Or she’s found another unsuspecting victim to sic him on and use their balls as chew toys.
I reach Ilya’s office just in time to see Zakhar storm in ahead of me, Oleg hot on his heels with Freya running after him, and the teenager sandwiched between them looking just as irritated as she did upstairs. She gives me a curious look over her shoulder, but she doesn’t look afraid. Instead, she looks back and faces Ilya with all the nonchalance of a girl who has nothing to fear. I look around and see Rori sitting at the conference table again, the same plans in front of her, while Hades stands guard, his eyes focused on Freya with an intensity that has me wondering if we’re about to see who’s going to come out on top.
Rori glances over, but her look of annoyance turns to surprise and then curiosity as she looks at the girl and listens to the conversation. I don’t bother listening or watching the show, heading for her instead. I ignore Hades’s growl, sitting down next to Rori, who barely even glances my way, too intent on Ilya and Zakhar raising their voices and pointing at each other and then the girl.
“Who is she?” I murmur.
“Zakhar’s daughter,” she mutters back absently.
I look at the girl again. Zakhar has a daughter? He doesn’t look old enough to have a kid, unless he was a teenager when she was born. I look at the girl closer, realizing that she definitely has some of her father’s looks. The same dark hair, face shape, and blue eyes, but everything else must come from her mother.
And speaking of her mother, where the hell is she? If Zakhar’s married and hitting on Rori, my opinion of him will be in the gutter. I have no patience for men who cheat. Or women, for that matter, thinking of Pietro’s wife.
Zakhar slams his hand down on Ilya’s desk, and it’s the first show of anger that I’ve really seen from him. I’m not sure if I’m impressed or amused. That amusement turns to wariness when the girl suddenly gets to her feet and heads our way. She ignores the sharp words aimed at her back as she drops into the seat beside Rori.
Rori gives her an amused smile. “Tired of men and their bullshit already, huh?” Rori jokes lightly, keeping it in English, probably for my benefit.
The girl rolls her eyes. “All the girls at school gush over how great boys are, but they’ve obviously never had to live with three overbearing ones. I’m Mila.” She holds out her hand, and I hear a sharp intake of breath behind her. I glance up and see all three men’s faces have gone stony, their hands near their guns. Looks like they don’t trust Rori completely after all.
Or me. Probably smart, but I don’t kill kids. I lean back in my seat, keeping my hands flat on the table, but they don’t relax. They keep their gazes trained on us, ready to move at the slightest provocation. Even Freya lets out a warning snarl when Hades gets close to Mila, who smiles down at him. “Okay to pet him?” she asks Rori.
Rori smiles and nods, giving a quick command to Hades, making him whine and wiggle in excitement. Mila giggles softly, giving his big head a good pat, making him lick her hand. Even that doesn’t relax the men watching the scene.
“Are you here to kill me?” Mila asks abruptly, looking at Rori and then me.
“No,” Rori answers calmly, seemingly unsurprised by that question, but her gaze moves to all three men, arching a brow. “Not that they believe that. I take it that you weren’t supposed to be here?”
“Nope. A…friend brought me home, insisting that this was the right place for me to be.”
I narrow my eyes at that. A friend? When I glance at Ilya and Zakhar, they both share a cold look, their expressions hard. Something’s off about this whole thing.
Rori just smiles, unconcerned. “Well, you’re here now. I’m Rori, and this is Hades, and that’s Alonzo. Now that you’re giving him any attention, Hades is going to think you’re best friends.”
“If Oleg wouldn’t kill me, I’d suggest that Freya and him have a play date or something. She’s lonely without a packmate to play with.”
“Mila, that’s enough,” Zakhar orders, moving forward. “You’re going back to?—”
“No, I’m not,” Mila interrupts. Her tone is final. I barely manage to hide a smirk. Zakhar glares down at her. “I’ve already told you, she brought me home, and this is where I’m staying. If she thinks I’m safe here, then I believe her.”
“Her?” Rori repeats, her gaze sliding to Ilya. I can’t see his expression with Zakhar’s big body blocking the view, but from the slight tick in Rori’s jaw, I have to say that she doesn’t like what she sees.
“A pain in the ass that has no right to stick her nose in my business,” Ilya retorts, and I can practically feel the hostility rolling from him.
Sounds like there’s more to the story there.
“Either way, I’m here, and if you send me back, I’m just going to make my way back home again,” Mila continues, glancing up at her father, almost like she’s daring him to try her. Damn, this kid has sass in spades. I like her.
“If you really don’t want her here, I can call in favor to get her to New York,” I find myself offering.
“No,” Zakhar and Ilya both snap. I shrug, unfazed.
Rori glances at me with a strange expression before she looks back at Mila again. She takes in the girl, drumming her fingerson the table softly. “This friend, she give you any instructions to follow?” she finally asks the girl.
“Just to stay out of the way and that everyone in this room is trustworthy, so listen to what they say and keep my ass out of trouble.” Mila smirks. “I don’t know what would give her the impression I would cause anything like that.”
Oleg snorts. “Yeah, tell that to someone who doesn’t get phone calls about you weekly for the shit you do at that school.”
Mila shrugs. “I told you what would happen if you sent me to that private boarding school, but no one listened.”
