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He let out a loud laugh, though he masked it with a cough, then ordered a glass of the same drink I was having. Whilst he waited for it to be placed in front of him, he spoke lowly.
“Dominik wants to take care of Father.” His voice was barely above a whisper. “He and Viktor have yet to arrive. Please don’t cause a scene here.”
“I won’t.” Why did people constantly keep thinking I’d go ballistic in front of so many people?
“Did you notice them?” Aleksei asked.
Slowly, I nodded—I’d spotted them as soon as I’d arrived. “Yes, five disguised as waiters, and three on the upper floor.”
The eight people were neither a part of Aleksei’s security detail, nor the waiters he’d been hiring for years to work at family events. They weren’t Dominik’s either, as he never meddled in Aleksei’s affairs. The upper floor of the venue had nothing but bedrooms, and my brother had paid for the overseas guest to each have a room, but they were all on the main floor right now.
“Why are they still here, Aleksei? Are you losing your touch?” I taunted him with a devilish smile.
He rolled his eyes. “My men will take care of them within the next thirty minutes. I don’t want chaos.”
I went to take another sip before frowning at my empty glass. Quickly, I ordered another one.
“Well, it seems like your Italian friend noticed them too. Tell him to behave.” I was referring to the Don himself, Antonio De Luca. He was notorious for his lack of patience—and his passion for killing. If anyone rose to action quickly, it would be him.
“I’ll handle De Luca, but until further notice, either be with Davorin or Dominik if I’m not around.”
My brows narrowed. “Where is my man?”
It slipped out too quickly, and I was unable to comprehend the words I’d just spoken. It was the first time I’d even thought them, and yet it sounded so natural, so good.
Aleksei quirked an eyebrow, amused, but didn’t comment on my choice of words.
“He’s around. He’ll probably want to take them out himself, so keep him occupied while I arrange everything else. I doubt they’ll attack before Bogdan and Viktor arrive.”
Shock passed over my face. I blinked and realized this was real. Not once had I ever heard my brother call our father by his name. There had always been a line of respect Aleksei never dared to cross, even after he’d forcefully taken the throne. Perhaps I’d been wrong. Perhaps Aleksei was made to be the Pakhan. And the fact that he’d called him by his name, because of me, made me smile. It spoke volumes.
“Hey, can I talk to you for a moment?” Rhea’s voice came from my left side.
Aleksei nodded in understanding and placed his empty glass on the bar before he strolled away.
“What’s wrong, Rhea?”
She looked as if she’d seen a ghost—eyes wide, bottom lip trembling, palms sweaty. She glanced around to make sure no one was in the earshot and spoke lowly.
“I just spent some time with Dominik and that girl Xenia, and…” She gulped harshly. “You need to leave. You’re in much more danger than you think.”
“Speak.” I was as calm as a millpond. She was fidgeting with her fingers, twirling around her rings.
“Listen, we found out how everything is going down and—” Her mouth closed immediately, her eyes glued to the person behind me.
I felt his presence before I saw him. Slowly, I glanced over my shoulder and my mouth parted. His suit was luxurious, his hair was perfectly styled, and his inked skin peeked out from his collar and cuffs.
His face, however, told another tale entirely. The small tattoo on his face looked incredibly good. His green eyes stared at me with nothing but obsession, and it was a deadly feeling I was trying to suppress. An emotion so lethal it promised to break me, until there was nothing left of my soul.
“Listen, Ekaterina.” Rhea’s voice snapped me back to reality. “Be fucking careful.”
Her lack of response to the question told me Davorin was a person she didn’t trust. I didn’t expect her to, but I was safest when I was with him—there was no one else who’d make certain I was unharmed.
Rhea left, but her absence didn’t matter. I stood up, and as if on cue, the music slowed. Without uttering a word, Davorin took my hand in his and placed a small kiss on the back of it, chuckling at the sight of my dice bracelet.
It matched the theme, though I rarely took it off.
“You look absolutely mesmerizing, little lion,” he breathed. “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
