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It was odd how Davorin was able to get me so riled up, furious, instantly, yet he was also able to make flames burst inside me. I needed him more than I needed oxygen, and he knew how much control he had over me. Which was why, with a mere kiss on the back of my hand, I knew what he’d chosen.
I shifted the conversation. “Since all of this will end soon, there’s no reason for me to marry you.”
Davorin’s lips twitched upwards. Gently, he moved one of the loose strands of my hair, pinning it behind my ear. His soft touch made me lean into his palm, and the overwhelming feeling of safety calmed me down almost instantly.
“No reason? Little lion, you will marry me. You’ll wear a wedding band around your finger, and you’ll spend the rest of your life by my side. That’s not a question—it’s a promise.”
The finality of his words cut me like a sword. Yet, the tranquil tone in his voice made the wound heal. It was cruel, it was gut-wrenching in the most twisted of ways. And it was something I looked forward to feeling for the rest of my life.
“I’ll be off now. It would be rude not to greet my father.” With a heavy heart, I took my hand from his. “You be on the lookout.”
“Of course, little lion.”
My father was chatting with Aleksei. The moment my brother noticed me, he excused himself and gave us privacy. He beside Davorin in an instant, both watching us like hawks.
“Ekaterina.” His thick accent was full of distaste, yet he tried masking it with a smile. “You look just like your mother.”
I grinned brightly. “Aside from the fact that she’s dead.”
My father never knew how to appreciate a good joke. The smile faltered from his face, and he chose to ignore my words.
“You should have a dance with your father,” he mused. He extended one of his hands, and I took it, allowing him to lead me to the dance floor. Dancing with anyone who wasn’t Davorin was… dull—and uninteresting.
“Are you enjoying yourself?” Bogdan asked.
“Of course. Aleksei always knew how to throw a good party.”
He laughed it off. “Yes, you should enjoy it while you can.”
My brow shot upwards. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing, nothing,” he dismissed, “but you should be aware that you’re going back to Russia, one way or the other.”
“You mean either of my own free will or in a body bag?”
Bogdan wasn’t surprised. He’d sensed, likely as soon as we’d met in the restaurant, that I was onto him. He tried to be sleek, but the press of a button in his jacket didn’t go unnoticed.
The storm was finally here.
“Don’t be ridiculous.” He acted offended. “What kind of a father would murder his child?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. What kind of a child would kill their own mother?”
His face went pale. Until this moment, he’d been unaware that I had executed my mother’s murder. I was curious what reason Viktor had given him for hating me with the intensity he did, because if Bogdan had known I’d killed her, I never would’ve left Russia.
He gritted his teeth, desperately trying to hold his anger back. Quickly, he spun me around, and another pair of hands caught me.
“Looking good, little sister.”
Viktor’s voice surprised me.
“You’re a minute and nineteen seconds older, Viktor.” I glanced around, and my heart dropped to my feet. Somehow, the crowd seemed much bigger now than it had a minute ago. I couldn’t spot Davorin, Aleksei, Dominik, or even Rhea.
He chuckled. “And I will never let you forget.”
We remained silent for the duration of the song. Immediately after, another song started and many more people joined the dance floor—we were surrounded. I began to feel irked. Viktor, on the other hand, seemed relaxed, and that wasn’t good.
He broke the silence. “I need to talk to you about something.”
