I caught his arm. “I appreciate you. We all do. So go find David, and then both of you join us for pizza.”
He smiled. “You got it.” Then he headed off.
I thought about how Luka had looked at me when he said he’d be fine.
What surprised me?
I believed him.
Luka
We stopped outsideone of the smaller conference rooms. The official bade us wait while he went inside.
“More torture,” Mila groused. “They must attend classes in it.”
I couldn’t argue with that. Then the door opened, and we were invited inside.
Vasiliev was already there, seated at the table with another official I recognized from international events.
Neither looked pleased.
The dragon pin on Vasiliev’s lapel caught the light whenever he moved.
I seemed to have spent half my life sitting in rooms with men wearing that pin.
No one asked us to sit.
Vasiliev clasped his hands together. “We’ll be direct.”
I nodded, doing my best to stand tall. Mila stood beside me, her head held high.
“The situation has become complicated.” The words came out in a dry, gruff tone.
“It was an exhibition gala,” I interjected. Where that boldness came from, I had no idea.
“That was viewed by several hundred million people,” he fired back.
The second official opened a folder. “We’ve received inquiries from sponsors, government offices, cultural organizations?—”
“We have defended you publicly,” Vasiliev interrupted.
Defended.
An interesting choice of word.
“We described the incident following the pairs event as emotional excitement.”
Not love. Not a relationship.
The president leaned back. “We would prefer not to revisit that discussion.”
I waited.
“We need your cooperation.”
I blinked. “What does that mean?”
“You will return home with the team. You will issue a statement reaffirming your commitment to Velkarya.”
