Although I was still at a loss as to what I wanted, let alone knowing what my uncle would do after digesting the information.
“You care for this man.”
His statement was offered flatly, devoid of emotion as I’d seen him engage in just before all hell had broken loose. My observation skills had never failed me.
There was no lying my way out of the truth, even if I wasn’t certain if my heart was playing the fool. “I do. What we share is an entirely different perspective on the world. He’s very much like me.”
“What are you asking, Vivian?”
“That you don’t have one of your goons touch him. Consider it my one favor. I won’t ask anything else of you.”
His expression didn’t change for a full thirty seconds. When he relaxed, I was able to take a deep breath. “Alright. I will allow him to live. However, if he has any desire to interfere with my business, I will not continue to be so generous.”
Obviously, he’d underestimated Kirill’s power, but right now, that was what I’d hoped to achieve. “Thank you, Uncle Sean.”
“Be careful who you fall in love with.”
“I’m always careful.” Although I was no longer certain I was capable. “Do you know who the Ghost is? Have you heard any rumors on the streets?”
“I have not.”
He was lying.
But I smiled and removed my hand from the weapon. I certainly didn’t want to be the one to start a never-ending war. “You always told me family was important. The man called the Ghost tried to assassinate the most important people in Kirill’s life.”
His deep breath was held for several seconds. “I understand.” Whether or not he would honor my request remained to be seen.
“Okay. I need to get back to the hospital.”
My uncle waved his hand, dismissing me. I noticed I was still being watched very closely as I would be especially now. I turned to leave and my uncle’s chuckle sent a chill all the way to my bones.
But not nearly as much as what he said.
“Be careful bringing a gun to a meeting. I would hate for anyone to misconstrue the reason. You are my niece and I love you. And I would suffer greatly in sharing the news with your father that anything happened to you. Yes, I would hate that very much.”
CHAPTER 20
Kirill
“Nu i chto tut u nas? Chortovo russkoye otreb’ye.”
Well, what do we have here? Fucking Russian scum.
The man’s laugh rolled through me, the dark tone echoing. I took a deep breath, offering the woman seated across from me a quiet, but pointed look.
Arina’s lower lip quivered, her eyes darted back and forth from the man holding the gun behind me and my face.
I took the time to cut another bite of steak, enjoying the sight of the blood oozing from the bright red meat. As I took a bite, the entire restaurant was instantly silenced, but they refused to look toward our table, as if by not doing so nothing bad would happen.
As a child would do when approached by monsters.
The meat was succulent and delicious with the perfect amount of spice.
“Kirill,” Arina whispered, hoping to grab my attention. She was very well aware of my lifestyle as hers was similar, a woman of Russian royalty who’d somehow found herself attracted to me. The only woman I’d spent more than a few hours with. There’d been discussions of marriage, an alliance that would create a steel bond between two of the most powerful families in Russia.
And there were those who’d prefer that the marriage not take place, willing to take my life to ensure that didn’t occur.
I enjoyed the bite, chewing several times before swallowing. The tension was rising, the motherfucker behind me growing impatient.
