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My brow rose. “I thought that you were a lawyer,” I said.
Leo laughed. “I am. I got my business degree first. It was not until your father suggested that I consider law school that I decided to try my hand at the law.”
I heard that part that he left out. He did not want to be a lawyer. My father, and the Bratva, decided that he was going to be a lawyer.
It was a reminder that no one was exempt from the reach of the Bratva. Our lives were decided for us long before we were even born, and oftentimes, that decided pathway changed.
“We needed a man on the inside,” my father said, his voice jovial. He did not notice that our body language suggested that Leo had not wanted to be a lawyer. “There are things going on in the D.A.’s office that have got me nervous.” He looked at Leo. “You know what I am talking about.”
I felt my stomach clench. I wanted to know what was going on in the D.A.’s office, but it was clear that my father did not want to discuss business in front of the women, which stoked my anger.
The flush on my cheeks, which had been brought on by Natasha’s compliment was now starting to deepen as I felt my anger starting to overtake me.
Luckily, the maid came over to alert us that dinner was prepared.
“Shall we?” my grandmother was out of her seat before any of us. She was the type who liked all of her meals to run like clockwork, and the staff had been with us long enough to know that. Pissing my grandmother off was not a great way to keep your job.
The feeling of a warm hand on my low back made me jump. I turned to see Leo’s face just inches from mine.
“For what it is worth, I think that it is very impressive that you are going to college.”
The rest of the group was far enough ahead that they could not hear us. My father and grandmother were also busy asking Natasha questions. About what, I did not know, nor did I care.
“I’m glad that you find me so impressive. I don’t think I would ever be able to rest if you did not.”
Leo rolled his eyes. “Can you ever just take a compliment?”
“According to my grandmother, no. I can’t.”
He inhaled sharply, and I was starting to realize that he used breathing to calm his negative emotions. He was frustrated by me.
Join the club, I thought, as we walked into the dining room.
The table was set immaculately with the best China and crystal that we owned, and there was enough food to feed fifty people instead of five. I bit my tongue to stop myself from commenting on the excess.
I did not think of myself as a bleeding-heart activist, but I did not see the point in having a table full of food for a small group. After all, there were plenty of people starving.
“This is a lovely spread,” Leo said as he politely pulled out a chair for me to sit in. He was such an ass kisser; I could hardly understand how he could be deadly. So far, he was simply in danger of annoying me to death.
“We were not sure what you liked,” my grandmother told him. “So, I thought that we might have a little bit of everything.”
I looked at the food on the table. She was not kidding. There were traditional Russian dishes like pirozhki and pelmeni, but there also appeared to be a whole roast with carrots and parsnips.
I rolled my eyes at the decadence.
“How did you find yesterday’s festivities?” my father asks Leo.
“It was a nice time.” He looked over at me. “Katarina and I were able to meet, which was a pleasure.”
“A real treat,” I said, as I brought my wine glass to my lips.
My father sighed, and my grandmother shot me another angry look. “Katarina,” he warned.
“What!” I exclaimed. “I said that it was a treat. That’s a positive thing. Isn’t it?”
My father looked as though he were going to start arguing with me. Everyone at the table knew that I did not think that meeting Leo was a treat. Though Leo was playing nice, I had no qualms that he was simply putting on a show for my family. That was fine with me. He could pretend all he wanted.
I was playing just as much as he could.
