Page 20 of In Her Blood
Wendy started to speak, stammering horribly.
Seriously, what the hell is going on?Otto did not seem surprised that the two of them were there. She was going to grill him about that as soon as they were alone again. That, andabout a dozen other things. But she recognized what this moment was.
This was a test.
No one would believe she could handle the role of pakhan if she fucked this up.
Evelina cast one final look Wendy’s way, analyzing what she could see, before squaring her shoulders and holding Artem’s unreadable stare. “Obviously she’s useless in secretarial work—”
Wendy made a sound like she was offended.
Evelina ignored her. “But physically she has potential, and more importantly, she doesn’t know enough. Let’s find her a nice new job in a club.” She paused this time and pitched her voice rather than turning her head again. “You work full-time here, don’t you, Wendy?”
A tense silence fell over the room. Each of Wendy’s rattling breaths carrying like shrapnel through the air. Then, finally, the woman squeaked, “Yes.”
“Good. We need someone with an open schedule.”
Artem dipped his chin, then turned his whole head toward his soldier. “Call it in, and don’t let this one out of your sight ‘til they’re here.”
The familiar sound of keys caught Evelina’s attention a moment before Otto tossed his keys across the room, to the same man Artem had just snapped orders at. “Bring it home when you’re done.”
Evelina barely registered the nod over the sinking feeling swirling in her gut. It wasn’t like sheusuallydrove herself around, but somehow, she hadn’t been prepared for him to dothat. She opened her mouth on reflex to say something, but Artem faced her again.
“When you have a moment again, Ms. Nikolaev,” he said, “please give me a call.” He lowered his voice. “I would like to offer you my aid.”
Stunned, all Evelina could manage was a dip of her chin before Otto steered her toward the door.
He kept his hand at her back as he walked her through and guided them in the direction of her car. When they were alone on the sidewalk, he bent his head to her ear. “Keys.”
Oh, shit.He was pissed.
Otto could have shot up every soul who worked in that office and he wouldn’t be satisfied. He had no idea what the fuck Lina had been thinking, rushing off unprotected when she knew damn well there were several men in the clan who would celebrate her death. To say nothing of the enemies her father had made over the years.
He gripped the steering wheel harder as he drove, grinding his teeth until they screeched in his ears in an effort to keep from shouting his anger.
“You know I hate when you do that,” Lina said. “It’s bad enough you put me here”—she gestured around herself,indicating her position in the back passenger seat—“in my own damn car. Obviously, you’re in raging bodyguard mode, I get it. But please, enough with the whole ‘trying to grind my teeth to dust’ thing. I’m in painforyou.”
“You’re imagining things. I’m not in pain.”
She made a loud, exasperated sigh and dropped her head heavily against the seat. “Otto.”
“Lina.”
“I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Debatable.”
“Excuse me?”
Otto cut a glance at her through the rearview mirror, noting she’d sat upright again, before returning his gaze to the road. “Is that flash drive worth your life?”
“It’s my father’s Will.” She said it like that explained everything.
“So the lawyer says.” Otto flicked on his blinker.
Lina was speaking again by the time he eased into the next lane. “Well, if he gave me something else, obviously he dies. So it damn sure better be my father’s will.”
Otto grunted. “And the will of a dead man who treated you like shit, and may or may not have left you a single thing, is worth your life?” He paused, looking up in time to see her brow furrow. “Or should I ask, is it worth yourdeath?”
