Page 79

"Careful," Valentina scolds softly from near the bathroom mirror. "That suit is Armani."

Adjusting my cufflinks, I glance over my shoulder as she leans into the mirror and applies the last of her lipstick, a soft pink to complement the rest of her makeup while she dazzles in a beautiful plum-colored dress that hugs every angle with a long slit up one leg, giving her the freedom she'll need if this goes south.

"Did Diego see you before we left?"

"He did." She catches my eye in the reflection and smirks. "I made sure he saw how good I looked before I came, just in case things go terribly and I have to rip it. Which would be a terrible shame. But…" She finishes her makeup and leans back, lightly popping her lips. "I think this dress is flimsy enough that no one will expect me to kill them, so it's doing its job." Then she spins to face me. "What about you?"

Swallowing hard, I run my fingers around the inside of my collar that's sitting a little too snugly against my throat. "I'm struggling to keep myself in one place. I don't see why we have to walk this gala and act like we're friends when we could just go deeper and find Sabina."

"Because…" She walks forward on silver heels. "We need to give Bradley and Ruslan time to get the teams into position, and we need Raven to get into the security feed and lock it down. It won't take long, but we need to be the distraction. And we need to make sure our targets are here."

She lightly pats my chest with both hands and slides her hands into the lapels of my dinner jacket.

"We know Sabina is here. Raven's got her tracked."

"But we don't know if Illyana is here. We can take a guess but we don't know for sure. Raven needs to find her before we act. You know all this, Cassian. Are you okay?" Valentina narrows her eyes and tilts her head to the side. "If you need to switch out for Ruslan, then now is the time to do it."

"I'm good." At her look of suspicion, I force a deep breath and smile. "I promise. I can do this. Just, hold me back if we run into that cunt, Boris."

"What makes you think you'll be the only one needing held back?" She smirks up at me, then moves around and hugs my arm while looping her elbow around mine. "Come on. Let's go mingle with the criminal elite."

As expected of a Russian gala, the auction house Boris has chosen is decorated to high heaven. Diamonds dangle from the ceiling like frozen raindrops, they frame all the paintings hung up to help the host brag about his vast wealth, and they flood the fountains to turn the water into liquid crystal. It's an expense for the sake of being expensive, and it's having the desired effect as everyone invited walks through the rooms with utter awe on their faces.

One room holds several antiques that Boris likely won at this very auction, another has a banquet stretching from one end to the other with all kinds of food weighing down the tables, and a third has a bar set up with live music and dancers that tap their way through two songs while Valentina and I make a polite loop and leave.

Bradley checks in every so often, his voice soft in our ears as he gets each team into place. We pass people we know and others we don't, but everyone knows who we are. The fact that we're here draws in awe and I catch whispers of people wondering if we're close to the Popovs since we're here for the announcement.

It sickens me.

A full loop of the entire open rooms brings us back to the staging area where the dual curved staircases lead up to a small, empty stage. A stage soon to be filled with Boris and his pride for his daughter. I wonder how he would react if someone tried to treat his daughter the way he's treating Sabina and hers.

"Drink?" A waiter skims past with crystal glasses filled with champagne, but we both refuse.

"No drinks?" comes a voice from behind us. "Does the Suit not like to sully themselves even at a celebration?"

Valentina turns first and she speaks as I follow, alerting me to who has interrupted us, and anger immediately ignites like a flash of thunder in my chest.

"Leo," Valentina says. "I'm surprised to see the Visconti family at this. Do you have a stake in the proposal?" Her eyes widen. "Is Boris marrying his daughter into your family?"

Leo Visconti.

The bastard who raped Sabina when she was just a child.

I want to kill him.

I will kill him.

"Not exactly. I'm actually here for you." A sickeningly charming smile graces his weathered face. "I heard the Suit would have representatives here, and after that misunderstanding we had a few months ago, I wanted to show my face."

"You mean when your men tried to kill me?" I say cooly.

Leo's smile wavers slightly and he laughs. "A misunderstanding."

"Is it?"

"Of course. The work you and your team do for the city is untouchable. Without you, there would be carnage everywhere and I would not have just purchased my third super yacht." He laughs, a soft sound that's like an engine trying to start, and I grimace behind my smile.

"We care not for what you do with your money," Valentina replies. "And we only strive to uphold what makes this world work as those before us have done. There is no victory in carnage."