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I can’t let the bastard win, so I very calmly reflect his smile. “Thank you for your concern, but I can assure you I have a bigger pair of balls than every single one of you traitorous pussies here.”
The men all grumble, clearly taken aback. Good. I want them all off kilter. Uncle Pyotr taught me the easiest way to control the room is by keeping everyone on their toes. Even if I’m raging on the inside, I need to show the opposite. I can’t let anyone get to me.
“Here’s what’s going to happen,” I say, placing my hands on the table as I stand from my seat. I look each man in the eye, unwavering. “I’ve wasted enough time here. I’m going to leave, and I strongly encourage you all to do the same. I won’t force you, of course. Just know that any man who decides to do business with Mr. Nicolaevich will not go unpunished. You have achieved the success and fortunes you have today because of my family, and believe me when I say, I can take everything away.” I nod at Andrei, smirking. “Have a good rest of your day, gentlemen.”
I’ve barely managed a step before Trevnich grumbles under his breath, “Half-breed bitch.”
I stop mid-stride, turn, and stare at him. “What did you just call me?”
“You’re not even fully Russian. The pakhan of the Bratva should be fully Russian, don’t you agree?” Trevnich’s lip curls into a sneer. “He had to go and dilute the bloodline with your American whore of a mother—”
Something inside of me snaps.
I whip around, my fist clenched and already mid-swing when—
Andrei beats me to it. I blink at him in confusion when he grabs Trevnich by the back of the head and slams his face down onto the table. I’m pretty sure I hear his nose crunch. Andrei holds him there, looking far angrier than I would have expected him to.
“The fuck are you doing?” Trevnich hisses, arms flailing as he struggles to push Andrei off him.
Honestly, I want to ask the same thing because what the hell did I just witness? Did he just…defendme?
“I don’t like working with racists or misogynists,” Andrei grumbles. “Maybe a partnership between us isn’t the best idea.”
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” Trevnich grunts.
I stare for a moment too long. To say I’m flabbergasted is an understatement, desperately trying to ignore the way my heart stutters and the butterflies in my stomach swarm. I don’t need Andrei swooping in to save the day. In fact, I don’t need anybody at all.
Turning on my heels, I head straight out the restaurant’s front doors. Several of the men are smart enough to leave with me—a show of where their allegiance lies… for now.
“Sandra, wait!”
Andrei is hot on my heels. Thankfully, my guards are quick to swarm me, reaching for their weapons. I wave them off, silently ordering them to stand down. I don’t think Andrei’s going to hurt me. At least, he’s not stupid enough to do it in broad daylight with all these witnesses around.
“What do you want?” I grumble.
He glances at Vance, then back to me, eyes too dark to decipher. “Midnight. I’ll wait an hour.”
He doesn’t give a location, but he doesn’t have to. There’s only one place he could be referring to.
I put a hand on my hip. “What makes you think I’ll come?”
His cocky grin is answer enough because we both already know I’ll be there.
Chapter 16
Andrei
12:45 a.m.
Isit on the armchair of the hotel room couch, hunched over with my elbows resting on my knees. Fifteen more minutes. I tell myself I’m going to wait fifteen minutes, and if she doesn’t show…
I have no sweet clue why I’m so anxious to see her. No, not anxious.
Excited.
Sandra crashing my meeting was never a part of the plan. She officially has spooked all my potential business partners, and for good reason. It takes a lot to impress me, but the woman who strode into that restaurant, confident and dressed to kill, nearly had my jaw on the floor. All it took was one look and I knew…Thisis what a Bratva princess looks like.
I contemplate leaving early. As the seconds tick by, I grow more and more restless. It was never my intention to see Sandra again, but I couldn’t help myself. Something in my hindbrain kicked in, overriding any rational thought I might have had with the unlikely promise of tasting her lips again.
