Silence filled the space. Leo stared at Dimitri as if thoroughly considering the possibilities and separating various facts from opinion. A minute later, Leo’s suspicious expression left.
He gave Dimitri a warm smile. “If I discovered that it was you, it would twist my already shattering mind.”
“Then, you’ll help me with Lei and also be open to more guards?”
“I will.”
“Due to Chanel’s murder, I believe Lei may try to hurt himself.”
Any brightness on Leo’s face disappeared. “I believe that to. However, Lei won’t do so, until Chanel’s murderer is dead.”
“I agree.”
“Dima, do you remember what I told you, before you took over the North’s throne?”
“One problem at time.”
“Exactly.” Leo took in the men around him. “What is this? You know my rules about my sacred space.”
“I thought you were dead and posed in your office with a wig.” Dimitri gestured to his men. Viktor and the rest of his guards hurried away. I wasn’t sure what to do so I began to leave with them. Dimitri gently took my hand and kept me there.
Leo watched the movement.
When Viktor left, he shut the door behind him. Now only Leo, Dimitri, and I stood in the office.
Leo half bowed. “And now for tea.”
Dima spoke, “Unfortunately, sir, I can’t abide by all rules for today—”
“You will have tea with me.”
“I’m searching for a killer.”
“One that would never walk into the House of God.”
“We don’t know that.”
“I do.” Leo smiled at me. “I’ve been asking Dimitri for several weeks to have tea with me and he has refused every time.”
“I wouldn’t say refused. I’ve taken a few rain checks due to there being chaotic Syndicate storms—”
“Life always has storms. Stop standing outside and punching rain drops. From now on when I call, grab an umbrella, come to the church, and visit me.”
Dimitri frowned.
“It’s disrespectful to your elders.” Leo raised one finger. “And, your mother taught you better.”
“I’m sorry, sir.”
Leo gestured to me. “And now you have a beautiful woman here that smells like your mother. She must be so special to you.”
“She doesn’t smell like—”
“You look like a coffee person, but how do you like your tea?” Leo smiled at me. “Honey or sugar?”
“Honey please.”
“And your name?” Leo extended his hand.
I shook it. “Rose.”
“Of course. What else would the Prince of the Flower Mafia desire?” Leo lifted my hand and kissed it. “You’re going to love my tea so much that you’ll never drink coffee again.”
Dimitri sighed. “Just a quick cup please.”
Leo let go of my hand and dismissed Dimitri. “In all my 65 years I’ve never rushed tea. I won’t start now.”
Damn. He’s sixty-five! He must be a vampire.
Dimitri gritted his teeth. “Fine. Bottomless tea.”
Leo headed away and called over his shoulder. “Make yourselves comfortable. Dima, show her some of the pictures and paintings and tell her about all the good things that I’ve done. Sometimes an old man needs a young one to boast about them. It makes life worth it.”
“Okay, sir.”
Leo left and shut the door. Three odd bumps knocked on the door. Dimitri eyed it. No other sound came.
Dimitri turned to me. “Leo has two rules—no guns or guards in his sacred space and if we come to see him, we must have tea.”
“Those are interesting rules to have. Was it always like that?”
“Even when he was deep into the Diamond Syndicate, tea was required.” Dimitri walked over to the wall behind Leo’s small walnut desk. “Leo also made sure there were clear boundaries between the Diamond Syndicate and his family life.”
I followed him, intrigued by the large painting hanging on that wall. “Why do you think he had those boundaries?”
“To maintain peace and balance in his life. There was no gun-talk on Sundays. He forced everyone to uphold it. Large dinners were also important, not just among the top, but also with his men.”
I stood in front of the massive painting. “He saw the Syndicate as a family?”
Dimitri got to my side. “We all do.”
The storm raged outside of the office’s windows.
I took in the painting. “His wife was so beautiful.”
“Actually, it’s more that Leo is an excellent artist. Ju never looked this beautiful. She had way more wrinkles.”
I turned to him. “Really, Dimitri?”
“I mean she wasn’t ugly, just not as amazing as she is depicted here.”
“I get it.”
He pointed to the daises in her hand. The flowers looked so real I almost tried to touch them. “Her name was Ju. If I remember correctly, Lei told me that it meant daisies. That’s why you’ll always see daisies in pictures of her.”
I scanned the other paintings and spotted them. “I love this.”
“Leo should have been a great world-renowned artist.”
“I’m shocked that he did these paintings. I would have never known that he did them.” I eyed the letters written in red at the corner of the painting. Instead of the typical artist signature, he’d simply wrote those three capital letters. Something odd struck me about them. I leaned forward and studied them closer.