“What party? I’ve never been to a party before.”
“One of my friends told me about this house party. Apparently it’s at some mega rich asshole’s house. I thought we could dance. Maybe get a drink. My dad doesn’t let me do that since I’m not twenty-one yet but I like to sneak some drinks from time to time.”
“I’ve never had alcohol before.” My father never would have allowed it.
“Don’t sound so afraid, Natasha. It will be fun. I promise.”
“I’m not sure Maksim would want me going to a party.”
“My brother?” She scoffs. “He’s the king of parties. He would always go out to a club every night before he got married to you. He’ll understand. Come on.”
“I should leave a note just in case.”
She pouts. “So he can come and force me back home? No way. Let’s just go.”
Against my better judgement, I follow Kira out of the penthouse without leaving a note.
Her driver takes us to a large mansion without question.
“Won’t he tell your father we’re here?” I ask.
“No. He’s loyal to me. And besides, I pay him well to stay quiet and keep some things from my dad. Now, let’s go have some fun!”
She practically drags me from the car and towards the mansion. A lot of people are mingling around outside but it’s nothing compared to the amount of people inside. It’s a cacophony of noise and people. I feel like I might be swallowed whole. The air is warmer and thicker inside with all the people, making it hard to breathe.
“Kira, I’m not sure about this,” I say, tugging on her arm. “I would prefer to just stay at home.”
“You are young, Natasha. You should be out having fun. And I should be out having fun so let’s have fun together! Now, let’s get a drink.”
Kira drags me towards the kitchen where multiple bottles of alcohol sit on the counter. Without hesitating, she grabs a bottle of vodka and pours us each a drink. “Here.” She hands me the glass, which I take carefully.
She chugs her glass back in one big gulp and winces. “God. That’s strong but that’s the good stuff. Have a drink.”
I take a careful sip and immediately spit it back out into the cup. “I’m good. I don’t need this.”
“Fine. I won’t force you but you’re missing out!” She pours herself another shot of vodka and drops it back and lets out a loud holler. The people in the kitchen holler back.
“Kira, we should be smart about this. Getting drunk at a place like this might not be good. What if someone tries to take advantage of you?”
“No one has before so I’m good. I’m indestructible. No one would come after Gregor Petrov’s daughter. Trust me. Now, let’s dance.” She grabs my hand and tugs me into the living room. Kira is fearless as she whips her head and hips around like she doesn’t have a care in the world.
I can only sway back and forth. This isn’t where I want to be. For the first time since marrying Maksim, I want to be around him. I want to feel his arms around me. I want to feel safe.
And being at a party like this doesn’t feel safe. I notice men looking at me. Eyeing me over. It only reminds me of the men who attacked me in Greece.
“I think we should go,” I say, trying to tug on Kira’s arm but she’s not having it. When I try again, Kira jerks away and ends up landing on her backside. She’s stunned for a moment before she starts laughing.
“Your friend is a wild one,” a man says from behind me.
Whirling around, I come face to face with an extraordinarily handsome man. He could rival Maksim in good looks. “Sorry about her.”
“No need to be sorry. It’s entertaining. I like a girl who knows how to party.” He extends his hand. “I’m Enzo. This is my house.”
I hesitate. Enzo… why does that name sound familiar? When I don’t shake his hand, Enzo’s smile disappears.
“You don’t look happy to be here,” he comments.
“That’s because I was forced to come here by my friend.”
