Marissa nods but keeps her eyes down. “Yes, sir.”
I walk over to her and rest my hand atop her head. “She knows exactly what I expect and exactly what happens if she disobeys. Don’t you?”
She nods again. “Yes, sir.”
“Very good,” Tomas says. “You will sit at my right hand.”
He leaves the room and I look to Marissa.
“There will be no hiding beside him,” I tell her.
She looks up from her kneeling position, her eyes no longer subdued but flashing with fire. “I’m tired of hiding.”
“I don’t know who the guests are,” I explain.
Her gaze remains fixed on me. “I don’t fucking care.”
I smile and chuck a finger under her chin. She’s fiery, but she will listen. “But you’ll obey?”
She smiles. “Always, sir.”
I take in a deep breath. “Let’s go.”Chapter 21Marissa
We go to dinner. I hold onto his arm as he leads me out, and dread grows within me with every step that I take. Our identities can be discovered at any point. I know why he did this, why he forged an allegiance to the Boston Bratva, to rescue me. But now that he has me, the temptation to run and hide is stronger than ever.
We aren’t safe here. At any moment, we could be discovered. What would happen if those who sanctioned my abduction come here? We already know they are friends with the pakhan. But how can we escape without another member of the Bratva ever finding us?
Nicolai is silent, as he leads me toward the large dining room. It’s set apart from the other rooms, and the only way in is to enter through a large bar area. I am shocked at how many people there are in the anteroom, the bar teeming with guests, and couples mingling around the small room holding drinks. He marches us swiftly through to the dining room.
I hold onto his arm and walk beside him with my head bowed. He demanded my obedience in front of his pakhan. Will he do the same at dinner? I cast a discreet look toward him. His eyes are flinty, his jaw tight. He would never admit it, but he’s as nervous as I am.
Thankfully, when we enter the dining room, we aren’t alone. At least twenty people mill about, the men dressed in suits, and all have women on their arms. I am dying to have a glass of wine or champagne or whatever it is they’re drinking but as soon as we enter, someone signals for us all to sit.
Nicolai takes me by the elbow and leads me over to where Tomas waits for us. We sit in silence. The table is set with bread and butter and small plates of salad, but my stomach is so tight with nerves I’m not even sure I can eat anything. But Nicolai has other ideas.
“Eat,” Nicolai orders, buttering a roll and handing it to me. Obediently, I take a small nibble to pacify him, then place it on my plate. I look around the room to see if I recognize anyone at all and smile when I see Yakov and Yvonne enter the room. With his reddish hair, beard, and bright blue eyes, his strong and muscled stature, and her nearly white blonde hair and petite, curvy body, they make a striking couple. She holds onto his arm tentatively and keeps her head bowed. I lift my hand to wave, but then realize that’s likely inappropriate. They sit at the far end of the table. Yakov meets my eyes and gives me a little smile.
“I said eat,” Nicolai snaps. He’s on edge, and I remember the admonition to obey him. “I won’t tell you again.”
Tomas eyes us both curiously. I pick up the roll and quickly eat it. I don’t even taste it. It sits like a rock in my stomach.
Most of them speak in Russian, and I’m grateful no one even looks my way. They talk of the auction, the death of the man that committed suicide, and other business affairs. I focus on eating the salad and bread, and soon waiters come in serving large trays of food. I’m grateful for something else to occupy our time and my appetite returns when I begin to eat.
“You’re being a very good girl,” Nicolai says, leaning over to speak into my ear. “I’m proud of you.” He lowers his voice to a whisper. “Soon, I will excuse you for feeling ill and send you back to the room.”
I nod. I whisper back, “I hope you don’t send me back before I can eat dessert. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a meal like this.”
He chuckles and tugs a lock of my hair. “Certainly not, zvezda moya.”
I smile to myself. I like that even after all that’s happened, I can still make him smile.
“We have more guests arriving,” Tomas tells Nicolai. I feel Nicolai tense beside me. The more people who arrive, the more dangerous it is for us. He smiles at Nicolai. “And you can thank the man that recommended you to our brotherhood in person.”