“With pleasure,” Grigori muttered, quickly exiting the room through the hidden door.
I stood there, not really knowing what to do. Daniil was furious. And all because of some previous baggage. Not to mention, he had eavesdropped on my private conversation with Merc. I wasn’t sure if I should feel bad or pissed. I was a little of both.
Daniil and I stood, staring at one another.
He was silent, using that as his weapon.
Which worked damn well. I couldn’t take the silence. I stated slowly, “I’m not her. You’ve already said that before. Don’t expect me to do things that she did. You are more than enough for me.” I paused, and ground out, “Which means you need to have a little fucking trust in me, and not go around sneaking into rooms when I’m having a private fucking discussion.”
His jaw set. And stayed that way, his nose crinkling as he stared at the door Merc had gone through.
I muttered, “Daniil. I don’t want him that way. He’s only a friend.” Jealousy really didn’t suit him.
He turned back to me, growling, “Do you know how many women have hit on me tonight? I’ve lost track with how many numbers I’ve had thrown away. And while I ignore every single one of them, because I’m not fucking interested, you run off the first chance you get and drag a man into an empty room. What the hell was I supposed to think?”
That stopped me. And, really, I only heard one part of it. I practically exploded, shouting, “Which fucking woman gave you her damn number?” I started marching toward the door, pointing back at him. “Tell me right now!”
Daniil blinked, and suddenly, he lunged, grabbing me by the shoulders. He jerked me back when I had almost made it to the door. I felt myself panting as a dangerous, possessive feeling crept inside me, practically boiling my brain. I screamed, “Who the fuck hit on you?”
“Shh… Shit, I’m sorry, my sweet.” Daniil tried to calm me, wrapping me in his arms. “It doesn’t matter. I shouldn’t have said that. Calm down.”
“I. Will. Not. Calm. Down!” I punctuated each hiss with a jab to his hard chest. “Some damn bitch out there,” I paused, and restated, “Multiple bitches think they can take what’s mine. Just tell me which ones! I’ll take care of them.” Oh, hell yes, I would.
Daniil made an odd gurgling sound in his throat, but he quickly cleared it, leaning back and shaking my shoulders a little, but so help me, his fucking lips twitched. “Now do you see what jealousy can do to someone?”
I already had my mouth open to yell some more, but I made a funny noise instead, trying to stop myself. I slowly shut it, remembering that trick my mom had taught me. I closed my eyes. Counted to ten. Then, twenty. Ah, hell, I counted to a hundred. Then, I was able to open my eyes and speak halfway rationally. I still muttered, “You’ll point out at least one of them to me.” And I said it because I had to. “And I’m not her, so don’t expect me to act like it.”
He nodded once curtly, murmuring, “I’m sorry. But, it may take a little time.” He paused, and said, “And I don’t think it’s a good idea to show you any of them. They only hit on me. That doesn’t deserve a dagger in the back.”
He started herding me out of the room.
I muttered, “Says who?”
Daniil chuckled. “No one deserves anything in their back. If you’re going to do it, do it right. Make sure they can see your face before you put the hurt on them.”
I snorted, knowing he was joking…and also not joking. “Mary was right. You are a funny man.”
“Mary is a very wise young lady,” Daniil gestured grandly, opening the door for me. “Try not to run off again and make me worry.”
I grinned and winked. “If only I were a good, sweet preacher’s daughter, maybe I could do that.”
Daniil growled low, wrapping his arms around me from behind as we walked along everyone, their stares on us. “Luckily for me, I’ve caught one.”
“Preacher’s daughter, yes,” I whispered. “Except, I’m not all that good and sweet.” I reached back between our bodies and cupped him.
He groaned, and muttered under his breath, “Think of Papa. Think of Papa.” Too bad I felt him growing hard against my hand. I decided to give him a break, and released my hold on him, and patted his hip. And I watched out for any woman hitting on my man.
By the end of the evening, we were all back in the music room. I was exhausted. I had spent two more grueling hours, not only looking for the fucks I wanted to kill, but also ‘accidently’ spilling drinks on at least six women who I had finally been observant enough to see try to pass off fucking notes to Daniil. The last lady, I had just grabbed the note from her, read it, then slammed the damn ‘Come hither’ note into her own drink, and told her to fuck off. Daniil had found this all very amusing, of course.
Well, until some idiot had actually hit on me. With Daniil right there.
That didn’t go over well. How anyone could hit on me while I was as big as a whale was beyond me, but a few points in my favor was the guy was sexy fine. And young. Two things Daniil didn’t like so much. Needless to say, the gentleman was no longer in the house. Or probably, the country by now. Hopefully, he wasn’t scratching at a wooden box six feet under.
I sat tuckered out watching Roman play on the piano while Mary sat next to him, facing out toward everyone, singing one of her heartbreaking songs. Daniil had finagled that one somehow. It probably had to do with the fact that Mary had illegally imbibed—she had only turned twenty while I was ‘away’—in some spirits and was feeling giving at the moment. She wasn’t drunk, but she was tipsy. It was a small blessing my aunt hadn’t noticed.
All of Daniil’s family from Russia was sitting around us, along with everyone from Lion Security that was here, and my family, and Daniil’s so I rested my head on his shoulder.
Oh, and the fuckers who had kidnapped me were here in this room.
I had figured it out in the last half hour of our rounds with everyone. I was pretty sure Daniil had saved them for last on purpose. I recognized their voices first. And then, the woman’s eyes. They were hazel, a greenish brown color. She was stunningly beautiful. I was oddly at peace knowing they were here in this room with us.
Probably because I knew they would be dead by the end of the night.
I waited, pushing back those memories of my bodyguards dying, of everything they had done to me and had planned to do to me. I merely waited for the right time, resting against Daniil. He was so damn warm and strong. It felt…perfect. I felt at peace. I was where I wanted to be.
Mary finished her third song, and as everyone applauded like normal, she bumped Roman’s shoulder, saying, “You’re not so bad.”
I couldn’t see what he said since he leaned over, whispering in her ear, but she blinked, and her mouth dropped open a little, just for a heartbeat, and then she snapped it shut and smiled out at the audience. I chuckled quietly, whispering, “Ten bucks says that was inappropriate.”
Daniil chuckled right along with me, and whispered against my short curls, “Are you trying to rob me? I know that was inappropriate. He is my son, after all.”
I laughed outright.
God only knows what Daniil had taught his kids growing up about the finer art of seduction.
I glanced at Stash where he stood against the wall next to Zane, damn covertly, watching Eva who was being flirted with by Merc. I almost chuckled. Merc knew what he was doing. He was only having a little fun with her at Stash’s expense. I leaned over, whispering, “You aren’t going to kill Stash or anything, are you?” He had better not try that. I’d have some major words for him if he even considered it.
Daniil glanced at him, then at Grigori, who stood next to Zane, still keeping a close eye on Stash, but not acting as if anything was different. “She’s my daughter.”
I nodded. “Touch him, and you’re going to be in big trouble with me.” I cleared my throat, and whispered even quieter, “You didn’t see them together. They were…different. Not like they normally are.�
� I raised my hand, palm facing down, and then turned it quickly so my palm was facing up. “It’s like they flipped. The roles were reversed. He may be the only man capable of handling her.” She was a damn strong woman, but in bed with Stash, he wore the pants.
Or not…whatever.
Daniil’s jaw clenched, and he muttered, “I’m not sure I wanted to know that.”
Mary started singing again, and I shrugged. “I told you so you won’t hurt him.”
He sighed and, again, glanced at Stash, who was trying for his normal calm as Merc sat down beside Eva. Stash wasn’t doing so well. Or maybe it was because I knew what to look for. Daniil mumbled half-heartedly, “I won’t hurt him. For now.”
I patted Daniil’s leg, and settled in and listened to Mary and Roman as they created beauty music together.
One more song down, Daniil patted my leg and readjusted me as he stood, clapping along with everyone else. He walked over to them, helped Mary up, and patted Roman’s shoulder. They left the piano bench, and Roman was definitely on the prowl because he sat on the arm of the couch that Mary sat on, leaning back with his tux jacket undone, showcasing his body to full advantage. I almost laughed. Mary was in over her head, and she didn’t even realize it. Whether it be a quick tumble or something more, it looked like Roman was now in the chase.
“Thank you all for coming tonight,” Daniil stated loudly, shushing the applause for Roman and Mary. Daniil smiled at everyone, leaning back on the piano calm and composed. He lifted his hand and motioned for me to get up. “Beth, come and stand by me.”
I sighed and rose—albeit a little awkwardly because of my big belly—then plastered on a smile as I waved at everyone around the room. Daniil shook his head at me, seeing the falseness in my attempt at courtesy. He wrapped his arms around me and said to the room at large, “I’m very lucky to have my Beth. She’s the woman I was meant for.” He kissed my forehead softly, and then glanced back out our audience. “And someone very recently tried to take her and our unborn children away from me.”
The room’s occupants that spoke Russian all exploded into…well, Russian. They shook their fists in the air and yelled out things I was only beginning to understand from language lessons. Daniil lifted a hand from my stomach, holding it up in a shushing gesture. “Yes. I know.” His tone had changed, getting quieter. More deadly. I glanced up at him and saw his smile had vanished. No goodwill there.
Brutal utter death peered out. And slowly, he turned his head to the two people in the room who had kidnapped me, and he stated quietly into the silence, “I know.”
Suddenly, all of the guards in the room took a step to their left or right, depending on where they stood in the room, strategically placing themselves almost in a circle around the couple. They stopped moving altogether, utterly still in their seats.
It was Daniil’s sister-in-law from his marriage to Olya. And her husband.
Daniil cleared his throat, and he stated softly, “Valentina, it would be wise to have my niece leave the room.” He looked at the girl who was around twenty and more Goth than Ember and Grigori combined. “Inna, please leave.”
I felt for her. I really did. But I could also tell that her father, the man who had taken me abused her. She wore white make-up over her naturally tan skin, her eyes done in black, enough to make Marilyn Manson proud. It still wasn’t enough to cover the bruising on one side of her face. It was healing, but it was too purple to not be noticeable. And then there was the way she flinched from the man. That was enough.
Inna glanced at the guards surrounding her parents. She wasn’t stupid. The girl turned her attention to me, and she said softly, “I believe I’d like to stay for this.” Damn. She was so timid. Not to mention tiny. She was even smaller than I was—when I wasn’t pregnant, that is. She had an iron will. I could see that now in her eyes.
“What’s going on?” my mom asked quietly into the silence.
Daniil glanced down at me, raising his eyebrows, giving me the opportunity to explain.
“Mom. Dad. You might want to take our family out of here.” I jerked my head at the two who were surrounded. “They’re the fucks who kidnapped me.” I stared my dad right in the eye. “And I’m going to take care of it tonight, so please leave.”
Dad stared right back.
Not the preacher.
Not the man.
But my dad stared right back into my eyes.
A fury was buried deep within his gaze I had never seen before as he turned his attention to them…but he glanced at my mom and quickly stood, jerking her to her feet before she lunged out of the chair at the couple. Yep. I knew I had been right on that score. Having a hard time keeping my mom contained, dad muttered, “We’ll be outside.” He jerked his head at the door to my aunts and cousins. “Help me with her.” He really was having one hell of a time. I had never seen my mom react like that. Never.
My aunts Susan, Rebecca, and Ella all tore their equally furious gazes from the surrounded couple and jumped to help dad. My uncles even muscled into action to help. Katie left the room swiftly, looking decidedly ill.
But Mary…
I raised my eyebrows at her, and she shook her head, turning her attention back to what was going on with the fuckers. Ah. This was one of those times Mary was older than her age. She knew this was an execution, and she wasn’t going anywhere. In fact, she patted the seat next to her, ignoring how Roman didn’t move a damn muscle from where he was beside her as she beckoned Daniil’s niece to come and sit by her.
That was an odd duo. Colorful Mary sitting next to Goth Inna.
The early stages of a tiny uproar were beginning with Daniil’s family from Russia. I couldn’t understand them completely, but I got the gist of it. They were asking if Daniil was positive about this. Apparently, they didn’t believe Valentina was capable of such an act. They all knew her and loved her. Although they did point their finger at her husband, Bogdan.
They all thought he was capable of it.
Daniil raised his hand again, shushing them and shaking his head. “Oh, no. Valentina played a part in it.” He glanced down at me. “You recognized her, did you not?”
I nodded. “Her eyes and her voice.” I jerked my head at Bogdan. “And his nose is crooked because I smashed it with the trunk.” I grinned. Fucker.
Valentina started to argue very prettily, but Daniil made a gesture with his hand, and one of the bodyguards moved. He gagged her for lack of a better word. And her pretty words stopped. I grinned again. Fuckerette.
Daniil stated to the room at large, “Beth was singing this song that was repeatedly played while she was in captivity. You tell me if you do not believe it was Valentina after you hear this.” He placed me aside and sat down at the piano and started playing that fucking song.
I couldn’t take more than a few chords of it, and I lunged, grabbing his hands. “Stop. Please.”
He nodded, swiftly standing and holding me tight again. “Now. Does anyone have any arguments?”
Valentina’s parents stood. Daniil’s previous in-laws.
They literally spit in the direction of their daughter and her husband. They said a few harsh words in Russian, which I understood for ‘stupid girl’ before they turned and left the room.
Shocked. I was shocked. I didn’t think they would have just left their daughter. I glanced up at Daniil. He must be one scary motherfucker in Russia. Quietly, still a little stunned, I asked, “What song is that, anyway?”
Daniil shook his head, saying quietly, “She plays music as well. That song is one that she created herself. Only a few CDs were ever made. And only given to those who she was friends with.”
Oh, yeah. Stupid fuckerette.
I took a deep breath in and released him, holding out my hand. His gun. I wanted his gun before all of the damn memories bombarded me, and I wasn’t able to walk over there. That fucking song had almost pushed them up and out. I needed the damn gun. And fast.
He reached behind his back and pull
ed his gun out slowly, whispering, “Beth, my sweet. I can do this for you.” No one was paying us much mind, although a few of the women were leaving the room, and one or two men were also leaving, not wanting to watch, but doing nothing to stop it.
I shook my head hard and damn if a few tears didn’t roll down my cheeks. Six to be exact. Six for each of those men they had slaughtered in cold blood.
I whispered harshly, “Eye for an eye.”
Daniil’s lips thinned, but he nodded, placing the gun in my hand. He tried again, “It’s all right if you can’t do this. I understand. Not everyone can take a life so easily.”
I shook my head. “They would be put on death row for what they’ve done from just what I saw. I can’t ask someone else to do this if I can’t do it myself.” I wiggled my hand holding the gun since he still had his hand on top of it. “Give me the fucking gun.”
Still, he didn’t budge, saying, “You won’t be the same after this. You’ve killed a man before, but that was to get free while you were kidnapped. That’s different than this.” He bent down, capturing my attention since I had been staring at the gun. “Beth, this is different. Let me handle it for you.”
My jaw clenched.
I really thought about what he was saying. Nerves rushed me.
And…I almost gave in. I almost let him do it.
But staring into those fiercely beautiful brown eyes, I saw another pair of brown eyes.
My guard. Trofim’s dark gaze forever gone because two cowards decided it. Like a simple selection between buying orange juice or apple juice. A person’s life should be worth more than that. Their memory should be worth more than me backing down from giving him justice. Albeit, also illegally, but if we went through the proper channels…well, the outcome would be the same. Just a different timeframe and by a different hand.
“Trofim deserves better than me being a coward.” I jerked on my hand with the gun. “I was there. I saw them kill each and every one of my…” I choked and cleared my throat, “…my bodyguards. Now. Give. Me. The. Damn. Gun.”
Obsidian Music (Lion Security Book 3) Page 13
