Claim

25

Kira flipped through the dresses in her closet, looking for something to wear for her wedding to Lyon. It felt important, in some ways even more important than it had been the first time. That had been for show, for the bratva.

This time was for them.

She didn’t want to wear just anything, but it also didn’t feel right to buy something elaborate just for the occasion. She’d given up and was toying with the idea of buying something simple when Zoya appeared in the doorway to the closet. “You have a guest.”

“A guest?” Kira’s mind immediately went to Aksana, but that couldn’t be right. They hadn’t heard a word from her since her frosty departure.

“Your friend. Annie?” Zoya said.

“Annie?” Kira tried to imagine why Annie would appear unannounced and came up empty. She hoped something wasn’t wrong.

She left the room with Zoya and made her way downstairs, her mind racing with possibilities: something had happened to Borya, something had happened to Lyon and they’d sent Annie to break the news…

The last possibility caused Kira’s heart to freeze with dread. She’d once waited impatiently for the day when she would be able to extricate herself from Lyon. Now she couldn’t imagine life without him.

She came down the stairs and spotted Annie perusing the titles on the bookshelf in the living room. She looked calm enough, but her demeanor did nothing to soothe Kira’s worry.

“Is everything alright?” she asked as she stepped into the living room.

Annie turned to her with a smile, her cheeks pink and eyes bright. She wore a fuchsia dress that would have been gaudy on Kira but somehow made Annie look even more radiant than usual. “Of course. Why wouldn’t it be?”

“I don’t know,” Kira said, her worry dissipating. “I didn’t expect you. I thought…”

“Well, I thought it was high time I see this place,” Annie said, tossing her curls and looking around the penthouse. She walked to the glass doors overlooking the lake. “It’s gorgeous. And the view!”

Embarrassment washed over Kira. She’d never invited Annie over. Not once. With everything that had gone on between her and Lyon, with the bratva, it simply hadn’t occurred to her.

“I should have invited you sooner,” Kira said. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking. Can I get you something to drink? Something to eat? I could have Zoya make us some lunch. It’s even warm enough to sit on the terrace if we turn on the heaters.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Annie said. “I didn’t come here looking for an invitation to lunch. I came to take you to lunch.”

“Me?” Kira was puzzled. Had she forgotten a lunch date?

Annie rolled her eyes. “You’re getting married! I know it’s a second wedding for you and Lyon, but you must at least let me take you for a quiet pre-wedding lunch to celebrate. I want to give you my gift.”

Kira smiled. “You don’t have to do that, and you shouldn’t have bought me a gift.”

“Now you’re just being insulting,” Annie said. “You’re my friend. Let me do something nice for you, will you?”

“Alright.” She had no idea what restaurant Annie had in mind. She looked down at the dress she was wearing, a simple navy sheath that was comfortable enough to wear around the house with flats. “Is this okay to wear?”

Annie looked her over from head to toe. “Well, if you don’t mind my saying, I think it might be fun if you changed into something a little less… funereal.”

Kira laughed. “Well, don’t mince words, Annie.” She headed for the stairs. “Give me ten minutes to change.”

* * *

“I love this place!” Kira said as they entered Chicago 312. It was the restaurant where she’d held the brunch with the bratva wives, sisters, and daughters when she’d been trying to make space for herself in Lyon’s business enterprise.

Had it really been less than a year ago?

She could hardly remember what it was like to be that version of herself, a woman so determined to claim power that she’d looked past the man who’d brought her body and soul to life.

Annie spoke to the hostess and they were escorted to the private room where Kira had hosted the brunch.

“I thought it might be nice to have some privacy,” Annie said, lifting her eyebrows seductively. “So you can open your shower gift without blushing in public.”

“Oh, no!” Kira said with a laugh. The private room would be lovely, but she was still glad she’d changed from the navy shift to a more celebratory cocktail-length dress in a vibrant floral print.

The hostess opened the doors to the room and gestured for Kira to enter first. She did and then almost jumped out of her skin at the chorus of “Surprise!” that came from the crowd of women gathered around the long table.

It took her a few seconds to realize what was happening. When she’d gathered her wits, she turned toward Annie. “I can’t believe you did this! I’m so glad you told me to change!”

“That’s what friends are for,” Annie said, smiling ear to ear. “You can’t get married without a bridal shower. How else will you accumulate enough lingerie to replace all the pieces Lyon rips off your body?”

Kira’s cheeks heated. She’d never told Annie the details of her passionate sex life with Lyon, but her friend wasn’t at all off the mark.

“Thank you.” Kira hugged her friend and waded into the crowd to say hello to everyone who was gathered around the table. There was Nadia, Luka’s wife, and Lana, daughter of one of the Spies, plus Olga, who almost looked happy to be there.

Zoya and Galina had been invited too. They stood at one end of the table, looking like proud parents, and Kira suddenly understood why Zoya had disappeared after showing Annie in.

Kira sat at one end of the table and the wait staff brought in mimosas and champagne as the women chatted and caught up.

Kira couldn’t believe she had a friend who cared enough to make such a generous gesture on such short notice. She and Lyon had only decided to marry again three weeks before. Kira had told Annie, but they’d otherwise been fairly quiet about it, not wanting to make everyone feel like they had to make a fuss over them a second time.