Chapter 20 - Mikhail
I almost forgot the fib I told Laurel to get her to think she was helping me out by agreeing to our fake marriage. I actually almost forgot it was a fake marriage. After that passionate night together, I was a little miffed she went back to her own room, back to pretending we were all business.
Now that I understood her better, I wasn’t going to push the issue and reopen old wounds.
She’d come back to me if I were patient, of that I was certain.
She might have lost count of the orgasms I gave her, but I knew exactly how many times I made her scream.
With our insane chemistry, it was only a matter of time until I heard all of her little noises again.
There was nothing I could tell her about why I kept getting called away at all hours of the night, but I was glad when she finally dropped her nonchalant act of not caring and asked.
It was true that it was all family-related and also true that she didn’t have to worry about it, but it was clear she wasn’t satisfied with my answer.
Now I had to arrange a family dinner, when everyone was on edge, waiting for the next attack, and frustrated as hell that no major group was claiming responsibility for any of them yet.
My father was especially irritated that one of his many trips with Tati to see the world was cut short.
He’d been threatening to go back to Japan and start searching for his old Yakuza enemies to see if they were still trying to claim Los Angeles for their own.
However, all I had to do was tell Mila the exciting news that I’d finally found the one, and we were already happily married.
She flew into action, and within minutes, I was getting questions and congratulations, and by the time I secured tables at Max’s Hollywood diner, everyone was all in on welcoming the new member of the family.
Only Mat and CJ knew the truth, but they were still up in Silicon Valley, and they would have taken the secret to the grave since they were still investigating Laurel and Canyon Vines. I still had a surveillance crew up there, tailing Rand, but I was considering pulling them from duty.
Laurel’s ex was a bitter asshole who had trouble letting go, but it didn’t seem like he was truly involved with anything shady.
Not anything that had to do with us, anyway.
CJ had discovered he was creative on his taxes to the point that the IRS might be interested in him, but getting rid of him that way wouldn’t be any fun.
Laurel went into the restaurant without me that morning since I was dead on my feet after following Aleks and Dima around, shadowing someone they were convinced would lead us to someone useful.
It was a bust, and I was sure the guy was onto us, playing us the whole time, but Aleks was so fed up and desperate to end these people that I kept it to myself.
After a long nap, I woke up refreshed and eager to show off my bride. I sent her the address of the diner and headed out, not wanting her to arrive before me and get freaked out by my overzealous family.
“Be nice,” I warned them when they were all gathered at the long, pushed-together tables in the private party area.
Outside in the main dining room, it was packed with up-and-coming celebrities and a few members of old Hollywood royalty that even I recognized.
A line had snaked down the block outside, tourists and regulars alike eager to eat the famous gourmet burgers and catch a glimpse of one of their favorite stars.
“We’re always nice,” my brother Luk said, then scowled. “Ilia and Oleg should be here, the little shits.”
I laughed at him calling our six-foot-plus twin brothers little shits, but most of the time, it was accurate.
“To be fair to them, they couldn’t have arrived tonight if they tried,” I said.
Last we heard from them, they were in Milan.
Or maybe it was Venice. They couldn’t stay in the same spot very long, for a multitude of reasons.
“Yeah, but they wouldn’t have tried,” he answered bitterly.
I didn’t have to try to defend the twins, because my wife peeked her head tentatively into the room and I hurried over to shout out a group introduction. “This is my wife, Laurel. Laurel, this is almost everybody.”
In a blink, she was swarmed. Mila, Nat, and Sofiya got to her first, asking to see her ring and horrified to find her finger empty.
“It needed to be fitted,” she said, covering for my lapse. Damn it, she should have had the biggest diamond in town. “It’s beautiful, though.”
Some of the wives muscled their way in, asking how we met and how I proposed, delighted to learn she worked for me.
“So cute,” Clementine said, who also worked for my cousin Rurik. “The perfect way to get to know each other.”
The herd finally parted to let us sit down, and Laurel blushed prettily while Aleks made a solemn toast. As the salads arrived, my father dragged his chair over and squeezed in between Laurel and Nat, who was sitting on her other side.
“Oh boy,” Nat muttered, making Laurel go pale.
Maybe I shouldn’t have laid it on so thick about my father.
“Don’t scare her,” my father boomed, drawing Laurel in for a hug. “I’ve been waiting for this moment. Finally, another daughter.”
Well, damn it. Maybe I should have briefed him first. I didn’t expect him to be disappointed or pissed off, but I also didn’t expect him to think his eldest son rushing into marriage was such a great idea when he’d sworn it off for so long. Tati must have really changed his outlook on romance.
His wife calmly called him back to his own spot down the line. “Now you’re really scaring her,” she said.
“Oh no, I’m so happy you’re happy,” Laurel said, giving me a stricken look over my father’s shoulder. I only shrugged.
“He’s putting on a show for everyone,” I whispered, feeling a mild stab of guilt. Now I’d have to keep her away from him until… when? This was why I hated lies; they kept stacking up until they collapsed.
Other than that, Laurel held her own during the salad course, barely taking a sip of wine, but nodding appreciatively at Max, who made a big deal about picking it out especially for her.
“We don’t actually have a sommelier,” he said. “Almost everyone orders the signature cocktails or good old-fashioned light beer.”
I made a face, and Sofiya piped up that too many people were obsessed with calories in this town, taking a big chug of her foamy, dark ale.
She knew what was good. After we ate our burgers, which no one could accuse of being low-calorie, Sofiya and Clem slipped out, returning with a rolling cart weighted down with a huge wedding cake.
“Since you couldn’t wait two darn weeks for the masters to throw together a wedding, we figured you should have a cake.”
“Um, we don’t throw together anything,” Mila sniffed. “Nat and I carefully craft the best weddings money can buy on the strictest timelines.” She faked a scowl at me. “But yeah, you could have waited a couple of weeks so we could have our fun.”
Laurel was bright red when we were urged to get up in front of everyone to cut the cake together, but her smile seemed real when she laid her hand on top of mine as I held the knife.
Once we were stuffed with cake, some of my cousins who had babysitters waiting at home left, and the rest of us crowded out to the dance floor where some band that must have been popular in LA was setting up.
“It’s like old times,” I said, sweeping her into my arms as the first chord rang out.
Within seconds, the dance floor was packed, and I swirled Laurel off to the side, where I could have her to myself and not get trampled.
“What’s it been?” she asked, playing along, running her hands up my chest as we bounced to the beat. “A week?”
“I think it’s been two,” I said. “Time flies when you’re having fun.”
“I’d give half my fortune for them to play a slow song,” I said, the next time I swung her close.
“Just half?” she asked, slowing down despite everyone jumping and gyrating around us.
Her fingers locked around my neck, and we swayed, locked in each other’s gazes. Who the hell cared what anyone thought?
Luk bumped into us, grinning at how foolish we were being and how little either of us cared. “Can I cut in?”
“Nope,” I said, turning my back on him.
“What about kiss the bride?” he asked.
“Fuck all the way off, Luk,” I said, making Laurel burst out laughing.
“Fine, hog the happiness,” he grumbled, forgetting all about us when a busty redhead draped herself over him and dragged him to the middle of the dance floor. Sofiya popped up and waved at us, quickly disappearing in the crush of people again.
“Looks like they’re buying it,” Laurel said.
I frowned and pulled her closer, giving her a searing kiss. I was glad everyone thought our marriage was real, just not thrilled that Laurel didn’t forget it wasn’t. Maybe she wasn’t convinced this was real yet, but she would be soon enough.