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Not five minutes later, we’re summoned to dinner. We settle into the opulent dining room and are served the incredible food Chef always prepares for us.
“Chef, can you make sure the woman in the guest room also gets a nice plate of this for herself?” Niko asks.
“Of course, Mr. Alekseev,” he says, heading back to the kitchen.
Goddamn if Chef isn’t one talented motherfucker. I dig into my filet mignon and the tender meat melts in my mouth.
But Vadik hasn’t picked up his utensils yet.
In between bites—I’m fucking starving—I glance at him and find he’s looking at Niko.
Actually, he’s not just looking at him. He’s glaring at him.
And this eventually dawns on Niko, too. He looks at our brother, frowning. “What? What’s up your ass?”
Vadik rolls his head back on his neck like he’s trying to shake out some tension and returns his gaze to our brother. “Why did you ask for a plate of food for Charleigh? We weren’t going to let her starve for Christ’s sake.”
Niko shrugs. “Guess I wanted her to have a plate of the good stuff.”
“Nik, you gotta keep your pecker in your pants. Don’t be getting any ideas about that girl. She’s our cash cow, and we’re gonna exploit that like the motherfuckers we are. Don’t be going sweet on her.”
Vadik knows wanting something too much, especially a woman, is a sure recipe for trouble. We all know that. And Niko doesn’t appreciate being reminded.
He grinds his teeth. He might be the soft one of the three of us, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t get pissed at his big brother. “She was crying, asshole. I could hear it. Kir heard it too. So, I thought a nice dinner was in order. That’s all. Calm the fuck down. I saw you looking at her too, my friend.”
Niko might have pushed back, but it’s obvious Vadik’s message is loud and clear. He picks up his fork and knife and dives into his dinner.
“Chef!” he hollers a minute later.
“Yes, Mr. Alekseev?” he asks, his head poking out from the kitchen.
“Get Dominika up here. We need to talk to her.” He addspleaseas an afterthought.
Typical Vadik.
Chef nods. “Shall I prepare a place for her at the table?”
My brother shakes his head with force. “No. Absolutely not.”
That Dominika will see this as a huge slight, not being invited to join our meal, is not lost on Vadik. In some ways, the two of them are similar, with their desire to be ‘head bitch in charge,’ as Niko calls it. We do have some pressing things to discuss with her, but I, personally, would not have invited her to a meeting that includes watching us eat a fabulous dinner.
But Vadik Is a douche that way.
* * *
CHAPTERFIFTEEN
Kir
“Gentlemen,” Dominika says in greeting about ten minutes later. She looks around the table and when she sees there is no place set for her, instantly gets the message. Almost imperceptibly, because she’s good like that, her head jerks in response. She knows she’s being dissed. And bless her, she forces herself into a semi-smiling façade of pleasantness.
It must be excruciating.
“What can I do for you?” she asks from across the room where she remains standing. Like a servant.
Vadik takes a bite of his steak, followed up by a swig of wine, just to make her wait. Classic Vadik, making her cool her heels.
And if I didn’t have the level of self-preservation I do, I’d laugh out loud at their juvenile tug-of-war.
