She blinked, then asked baffled, “Excuse me?” Her gaze was huge as she banged back against the closet door. He was just that intimating.
My eyebrows snapped together as he asked her slowly, “Are. You. Single?”
Her eyes darted between him and me.
I shrugged. I had no clue where he was going with this.
Her attention returned to him, and she sputtered, “Yes. Why?”
Running a hand through his hair, he stared at the door. “No reason.” He opened said door, then started speaking harshly in Russian to Least Ugly—who must have called Daniil earlier when the noise levels rose—as he shut the door behind him.
Katie stared at the shut door. “What the fuck have you gotten yourself into?” A glance at me, before staring back at the door. “And why the hell did he want to know if I was single?”
“I have no clue to both questions,” I murmured. “It’s not a party of the newly minted black sheep of the family without intruders, threats, and the Mafia. Right?”
She laughed outright. “Christ. You really have taken over the roll.”
“Yes. I would have to agree with you.” I gestured at the dresser. “Let’s get this shit cleaned up, so we can both relax and watch a movie.” Plus, I just remembered I did have a photo I could send off to my editor. The doctored photo of Daniil and Zoya kissing. That one everybody already knew about. No harm there.
“Would someone answer the fucking phone, already?” The feminine voice came from my right, next to where I lay, waking me. “Whoever it is, has already called twice. In a row.”
The voice belonged to Ember.
The ringing phone on the nightstand was just a bonus.
I jerked to a sitting position as Katie groaned on my left, rolling over onto my pillow. “What the hell are you doing in here?” Ember was sleeping on my right side, snuggled up tight under the covers, her red hair barely visible from beneath.
“My bed’s lumpy,” she grumbled. “Answer the damn phone before I get pissed.”
Irritated beyond belief, I reached over her to the phone as Katie woke. She blinked and stared at Ember’s visible hair. I barked into the receiver, “Hello?”
“Good morning, sweetie!” Mom’s overly perky voice sung over the line. And it was barely dawn outside. “Meet us for breakfast.”
Like hell I would. Katie and I had been up all night watching movies. “Not this morning. Katie and I had a late night. Thanks anyway.” I hung up, ending the call the official way a pissed off daughter did with her mom. Enough of that shit. I was sure Mom was going to ruin my day. I didn’t want her doing it to my morning, too.
Katie was up on one elbow, staring wide-eyed at Ember.
I shoved the intruding redhead. “Get out of here.”
“No,” she griped, bringing a red thermal covered arm out from under the covers and shoving me back. Not-so-lightly. I fell back against Katie as she continued. “I had a late night, too. Leave me alone.” She paused and then snickered. “If you shut up and let me sleep here, I’ll let you in on a secret you can publish when we wake up. When it’s daylight.”
I stopped in the act of pushing her, my reporter’s instinct coming to the fore. “Is it good?”
“Let’s just say Zoya hasn’t been exactly truthful with everyone.” She paused. “I’ll let you know more when I’m really up.” Not even a second later, she was snoring softly.
I scowled, but damn if I wasn’t curious. That part of me would never back down. It was too deeply ingrained. Grumbling, I laid back on my—soft, not lumpy—mattress, squished between two people.
Katie was still frozen in place. “You’re going to let her stay?” She was completely disbelieving. “She could be lying.”
“She may be a bitch, but she hasn’t lied to me yet.” And she hadn’t. Not from what I understood. “Now, hush. I’m tired.”
Katie blinked a few times and shook her head before falling back down onto the bed. “You’re living a very interesting life lately, cousin.”
“Whatever,” I grumbled. Like I didn’t know this. I tossed and finally managed to get comfortable when I, grudgingly, threw an arm over Ember since I couldn’t push it under my pillow—because of her own arm. Then I fell back asleep.
We all woke two hours later to a loud ass shriek. Startled, the three of us shot up to sitting positions. Albeit, Katie and I didn’t hold a gun like Ember did, aiming it at…my mom and dad and aunt. She blinked when Mom shrieked again—it had been her before—and quickly hid it under the blanket.
I rubbed my eyes, muttering, “How did you get in?”
