Then I slam the door shut and take off running through the stopped cars.
Chapter 23
KATYA
The icy blonde playing gatekeeper at Silk looks down her nose at me. “Are you a member?”
I don’t blame her for looking at me as if I’m a feral squirrel who ran out of Central Park and just dropped dead at her feet. I’m breathless after my mad dash from the subway, and I’m wild-eyed and desperate. Even worse, I’m dressed in yoga pants and a loose-fitting tee to avoid arousing Antonio’s suspicion for our shopping trip. The elegant beauty wearing a chic designer dress looks like she’s either had the best doctors that money can afford honing her face into a masterpiece, or she has runway models for parents.
“I’m not a member, but I need to see my brother, Dmitri Sidorov,” I explain, all too aware of the sweat running down my forehead and back.
“Mr. Sidorov is your brother?” The blonde frowns at me, eyes narrowing.
“Yes, he is, and I need to speak with him. It’s an emergency.”
I’m trying to hold on to my thin grasp on my patience, but it’s fraying more by the second. What do I have to do? Show thiswoman my birth certificate? Give her a vial of my blood? I know Silk is exclusive, but this is borderline ridiculous.
“One moment, please,” the woman says, before pulling out a cell phone and tapping the screen.
She’s making a call, and it better be to Dmitri rather than to the head of security.
“Mr. Sidorov, there is a woman here to see you,” she announces in a breathy voice that’s far more pleasant than the tone she reserved for me. “She claims to be your sister.”
I hope Dmitri isn’t hopping into bed with this awful woman.
“Of course,” she says sweetly. “Yes, Mr. Sidorov.”
Then she hangs up and looks at me, her smile dying. “You can go. Igor will escort you.”
As if magically summoned, Igor appears from behind a sleek black door that opens for his massive frame. He’s as unsmiling as his feminine counterpart.
“Thanks,” I tell her dryly, and then I turn to my escort.
“This way,” he instructs me, nodding in the direction of the club’s dark interior.
I follow him in, and I instantly take note of the pleasant scent being piped in, along with the row of lockers and mirrors lining the hall. Everything is black, from the floors to the walls, with the exception of the mirrors. There are benches and chairs, and the lighting is dim. We make our way past a room of hot tubs, then on to a large shower area. The club is empty at this time of day, which is a relief to me.
Finally, Igor leads me to an elevator that’s cleverly hidden in the wall among the artwork and black wall paint. He types in an access code, and the doors open.
Then he gestures for me to go inside. “Through here. Mr. Sidorov is expecting you.”
I thank him and step inside, feeling odd to be on this side of my brothers’ world.
I don’t have much time to gather my thoughts before the elevator doors open directly into a massive office. Dmitri is sitting at a desk, but he stands when he sees me.
“So itisyou.”
“Who else would it be?” I step inside.
“Anyone. You’d be surprised what excuses people come up with to gain entrance to the club.” He strides toward me with arms open.
It’s not the greeting I expected. I’ve always been far closer to Dmitri than I ever was to Misha, but our relationship hasn’t exactly been warm and fuzzy. It’s been pretty distant ever since I left with Svetlana.
But I accept his hug anyway, because I feel like I could use one right about now.
We embrace, and he kisses both my cheeks. “You look upset. Is something wrong?”
I wonder how much he knows, if anything. There’s a real possibility that Dmitri is part of Misha’s plots and plans. But I have to take a risk and find out, for Svetlana’s sake.
