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All the answer I need.

Glancing at Kato, I wait again for the nod, take aim at the traitor’s forehead, and pull the trigger.

Finally. Finally, we can go home. We got an answer, not that the answer makes everything go away. But hopefully, it’s enough for Kato for the night.

I need my girl’s lips or cunt wrapped around my cock as soon as possible.

Chapter 25

Everest

“Did I go overboard?” I ask Flora as we watch the employees and contractors rush around the room, setting up the floral arrangements on the tables, turning on the flameless candles – I didn’t think lit flames were a great idea with so many opposing groups invited – and setting out the tableware for when dinner is served.

“Of course. But that was the point, right?” she says, bumping me with her shoulder.

“Does your dad know? Does he know it’s me, that I’m here, that my dad lied?”

She glances at me from the corner of her eye then shakes her head. “Nah. I figured it’s your story to tell. Besides, you know my dad would kill yours if I told him everything, and I assumed you’d rather go this route, instead.”

“You assumed correctly.”

I smile at her and sigh.

“I really did miss you. I hope you know that. I wanted to reach out a hundred times, but…”

“Girl,but what? All you had to do was say something and Daddy would have protected you. You know he sees you as a bonus daughter.”

“And the guys? No way would the Pakhan have protected members of a rival Family.”

“English,” Brix grumbles as he walks by, carrying boxes containing who knows what. My luck, they’re full of weapons or some other crazy shit.

We’d been speaking Russian the whole time, hoping to keep our conversation secret from the people employed by the Greek mafia. I might be tied to Kato, but to the others, I’m still the enemy. I am still the daughter of a bratva member, and Flora is the daughter of the Pakhan.

“Mind your business,” Flora calls after him and we both giggle when he maneuvers the boxes enough to lift a hand and flip the bird over his shoulder.

“I swear they still hate me.”

“No, they don’t,” I say. But really…I don’t know. They’ve never approved of our friendship.

Part of it was the whole daughter to the Russian mafia leader aspect but the bigger part was Flora’s tendency of going out, being seen, and finding someone – orsomeones– to take home for the night.

“They’re just stressed out.”

She makes a scoffing sound. “Right. Because they stress easily. I bet they’re hoping someone pops off so they can show their asses and assert their manly dominance.”

“Manly dominance?” I repeat with raised brows.

She waves her hand. “You know what I mean.”

Tonight, my guys will have their men in place to not only protect me and our guests, but to find a way to extract Viktor assafely and discreetly as possible before I make my appearance. Over the past two weeks, they were either busy with shit they haven’t bothered telling me about – but obviously has them stressed – or Viktor was unapproachable.

There are so many moving parts, so many opportunities for things to completely go south but I have to trust my men, trust they’ve hired loyal and competent guards. Trust that if anything pops off, those of us who aren’t trigger happy mafia assholes won’t end up caught in the crossfire.

Arms wrap around my chest from behind and Madd’s warm, spicy smell fills my lungs. I swear he’s worn the same cologne since we were kids and I’m still as obsessed with it now as I was back then.

“You two should head out. Pamper yourselves or whatever chicks do before big events.”

Flora turns a raised brow to me and in Russian says, “He’s still a weirdo.”