public? I imagine that may impact your gubernatorial campaign.” Ash is cold, his voice devoid of his British accent.
Not on purpose, I don’t think. Not this time.
“You should be more careful. What if there are reporters?” A twitchy smile from Ash.
“Or journalists. Since Trish has been missing work, who would be there to help you out with any ensuing PR disasters?”
“Yua was worried that you were setting her up, Ash.” Jonas sounds sympathetic, dressed in a dark gray suit and a philanthropic smile. “She rightly assumed that you’d given her stolen money with the purpose of framing her. She’s never trusted you. Thank God that she came to me for help.”
Ash is holding it all together somehow. Even his eye has stopped twitching. He murmurs something in Japanese that causes Yua to flinch and Jonas to smile even wider in response. Widow curses under his breath, like maybe he understood some of that. I’m pretty sure Yua speaks little to no English.
“You’re going to kill her anyway.” Ash tucks a hand casually into the pocket of his suit jacket, cavalier and spoiled and bored. His lush mouth is downturned and engraved with hatred. “Why bring her here and show her off in public? Won’t people want to know what happened if your date ends up dead?”
“Kill her?” Jonas feigns surprise at the accusation, and then he laughs again.
“How could you make such a baseless accusation? Yua and I are just getting to know each other on a deeper level.” Jonas’ mouth curls up with barely suppressed glee as the implications of that statement wash over Ash.
He knows his dad is fucking her—with or without her consent.
Ash tries again to speak to Yua in Japanese.
Whatever he says has the opposite effect on her.
She appears frightened and disgusted, taking her arm from Jonas’ and storming off through the crowd in the direction of the women’s bathrooms. Polina went that way earlier, excusing herself from her father’s side.
I know that hallway is where the bathroom is because I studied maps of the winery extensively before we ever got here.
“Now that Yua’s excused herself, let’s talk turkey.
” I throw the rest of my drink on Jonas, just like I did to Aspen at Lem’s party, and the entire room falls silent for a brief few seconds before exploding with loud gossip.
I hand the glass off to Widow, leaving him to dispose of it.
I’m not smiling anymore. Neither is Jonas.
Now we’re the ones staring at each other, me and him.
“You’re not in any current trouble with the family, Mr. Mayor. You tryin’ to start some?”
Jonas sighs and pulls out a handkerchief, pretending to be disaffected by the disrespect. He dabs at the stain with a small frown.
“I’ve done nothing but act in both Pavel’s and the family’s best interests.
You stand there, Miss Force, like you’ve won something.
All you’ve succeeded in doing is placating the Borisovs.
What my son has to do with any of that is beyond me.
” Jonas’ lamblike expression gives me that uncanny valley effect. So unsettling. “He needs to come home.”
“So it’s he this time, and not it?” I wonder, tilting my head and peering up through the lace of my little veil.
“I don’t think so, Jonas. That’s not how this works.
If I were you, I’d let Ernest and Chet take the fall and carefully remove yourself from the equation.
Uncle Burt doesn’t dislike you just yet. ”
“Burt appreciates a bit of creativity.” Jonas gives Ash another once-over, both of them rigid and cold and emotionless.
“It’s boring with only one of them left.
It was so much more fun when I could pit the twins against each other.
” Jonas smiles again, the corners of his eyes crinkling.
He looks so normal. It’s freakish to hear those words come from his mouth and see this feigned naivety on his face. I can’t wait to crack that smugness.
I check my phone, not at all surreptitiously. Damn. Bohnes now has sixty seconds left until I tear this place apart in search of him. Still got eleven minutes until the money transfer.