Jase pinched his lips together and shook his head. “This is why we can’t have nice dinners.”
Jase’s father bustled from the room, his mother following, both of them talking to each other in rapid-fire Russian.
“Ten bucks says they’re making out in a closet somewhere.” Jase’s forehead was etched with lines, and the little lines around his mouth pointed straight down. “Let’s get out of here.”
Heather’s hand in his, he started for the front door.
“My family doesn’t really do dinners like this. We save it for Christmas and stuff,” Heather said, trying a bit of small talk. Now she kind of understood why they only got together a few times a year. If this was the kind of family drama that getting together regularly brought, she’d stick with twice-a-year get-togethers.
Jase’s mother shrieked from down the hallway. His father boomed what sounded to be Russian profanity.
Heather heaved a breath and chanced a look to Jase. “Yup. Making out in a closet. At least they didn’t have time to do what we caught them doing.”
“What did you catch her doing?” Anna’s expression was of total confusion.
Heather’s nerves had all gone numb, like when you’re in a car and it’s about to hit a telephone pole. Not that it had ever happened to her, but if it did, this is what she imagined it would feel like.
“We caught Babushka with her other boyfriend,” Jase replied. “They were…having…”
“Sex,” Heather finished for him.
“Serious?” Anna asked.
Jase nodded.
“Well. Shit.” Zach stood and refilled his tumbler of vodka. “Dad might just stroke out if he finds out.”
Heather’s shoulder slumped. “I don’t think this is going well.”
The muscles in Jase’s jaw clenched. “Welcome to my personal hell.” He dropped his untouched vodka tumbler on the counter. “Another rule of Dvornakov combat? Evacuate and get the hell out.”
Heather was 110 percent on board with that.
“Oh, hell no.” Rome jumped to block the exit. “If we have to stay, you have to stay.”
Jase widened his stance. “Heather, how do you feel about waiting by my bike?”
“What?” Heather slid her gaze to him.
He pressed his hands in his pockets, like they were at the zoo waiting in line to see the zebras. “You wanna get out of here?”
She nodded.
“I have a plan to get us out of here. Do you trust me?”
Uh. “Sure.”
“Then when I say go, you go. Wait by my bike. I’ll be right there.”
“That’s how this is going to go?” Rome asked, a sly smile stretching across his lips.
“Shit.” Zach stood and started moving the wineglasses off the kitchen island.
Heather gripped his forearm. “Jase, what are you doing?”
“Don’t get in the middle of it,” Anna said, hopping up on a barstool by the sink. “You’ll get a collateral-damage-black-eye, and they’ll both feel bad.”
“Jase…” Heather’s heart started to pound. “Whatever you’re going to do—”
