She sighed. “This may be pointless, as he seemed disgusted by the idea of arranged marriage.”
“Did it come up when you were talking about your father trying to marry you to a pedophile?”
“I tried to point out that wasn’t really an arranged marriage but child abuse, and that arranged marriages are not always a bad thing. There’s cultural precedent.”
“Are you sure he didn’t just find the idea of marriage between a child and a pedophile disgusting and get stuck on that point?”
“Maybe,” she conceded.
“Arthur and Sophia will have to figure out if he’ll accept the trinity marriage. What else should I know about Gus?”
“He doesn’t like his name. Said it’s embarrassing to have a name that translates to name son of same name.”
Eric jolted in surprise. “Embarrassing?”
She laughed at his outraged expression. “He said his father gave him a fake name or a joke name, though I still don’t fully understand why he thinks that. He said he was raised by a single mother, so the father wasn’t really part of his life.”
“Angus McAngus is a good name,” Eric said staunchly.
“If you say so, Eric Ericsson.”
Eric sighed. “And you felt something for him?”
“Yes. I…I love you. I’m sorry I feel like I shouldn’t…”
“Nikki, you didn’t do anything wrong.”
She closed her eyes and nodded.
“If we do this,” Eric said, “we have to tell him. Warn him.”
“About?”
Eric just stared at her.
“Right. Us. We’re…”
“Exactly.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to love anyone as much as I love you,” she acknowledged. “He has a right to know that. After he’s a member but before we form the trinity.”
“He definitely deserves to know the backstory.” Eric sighed. “And if our third is going to be sweet and romantic, I better actually give you the flowers?—”
Nikolett sat up. “Flowers.”
“Er… Do you want me to get you some right now?”
She tuned Eric out, closing her eyes to make it easier to think.
A second later, she was on her feet and racing though the door into Grigoris’ suite, Eric right behind her.
Iacob was standing by a large monitor, studying blueprints. Maxim sat at the table going over a stack of papers while Zoran was on his computer. Grigoris was out on the balcony, phone to his ear.
When she burst in, they all turned to look at her, even Grigoris.
Nikolett swallowed down the sickening panic trying to rise up her throat.
“Iacob, when Gus came, you checked the flowers for poison.”
