He groaned, and muttered under his breath, “Think of Papa. Think of Papa.” Too bad I felt him growing hard against my hand. I decided to give him a break, and released my hold on him, and patted his hip. And I watched out for any woman hitting on my man.
By the end of the evening, we were all back in the music room. I was exhausted. I had spent two more grueling hours, not only looking for the fucks I wanted to kill, but also ‘accidently’ spilling drinks on at least six women who I had finally been observant enough to see try to pass off fucking notes to Daniil. The last lady, I had just grabbed the note from her, read it, then slammed the damn ‘Come hither’ note into her own drink, and told her to fuck off. Daniil had found this all very amusing, of course.
Well, until some idiot had actually hit on me. With Daniil right there.
That didn’t go over well. How anyone could hit on me while I was as big as a whale was beyond me, but a few points in my favor was the guy was sexy fine. And young. Two things Daniil didn’t like so much. Needless to say, the gentleman was no longer in the house. Or probably, the country by now. Hopefully, he wasn’t scratching at a wooden box six feet under.
I sat tuckered out watching Roman play on the piano while Mary sat next to him, facing out toward everyone, singing one of her heartbreaking songs. Daniil had finagled that one somehow. It probably had to do with the fact that Mary had illegally imbibed—she had only turned twenty while I was ‘away’—in some spirits and was feeling giving at the moment. She wasn’t drunk, but she was tipsy. It was a small blessing my aunt hadn’t noticed.
All of Daniil’s family from Russia was sitting around us, along with everyone from Lion Security that was here, and my family, and Daniil’s so I rested my head on his shoulder.
Oh, and the fuckers who had kidnapped me were here in this room.
I had figured it out in the last half hour of our rounds with everyone. I was pretty sure Daniil had saved them for last on purpose. I recognized their voices first. And then, the woman’s eyes. They were hazel, a greenish brown color. She was stunningly beautiful. I was oddly at peace knowing they were here in this room with us.
Probably because I knew they would be dead by the end of the night.
I waited, pushing back those memories of my bodyguards dying, of everything they had done to me and had planned to do to me. I merely waited for the right time, resting against Daniil. He was so damn warm and strong. It felt…perfect. I felt at peace. I was where I wanted to be.
Mary finished her third song, and as everyone applauded like normal, she bumped Roman’s shoulder, saying, “You’re not so bad.”
I couldn’t see what he said since he leaned over, whispering in her ear, but she blinked, and her mouth dropped open a little, just for a heartbeat, and then she snapped it shut and smiled out at the audience. I chuckled quietly, whispering, “Ten bucks says that was inappropriate.”
Daniil chuckled right along with me, and whispered against my short curls, “Are you trying to rob me? I know that was inappropriate. He is my son, after all.”
I laughed outright.
God only knows what Daniil had taught his kids growing up about the finer art of seduction.
I glanced at Stash where he stood against the wall next to Zane, damn covertly, watching Eva who was being flirted with by Merc. I almost chuckled. Merc knew what he was doing. He was only having a little fun with her at Stash’s expense. I leaned over, whispering, “You aren’t going to kill Stash or anything, are you?” He had better not try that. I’d have some major words for him if he even considered it.
Daniil glanced at him, then at Grigori, who stood next to Zane, still keeping a close eye on Stash, but not acting as if anything was different. “She’s my daughter.”
I nodded. “Touch him, and you’re going to be in big trouble with me.” I cleared my throat, and whispered even quieter, “You didn’t see them together. They were…different. Not like they normally are.” I raised my hand, palm facing down, and then turned it quickly so my palm was facing up. “It’s like they flipped. The roles were reversed. He may be the only man capable of handling her.” She was a damn strong woman, but in bed with Stash, he wore the pants.
Or not…whatever.
Daniil’s jaw clenched, and he muttered, “I’m not sure I wanted to know that.”
Mary started singing again, and I shrugged. “I told you so you won’t hurt him.”
He sighed and, again, glanced at Stash, who was trying for his normal calm as Merc sat down beside Eva. Stash wasn’t doing so well. Or maybe it was because I knew what to look for. Daniil mumbled half-heartedly, “I won’t hurt him. For now.”
I patted Daniil’s leg, and settled in and listened to Mary and Roman as they created beauty music together.
One more song down, Daniil patted my leg and readjusted me as he stood, clapping along with everyone else. He walked over to them, helped Mary up, and patted Roman’s shoulder. They left the piano bench, and Roman was definitely on the prowl because he sat on the arm of the couch that Mary sat on, leaning back with his tux jacket undone, showcasing his body to full advantage. I almost laughed. Mary was in over her head, and she didn’t even realize it. Whether it be a quick tumble or something more, it looked like Roman was now in the chase.
“Thank you all for coming tonight,” Daniil stated loudly, shushing the applause for Roman and Mary. Daniil smiled at everyone, leaning back on the piano calm and composed. He lifted his hand and motioned for me to get up. “Beth, come and stand by me.”
I sighed and rose—albeit a little awkwardly because of my big belly—then plastered on a smile as I waved at everyone around the room. Daniil shook his head at me, seeing the falseness in my attempt at courtesy. He wrapped his arms around me and said to the room at large, “I’m very lucky to have my Beth. She’s the woman I was meant for.” He kissed my forehead softly, and then glanced back out our audience. “And someone very recently tried to take her and our unborn children away from me.”
The room’s occupants that spoke Russian all exploded into…well, Russian. They shook their fists in the air and yelled out things I was only beginning to understand from language lessons. Daniil lifted a hand from my stomach, holding it up in a shushing gesture. “Yes. I know.” His tone had changed, getting quieter. More deadly. I glanced up at him and saw his smile had vanished. No goodwill there.
Brutal utter death peered out. And slowly, he turned his head to the two people in the room who had kidnapped me, and he stated quietly into the silence, “I know.”
Suddenly, all of the guards in the room took a step to their left or right, depending on where they stood in the room, strategically placing themselves almost in a circle around the couple. They stopped moving altogether, utterly still in their seats.
It was Daniil’s sister-in-law from his marriage to Olya. And her husband.
