“You promised to keep Layla safe, Anatolij. While I’m grateful, I’m not blind. Keeping her safe is all I want you to do. I’d rather you didn’t spend time with her.”
God, I want to punch him right in the gut. He’s crossing a line he’ll regret crossing once Dante finds out about this.
Anatolij’s expression morphs from unreadable to irritated. “Are you suggesting what I think you are, Julij? I sincerely hope not.”
They fall silent, staring each other down. I glance around, checking for Anatolij’s men wandering the castle. I should’ve retreated upstairs instead of eavesdropping, but my legs are glued to the spot they occupy.
“You’re my nephew,” Anatolij says slowly. “But not even that gives you the right to voice absurd accusations. I know you love her, but—”
“This isn’t about me,” Julij growls, gripping the handle of his suitcase harder. “Dante trusted my judgment when he agreed to send Layla here. It wasn’t a decision he took lightly, so if anything happens to her while she’s under your protection, it will be on my head.”
“Don’t flatter yourself. You suggesting my home as a safe place for Layla wasnotwhy he agreed. He’s not one to trust anyone’s judgment but his. I assure you there’s a very good reason why Layla is here of all places.”
Julij has no chance of retaliating. The front door opens before them, and Lew enters. Great timing. His arrival gives me the perfect opportunity to emerge from my hiding spot.
***
The following day, I’m downstairs for breakfast an hour earlier than usual. Anatolij’s already there, dressed as if he’s due to make an appearance at the Oscars. Just like Dante, he favors his suits. While Dante alternated between cobalt blue, black and gray, Anatolij is always in black.
“Good morning.” He peers up from above the morning newspaper. “I’m glad you’re here. I want to talk to you.” He falls silent, one eyebrow slightly raised as he watches me take a seat on the opposite side of the long table, able to fit twelve people. “Are you feeling okay?”
As okay as one can be given my situation, I guess. “Yes, I’m fine.” I point to my face and red, puffy eyes. “Lack of sleep. I woke up a few times hearing someone outside my door. I struggle to fall back asleep once I wake up.”
I swear, at one point during the night, someone stood in the doorway when I opened my eyes and rolled over. The creepy silhouette disappeared when I blinked, though.
“That’s my fault. The door on the other side of the corridor hides a library. I couldn’t sleep, so I went over there to read.”
“A library?” That knowledge would’ve come in handy while I’ve been bored out of my mind for six days. There’s only so much TV a girl can watch. “You didn’t mention it when you showed me around the first day.”
“I didn’t peg you for a bookworm. All the bookcases on the left wall house English books. Feel free to read whatever and whenever you want.”
“Thank you. There’s not much to do around here. Especially in this weather. Any distraction is worth its weight in gold.”
He nods absentmindedly. His eyes bore into mine, but he looks lost in thought while the maid fills his cup with fresh coffee. “I’m hosting a charity event on Saturday,” he continues once she leaves the room, presumably to fetch a cup for me. “It’s an annual occurrence. I invite influential people and squeeze as much money out of them as possible.”
“I’ll stay out of the way.” I spread honey on a piece of toast. Neither Anatolij nor the cooks asked me what my favorite dishes are, but I’m served something I love every day. It’s a silly thing, but I’m warm knowing that Dante took care of the smallest details trying to make sure I’d feel good around here. “I’ll take a book and lock myself in the bedroom for the day.”
“You misunderstand, Layla. I’m not telling you about the ball, so you’ll stay out of the way. I’m telling you because I’d like you to join me. Lew will take you shopping this afternoon. I reserved the best boutique in Moscow for private shopping. No one will disturb you.”
A ball sounds much better than a day alone in my bedroom. After a short stroll in the garden with Anatolij last night, I realized that I truly am a princess once he pointed high up to where my bedroom is in the western tower. The castle stands on a hill, surrounded by miles of woodland as if conjured from a children’s storybook. Despite the imposing, intimidating structure, it’s perfect, with no sign of wear on the stone walls. I couldn’t help but imagine unicorns galloping along the tree lines in the distance because, why not? If castles with high towers, kill orders, and men like Dante are real, unicorns might as well be too.
As enticing as the idea of dancing the night away in a shimmery ballgown might be, I’m in Russia for an entirely different reason than entertainment.
“You do remember that thanks to my Dad, there’s a bounty on my head, right? With all the safety measures already in place, I don’t think attending a ball is a good idea.
“No one can lift their finger around here without my consent. You’re safe, Layla. You have my word.”
“I appreciate the offer, really, but I’m sure Dante won’t agree. Safety first.”
A shadow of a smile crosses Anatolij’s handsome face. “I wouldn’t extend an invitation if I hadn’t cleared it with your fiancé first. Dante’s aware of the ball. He approved all the security measures I put in place. The choice is now yours alone.”
Oh. Isn’t this an unexpected turn of events? Dante must trust Anatolij more than I anticipated if he agreed. The ball sounds great, and shopping, or rather the possibility of leaving the castle tempts me like the snake tempted Eve.
“Will there be dancing?”
Crinkles surround Anatolij’s eyes when he smiles, rising to his feet. “The theme is The Great Gatsby. Choose something, as you Americans say,bling-bling.”
I tilt my head to the side to look him over. “You do have something in common, you know?”