Page 39 of Climbing Everest

Everest

“ D id 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 – or someones – 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 as safely 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.”

We both gape at him when he replies in perfect Russian, “Back at you, bitch.”

“What the hell?” I say with a wide grin. “When did you learn to speak Russian?”

Sadness and anger fill his eyes and I decide I don’t want to know the answer, because it’s obviously while I was gone, since he couldn’t say more than a few key words – mainly curse words – before.

“You make it sound sexy,” I say before he can answer and turn in his arms to press a soft but passionate kiss to his lips. “We’ll head out. Will one of you pick me up or…?”

“One of us. And a few guards.” He looks at Flora. “You sticking around the house or going home?” I swear it sounds more like he’s telling her to go home rather than actually asking.

She rolls her eyes and says, “I’m going home. I have a team coming to spruce me up.”

I look up at Madd. “Wait…did I hire a stylist? A makeup artist?” I’ve been running around like crazy trying to plan this thing down to every single possible outcome.

Okay. I wasn’t technically running around, considering I’ve been on lockdown at the house other than my two trips to see Nico but I can’t remember whether or not I hired someone to help with my hair or makeup.

Madd’s brows raise, and he shrugs. “How would I know?”

“Shit,” I mutter, pulling my phone from my back pocket and scroll through the endless texts and emails. “I don’t see anything. Shit shit shit.”

“Girl. Relax. I’ll send someone over.”

“The fuck you will,” Maddox says.

“The fuck she will what?” Kato says as he enters the room from a door at our back. The very door I’ll come through for my surprise appearance.

“She’s trying to send some Russki to the house to do E’s hair and makeup.”

Kato frowns. “The fuck you will.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Flora says. Throwing her arms in the air, she says, “Fine. Good luck, Everest. Remember who tried to help when you can’t find anyone last minute.”

But Kato already has his phone out and pressed to his ear. “I got it. Madd, take her out to the SUV. Dimitri and Karolos are waiting.”

“Awesome. My prison wardens will be my escorts today?”

Flora frowns at me and there’s a second I worry she’s taking me seriously and is seconds from calling her dad and the entirety of the Bratva in.

“Inside joke,” I tell her. “You sure you can get someone to the house?” I ask Kato as we make our way to the door.

I mean, I can do my own hair and makeup but there’s something about having a professional who knows how to do the full glam.

“Meet you here tonight?” she asks.

I nod at the door behind us. “I’ll be coming through there if you want to position yourself at a table nearby. Or near the stage. Just…you know. Stay close to your dad and his guards. Just in case.”

“And you’re sure your dad’s coming?”

She’s walking beside me toward the back entrance, her guards trailing behind us while Kato and Madd flank us on either side. There is no one we didn’t hire inside the building, but they’re acting as though I’m under a constant threat.

I suppose I kind of am or will be if the wrong person catches sight of me.

Nah. Even if one of my three husbands doesn’t intervene against anyone meaning me harm, I know one of the Antoniou crew will step in on behalf of their boss.

“Yeah. He and my mom.” The latter’s reaction is the one I’m most interested in at the moment.

I know my dad will be shocked, pissed and maybe even a little scared but I still have no idea what my mom knows or believes, whether she gave a shit that I disappeared or if she grieved me if she thought I was dead.

Dimitri stands outside the back door where we exit with Karolos standing in front of the back door to the SUV, his hands clasped in front of him.

“You ever get tired of riding in the back?” I ask Flora as Karo opens the door for me.

“Nah. I can fool around with my flavor of the day or do my makeup or even play on my phone.” She kisses me on the cheek, then walks with her guards to the SUV parked a few yards behind the one I’ll be riding in.

“See you in a few hours,” Kato says, cupping my face in his big, warm hands and pressing his lips to my forehead.

Madd shoves Kato out of the way and kisses me deeply, his tongue sweeping into my mouth, and I’m struck stupid for a second. I swear these men will be the death of me. But death by orgasm sounds like the best way to go.

When he pulls back, I sway on my feet a little and smile like a drunken fool. “Want to ride home with me? I heard there are fun uses to having the backseat all to yourself.”

“Dude,” Dimitri mutters and turns, giving us his back.

“The last thing we need is for you to be late because the two of you decided to fuck around all day. Go home. Relax. Take a bubble bath. A team will be at the house around five to get you ready. Your dress should be hanging on the inside of the closet,” Kato says.

I frown at him. “Did you seriously pick something for me to wear? I already ordered a new dress.” And it’s so freaking pretty.

“Trust me. I think you’ll approve,” he says. And for once, that scowl is smoothed and he gives me a sweet smile, the same smile I fell for as a lovesick teenage girl.

With a teasing roll of my eyes, I lift my chin so he can give me a quick kiss, then climb into the back seat, smiling at two of my guys as Karo swings the door shut.

Now that I’m alone, my nerves are starting to get to me and my stomach…well, shit. I’m feeling a little sick.

Not quite the pull over so I can puke sick, but there are knots twisting my insides. And I’ll be home alone. Or at least without my men. I won’t have them there to keep me distracted or even comfort me when my anxiety kicks up.

It’s fine. It’ll be fine. I was on my own for years. I survived just fine. I might have a few mental, emotional, and even physical scars from that time, but I’m fully capable of taking care of myself.

The bubble bath didn’t work. Neither did the candles or essential oils.

What got me to chill out enough to be able to sit still while these Greek syndicate employees tugged and curled my hair while another painted up my face? My second glass of Merlot.

“You might want to slow down,” Ms. Galanos says as she passes.

She actually reaches forward as though to take the glass from my hand, but I pull away and out of her reach.

“Do you really want to show up drunk to your own engagement party?”

I wonder how much she actually knows. She’s obviously heard I had run off and gotten married, but how much does she now know about the truth? Not like Kato or the other two are in the habit of telling the staff all their secrets.