Damien climbed out of the car first and reached in for me.
I clung to him.
Would he still let me be close to his side if he learned about my little defect?
I shook my head.
I didn’t want to know the answer.
Maxim checked us in, and everything was a blur, from the moment we stepped foot in the cool lobby to when we got on the elevator and then to the room.
“Hungry, princess?” Nikolay asked, holding out a menu.
I shook my head.
He frowned. “You didn’t eat any breakfast. Or lunch.”
I shrugged.
I didn’t have any appetite.
I turned and walked to one of the three rooms in the hotel suite.
It looked out to the Strip. From my vantage point, I could make out the replica of the Eiffel Tower. I had never seen the actual one in Paris, but I had such a yearning to go right now that my heart ached with it.
The door opened and clicked close behind me.
I let out a small sigh.
I didn’t know who followed me in, but I didn’t have the energy to see any of them. I would break down, no doubt about it.
“I ordered you a chicken sandwich for lunch,” Mikhail said gruffly. “You don’t have to eat the whole thing, but it’s good to get something in your stomach.”
I was surprised he wasn’t making me eat.
I didn’t turn around when I asked, “What are we doing in Vegas?”
I had a feeling we were here for Mikhail.
As emotional as I was feeling, even I could tell Mikhail had been distracted all morning.
“We’re here to crash a fourteen-year-old’s birthday party.”
His answer surprised me out of my mood. I turned around and took him in. “What?”
He sighed and took a seat on the bed. Then he patted his lap.
My eyes shifted around the room before coming to a stop on him.
Slowly, I walked over and took a seat on the bed next to him, leaving the space of a small body between us.
Another sigh came from his lips. He grabbed me so suddenly that I didn’t have time to prepare. I was on his lap, my arms going around his neck, trying to keep balance. He placed his hand on the small of my back, holding me steady.
“We’re looking for Ricardo Ricci.”
“Who’s that?”
“The Bianchis’ enforcer.”