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I wish I could say more. There’s no guarantee that Iris is one of the women who will be hosting Rafael. We designed the system specifically for situations like this.
Serena arrives a minute later. My blood grows hot just looking at her. She’s a little sweaty from work, hair stuck to her face. I want to smooth it out of the way. She has her hands clasped in front of her, looking up at me as I approach.
She looks nervous and excited.
“I called you in here…” Because I wanted to be alone with you. “Because I want you to know, when serving Rafael Cordero, that you need to be very cautious. Okay? You need to be respectful, but if he does anything to make you feel uncomfortable, you come directly to me. Right to my office. Got it.”
She nods, but she’s got that searching look in her eyes. “Has something prompted this?”
My head spins. I’m sure that’s the phrasing Iris just used. But I shouldn’t be thinking like that. And it could be a coincidence.
“He’s not a good man, and you need to be safe,” I say fiercely.
She flinches… at my words? Because she recognizes it from my text or because I’m a big, tatted Bratva man getting passionate in her face?
“Okay, I will, Mr. Volkov.”
“And call me Nikolai,” I say a little too earnestly.
She smiles, her eyes getting that knowing look. “Fair enough, but you don’t need to yell about it.”
“I’m sorry—”
“To cry, to beg, to plead about it…”
I laugh darkly. “Okay, fair enough. But you need to be smart. I’m not sure… how many jobs you’ve got here.” I glance at her, but she gives nothing away. That’s the most I can say about the underbelly of this place. “But whatever your role, I want to keep my employees safe.”
“It’s the new you?” She says, then she looks shocked when it hits me. I must make a puppy dog face. I’m forgetting who I am around her. “Hey, it’s great,” she adds quickly. “Really. Keep it up.”
“Just remember what I said,” I say gruffly, turning away.
CHAPTER 7
SERENA
Between Rafael’s private party and the standoff in Mr. Volkov’s office, I don’t see him much. I have to take a few days off because Rosa is visiting her sister, so I’ll take Zoe to school and then hang out with her on the weekend. It’s fun to simply be with my daughter, to see her becoming her own person. She even had attitude as a baby, but now she’s getting smarter about it.
I don’t have any information to send Mr. Volkov. And I’m avoiding texting him for no good reason. I don’t know where he’s more confusing. In text or in person.
Mr. Volkov… he told me to call him Nikolai, but it still feels strange. Or maybe I just like how mysterious and imposing Mr. Volkov sounds.
It’s honestly annoying how much he works his way into my head. At night, sometimes I’ll remember him in his office, looming over me. Tense and hot, like he was about to set his shirt on fire. I’m not a woman with my head in the clouds. I know not to get overdramatic. But it felt physically hot. It was as if he wanted to protect me too.
When it’s time for the party, I walk into Vanta trying not to make it obvious that I’m looking for him. I’ve been thinking about something else too. What if he’s secretly hoping Iris is another hostess?
I remind myself to focus on the job as I say hello to Celeste. Catalia nods from nearby. A few other hostesses are here too. The party is going to be bigger than I thought. This is good. I can be less obvious when trying to listen to Rafael.
Even if my head is a mess with Mr… with Nikolai, I’m still trying to be a good mom. Zoe needs new sneakers, and she’s thinking of starting ballet. I can’t be the mom that says no all the time. I have to make this work. I need something big.
Celeste gives us all some prep jobs, then approaches me. “I’m telling everyone one by one, but I want you to be careful tonight, Serena. Rafael and his men aren’t to be messed with.”
“Mr. Volkov gave me the speech,” I say.
“Oh.” Celeste hesitates, then nods.
“What?” I ask.
“Nothing.” She thinks for a moment. “It’s just—he said he was going to give the speeches, then asked me to do it. I didn’t realize he’d gone through with yours.”
