Chapter 35 #2
Ryder, Dex, and the Perez security fan out around the room like the rest of the security detail. I hate that they can’t be right here with me, but I need eyes everywhere.
Gage leads me to the table with Poletti and Perez written on the place cards, thankful the people throwing the gala rearranged the tables so we can sit together. I sit in the chair Gage pulls out for me; he and Leo sit on either side of me, with Evander and Mateo in front of us.
I look around the room and lock eyes with none other than Viktor Orlov, his dark eyes matching his sons. His beautiful wife, Nina, sits at his side along with Alexey and Dmitri. I give Viktor a tight smile before looking away.
“Viktor to our left,” I say under my breath. They all nod but don’t look. “I need to make my presence known. Then you two owe me a dance.” I look between Leo and Gage.
“I don’t get a dance?” Mateo pouts.
Gage snorts. “Sure. If you want your fucking arms ripped off.”
Leo laughs, then shrugs at Mateo. “I warned you outside.”
Leo pulls my chair out, taking my hand when I stand. “M’lady,” he says with a grin.
“You guys are the worst,” I laugh, then make my way through the crowd.
Several people greet me on my way through or politely nod their heads in respect. It’s still surreal that people show me the type of respect they showed my dad.
I walk to the bar and order a glass of wine.
I turn around while taking a sip, scanning the room.
My eyes land on Ryder leaning against the wall with his line of sight on me and look to his left, pinpointing Dex doing the same, knowing when I move, they mirror me.
They both look sexy as hell leaned back, eyes locked onto me.
I give them a flirty smile before turning back to the bar.
“You look beautiful, Les.” What the actual fuck?
“What are you doing here, Zane?” I ask without looking in his direction, ignoring his compliment.
“I was invited.” I finally look at him, and he nods toward a blonde at the end of the bar. I raise an eyebrow. “The person I wanted to take me wasn’t interested.”
I look harder at him. “Do you mean me?”
He grins, flashing his perfect white teeth. “I do, Beautiful.”
I roll my eyes. “Keep dreaming, Zane. I’m spoken for.”
I can’t help but glance over him in his perfectly tailored tux. Zane is fucking hot, and he knows it.
“By who? Leo Perez?” He snorts.
I turn my body to face him and lift a hand when I see Ryder getting ready to move, stopping him in his tracks. I look Zane directly in the eyes, leaning closer to his ear. “You think you have what it takes to take me away from him?” I whisper, letting my breath brush against his ear.
“Yes. I do,” he says confidently. I smile, making him think he has me.
“What about from four other guys?”
He jerks his face back. “What?”
I smile bigger, but it’s not friendly. “You can figure it out, Zaney baby.” I pat him on his chest and step around him.
He grabs my arm to stop me. “What does that mean?” he growls.
I look pointedly at his hand and then back to him. “Unless you want to lose that hand, I suggest you remove it. I held Ryder off once; I won’t do it again.”
“You need Ryder to protect you now?” he sneers.
“No, but I’d love to watch him take out seven years of aggression on you.”
He drops my arm, giving me a long lingering look. “You do look beautiful,” he repeats softly before returning to his glaring date. I give her a smug smile before turning away.
“Dance with me?” Gage asks, coming up beside me and sliding an arm around my waist; no doubt he was on his way when Zane was talking to me.
I lay my glass of wine on the bar and hold out my hand. “Gladly.” He slides his hand into mine and leads me to the dance floor.
We may hate these things, but dancing around the floor to classical music is always fun.
Dad beat dance lessons into me growing up because these types of events are common.
I taught Gage later when Dad realized he was the perfect type to fit my date.
When we were younger, and my dad was still alive, Gage and I would make an appearance, then disappear to get drunk somewhere when dad wasn’t watching.
Gage slides one arm around my waist when I slide my arms around his neck, gliding around the floor. We are much closer this time than we were at previous ones.
“What did Zane want?” he finally asks.
“Same old shit,” I shrug. “It doesn’t matter.”
“He’s glaring a hole through my head,” Gage grins and leans in to kiss me. That would answer one of the questions Zane is probably asking himself. He pulls back. “God, you look amazing.”
We dance two more songs; just when I’m about to find Leo, Alexey walks up behind Gage. “May I cut in?”
Gage gives him a stern look. “Watch your fucking hands.” With that warning, he pecks my lips, but he doesn’t go far. He leans against the bar, his eyes locked on me.
I slide my arms around Alexey’s neck, and to his credit, he is cautious about where he puts his hands. Alexey and Dmitri are walking wet dreams even without the tuxes, then you slap a tailored one on them, and they look like they stepped out of a magazine cover.
“You look radiant, Moye sokrovishche.”
Remembering what Holden said, I lift an eyebrow. “Cool it with the pet names.”
He chuckles. “Your men don’t like it?”
“You know they don’t.” I tilt my head to the side. “What did you need, Alexey?”
He casts a glance over my shoulder. “You know the boardroom in the back?”
“Yes.”
“Meet us there in five minutes.”
“You know I won’t be alone,” I remind him. The guys will kill me if I disappear without them.
He nods. “I know.”
I take a longer look at him and notice he looks worried. Alexey and Dmitri don’t have a care in the world, or so I thought. “Five minutes,” he reminds me and turns me around to face Leo, who walked up.
We take the same stance and start swaying to the music. Leo probably never learned the fancy dances, but I’m happy to just be in his arms.
“What’s the deal?” he asks, watching Alexey disappear into the crowd.
“We have to meet them in five minutes in the boardroom.”
“I see you finally learned the word we,” he quips.
“Ha. Ha,” I joke back.
“Who was the guy at the bar?”
I brace myself. “Zane.”
“The cop Zane?” he hisses. “Why is he here?”
I shrug. “He said he was invited.”
“That doesn’t worry you?”
“Not really. He can’t start shit here. He’s surrounded by criminals,” I point out. The cops could raid this place right now and have nothing to go on.
He looks over my shoulder and narrows his eyes. “I don’t like the way he watches you.”
“Leo,” I say softly, waiting for him to look at me; I kiss his lips when he does.
“I don’t give a fuck about Zane Ayers. He’s a means to an end.
” Part of that is true anyway. “I need him on my side until he’s no longer of use to me.
” He nods his understanding. “We need to go talk to Ryder. I want that boardroom checked before we go in.”
“You don’t trust them?” he asks, grabbing my hand and leading me to where Ryder is standing.
“I don’t trust Viktor hasn’t pulled them into his games with his usual threats.”
Leo frowns. “Those are his sons, and he would hurt them?”
“In a heartbeat,” I answer.
“What’s up, Il mio sole?” Ryder asks when we’re standing in front of him. I relay what Alexey said and that I want the boardroom searched. He nods. “I’ll be back to get you.” He squeezes my hand on the way by to talk to Dex and Evander’s guys.
I tell Gage everything when he walks up, and Ryder walks back up to us within minutes. “It’s clear.”
I look at Leo. “I need your eyes out here,” I tell him. He frowns, and I rub my hand down his face. “I’m not cutting you out. I need eyes on Viktor.”
He gives me a doubtful look. “Okay, Baby,” he agrees before walking back to the table.
“That man’s ass was made for a tux,” Gage remarks, watching Leo walk away.
“For fucks sake, Gage,” Ryder laughs, leading us back to the boardroom.
“It is,” I agree, making Dex chuckle.
“Such a greedy girl,” Dex says, pulling open the boardroom door.
I grin at him when I pass to let him know I am and wasn’t ashamed of that.
We take our seats and don’t have to wait long for Alexey and Dmitri. They sit across from us, and I see they are both wearing resigned expressions.
This can’t be good.
“I’ll cut to the point, Alessa,” Alexey says, enunciating my name after what I told him about pet names. “We need your help.”
I raise an eyebrow. “You kind of picked a bad time, guys. I’m a bit busy.”
Dmitri nods his head. “We understand. We wanted to talk to you before, but there was never a good time.” He sighs, running his hand through his hair. “It’s Mama.”
My ears perk up. Nina, their mom, is such a sweet lady. Why she’s with the likes of Viktor, I will never know. She’s no taller than five feet even, long black hair barely streaked with grey and the prettiest, kindest brown eyes I’ve ever seen.
“What’s wrong with your mom?” Ryder asks, sitting up in his chair. He feels the pull toward Nina too, since we both grew up without moms. She always doted on us whenever she was around, and Viktor’s back was turned.
“Father,” Alexey grits out. “He laid hands on her.”
Gage sits up too. “Excuse me?” he asks, feeling the same way as Ryder and me.
“He’s always been a monster. But we didn’t realize how much of one until we saw it first fucking hand,” Alexey says, his jaw flexing, showing his emotion. “We aren’t around much because we don’t want to be, and we missed the signs.”
“This isn’t your fault,” I soothe, looking at Gage, Dex, and Ryder. They all nod in agreement. “What can we do?”
“We need your help getting her out. She’s in full agreement but knows she can’t just leave. He will kill us all,” Dmitri answers with the same emotion as Alexey. How in the fuck could you raise a hand in anger to a woman as sweet as Nina?
“You will have to give me some time, but I’ll come up with something. Meet me at the games on Tuesday.”
“Thank you,” Alexey says with sincerity and relief.