The meeting is set in a traditional Asian restaurant with private rooms.
It’s one of the places where the Yakuza conduct their outside meetings. If I remember correctly, they own this one.
Our guards remain outside as we agreed on beforehand.
Damien, Kirill, and I arrive a bit early, so the three of us are sitting on the floor. Damien is beside me to the right, and Kirill chose to sit opposite me even though there’s room on my left.
The table is empty except for a ceramic teapot that rests in the middle. Every five minutes, a waitress comes to refill our teacups.
“Don’t you have some vodka in here?” Damien barks, and the slim woman flinches at the strength of his voice. She’d probably piss her pants if he showed any hint of his Russian accent. He’s really a bull.
“No need to yell at the lady.” Kirill smiles, speaking in a smooth, suave voice. “Can you please get us some vodka? Our friend here lacks class and is not a fan of tea.”
She mirrors his smile, falling right into his fake charm. “Right away, sir.”
As soon as the wooden door slides shut behind her, Kirill’s smile vanishes. “How long are they going to keep us waiting? Is this a tactic?”
I take a sip of my tea and relish the relief it creates at the bottom of my stomach. “The question should be why they chose the three of us.”
“Especially you,” Kirill says with condescension.
“Why should that be a surprise when I’m the one who brought Kai around?”
“Did you use some lady skills?” Kirill taunts. “Does that tool husband of yours know?”
“No, but if you really want him to know about something, I can tell him about your own set of skills.”
Kirill readjusts his glasses with his middle finger, glaring at me, but he drops the subject.
The waitress brings us a bottle of vodka and glasses, smiles at Kirill, then leaves. Damien uncaps the bottle, ignores the glasses, and drinks straight from it like the savage he is.
“Stop it.” I try to take the bottle from him, but he pushes me away.
“Drink your tea and leave me the fuck alone.”
“I can’t leave you the fuck alone when the brotherhood depends on this meeting.” I grab the bottle and yank it away, causing droplets to fall on his shirt. “You’re hard to handle sober, so there’s no way in hell you’re getting drunk on a day like this.”
He licks his mouth, wiping away the droplets of vodka that stuck to his upper lip. “Are you this bossy in bed, too? That lucky bastard, Kyle.”
“More like poor bastard,” Kirill mutters.
“Lucky or poor is none of your business.”
“Tell me, I’m curious.” Damien leans his elbow on the table. “What made you settle with Kyle, of all the men who surrounded you all your life? You had much better options. Hint: me.”
“He understands me better than anyone else,” I say without even thinking about it. That’s what always made Kyle special. He sometimes understands my needs before I do.
“How does one even begin to understand a witch?” Kirill asks.
“You would never know because when you start, you’re already under my spell.”
“Holy fuck, that must’ve hurt.” Damien barks out a laugh. “You okay there, Kirill? Want me to get you something for the burn?”
I smirk at Kirill and he flips me off. Damien uses my distraction to try to reach for the bottle of vodka. I swat his hand away, clasp the bottle, and place it in front of me under the table so he doesn’t have access to it.
Even though he’s sitting still, his eyes are shifty and agitated. I’m ready to bet it’s because of whatever seed Kirill planted in his head back at the house.
The door slides open again, and this time, it’s not the waitress. Kai walks in, followed by an old, short man who wears a pressed suit.
Abe Hitori. The leader of the Yakuza branch in New York.
Kirill and I stand in greeting, but Damien remains planted in place. Not only that, he also uses the chance of my standing up to grab the bottle of vodka.
I glare down at him, but he just sips from the bottle. “What? Surely they know how I am if they specifically asked for me. Right, old man?”
The motherfucker.
I curse inwardly, but I pause when Abe laughs, wrinkles forming around his eyes, then speaks in a subtle Japanese accent. “Always a black sheep, Damien.”
“I will drink to that.” He swallows another gulp of his vodka, then wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. “Now, spare us the suspense and let us know why we’re here.”
“Patience, young man.” Abe sits beside Damien, and the asshole doesn’t even attempt to give him room.
Kai smiles at me in greeting before he kneels beside me in an upright posture that somehow appears reverent. He places a hand on my thigh. “Have you been well?”
“Yes,” I murmur as I remove his hand. “And that question doesn’t need to be asked while you touch me, does it?”
He chuckles softly. “I didn’t expect anything less from you.”
After the food arrives, a mixture of soups, noodles, and an exquisite fish dish, Abe and Kai unhurriedly dig into their meals. Kirill and I join, mimicking their pace. Dedushka taught me how to use chopsticks a long time ago. He said respecting other people’s cultures goes a long way.
Damien, though, digs in with his bare hands, still sipping from the bottle every other bite.
We need to finish and get the hell out of here before he disrespects them anymore.
“Sergei sends his regards,” I tell Abe.
He merely nods, still focused on Damien. “Say, are you betrothed?”
“What’s that? Some type of food?” Damien asks between mouthfuls of fish.
“Marriage. Ever thought of it?”
“Why would I?”
“Maybe you should.”
“Well, maybe you should.”
“I am married.”
“No kidding. And here I thought you were single for life.”
“I’m going to propose something.”
“Why are you looking at me?” Damien motions at me and Kirill. “They usually do the talking thing.”
“I’m not interested in talking.”
“Then why have you brought me here in the midst of my busy schedule? I have people to kill, old man.”
Abe smiles again. “What if I said I have an offer to make?”
“Then make it already and spare us the bullshit.”
“Damien,” I scold under my breath.
“What?” he shoots back. “I have shit to do.”
“It’s fine, fine.” Abe motions at me with a dismissive hand. “Damien?”
“Yes?”
“I’m offering you my daughter’s hand in marriage.”
“Why would you do that to her?” Damien stares incredulously, then whispers, “Is she not really your daughter, so you’re punishing her?”
Abe laughs, the sound genuinely amused. “I like you, Damien Orlov.”
“Believe me, your daughter won’t,” I say before I can measure my words.
“Yeah, I agree.” Damien is still chewing on his food while he speaks.
“Let me be the judge of that.” Abe takes a sip of sake, a traditional rice wine. “The marriage is part of the deal. Take it or leave it.”
“Leave it.” Damien attempts to stand up, but I grab his thigh and force him to sit down, my nails digging into his pants.
I smile at Abe. “What he meant to say is that we’ll think about it.”
“We will?” Damien asks.
“Yes, we will.” I give him a knowing look, then direct it at Kirill, who takes his time savoring the fish before he speaks.
“We would be honored by such an alliance,” Kirill says in his suave voice. “I’m sure Sergei will be thrilled.”
“Yes, yes.” Abe slides a cup in front of Damien and pours sake in it.
“No thanks, old man. I prefer vodka.”
I pinch Damien’s thigh and he groans, but I don’t let go, mouthing, “Do it.”
It’s extremely disrespectful to refuse a drink, especially if it’s from someone older than you.
Damien rolls his eyes and takes the cup, downing it in one go before he shoos my hand away and stands, clutching his vodka bottle. “I’m out of here.” When neither of us move, the brute grabs Kirill by the collar. “You waiting for an invitation or something? We have shit to do.”
Kirill follows Damien’s lead and bows.
Dammit. They’re leaving together. No way in hell.
I follow their lead, bowing before I stand up. “I apologize for Damien’s behavior.”
“No, no.” Abe raises his hand dismissively, a small smile on his lips. “He’s an interesting man, yes?”
“You could say that,” I speak slowly. “May I ask why you wanted Kirill and me to join?”
“Kai said you and Kirill are more rational and would convince him.”
My gaze slides to Kai, and he smiles at me with a knowing nod. I don’t know if I should be thankful or wary of his ulterior motives.
“Thank you for the meal.” I nod and slowly retreat out of the room.
As soon as I’m out of Abe and Kai’s view, I sprint in the direction of the parking lot. Thankfully, I catch a glimpse of Damien and Kirill heading to the latter’s car, followed by their horde of guards.
Katia rushes in my direction, but I shake my head. Then, I retrieve my phone and shoot a text in the group chat.
Rai: You and Ruslan follow me from afar. I need to go back with Kirill and Damien.
My guard nods and retreats to join Ruslan.
“Auntie!”
I freeze, the phone nearly clattering to the ground at the small voice. My head jerks to the left and my gaze lands on my nephew’s little face. On his dreamy green eyes and soft features.
Gareth.
He’s a few feet away, smiling up at me with pure innocence, showing his baby teeth.
Shit. Fuck.
My eyes frantically search around. If he’s here, Reina is too. Kirill and Damien cannot, under any circumstances, know she exists. Especially Kirill. He would destroy me and her.
My fingers tremble when Kirill’s closest guard, Aleksander, stops. He stares at me over his shoulder, his critical gaze sliding to Gareth.
There’s nothing I want to do more than shoot Aleksander in the face, grab Gareth, and run away, but that will only hurt him and his parents.
“Auntie?” he repeats, tone unsure.
Aleksander stops walking and turns around fully to watch the scene. Any move from my side will cause a disaster. If I talk to Gareth, Aleksander will make it his job to find out exactly who he is, and that will lead him straight to Reina.
If I leave, my baby nephew will be all alone and unprotected in this place.
I can’t even tell Katia and Ruslan to take care of it because that will lead back to me.
A man crouches and picks Gareth up. “There you are, troublemaker. I told you not to call strangers auntie.”
A breath heaves out of me at seeing Asher. He gives me an impersonal smile as if it’s the first time he’s seeing me and nails the role so well. “Sorry about that.”
“Don’t worry about it.” I make sure Aleksander sees my fake smile.
Seeming to lose interest, he turns and joins his boss.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper to Asher, who nods in understanding before he takes a protesting Gareth inside.
My chest aches at the inability to hold my nephew or kiss him. It’s better this way, for his sake.
Once again, I type in the group chat.
Rai: Gareth and Asher are in this restaurant, and Reina must be here, too. Follow them from afar and make sure they get home safe and no one suspects anything. Do not under any circumstances make direct contact unless they’re in danger.
Ruslan: Yes, boss.
Katia: On it.
I half-jog to Kirill’s car just before Aleksander closes the door. I push past him and sit beside Damien.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Kirill watches me as if I grew a second head.
“Take me back with you.”
“You have your own car.”
“It’s broken down. Ruslan is trying to fix it.”
“Do I look like a taxi to you?”
“Well, you could be one.”
“Leave, Rai.” Damien sips from his vodka. “Kirill and I have a meeting.”
I’m well aware, but if they think they can get rid of me this easily, they’re mistaken.
“Then do it after you drop me off.”
Kirill shrugs a shoulder. “Or I can just throw you out.”
“You just wasted a minute. We would’ve arrived faster if we’d taken off already, besides…Abe told me something after you left.”
“Who cares what that delusional old man says?” Damien mocks.
Kirill does because he motions at his driver to go. Aleksander gives me a peculiar glance from the passenger seat, then immediately conceals it. Please tell me he doesn’t suspect anything about Asher and Gareth.
As soon as the car rolls out of the parking lot, followed by another vehicle that’s full of Kirill and Damien’s guards, I try to get comfy. As comfy as it gets with two large men dwarfing the back seat.
“What did Abe say?” Kirill asks.
“It’s about Damien,” I say, slowly gauging his reaction, but he appears completely uninterested. “Don’t you want to know?”
“I do want to know why you said I’ll think about it. You want to marry me off, Rai?”
“If it benefits the brotherhood, why not settle down?”
“Settle down? What are you, my mother?”
“First of all, eww. Second of all, just go with it.”
“Just like you went with your own marriage? It’s so boring if we’re all so sacrificial like you, Rayenka.”
“Does that mean you won’t do it?”
“I don’t see why I should.”
“You can’t disrespect Abe that way, Damien. He’s one of the strongest allies we can have.”
Kirill readjusts his glasses. “And he will become our worst enemy if this bull kills his daughter in one of his violent episodes.”
“You hurt women?” I snap at Damien.
He continues sipping from his vodka before he lowers his mouth to my ear. “When they get close, yes. Why? You want to test it?”
I push him away, glaring. “You will control that side of you and treat Abe’s daughter well, and if I find out you hurt any woman, you’ll have me to answer to.”
He grins. “Will it be kinky?”
I’m about to gouge his eyes out when the car swerves and comes to a screeching halt. The force is so strong that I bump against the back of Aleksander’s seat.
“What is it?” Kirill barks at his driver in Russian.
“Don’t know, sir. There’s something on the road—”
His words cut off when a shot lodges straight in his chest. Aleksander gets his gun out, cursing, but it’s too late.
Gunshots erupt from all directions.
We’re under attack.
