"Never. Not once." I let my hand slide lower on her back, feeling the curve of her ass through the silk. "Katya was married to Dmitri Rostova. He was a rival Pakhan who controlled some territory in the city."
"Was?"
"I killed him." The words come out flat, honest. "Two years ago. Him, his brothers, his nephew. There was a territorial dispute that got out of hand. I ordered a hit on a family gathering."
Lena goes very still against me. "A family gathering."
"His sixteen-year-old daughter was there. She died in the crossfire." The guilt I thought I'd buried surfaces like a corpse in shallow water. "That wasn't supposed to happen. I don't kill kids. But Katya wasn't there. She was visiting her sister in Boston. When she came back, her entire family was gone."
"Jesus." Lena's voice is barely a whisper. "And she's here? At your party?"
"Yeah." I drain my vodka, the burn doing nothing to ease the tension coiling in my gut. "She's here for a reason, and it's not to congratulate me on my survival."
We spend the next hour circulating through the room, and I watch everything. Every face, every reaction, every subtle shift in body language that might reveal something useful.
Ronnie greets me with genuine relief, his handshake firm and his eyes clear. The way he looks at Lena is respectful, curious but not calculating. Safe.
One of my older captains seems pleased to see me. His questions about my absence are perfunctory, more concerned with business continuity than personal details. He's been with me for fifteen years. Solid.
But then there's a younger lieutenant who's been making noise about expansion. His smile is too wide, his congratulations too effusive. He keeps glancing at Katya across the room, and when their eyes meet, something passes between them that makes my instincts flare hot and sharp.
Interesting.
I introduce Lena to the wives and girlfriends, watching her navigate the social minefield with surprising skill. She's charming without being fake, warm without revealing anything real. The dark blue dress hugs her curves in ways that make every man in the room look twice, and I find myself fighting the urge to throw my jacket over her shoulders and hide her from their eyes.
Or plant my fists in a lot of faces.
Possessive. I'm being possessive, and I don't even care.
Across the room, Katya works the crowd like a politician at a fundraiser. She's changed since I last saw her. The grief-stricken widow has been replaced by something harder and sharper. She laughs at jokes that aren't funny, touches arms with casual familiarity, and pays particular attention to my younger soldiers.
The ones who are ambitious. The ones who might be swayed by a beautiful woman with a grudge and deep pockets.
Danil appears at my elbow.
"We need to talk." His voice is low, urgent.
I glance at Lena, who's deep in conversation with Ronnie about something that has them both laughing. She catches my eye and nods, understanding without words that I need a moment.
Danil leads me to a quiet corner near the terrace doors, his expression grim. "You see what she's doing?"
"Katya." Not a question.
"She's been working the room for the past hour. Flirting with every lieutenant under thirty-five, asking questions about loyalty and ambition." He crosses his arms over his broad chest. "She's recruiting."
"I noticed." I watch Katya lean close to another young soldier, her hand resting on his arm as she whispers something that makes him smile. "She's subtle about it. Nothing overt. Just planting seeds."
"Seeds that could grow into problems." Danil's jaw tightens. "These kids don't realize what you're capable of. They see a beautiful woman paying attention to them, and they forget she's a viper."
"Let her play her game." I turn back to the party, my eyes finding Lena automatically. She's moved to the dessert table, and the way that dress clings to her ass as she bends slightly to examine the pastries makes my cock stir. Wrong time, wrong thoughts, but I can't help it. "I want to see who takes the bait."
"That's dangerous."
"Everything is dangerous." I straighten my cuffs, a habit from my old life that's coming back too easily. "But I'd rather know who my enemies are than wonder."
Danil studies me for a long moment. "You've changed. The old you would have handled this differently."
My eyes stay on Lena, watching the way she smiles at something Ronnie's wife says. "Things change."
