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“Youare the dessert.” I lean in for a kiss. My concerns are silenced as our lips press together.
I reach into my jacket and she watches intently, a passive expression on her face. She used to shudder, thinking I was reaching for my gun. But tonight, I pull out something different from my pocket and place it on the table.
She looks at the box quizzically and then back at me.
“This is for you,moya nevesta.”
She reaches for the box and opens it, and squeals in delight when she sees the diamond earrings inside. But I don’t sit down at the table with her.
“Is everything all right?” Her gaze drifts to the door and then she frowns, wary of who else might show up uninvited.
“Everything is fine.” I take her hand and kiss it. Pausing with her warmth against my skin. “I need to select the wine myself.”
“Why?” she asks coquettishly. “Is it a special occasion?”
“Of course,” I smirk. “You were almost ready to beg. I think that deserves something celebratory, don’t you?”
Before she can muster up a response, I step out into the hallway and motion to the sommelier. The man nods and beckons me to follow. As I do, Dmitri’s words come back to me in full force.
WhyamI still fighting my father’s war? My plan to be my own man has only brought his enemies to my door. But then the memory of the wedding returns, and so does the image of a man aiming a gun at Paige.
Like it or not, my father’s war is mine, and my war has become Paige’s as well. And then there’s the enigma of Gerald Reyes. Who is he, really? What else am I missing?
Second-guessing will kill a man faster than fear. I button my jacket as the sommelier unlocks the door to the wine cellar.
For a moment, I wonder if it is wise to leave Paige alone. But she isn’t alone. My men are crawling through this place. They outnumber the waitstaff. She’ll be safe for these moments alone.
She may be new to the Bratva, but she’s born to be one of us.
Chapter 33
Paige
The diamond earrings Andrei gave me gleam brilliantly under the overhead lights, sparkling as if they’re only a moment away from exploding into stars. I stare into them intently, marveling at my own reflection in their surface. I can see the costly highlights in my hair, the intense red of my lipstick, and the iridescent sheen on my spa-pampered skin.
I see the woman I am, and the one I will be. All while the one I was … fades away.
The thought of my past twists at my heart slightly, and the familiar guilt that I’ve carried all my life returns. I think about my father and Emma. Are they okay? Do they miss me? Did Andrei really become a benefactor to them as he said he would? Or was that all just empty words?
But at the same time, I can’t take my eyes off the earrings. They’re so pretty. Prettier than anything I’ve ever had my entire life. Nobody has ever given me gifts like these. I close my eyes and swallow back the guilt.
I’m allowed to indulge. I have to be allowed.
Gingerly, I put one on. The weight hangs heavy and unfamiliar on my lobe. I feel like the edge of the diamond might slice my finger if I’m not careful. As soon as I put it on, I look around the room and am disappointed when I see no mirror to marvel at myself in.
A woman enters the room and sits down at the table while I put on the other earring.
I continue as I watch her from the corner of my eye. She’s well-dressed, and her diamonds almost outshine mine. Almost.
Her haughty confidence convinces me that I must know her. She’s acting as if I should.
There’s something unspeakably intimidating about her picture-perfect beauty.
Her black hair appears to bounce and shimmer as she sits perfectly still. She’s wearing a dress that hugs her curves as if it is custom-made by a staff of tailors. She looks like she belongs on a runway or on magazine covers, not here with me in this pretentious restaurant.
Her piercing dark eyes demand attention. Slowly, my shoulders slump and happiness dissolves into ash in my mouth under her steady gaze.
“Having fun?” she asks, resting her elbow on the table and her chin in her hand. Her glossy red nails tap her cheek.
