Page 103 of Deviant Need

He stares at me, then at Daniil. “Why would you close the door?”

Shit.

Daniil huffs a small laugh. Right now would be a really good time for him to magically be able to talk and say something, but he can’t, and it’s on me to come up with a lie.

“We were discussing whether you’re capable of smiling or if your face is just permanently stuck like that,” I deadpan.

Alexei’s expression doesn’t change, not even a twitch. He just stares at me with those dead brown eyes for a long moment. “Really.”

“I guess that answers our question,” I say, jumping back when he launches himself at me and tries to grab my shirt. I grin and raise my eyebrow at him. “Can’t even take a joke.”

“I was coming here to tell you—” he cuts himself off, jaw clenching, his hands ball into fists at his sides. “You know what? You’re not worth the words.” He turns on his heel and walks out.

“Close one,” Daniil says behind me.

“Yeah, but my winning personality kept him occupied. I don’t think he noticed.”

He cracks up and wraps his arms around me. I just hope the event goes the way we need it to. We have to put together a plan that actually works, something solid that gets rid of our father for good.

Chapter 24

Mikhail

My feet spin around, and I loop in another circle. I can’t stop pacing, the breath trapped in my lungs with nowhere to go. The walls feel like they’re closing in and my heart won’t stop slamming against my ribs. Our plan is solid, at least I think it is. The benzos I took earlier aren’t doing anything. I thought they’d take the edge off, but I’m still a mess.

“I can’t breathe,” I rasp out, my hand slamming against the wall for support.

Daniil grabs me and shakes me lightly, his hazel eyes locking onto mine. “You can. Just breathe. Go out there, and everything will be fine. You did really well putting this together. I’m proud of you.”

Grunting, I try to convince myself of that and tug at the collar of my shirt. The suit is choking me, the tie wrapped so tight around my throat I can’t get air properly. We had to put some foundation on my neck to cover up my bruises to avoid questions.

I pull at the tie, loosening it just enough to inhale a deep breath. “I need to go out there and talk to everyone. Will you be okay?”

“I’ll be fine. I’m going to find Alexei or Yulian at the bar or something. Everyone avoids them like they’re radioactive.”

I press my lips to his, stealing one more kiss before I have to go out there and perform like a trained dog.

He’s wearing gray jeans with his purple hoodie because formal clothes make him want to crawl out of his skin. I love it. It’s a middle finger to our father and everyone else here who expects us to fall in line.

“See you out there,” he murmurs against my mouth before stepping back.

I watch him disappear through the door first, then force myself to follow.

The music slams into me the second I step out, bass so loud it vibrates through my bones and makes my teeth ache.

The VIP floor is packed with people, a sea of bodies pressed together where the new expansion just opened. Champagne flows and everyone here is either on Father’s guest list or desperate to be seen. Downstairs, the bottle service runs nonstop with our most expensive alcohol, and people are crammed shoulder to shoulder at the bar, waving cash to get served.

I can’t believe the event I’ve been planning for months is actually happening and hasn’t imploded yet. I worked on this expansion for over a year, poured everything into it while Father watched and waited for me to fuck it up.

The man guarding the new entrance nods at me as I walk past him, and the ceiling above us in the new section is glass so you can see the night sky, dark and endless, stars barely visible through the city lights.

My father stands in his expensive suit with those tinted glasses he always wears for his migraines. My mother is next to him in a dark red dress, her black hair braided perfectly down her back, holding a champagne glass. Her golden family crest ring glints every time she moves, catching the light when she gestures to whoever she’s talking to.

My father’s eyes find mine across the crowd, and he gives me that look. The one that says get over here right now. My feet move before I can think about it, carrying me through the crowd toward him.

“Mikhail, you know the head of the O’Shea family, Tommy.”

I glance over at the man in a dark suit standing next to my father. I don’t personally know him, just know of him. We wash cash for him, and they’ve been loyal to us since we moved to America, our longest-standing alliance.