Page 69 of Queen’s Gambit

It still took Eddie a solid minute of glaring at Christov before he relinquished his hold on me. The tension was so high between them that you could choke on it.

Christov put his hand on my waist, and I could feel Eddie’s rage radiating throughout the room. No part of me wanted to dance with Christov, but to avoid an incident, we moved across the floor to a traditional song.

“Do not embarrass me,” he snarled under his breath after we moved deeper into the crowd.

“Excuse me?”

His hand tightened on mine until it felt like he was going to break my fingers.

“You heard me the first time.”

Glaring at Christov, I yanked my hand away. I didn’t care if we were drawing attention.

“You will not speak to me in that manner. This dance is over,” I growled under my breath.

Christov’s jaw twitched, his eyes furious, and the way he drew himself up, I was sure he was going to try and hit me. I welcomed it. My father and I had our differences, but he would kill Christov for laying a hand on me.

“Do it, and you won’t leave this house breathing.”

He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“You’re quite the bitch, but you’ll learn to obey your master.”

I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Who the hell do you think you’re talking to?”

“You’ll see.”

Christov stopped a server passing by, holding a tray of champagne. He winked, and my stomach flipped.

My insides were quaking as I turned and marched away. Christov was far too cocky, and I didn’t like it. Something was wrong, and I needed to find out what the hell it was.

“Yuli, Yuli.”

A small blur ran at me, and all the anger I’d been feeling vanished at the sight of my little cousin Nathaniel. He was wearing a black tux with a bright red shirt and looked so stinking cute with his hair cut in a little Mohawk. Every time I saw him, he was happy and singing, with a wide smile plastered on his adorable face.

“Happy Bithday,” he said, leaving out the R due to his missing front teeth.

Grabbing him under the arms, I picked him up and twirled him high in the air. He squealed and held his arms out like an airplane. I couldn’t get over his midnight black hair and onyx eyes that were so different from anyone else in the family. When he grew up, Nathaniel would turn heads.

“Yulianna, you look stunning,” Uncle Dimitri said.

Him and Aunt Helena walked over arm in arm and smiling. I only got to see them once a year and it was usually for a large family gathering like this.

“Thank you,” I said as Helena pulled me into a hug and squeezed me tight.

“It is so good to see you again. You’re practically glowing, my dear,” Helena said, as she stepped back so Dimitri could hug me next.

“I’m having a great time. It’s far too long between visits. I would love to visit you in California, if you’ll have me?”

“You’re welcome to our home anytime for as long as you’d like to stay,” Dimitri offered.

“Thank you, that means a lot to me and I’m excited to take you up on the offer. Are Ronan and Titus here?”

“They are with the rest of the boys causing trouble I’m sure,” Helena said, making me smile.

Turning my attention back to Nathaniel I poked him in the belly, and he laughed. “Do you want to dance,” I asked.