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He’s kissing me.
When we pull apart, I see I’m right. There are a few women to our left who are openly staring, and they continue to stare when Vincent takes my hand.
We’re about to walk away when someone clears their throat, and we turn to see an older man and woman walking toward us.
I know straightaway that they’re Vincent’s parents. While Vincent looks a lot like his father, there’s a stronger resemblance to his mother, who looks my way with a sheen of interest in her eyes.
Vincent releases my hand to shake his father’s when they get to us. His mother gets a kiss on both cheeks.
“Ava, these are my parents,” he says. I’m surprised he introduced me, considering they must know who I am.
“Good to meet you, Ava,” his mother says, putting out her hand for me to shake. “I’m Angela.”
I shake her hand. “Nice to meet you.”
She seems warm, warmer than her husband, who also shakes my hand.
I notice that Vincent slips his arm around me straight after in a noticeable protective manner.
“Did you just get here?” Vincent asks them.
“We did, as did our very special friends,” Vincent’s father says. He never told me his name.
I think there was a reason for that too. The way he saysspecial friendscatches my attention, as does the way Vincent tenses.
“I’ll go check in on them, then,” Vincent replies with a curt nod.
“Wonderful. Enjoy the evening…” his father says then looks from me to Vincent. “You look good together.” His gaze drops to Vincent’s arm circling my waist. And he saunters away with his wife.
Vincent presses his lips together as we watch them go.
“Is… everything okay?” I ask. It’s probably a question I shouldn’t ask. He looks back down at me and smiles.
“Yeah. There’s one thing I have to do, but don’t worry, it won’t spoil the night. Tonight isn’t business.” He gives me a wink.
“Okay.”
He strokes the side of my waist and leads me further into the room. We’re heading to the archways that goes out onto a terrace.
I glance over to the bar area just before we get there where I see Vincent’s brothers. Three of them are there. They all have women with them. All very beautiful. They look like a collection of dolls. One is pregnant but carries off an elegant dress that shows off the rest of her figure. She’s standing next to Salvatore. I’m guessing that’s his wife. He’s whispering something to her, and she’s smiling.
Vincent and I go through the archways and into the night again The cool breeze kisses my shoulders, along with the music. There are more people dancing out here than inside. It’s nice to watch people having so much fun. It reminds me of the parties my parents used to throw when I was little. The setting and the amount of people here are similar.
We stop, and Vincent looks on ahead. He looks like he’s trying to put on a pleasant face, but I can tell something isn’t quite right.
I’m so focused on looking at him that I don’t see what he’s looking at until it’s a stone’s throw away from us. Away from me.
As I turn and look, I get a shock so powerful it shakes my soul.
The two men who are approaching us are two I never hoped to see again as long as I lived. They exist in my nightmares as shadows. Monsters. Monsters who steal all that a person is because when they take, they take it all.
Not just the soul. They steal your hopes and dreams too. They steal your humanity.
Dmitri and Yuri.
The two men who work for my uncle, Ilya Lobonov, the Pakhan of the Ivanezh Brotherhood.
The same man who took everything away from me. They all did.
