“Is your date special to you?” Maksim asks, nodding at the blonde woman, who only looks confused.
“She’s just a date for the evening.”
The woman scoffs. “Seriously?” She detangles her arm from Enzo’s and storms away. Enzo doesn’t look bothered by it at all. His eyes are on me the entire time.
“So is my date,” Maksim says. “Just a woman I met at a club. Asked if she’d join me. Now here we are.”
I don’t say a word. It’s better this way.
“Could be,” Enzo says. “But it’s too much of a coincidence that she was at my party the other night and now here she is… with you. You must get around, mystery girl. You never even told me your name.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Maksim cuts in. “Now, leave. You’re trying to fuck over my business and I don’t like that.”
“And I’m just trying to take what’s up for grabs. It’s nothing personal.” Enzo’s eyes still linger on me. “What’s your name?”
“Alexandra,” I lie. It slips from my tongue easier than I ever imagined.
“A pretty name.”
Maksim angles his body to shelter me from Enzo’s eyes. “You should go now.”
“Natasha,” my father says, approaching me. “I want to talk with you.”
I try to ignore my dad but he’s making it hard when he walks right up to my side.
“Natasha, don’t ignore me.”
“Natasha?” Enzo frowns. “But you just said your name was Alexandra.”
“No, her name is Natasha,” Lev says. He doesn’t realize who Enzo is. Oh no. “And she’s being rude.”
“Who is she to you?”
“My daughter. Now, I don’t appreciate men ogling my daughter, especially when she’s married. I suggest you stop talking with her. Natasha, come alone.”
“Married?” Enzo smirks. “To who?” He looks straight at Maksim as he asks it.
“Lev, stop talking,” Maksim snaps.
My father scoffs. “How dare you speak to me like this.”
“Enzo is not to be trusted,” Maksim explains. “My family and Nikolai are at war with him.”
Finally, my father understands the situation. He puts himself in front of me, which doesn’t offer me any comfort. I don’t want protection from my dad. I want it from Maksim, I realize.
“She’s your wife,” Enzo states. “I didn’t know you had gotten married. I heard something about it but I didn’t care enough. Now, I see how wrong I was. Interesting.”
“Just go,” Maksim growls. “You’re lucky Nikolai isn’t here tonight or you’d be dead.”
“And start a war with me? I don’t think so.” Enzo gives me another curious look before he whistles and walks away.
I shiver as Maksim turns to me. “Are you ok?” he asks, rubbing his hands along my arm.
“I’m fine.”
“What the hell?” Maksim snarls, turning to my dad. “You just blindly told my enemy about Natasha, potentially putting her in danger.”
Lev stands up straighter. “That is no way to speak to me.”
