She shakes her head and puts her book down. “Okay, but we have to stop by the coffee shop downstairs. I want a vanilla matcha latte.”
“A vanilla matcha latte? Since when do you like those?”
“Since I tried one a week ago and my life was changed forever.” She tosses the blanket off and gets to her feet. That oversized T-shirt that she’s wearing as a dress looks familiar…
One of mine.
Fucking adorable.
“I’m going to go change,” she says. When she passes by me, I get the urge to pull her to me and kiss her until she’s breathless, but she seems excited about this latte.
I suppose I can wait.
We’re putting on our shoes when the phone that’s connected to the concierge desk rings.
I grab it off the cradle. It’s probably a package. “Hello?”
“Mr. De Luca, you have a visitor.”
“Who is it?”
“Mr. Garin and his wife,” Alec says.
I frown. What the fuck? They’ve shown up uninvited?
“Did they say why they’re here?”
Blake lifts her head at my tone. Leaving the laces on her sneakers alone, she stands up, her brow furrowed.
“No, sir. Should I ask?”
Is there a chance Maksim’s here to take me to the pakhan? My pulse picks up speed. It’s possible.
It’sverypossible. No warning. No time to prepare. Seems about right.
Why the fuck would he bring Ekaterina, though?
“It’s just the two of them?”
“Yes.”
I assess the risk. Two things could be going on here. Either he wants to negotiate a bit more, or he’s here to say the pakhan's agreed to a meeting.
I’ve got to let them up.
“Okay, send them in.” I hang up the phone. “Maksim and Ekaterina are here.”
Blake’s eyes widen. “What do we do?”
“Go grab my gun from the office and bring it to me,” I tell her as I pull out my cell phone. I doubt I’ll need the gun. Maksim wouldn’t show up with his wife if he was here to try to kill me, but I’m not taking any chances. “I’ve got to call Gino.”
Unease slips into Blake’s expression, but she nods and jogs toward the office.
I dial Gino, counting each second he doesn’t pick up his goddamn phone.
Fuck. C’mon.
Finally, it connects. “Maksim is here at my condo with his wife. I don’t know why he’s brought her with him, but I think this could be it.”
