Page 39 of A Prince of Smoke and Mirrors

CHAPTER 16

more negotiations

NICOLAI ROMANOV

Thoughts werefragments were disconnected shards of light in my head.

The sidewalk rolled under my feet as my bride pulled me over the cement through the jostling crowd.

I hadn’t been properly jostled inyears.My security detail kept crowds back.

Other people’s bodies bumped me like I was a cow in a herd. Repressing the urge to jokingly moo took effort, but I chortled at the thought.

How had my security not picked me up as I’d left Billionaire Sanctuary? Yes, I hadn’t contacted and made arrangements as usual, but I had been missing from the private club for nigh on fifteen minutes at that point.

I might have been kidnapped. I might have been dead by then.

If I had been dead, they would not be getting their bonuses this month.

My bride’s supple hourglass figure swayed as she ambled ahead of me, bending at her narrow waist.

The white ruffled fabric of her dress fluttered in the breeze and with her stride like the whole confection of her was wiggling.

She wasfunto watch. I hadn’t engaged in anything so primally enjoyable as watching a beautiful womanmovefor years.

We sauntered past shops.

Past shops’ glittering windows.

Clothes splayed against the glass like bugs on a windshield.

Inside another window, people stuffed sushi into their mouths.

I tugged my bride’s hand. “I could go for sushi. Or a drink. Maybe sake.”

She whirled back to glare at me with her lovely dark eyes.

So lovely, so full of fire,even though her face was painted unnaturally white.

Her lovely dark eyes narrowed. “You’ve hadenoughto drink.”

“I haven’t even begun to drink.” I even believed that. “I’m in town for a week-long bachelor party. I’ll be out of my mind the whole time.”

Her scarlet lips parted, and I could almost see the machine gears grinding behind her serene little face and coming up aghast.“Yourbachelor party? Are you a runawaygroom?”

“No,no, no. Certainly not. I wouldneverstrand a woman at the altar. How awful.”

Her scarlet lips rounded in shock.“Right?Only a horrible person would do that,right?”

“Surely. Only a complete rat-arsed bellend would strand someone they purportedly loved. I can’t imagine the circumstance.”

“Okay, that’s good. I thought I was aiding and abetting a jilter for a minute. And I’m sorry, if that’s what happened to you, if you got left when you were getting married.”

“Notmybachelor party. The party is for John Borbon, one of my closest friends.” I nodded. “My best friend. And cousin. He’s my cousin, somehow, I think. Maybe once or twice removed. Anyway, solid chap when he’s not blitzed.”

“My ex’s family is like that.” The pretty little bride was nodding as she spoke. “Cousins, but the family tree doesn’t branch.”

“Right.” I liked how that sounded, so I said it again, but longer.“Right-o.”