Page 91 of Jack

What I did notice was Katya and Drago. I had been so focused on what was going on between Ivan and Emmy, that I failed to take note of what was going on between the big Russian mob boss and Katya.

Drago was, for lack of better term, terrifying. If I thought Ivan’s expression was hard, he had nothing on Drago. His face looked like it was carved out of stone, as if cracking a smile might break the brittle façade, and the livid scar on the left side of his face only added to his menacing appearance. His dark hair was cut almost military short, emphasizing the severity of his features. Light, gray eyes that should have added warmth to his face appeared cold and watchful.

And the person he watched the most was Katya. Very few men even attempted to talk to her, as Drago stood behind her like a sentry for the majority of the night. He would often make quiet conversation with Nikolai and Jack, but it was difficult to mistake the warning glances he gave any man that walked too close to Katya’s radius.

In fact, one hapless gentleman walked up to her to give her simple congratulations and to reminisce about a class they had taken together, but eventually walked away under the heat of Drago’s intense glower.

After the boy left, Katya’s head whipped around to see what Drago had done, but his face went back to its previously remote expression. She ended up frowning at him suspiciously, but saying nothing.

This recollection had me leaning over to whisper to Hannah, who was sitting with Nikolai in the lounger next to us.

“Okay, what’s the deal with those two?” I asked, jerking my thumb at where Katya was sitting, Drago standing about two feet away from her. Katya was listening attentively to Emmy’s playing, a dreamy look on her face while Drago split his time between speaking in low tones to the dark-suited men around him and scanning the crowd, as if searching for anything that might appear out of the ordinary. Being a mobster seemed freaking exhausting. “I thought he was just staying at her house with her to protect her because Nikolai’s dad was still after her.”

Hannah rolled her eyes. “I have no idea. Katya and I have spent hours trying to figure out what Drago’s deal is,” Hannah whispered. “He plays like they’re together, you know the possessive stuff, but whenever she pushes and tries to get romantic, he throws up a stop sign.”

My brows drew together in confusion. “God, that’s annoying. What’s the deal? Is it the age thing?”

Hannah shook her head. “I don’t know, he won’t tell her. She thinks it’s because she’s still in high school. Tonight, she’s going to confront him once and for all. She knows he’s into her. I mean, it’s pretty obvious, but he won’t budge.”

“What if he rejects her?” I asked, my heart clenching in sympathetic pain at that possibility.

“Katya seems pretty confident that the problem is that she’s still in school. I mean, he’s a full-grown adult—can you imagine wanting to date a girl who’s still in freaking high school, even if she’s over eighteen? She thinks now that she’s on to college they can get together.”

I nodded my head and laid back against Jack, once again focusing on the music, but casting speculative glances at Katya and Drago. They caught my attention when Katya got up and walked over to Drago, saying something that caused a deep furrow between his eyebrows. Katya reached out and put her hand on Drago’s corded forearm as if imploring him to do…something. He abruptly walked past her and moving toward the house, followed by a slightly weaving Katya. She appeared to be a bit drunk.

He looked back and with an exasperated expression at her labored progress, scooped her up and carried her in the house.

Starting to feel like a straight-up voyeur I once again went back to listening to Emmy play, closing my eyes and leaning against the hard, warm body underneath me. I found myself mindlessly rubbing my hands up and down the hard thighs bracketing my waist, slowly rolling my hips back and forth as I sat at the apex of Jack’s legs.

“Ava, you better know what you’re starting with that shit,” Jack whispered harshly in my ear as he reached down to adjust his growing hard-on.

I looked up at him and gave him an impish smile. “Oh, I know what I’m doing.”

Heat leapt in his green eyes, giving him an almost demonic look in the candlelight. He leaned down and put his mouth next to my ear. “Go inside and remove your panties.”

I felt my face flame and my thighs clench at his hoarsely-voiced command. I paused for a moment and he gave me a slight pinch on the hip followed by a slap on the thigh. “Go.”

I hopped up and darted inside the house, as turned on as Jack at our antics. I was unfamiliar with Katya’s house, so as I wandered around looking for the bathroom, when I overheard loud voices. Curious and concerned, I walked closer to what looked like it might be a study, from the sliver I could see through the partially open door.

“Katya, you’re drunk. You don’t want to have this conversation right now,” said Drago in Russian-accented English.

“No! I do want to have this conversation. I’ve been waiting weeks, months, to have this conversation and I don’t want to wait a minute longer.”

I had to admit, I know Katya was being tormented by Drago’s mixed signals, but she sounded kind of like a bratty kid.

Someone let out a loud breath, presumably Drago. “Katya, you are acting like a child.”

“Drago, I don’t care. I love you. I want to be with you, and I’m tired of waiting. Please tell me that’s why you gave me this locket. That you’re ready to give our relationship a chance.”

Ah, so that’s the deal with the locket.

“Katya,” Drago started in a placating tone. “I care about you. Deeply. I gave that locket to you because you deserved a beautiful gift on such an important day. I know you have very little family here so–”

“Wait—what?” Katya fairly screeched. I couldn’t say I blamed her. The way Drago was wording things, it sounded like he considered himself a surrogate family member, rather than her future boyfriend. “You want me to believe you see yourself as a stand-in for my family? That you’re not attracted to me.”

“Katerina, I am not having this conversation,” Drago replied harshly. There was a slight pause and another deep sigh. “I was going to tell you this tomorrow, but I might as well tell you now. I’m moving out and getting my own place in Chicago. Of course, you will still be protected, but it’s not appropriate, or wise, that I stay with you any longer. This conversation is evidence of that.”

I heard Katya gasp followed up by sniffling sounds and moved myself away from the door, feeling terrible to have overheard so much of their private conversation and feeling deeply saddened for Katya’s grief.

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