He tried to hold her gaze, but chickened out halfway through.“Nyet.”
“Dmitri is gone.”She met each of their eyes in turn, holding their attention just long enough to make them uncomfortable.“That means I am in charge for the duration.He’s my husband, and I want him back.Alethea and her bitch daughter will pay for the insult they dealt us, and they’ll pay fully.I don’t give a flying fuck what you think of me, but don’t you forget for a second that Dmitri chose me.He married me.”He saved me.“That’s all that should fucking matter to you.Obey and you will be rewarded.”She lifted her chin, focusing on ensuring her hands didn’t shake and her voice never wavered.“If you can’t guarantee you will obey, then get the fuck out of the way for the men who will.”
Not a single one of them stepped back, but she didn’t allow herself to breathe a sigh of relief.“We need to clear out our guests.I’ll handle it—just follow my lead.Then we’ll find Dmitri and deal with the Eldridge threat once and for all.”
Keira’s phone pinged, and she almost ignored it.But when she looked, she found a text from Dmitri.
I’m sorry, moya koroleva.This wasn’t how it was supposed to play out.
“Dmitri,” she breathed.She typed out a quick response.Where are you going?
We’re still in the city, but I can’t be sure of more than that.I’m in the back of a van with the windows painted over and they’ve blocked off the space to the driver’s seat.
Not good.
Another text pinged through.I love you.The various bank numbers are in the safe in our room.The code is 0693821.
“Oh, no you don’t.”She strode into the ballroom as she typed her reply.Knock that shit off.You’re living through this so I can scream at you later.Hold, please.
This situation needed to be handled as in-house as possible, but there was only one person with the skills that Keira trusted to track Dmitri’s location—Cillian.The only problem being that he had no reason to do her any favors, and hewouldn’twithout Aiden’s blessing.Damn it.With that in mind, she turned to the rest of the room.They watched her with varying degrees of concern.“Thank you all for coming.Unfortunately, something has come up that requires our attention.My men here will show you out.”She motioned to Alexei and the six men who had fanned out behind her.
“Keira, what’s going on?”
Right on cue.She turned to Aiden as he approached.She had to play this exactly right, or Aiden would muscle in and take control.Her men wouldn’t follow him, andhismen didn’t give two fucks if Dmitri lived or died.All they cared about was killing the Eldridges.While she could get on board with Mae being removed from the face of this earth, she wouldn’t risk Dmitri’s life to make it happen.
She loved Aiden, but she couldn’t trust him.Not in this.
His brows slammed down.“Something happened.”
“I need to borrow Cillian again.Just for as long as it takes him to track a number for me.”There.That was nice and neutral.She could do this.She didn’t have any other choice.
If anything, he looked more forbidding.“Dmitri gave his word that he wouldn’t cut me out.Is he going back on it so quickly?”
Goddamn it, this isn’t a power play.She didn’t say the words aloud.They weren’t the truth—every single damn thing was a power play in their world, the current situation included.If it wasn’t, she could have asked her big brother for help.“Dmitri isn’t here right now.I am.”She stared him down, refusing to let even a hint of doubt creep into her.“Are you willing to create an incident to push this?”This was it.This was the moment when he’d either call her bluff, or he’d actually believe that she was in control of herself and the situation.
He broke her gaze and swore.“Goddamn it, Keira, you know I’m not.I just want to help.”
“You can help by leaving—and by lending me Cillian.Now, please.”
The tension in the room was thick enough to cut witha knife.Finally, Aiden nodded.“I’d like an explanation when this is all over.”
“You’ll have it.”Easy enough to promise.If she succeeded tonight, there would be little enough to report.If she failed, her brother’s anger would be the least of her concerns.I can’t afford to think like that.I won’t fail.I haven’t come this far to have happiness torn from my grasp before I have a chance to enjoy it.“Aiden.”She waited for him to look at her.“Thank you.”
He nodded.“Charlie.”
“I’m here.”She slipped through two O’Malley men and hurried up to give Keira a quick hug.“Be safe.”
“I will,” she lied through her teeth.Every second she wasted here was a second she wasn’t in pursuit of Mae, but she couldn’t leave these people in her house—not even her family.“I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Okay.”Charlie let Aiden take her hand and guide her to the door, taking their people with them.The rest of the guests followed, and Keira’s expression must have been forbidding, because not even Teague chose to approach and contradict Aiden’s decision to let her handle it.
For that, she was grateful.
Ivan slowed in front of her and slid his arm around Natasha.“If you think it would help, I can leave a few men to pad your numbers, but it’d be best if we weren’t directly involved with his rescue.”
She loved him a little bit for never doubting that therewouldbe a rescue.“While I appreciate the offer, we’ve got it covered.I’ll have Dmitri contact you once he’s home.”
He nodded.“Tell Dima that he’ll never live this down, and I expect the full story next time we have dinner.”
