Page 140 of Barinov

I narrow my eyes. Fucker’s not that funny. I should probably call Dr. Monroe because this has got to be a serious case of Stockholm syndrome.

Marisol flips Laing off with a smile that’s all teeth. Dragon-dick just winks back at her with his sleazy grin. There’s a story there. One I’ll probably regret asking about later, but what the hell.

“Good Lord,” Cade whispers, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Rein this circus in, babe.”

I nod and shove up to my feet, my hands braced on the table. “Ellie’s right,” I say over the commotion. “What are you guys talking about? What’s this Atrum shit?”

“The Atrum Fortuna is my casino,” Roman says simply. “Underneath The—”

“Oh my God! A casino night?!” Ellie lights up, cutting him off.

“Here we go,” I mumble under my breath.

“That is brilliant!” Haley adds, practically vibrating beside Knox. “Ellie, can you imagine?”

“I know!” Ellie beams, already smiling like she’s ten steps ahead of all of us.

“That all sounds fascinating, dear,” Savannah, the only one in this room who ever seems to have her head on straight, says smoothly from beside Cade’s dad. “However, is a casino night enough to pull this monster out?”

“She’s right,” Roman agrees.

The room goes quiet for the first time since we were all crammed like idiots under tables waiting to yell surprise.

Roman looks over at my mother.

“Irina, do you still have the necklace?”

Mom’s spine straightens. “What necklace?”

“Don’t play stupid,” Roman snaps. “Do you still have Izzy’s grandmother’s ruby necklace?”

“What do you want with it?” she asks, her voice iced over.

“I’m going to auction it.”

“The hell you will. That will—”

“Do you have it?” Roman slices through Mom’s rant. “Because it might be the only thing that’ll get his attention. He won’t risk not getting his hands on something that belonged to her.”

Heavy and thick silence follows.

Mom doesn’t answer him, so Dad does. “She has it.”

“Daniel!” she shrieks.

“Good.” Roman nods once. “Go get it.”

Roman shifts his attention away from my parents and back to Ellie and Haley. “Would the two of you like to go downstairs and see what you’ll have to work with?”

I watch the two of them. The way their eyes light up. The way they both lean in. I can see the wheels turning in those girls’ brains.

“Oh my God yes,” Ellie says.

“Well,” I mutter to Cade. “This shit’s about to get wild.”

Chapter 35

CADE