“Promises, promises,” I smart back, careful not to move my lips, inadvertently confirming my smart mouth is going to get me into trouble. Luckily, I like the trouble Santiago brings.
Aleksei clicks his fingers as soon as my feet touch solid ground. As submissively as possible, I move to stand next to him while he rants in Russian, his arm flailing around.
If I didn’t know the ruse, I’d be terrified by him. He’s acting like an Alpha balancing on the edge of an epic, violent meltdown. That still may happen, especially given the blatant disdain gracing most of Victor’s men as they struggle to make sense of what Aleksei is saying.
I switch to Spanish. “Mr. Petrov refuses to get into any of these cars that Victor has provided. He is thankful, but in Russia, it is a bad omen arriving at a meeting in a white car.”
I ad-lib, badly, but giving a reason under pressure for us not using their cars, this is the best I can do. At the same time, I am most certainly aware Columbians are known for paying attention to superstitions, or agüeros.
One of the men steps forward. I recognize him, but he and all the others don’t act like they recognize me. Or they do know who I am and are just being rude as fuck, which is more likely.
He talks at me, not to me. “We have cleared you through customs.”
“Thank you,” I offer back blandly.
“You are, after all, guests of Ambassador Hernandez,” he says with an equally plastic expression before he starts to drone on and on about what an honor it is that Victor has arranged this convoy.
I shake my head at his insistence we get into the waiting cars. And as soon as I do, he smiles again before shifting to talk smack to his men about how stupid Russians obviously are.
I think happy thoughts and send wave after wave of them via our bond to Kade and Santiago, who are both ready to erupt. Tension was always going to be high, but right now, how we’re being welcomed is disrespectful.
Victor’s appointed spokesperson goes to say something, but we’re interrupted by the arrival of two black SUVs, courtesy of Santiago’s contacts.
“We will follow you,” I say, keeping my smile, poised and practiced, despite their ongoing disrespect towards Aleksei.
I go to walk off, and Victor’s man makes a grab for my arm. I miss it. I mean, I felt it, but I didn’t see him grabbing me. I see the immediate fallout, though. Everyone does.
Aleksei shakes his knuckles out, and the man on the ground swears curses as he sits up, his nose gushing blood like a tap. Nalla intrudes into his space, adding her warning to the mix.
Aleksei’s emotions are not put-on, but his English is especially broken as he lunges at the man again. “Youebat’. My wife not touched by your dirty kind.”
Santiago and Kade are stone statues. They’re devoid of emotion, their guns drawn and raised. I fight to contain the smile that threatens. If only Victor’s men realized how easy they are too riled up, how simple it is to get them distracted. All they do is highlight the gaping holes in the Columbians’ security.
Aleksei barks in Russian, and Santiago and Kade move in coordination, holstering their weapons, standing in front of me and forming an impenetrable wall.
“We will follow you,” I reiterate before I walk over to stand near the passenger door of the first black SUV, with Roshka pressed against my legs.
I wish we could sit in the one vehicle, but we separate again to minimize the potential of falling victim to a “carjacking” or something else Victor could easily stage. Every moment feels more and more like a dangerous setup.
Santiago sits in the front with the driver of our car, while I sit in the back, continuing the farce of him being the guard of the Bratva’s wife. We follow after Aleksei, Kade, and Nalla.
Santiago talks quietly to the driver as we get an official escort to the ambassador's official residence. Like everything so far about our visit to Victor, this too sits wrong. It feels inciteful. I’d put money on it being an intentional reminder to Aleksei of Victor's sway and power.
The other part is, his decision to host us at the embassy compound means I won’t get to see my sister or my mother. But it’s more personal than that too; it’s him making it clear I’m no longer family. Victor is expecting me to make an issue of it, while I honestly couldn’t give a shit. In a lot of ways, they’re not my family. I’ve missed out on too much over the years, and the distance between us means we’re virtual strangers.
Seeing my sister and my mother is not why I am here. I’ll simply wait until he’s choked on his own tongue and died before I try for a family reunion.
I send a message to Aleksei.
That was not his personal entourage.
I’ll keep lowering the number of men he has on his staff. If there is one mark on your arm, wife, I’m starting a war.
I’m fine.
You’re naive, maya. Men don’t touch another man’s women. Not in our world.
He wants you to react.
