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That man’s demeanor had changed the moment I’d said my name, which pissed me off. I wanted to know what would’ve happened if I’d just been a stranger, with no relevance in this world.
Would he have spared me regardless, or would I have ended up in a ditch somewhere?
He knew who I was—or who my family was at least. I suspected he was smart enough never to approach me again, and I was never going to speak of what had gone down that night. It was going to remain a secret between the two of us, mainly because he irritated me.
“Tiana, can I borrow some of your clothes? I’m in a rush,” I asked, though it was a rhetorical question. Tiana waited for the day I asked her to do anything for me, and judging by the beaming smile she gave me, I was going to get my outfit.
My brother had texted me, asking to meet for brunch. Aleksei never allowed tardiness, hence I had no time to drop by the apartment and grab clothes of my own.
I despised wearing something that didn’t belong to me though, and Tiana’s clothes felt too tight. She was smaller than me, both in height and weight, and they suffocated me. I barely made it down the street before the desire to rip the garments off my body nearly overwhelmed me.
Three blocks from Tiana’s apartment there was a nice store. I walked in and got dressed head to toe in new things. It was a simple outfit—a black blazer with matching pants; a belt and blouse in the same color.
I paid for everything and had a new outfit shipped to Tiana, as a thank you for lending me her clothes. Sadly, they’d ended up in the trash, but the new ones would fit her better and were prettier—a win-win situation.
I left the store and started walking to the restaurant. A few minutes into the journey, I felt someone behind me. It was a busy street though, and I thought my mind might be playing tricks on me. I spun around almost immediately, but no one was in sight.
My instincts kicked in. A few slow, deep breaths slipped past my lips as I continued to walk slowly, aware of my surroundings. Someone’s eyes burned into the back of my head, and I couldn’t shake off the feeling of terror that crept up my body. Yet no matter how many times I turned around, no one seemed to be paying any attention to me.
I was afraid, yet I was thrilled too. It was a twisted infatuation that didn’t seem to be dissipating any time soon.
And yet, as I continued to walk, those eyes were still on me, following me all the way to the restaurant.
The place Aleksei had chosen was one of the best in the Upper East Side, a place we often frequented. Usually, it was with our two other brothers, so it was a surprise to see him alone. I got chills as I approached the table, noticing my favorite dish neatly placed in front of the empty seat.
Two of his men, Ivan and Vladimir, were standing either side of him. They both greeted me before averting their eyes once more.
Aleksei tapped his finger on the table, and our eyes locked. His expression was serious—his lips were pulled in a thin line, his brows narrowed. He didn’t utter a single word as I sat down, and I returned the favor by blankly staring at him.
“Would you care to tell me what you were doing in that hole last night?”
I knew what this was about. Aleksei swore his men were tailing me solely for my protection, yet, when that masked man had appeared, none of them had been around. I felt myself growing displeased at the tone he’d used.
“No,” I stated. “I just went to have some fun.”
He raised one brow, amused. “Then you wouldn’t know anything about your security vanishing from this world?”
“What are you talking about?”
He sighed before taking a sip of red wine. It was one of his favorite drinks, but I couldn’t stand the taste of it. Like my favorite brother, Dominik, I favored whiskey. I wasn’t a big drinker; however, a glass or two of good whiskey always gave me the extra push to pursue whatever had driven me to drink in the first place.
“You weren’t answering your phone. When I called them, they weren’t answering either. Ivan only found their cars, but not them.”
I shrugged. “Maybe they just… quit.”
He laughed. “You and I both know that’s not the case.”
I sighed and waved the waiter over. “I know. I haven’t seen them since we came back to New York. I wouldn’t be too worried though,” I said as the waiter, whose name tag said Josh, brought the whiskey I always had here. “If something happened, you’ll know. Dead bodies never stay hidden for long.”
“You don’t know what happened there, do you?”
I shook my head. “No.”
I had an amazing poker face, and no one was ever able to tell when I lied. I’d had a few tells, but over the years, I’d learned to master them, which Aleksei wasn’t fond of—he hated when things were out of his control.
To divert his attention, I turned the conversation around to him. “So, a little birdie told me Father wants to marry you off.”
His jaw clenched. “I don’t know who dared say that, but it’s not true.”
