Page 83 of Savage Enemy

“What are the chances he walks out breathing?”

“Not bad actually,” Santo said. “He’s got a fifty-fifty shot because Marco’s also in there. I know he’s pulling for you. And just between us, our brother’s planning something. I think he’s hoping your boyfriend can be useful to him in a few years.”

“Wait—really?”

Interesting. Maybe I had a chance at that Disney moment.

“Yeah, really. So I’d say he does have a good chance, but…”

“But?”

Santo sighed. “Aris is in there, too, and he’s off his meds. If I were you, I’d be more worried about Aris antagonizing your babydaddy enough to make him lose his shit. How good is the man with temper control?”

“We’re all fucked,” I said, shaking my head. “Wait—when did Aris start taking meds?”

Santo scoffed. “I fucking wish. Figure of speech.”

I took another drink, needing more alcohol to dull my mounting anxiety, and stared at the doors, wishing I could see through them and past the next wall into that meeting room.

“There’s some hope, right, since we’re in public? Maybe that’ll keep Saul somewhere in the ‘no felonies’ civility zone.”

“I don’t honestly know what’s gonna happen in there, sister, but I think he’ll walk out. Just not sure if he’ll walk out with the good news you’re hoping for. I don’t know if the Russians have talked to Father yet, so who knows.”

“Have they arrived?”

My nerves itched with the need to get that little meet-and-greet over with, so we could all move on.

Santo’s gaze followed someone approaching behind me.

“Shit. I think they’re coming this way now.”

My breath hitched, and I turned just in time to see a large man with blond hair and pockmarked skin in a red tuxedo.

“No one ever said they had to be attractive, but Christ, would a little style kill them?” Santo murmured.

“Maybe,” I said under my breath. “So why risk it?”

“Good evening,” the man said, his voice heavily accented.

He stepped in close, extended his hand, and took Santo’s with forced cordiality. I wasn’t offered the same courtesy. Instead, the Russian looked me up and down like I was a piece of meat or an expensive doll before turning back to my brother.

“This is the one, yes?”

Santo put his hand on my lower back.

“It is. Ivan, allow me to introduce my sister, Valentina.”

The Russian stared at my cleavage, speaking only to Santo.

“She is very lovely. Like a woman made to fuck.”

I bit down on the inside of my cheek. The champagne in my stomach surged up to my throat, and I swallowed hard to keep from spraying the creep’s ugly tux.

My brother clenched his jaw muscles.

“Listen. This is my sister, and she still belongs to my father at this point, so show some respect.”

Ivan slapped his belly, threw back his head, and laughed.

---