I know the tattoo peeking out of the cuff of his shirt - a rosary with blood red beads - means he’s destroyed or taken over asmany rival criminal organizations as there are beads on the rosary. He has dark eyes, and he is forbidding, aloof, until he bends his head to kiss his wife. Both their faces transform, their love for each other is palpable.
Nowthatkind of passion gets the blood moving.
“Father, how was St. Petersburg?” Dmitri’s behind me, his hand resting very lightly on my back, giving me a chance to step forward if it makes me uncomfortable. His thoughtfulness is so sweet that I lean back into it, just a bit. He and his father do that manly shoulder clapping thing that I don't understand, but know that it indicates masculine fondness and appreciation.
“It was good, son,” Maksim says with his chilly smile, though there's genuine warmth in his tone. “We'll be having visitors next month to apologize and offer reparations.”
Dmitri smiles back and it's almost sinister. “Excellent. There are so many grand gestures I'm looking forward to demanding from them.”
Maksim’s cool gaze turns to me. “And this is your guest?” he says. He doesn't offer his hand, but he nods. “Maksim Morozov, and you are Ava Blue."
Even if I wasn't Ava Blue I think I still would've nodded just as obediently. “Yes, it's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Morozov…” Shit, am I supposed to call him something else? Should I have saidPakhan? I'm not sure I know how to pronouncePakhaneven if itisrequired.
He seems to be guessing my thoughts, because the corner of his mouth curls up into an almost smile. I see where Dmitri gets his smile, now. “You are much admired by my wife and son,” he says. “I'm pleased to see you looking well.”
“Thank you. I believe that Ella saved my life. I certainly know that Dmitri did.”
Some wintry-sounding chimes ring, and the guests migrate toward their seats. Dmitri takes my hand. “I'm sorry, I’m required to sit at the head table, but I will see you after the toast."
“Go,” I chuckle, “do your job. It's not like I'd be going anywhere, even if I tried.”
His gaze darts back to Roman and Alexsey, who are both hovering over me like a mother sending their toddler out for their first trip on the playground. “I see your point,” he says, leaning down to kiss me. Not just a polite brush on the cheek, but the three cheek kiss I saw him give his mother. The left cheek, then the right, and the left again, and the feeling of being included in his Russian tradition gives me a huge shot of something.
Belonging? Happiness? Security?
Maybe a little bit of all of those things rolled together and I take my seat with Ella and the others at their table with a smile. I'm pretty sure since I wasn't on the guest list that some name plates and seats have been switched around, but nobody seems to mind.
***
Solnyska - A Russian endearment that means “little sun.”
Chapter Sixteen
In which it is impossible to have a nice evening without assholes and guns.
Dmitri…
Will this fucking night never end?
Ava’s laughing as Roman inflicts his bullshit charm on her. If he bumps her shoulder one more time, I’m going to break his arm.
Adam leans in. “I would like to apologize to you for Will Grand and his hellspawn ending up at your family's table. Rachel was not aware that it's a terrible fit, although I'm not sure where we could have put the Grands and made it a good fit.”
I shrug. “I’m guessing your father insisted you invite the Grands? My parents can take them.” I'm not concerned, though I do notice that Will is eyeing Ava with too much interest, even if his wife Lorraine is sitting next to him. Given the frequency of her trips to the bathroom, I suspect Lorraine’s been self-medicating and probably hasn’t noticed Will’s leering.
His daughter Lula forces the guest next to Roman to trade seats and slides in, giving him what I'm sure she thinks is an alluring smile.
“Here we go,” Adam grins. “Lula set her sights on Roman. The poor guy is fucked for the rest of the evening. When she sinks her claws in, you’d need a pickaxe to get them back out again.”
Ava is on Roman's other side, trying to hide her amusement. Her smile disappears when Will addresses her and she nods back stiffly. Whatever he asked, it wasn’t respectful.
When Ava and my mother stand up to flee to the ladies’ room, Lula follows them, which surprises me. I expected her to spend the time digging into Roman.
Will does not attempt to talk with my father, and in fact, leans into a conversation at the neighboring table to avoid him. It takes more than billions to approach my father, It takes balls of steel and I'm quite certain Will doesn't have them. He's just a greedy bastard with privilege and enough acumen to take over his father's real estate empire.
I've gone up against him, bidding projects before and won enough to infuriate him. I intend to get the Newton Creek project from Mayor Warner. Ideally, that’ll give Will a stroke and keep the greedy fuck out of my way for good.
The ‘seafood medley’ is cleared from the table and, thank god, my speech should just be minutes away. Checking my watch, I notice Ava and my mother have been gone for around fifteen minutes. Mother is not one to linger in a public bathroom, even one is a place as grand as the Ritz Carlton. Pulling out my phone under the table, I check who’s on her security duty today.
