“Do you think your brother will have a weapon on him?”
Huffing, I stretched my neck from side to side. “I’m prepared for anything.”
“He’ll lose all respect from the others if he does,” he said.
I turned to him and shrugged. “I don’t think he cares.”
Valentin nodded in agreement. “You’re probably right,” he said, squeezing my shoulder. “Be careful out there, Michelson.”
He took my bag and carried it out with him. Voices echoed down the hall, but I tuned them all out.
Leaning against the desk, I closed my eyes and exhaled slowly. There wasn’t much I could do to prepare myself for what I was about to do. I heard footsteps coming down the hall and it wasn’t long before I heard my brother’s sinister laugh.
“I thought you’d be here warming up, not meditating.”
My eyes flashed open and I glared at him. He was shirtless and wearing only a pair of jeans.
“I don’t need to warm up,” I hissed, pushing away from the table. “Did you come here to slip me some drugs or find another way to give you an advantage in the fight?”
Nikolai’s gaze hardened. “I told you, I don’t have to cheat. I’ve been waiting for this moment a long time.” He jerked his head toward the hall. “I’m just glad all those people out there will get to see that I’m the strongest in our family.”
A few seconds later, our father appeared in the doorway, his face blank as he glanced back and forth between us. “It’s about time. Are you boys ready?”
Nikolai held up a hand, his evil smirk directed at us both. “Not yet. There’s something we need to make clear.” His smile diminished and his expression transitioned into outright anger as he turned to our father. “When I win this fight,” he said, stepping toward him until their noses almost touched, “I’m not stopping my operations in California. You said you didn’t want our family divided, but that’s exactly what you did when you took your other son’s side.” He pointed a finger in our father’s face. “Youdid this. I will carry the Michelson name, but I’ll do it alone.” Nikolai pinned his murderous glare on me but directed his words to our father. “When you lose your golden boy tonight, don’t come asking me for help.”
Our father didn’t flinch with Nikolai’s words, nor did he let any sign of emotion pass across his face. It wasn’t what Nikolai wanted; he wanted to see our father suffer. When he didn’t get that, he fumed.
“Goodbye, Nikolai,” our father said to him. Nikolai snarled and pushed past him out the door. Several seconds went by, but then my father turned to me. “I have faith in you, Seth. I know you won’t let me down.”
I shook my head. “Never.”
CHAPTER29
WREN
Two hours had gone by, and my stomach was sick with worry. Genevieve’s chicken parmesan smelled divine, and I ate a whole plate of it even though I was afraid I’d throw it up at any moment. I hated having to pretend around her.
“Thank you for cooking dinner, Genevieve. It was delicious,” I gushed, rinsing off the last dishes and setting them on the towel to dry.
She smiled at me and winked as she finished her glass of wine. “You’re welcome, sweetheart. I’m just ready for that oven to hurry up and cook our lava cakes.”
I glanced over at the kitchen timer on the microwave. “Three more minutes and they’ll be done.”
She poured me a glass of wine, and I sipped on it until the three minutes were up. When the buzzer went off, I took our chocolatey treats out of the oven.
Once I had them plated with a scoop of ice cream, I handed her one and sat down with the other. Genevieve wasted no time digging her spoon into the middle of the cake.
“If they’re not good, I’m sorry,” I said, cringing as she prepared to take her first bite.
I followed the recipe religiously and did precisely what I was supposed to. With a wide grin, Genevieve scooped up a huge spoonful and closed her eyes as she ate the first bite. Her eyes shot open, and she moaned in delight.
“Oh, Wren, I love it.” She wasted no time in scooping up another bite. “Have you made these for Seth?”
I shook my head. “Not yet. This is my first time.”
Her eyes widened even more. “Really? I never would’ve thought that. You baked them so effortlessly.” I took a bite of my cake and was shocked at how amazing they were. “Maybe when you visit me in New York, you can show me how to make them,” Genevieve said, finishing her dessert.
Hearing her say New York made me pause. I hadn’t really thought about what my and Seth’s future would look like.
