Sato gave a humming sound, but clearly he wasn’t sharing more of his origins, so I decided to play a game of fishing. After all, he was going to be my bodyguard.
“So, what do you do for Kirill besides bodyguarding his fiancée?”
“This and that.”
Ugh.So, forget anything about sharing.“You know I could have your dossier by this afternoon, right?”
This time his eyes crinkled at the corners, and the grin returned to his face. “Pakhan is going to have his hands full with you.”
“So you think I stand a chance against him?”
Sato gave a pained chuckle, but there was chiding in his tone when he spoke. “It’s supposed to be a marriage, not a tournament of who is going to win.”
I wasn’t about to be lectured, so I leaned back, crossed my arms and feigned interest in the passing Manhattan skyline scenery. I read people well, and right now, no matter how much I charmed Sato and made him feel sorry for my situation, his loyalty was pledged to Kirill.
We were almost at the Upper East Side, and I was getting nervous, wired even. I had no phone, and I didn’t know what to expect. There was that feeling of anxiety as well as the desire to get this over with.
“Fuck,” Sato muttered.
“What?” But when I scooted in between the front seats to stare at what was ahead, my throat closed up. Two black SUVs were parked in front of my apartment building, but what called my attention was the imposing man in a dark suit looking like the devil who had emerged from his lair to taunt the morning sunshine.
Luca had arrived. And he had his soldiers with him.
Had I been too late to stop a war?
His body froze and everyone around him became alert.
He slowly removed his sunglasses, and his dark eyes squinted at our approaching vehicle.
He didn’t even wait for Sato to stop in front of the building as he strode with determination toward the Bentley.
“Let me do the talking,” I muttered.
Sato jammed on the brakes when Luca yanked open the door on my side. I was lifted out of the vehicle, and by the time Luca set me to stand on the sidewalk, his men surrounded us, and my uncle engulfed me in his arms.
“I was worried,” he breathed in my ear as I felt his whole body sag into me with relief. He gently pulled away to peer into my eyes. A muscle in his jaw was jumping. “What happened?”
“It’s a long story.”
“Are these your keys?” One of his men was holding my purse and also my duffel.
“Wait.” I pointed at Sato, who was on the phone. “He’s with me.”
“That’s one of Zahkarov’s top soldiers,” Luca said grimly.
“Well, he’s my bodyguard.” I shrugged, trying to act as nonchalant as possible.
I took my keys from the soldier and walked with my uncle who seemed to have lapsed into two heartbeats of silence.
“What the hell is going on?” Luca asked but was cut short by the ringing of his phone. He checked the caller and answered. “Dom?” Brief pause. “Yes, I have her. We’re going up to her unit now. My men will fill you in.”
We entered the elevator, and two of Luca’s men flanked us. Briefly, Sato and I made eye contact, and I was glad he didn’t push to go up to my apartment with me. Kirill assigned a bodyguard, not a spy. With Luca’s men—I counted around six soldiers scattered around—I couldn’t be safer.
“Is Dom coming?”
“What do you think?” Luca replied curtly. “I was hoping to talk to you before I informed him I was in Manhattan, but that damn gossip rag blasted breaking morning news of you coming out of Kirill’s house. Not only that, he kissed you for the world to see! What is going on, Lucy?”
The elevator reaching my floor saved me from answering. “It’s been a crazy night.”
