“Dom?” Dina calls out before pressing her face against Prescott so she’s visible on the screen.
“What are you doing with him?” Dom asks.
“I was making us dinner. What do you think? Where are you?”
“I can’t tell you. We’re on a business trip.”
Dina pouts, but doesn’t press us further.
“Anything else on Pavel?”
“Yeah, he just posted to social media. The horrible threesome is hanging out at Pavel’s nightclub. They just invited two women to join them in the VIP section. One is Anya Stepanov. The other is Skylar Prince.”
CHAPTER TEN: ANYA
I reluctantly follow Skylar and our escort through to the private elevator for the VIP section, where Oleg, Pavel, and Artem wait. The three men turn when the elevator pings open—the behemoth gestures for us to exit before following and positioning himself against the wall. I recognize that he’s guarding the only entrance to the room. The first thing that hits me is how muted the music is, and then I notice that the room is enclosed by glass. Of the dozen girls whom I saw partying up here earlier, only three remain. They’re seated on a sofa in the corner, chatting. I ignore them to focus on the men studying us.
“Anya, it’s been a while,” Pavel says, stepping forward to take my hand. “Who is your friend?”
“Skylar Prince,” Skylar says, holding her hand out.
“You look familiar,” Artem says as he sidles up next to Pavel to take Skylar’s hand.
“She’s famous,” I say, glancing at Oleg as he glares at Skylar. “She has a YouTube program called ‘A Prince Among Women.’
‘You’re an American?” Oleg asks.
Skylar nods. “I am.”
“What are you doing here in St. Petersburg?”
“I’m doing what I do best. I’m travelling throughout Russia and filming segments for my show.”
“How did you two meet?” Pavel asks.
“She was outside my dance school. We got to talking and hit it off. We’ve been spending time together.”
“That’s right, I heard you were a ballerina,” Artem says to me. “You just earned a big part, didn’t you?”
I was a little surprised that he already knew about my role as the Lilac Fairy, but rather than question him, I nodded.
“Congratulations! This calls for champagne,” Pavel says, gesturing toward the man who escorted us.
“Oh, well, I’ve already had…” I start, but Pavel waves me off.
“Just one glass. We must celebrate.” Pavel takes the bottle from the man and pops open the cork. He pours us each a glass and then holds his up for a toast. “To our beautiful and talented Anya, whoever wins her will be the luckiest man in the world.”
I balk at his toast, but school my features to hide my true feelings. “Thank you. I guess that means you know about my father’s plans?”
“Of course,” Oleg says. “We expected it. We were all sorry to hear about your brother. He was a good friend, and we will miss him. However, your father has to look to the future. Without Alexi, he needed to find an heir. You’re a bonus that sweetens the deal. To the future!” he says, raising his glass in a toast.
“Yes, the future,” I murmur before taking a small sip. The bubbles, which I usually enjoy, almost burn going down. My throat closes up as the tears threaten. My future is no longer mine.
Skylar must see the misery in my eyes because she wraps her arm around my waist and whispers in my ear. “You have time, we’ll figure something out. Don’t let them see your fear.”
She’s right. That’s one thing I know never to do. Show fear. Fear is a loss of control. Showing fear gives others control. I can’t sacrifice my control. If I do, then I truly will be lost. The situation is still fluid. Alexi could still be alive and even now might be onhis way back to St. Petersburg. I have to hold on and do as Skylar suggested. I need a plan.
“Well, thank you for the nice words, but I’m not sure I want to be a consolation prize,” I admit, wanting to see how each man reacts. Skylar is right. We’re here on a fact-finding mission. I need to take control rather than let my fear control me.
