Yuri gets in his red Porsche, giving us a few moments of privacy before they need to leave. Charlie’s hazel eyes run over me, and I’m so tempted to throw her over my shoulder and go back inside that it’s like a physical ache running through me.
“I’ll be fine, Misha.” She cups my face and pulls me closer. “I love you, baby.”
“I love you, too,” I tell her, hugging her tightly against me.
“Keep talking to me, so I can hear your voice.”
“Always, sweetheart.”
I give her one last kiss and then open the door for her. Closing it and watching them drive away is the hardest damn thing I’ve ever done.
Chapter15
Charlotte
Iwatch Mikhail watching us as we drive away, and we haven’t even cleared the driveway before he’s getting into Artyom’s car and following after us. We’ll have to split up once we get closer, but for now, we’re a long line of expensive cars making our way across the bridge and into downtown.
Can you hear me, zaichik?
The sound of his voice in my ear immediately calms me. “I hear you,” I tell him, knowing that Yuri can hear everything we’re saying. It feels weird to be alone in the car with him. I’ve only seen him a few times, and we’ve never really talked. I’m going to have to work hard to make it look like I’m completely relaxed around him, just a loving couple who wanted to drop ten grand and spend the evening with the mayor.
We’re right behind you. I’ll let you know where we’ll be parked when we get there.
“Okay, sounds good,” I tell him.
I take a deep breath, hoping I don’t fuck this up. Yuri glances over at me and gives me a quick, reassuring smile. His green eyes and blond hair are so different from Mikhail’s dark features. He’s a handsome man, there’s no denying that, but he’s not Misha, so my body doesn’t go to pieces around him.
“You’ll do fine,” Yuri says and Mikhail quickly cuts in withOf course she’ll do fine, making Yuri laugh.“You’re going to be talking the whole time, aren’t you?”
Most likely. I wouldn’t want you to miss me. Make no mistake, you’re the third wheel here, Yuri.
“Oh believe me, I’m well aware of that,” Yuri says with another laugh.
I smile because I know what Mikhail’s doing, and it’s working. The tenseness in my shoulders and neck starts to ease, and I start to feel a sense of calm wash over me. This is just another job, I tell myself. Slightly different since I’m not breaking in when it’s empty, but still just another job.
When we cross the bridge, Mikhail says,We’re going to fall back, sweetheart, but I’ll be parked right down the street from the mayor’s, and my men will be stationed all around the mansion.
Before I can say anything, Yuri says, “Thanks for the update, honey.”
Mikhail says something in Russian that makes Yuri laugh. He turns to me with a grin. “He really didn’t care for that.”
I laugh and tell Mikhail, “I’ll be okay. Try not to worry.”
Yeah, that’ll be the day.
I watch their car fall back as Yuri takes a right and then follows a bend in the road before making a left and then another right. The mayor’s mansion looms up ahead, lit up in the early evening light. There’s a valet service in place and when Yuri pulls up in line for it, he turns to me and gives me a smile.
“Nothing to worry about, Charlotte,” he says. “We’ll be out of here before you know it.”
I nod and take a deep, calming breath, letting it out right before one of the young men at the valet stand opens my door, offering me his hand and helping me out.
Presumptuous little fucker,I hear Mikhail growl in my ear, and it takes everything I have to not let on that I’m hearing a growly Russian accent in my ear.
Yuri tosses him the keys and then gives me a smile like we’re the happiest damn couple on the planet before resting his hand on my lower back and guiding me up the walkway.
Hey, take your hand off my fiancée’s ass!
Yuri chuckles and whispers, “lower back,” before sliding his hand up a bit more to appease Mikhail who’s obviously brought along a pair of binoculars.