“Why would I do that?” I asked, growing a little annoyed by her insistence. “You know that Kirill is back in my life. I’m not going out with some random.”
“Oh, are you going out with Kirill?” Fede asked, her big brown eyes wide and curious. Her guileless look only sparked more annoyance.
“I will when he calls me,” I murmured, fighting the urge to check my phone again. “What?” I demanded when she shrugged and moved away along the bar.
“Nothing,” she called. “You know best.”
I turned my attention to the glasses I was polishing, my heart heavy in my chest. Why had Kirill not been in touch? Wasn’t he as desperate to see me as I was him? What was with the distance? Why did he pay for my hospital stay, send his assistant Max to drive me home, and give me the cell phone?
Maybe he feels sorry for you.That voice in my head needed to shut the fuck up.Maybe he’s moved on?Fuck you, voice.Maybe he’s married.I slammed a glass down so hard that the stem broke, scattering glass in all directions. I took a deep breath and forced myself not to panic.
“Evening, bitches,” Theo called as he hurried behind the bar.
“You’re late,” I snapped at him, feeling miserable.
He sighed as he put on his apron. “I know, but I have a good reason. Austin was mugged on the way home from coffee today.”
“Is he okay?” I dropped my cleaning rag and threw the glass in the bin. “Fucking New York.”
Theo shook his head, bracing an arm on the counter. “He’s in intensive care.”
“Intensive care? From a mugging?” Fede appeared, looking concerned.
Theo nodded, looking exhausted. He was worried about his friend. I felt wretched when I remembered Austin earlier in the coffee shop, all easy charm and handsome smiles.
“They took his wallet, but the rest – I don’t know. Who beats someone to a pulp and fucking knifes them for a wallet? He probably had an old condom and a twenty in there, total.”
“Knifed him?”
Theo nodded. “Pretty bad. Punctured lung and some other shit. He’s going to be in the hospital for a long time.”
“I’m so sorry,” I said, leaning in to wrap my arms around Theo. Fede did the same on the other side. “That’s so awful.”
“Yeah, it is. So, you losers be safe out there. This city is a fucking menace,” Theo said weakly.
Fede nodded, looking upset. She glanced over my shoulder and rolled her eyes. “Talking of menaces, that guy is here again.”
Excitement fired through my veins as I twisted and looked toward the doorway, hoping to see the powerful form of the man I was beginning to think I’d imagined.
Kaplan Holmes strolled in with his lackey at his side. He tipped his head to me in a mocking salute, and my hopes were dashed hard against his greasy, entitled face.
“Great. This week just keeps getting better.” I moved away from Theo and Fede, trying to summon my game face. I’d need it if I were going to get through tonight.
14
KIRILL
That night, I entered the Blue Rabbit through the back door and went directly to the Elite VIP section. In clubs like Rafael’s, discretion was highly valued, and the VIP section had a second tier that few knew about. The entire area was split into small, private booths with a wall of one-way mirrors looking out over the stage and dancers.
The dinner had been endlessly long, and by the time it was over, I was filled with the need to get the fuck out of the restaurant and hurt someone. Since hurting my brother and father wasn’t an option, I found myself outside the Blue Rabbit. The call of Molly was irresistible.
As I settled in the booth, flanked by my men, my eyes weren’t on the stage. All my attention was zeroed in on the bar.
Mallory was working, and this would be my nightly position until I took her. She would no longer be free to wander around, captivating all she passed. She still had no idea of her appeal. There could be an orgy on stage, and I would only have eyes for Molly serving drinks and smiling at patrons. The sweet smile she gave the greasy, presumptuous men who ordered from the bar annoyed me. They were too poor to order table service, which was a blessing. The poor ones were less pushy and arrogant and less likely to lose a hand for touching what was mine.
My eyes fixed on Molly, and everything else fell away. My men were enjoying the show and drinking and partying. The burlesque routines were a bit high-brow for most Chernov men, but they were enjoying themselves regardless.
Watching Mallory when she had no idea was my idea of a party. If I’d been alone, I’d have my cock fisted in my hand all night. But that was risky—far too risky. The urge to call her up to see me, bend her over the table, and fuck her senseless would be too great. Besides, with Niko around, I had to be careful. I was under no illusion that my name was at the top of the list of people he’d like to see dead, and Mallory was my greatest weakness.