When I re-entered the room, a bottle of wine in hand, Dimitri was seated squarely on the couch once more. If I hadn’t experienced him first hand, I would have assumed that he was unaffected - but the man burnt hot, and he was jealous.
Ravi’s gaze flickered over me as I walked past them, plopping myself on the couch. An awkward silence hung over all of us as Dimitri and Ravi played their car game, no yelling or expletives this time.
I opened the wine and took a swig straight from the bottle. Emily Rand would have been horrified, Zoey would have rejoiced, and I sat there, kind of indifferent to the wine itself.
Ravi didn’t notice, but a small smile played on the edge of Dimitri’s lips, and the ice within me thawed - and not just from the alcohol.
“Don’t you have anything sweet to eat?” Stepen moaned.
His eyes widened as he realised he had been complaining aloud to Dimitri no less. But he didn’t lash out as I had expected him to. Instead he gave an exasperated sigh and looked over at me.
“Get your shoes,” he grunted, and it took me a minute to realise that despite the impending war, we were leaving the house to fetch treats. My head swum slightly as I stood up - yeah, I was definitely going to need some coffee to counter the wine. I hadn't drunk a lot, but I was a lightweight, never feeling fully able to let loose, even if it was simply with alcohol. He led me through the house as I deftly slipped on my pumps, leaving Ravi and Stepen to continue their game.
And when we stepped through the small wrought iron gate that led us onto the pavement, some of the tension within me eased, my chest feeling a little less tight. The open air - the lack of walls - the addition of people thrumming with life as they walked in the streets - it all helped in allowing me to feel a little less claustrophobic - a little less pressured.
We walked in silence, and I rejoiced in the hum of life around me. I had been removed from the outside world for too long, with only Dimitri and those he trusted to keep me company, and now, well now the lines had blurred so much that Ravi considered me one of them.
Is that such a bad thing?My inner voice whispered back at me.
The thought of actually belonging somewhere - of truly being accepted - of truly fitting in, made my body fill with unease. Because it wasn’t as simple as exchanging one friendship circle for another - Dimitri was Bratva, and Bratva seemed to be something else entirely.
The yelled insults between a group of teenagers across the street. A man dressed as Dracula walked down the road with a boombox, streaming Achy Breaky Heart. The smell of deep fried chicken wafted down the road from the next block. And the cool sounds of the sax that seemed to drift over us, no matter which route we took.
New Orleans was awake in a way that few places were - it was sentient in its own right, and I just hoped that I didn’t piss her off while I was here.
The evening sky was bleeding into purples, and pinks, and oranges. Sunset in New Orleans was a magnificent sight. Outside in the streets of the eclectic town, I felt lighter - more at ease. Although, it could have been simply because Dimitri was next to me.
"Café Du Monde again?" I asked, recognizing the steps we had taken less than a week ago.
"It's safer this way." Dimitri grunted out, reminding me how this situation was far from normal.
The place was packed, buzzing with life, the scent of coffee and the sugar-coated sprinklings of beignets. Not at all like my first meeting with him.
"What?" I goaded, "No empty tables surrounding Lord Dimitri?"
The beginnings of a smile tugged on his lips as he replied, "King, not Lord, I am a fucking King."
His eyes blazed against mine, sending a kick of heat through me, reminding me of his earlier offer.
"And," Dimitri added, “I should redden those ass cheeks of yours for implying anything less.”
My cheeks heated at his implication, but I found myself unable to look away from his gaze, the way his lips - despite his hard exterior - seemed soft and inviting.
"The empty seats were a safety precaution because I didn't know you. But now that I know you aren't a threat - at least to us anyway, it's business as usual."
Dimitri offered me an explanation where he didn’t need to, and for that I was appreciative.
Ignoring the tension entirely, he walked with confidence, leading us to a two seater table pressed near the edge of the hustle-and-bustle of it all.
The waiter hurried towards us, dipping his head in greeting at the sight of Dimitri.
"You come here that often?" I asked, surprise coating my voice.
"It's one of the few places we protect with no charge, and in exchange," the teasing in his eyes had me blushing, "they provide us with coffee and beignets."
"Hmmm," I offered.
I honestly didn’t know what to say - well done for protecting these people? And good on you for not threatening to break their legs to do so?