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As we walk across the hall my eyes land on a man talking with a woman in the corner. He seems vaguely familiar, but I can’t place him. I shouldn’t know anyone here. They’re mostly high-level officials, not the people I would have ever come in contact with. I shake my head. Maybe he just reminds me of someone. We’re at the door when it hits me, and I stop in my tracks.
“Shit,” I mumble.
“What is it?”
“Was that Angelo Scardoni in the room?”
“Yes. Why?”
“He visited my father a few days before Diego came. It was something about business. I was at the compound, and he saw me in passing. What is he doing here?”
Sergei takes my forearm and turns me to face him. “Did he recognize you?”
“I don’t think so. He was talking with someone.”
He watches me for a few seconds, then takes the car keys from his pocket and places them in my hand. “Wait for me in the car.”
“Why?”
“I need to have a little chat with Scardoni.”
Based on the murderous look in his eyes, I don’t think he plans on just talking.
“There’s no need. If he saw me, he would have probably said something.”
“I’m not risking it.”
“You’re just going to talk with him?”
“Yes.”
“Okay.” I nod and watch him as he goes back into the hall, then head outside.
Inside the car, I spend twenty or so minutes setting up the phone Sergei gave me before we headed to the party. He just put it in my hand and said that he programmed his and Felix’s numbers. It surprised the hell out of me. I guess he doesn’t think I’m a flight risk anymore.
I’m replying to Regina’s panicked email—the eleventh in a row—ensuring her that I’m okay, when the driver’s door opens and Sergei gets inside.
“Scardoni didn’t see you,” he says and starts the car.
“Are you sure?”
“I am now.” Sergei smiles.
As he reverses, I notice a male figure wobble through the service exit, holding his arm around his middle, and head to one of the parked cars. He takes a hold of the car door, then looks up in our direction.
“Jesus, Sergei,” I snap. “You said you were just going to talk with him.”
“We did talk. He said you looked familiar.” He shrugs. “I convinced him he was wrong. He’s now absolutely positive that he never saw you.”
“Is this your usual MO?”
He turns his head to look at me, reaches toward me with his hand and traces a line along my chin. “Nope. If he were anyone else, I would have just disposed of him. The only reason he’s still breathing is because he’s Mikhail’s brother-in-law.”
“Don’t you think it’s a bit extreme?”
Sergei pulls the car over in front of a closed car wash, then grabs me by the back of my neck, and leans into my face. “I will eliminate anyone who might pose even the slightest threat to you, Angelina. If I, even for a second, suspected that he recognized you, he would have been dead.”
“Sergei . . .”
