I pause with a forkful of salad halfway to my mouth when I see the lock on Nicolai’s face. Though he schools his features, his body’s gone still. What does this mean?
“Excellent,” Nicolai says. “When will that be?”
“Shortly,” Tomas says. “They arrived earlier today and will be joining us for dessert.” He turns his attention to someone else.
Nicolai places his fork down on his plate, and I note how he looks around the room with narrowed eyes, as if trying to out a traitor. He lifts his wine glass and polishes the whole thing off, then leans over to me.
“You’re sick,” he whispers. “I have to take you back to your room.”
It’s my cue. I bring my hand to my forehead and moan in a low voice. I clutch my stomach. He eats his dinner, and shoots me an obvious look of concern. He doesn’t want to make it look too obvious.
“You feeling okay, love?” he asks out loud.
“No,” I say, and I really do feel ill now. My stomach churns with nausea. I don’t know who the person was who recommended his entry into this Bratva, but I saw how he reacted, and I know Nicolai wants to hide me.
“What is it?” He’s facing me now, and he places a hand on my head. “Nauseous?” A few others look our way.
I am, though, for real. “Yes,” I say with a grimace.
He sighs. “That’s unfortunate,” he says, tucking a stray lock of hair behind one of my ears. “Let’s get you to the doctor.”
“I think I just need rest,” I tell him.
He gets to his feet and takes my hand. “I’m sorry. She doesn’t feel well,” Nicolai says to Tomas. “I’ll take her back to the room.”
Tomas is distracted by someone else he’s speaking to, but he nods to Nicolai. My heartbeat quickens when he grasps my elbow and marches me swiftly out of the room. He tucks me against him and slings an arm around my shoulder, so few can see my face as he escorts me.
“Keep your head down,” he hisses. “Look at no one. Do not speak.”
My pulse races but I do what he says. We’re just to the exit when I realize we still have to leave through the bar area. What if someone in there knows us? I look wildly to the left and right, but there’s nowhere else to go.
“You heard what I said,” he repeats. “Eyes down.”
I realize his hand is at his waist, and he’s ready to draw a weapon. Oh, God. How many people would he kill to keep me? Would he survive if he attacked when we were surrounded like this? Is he even in his right mind?
We make it out the door and to the hall leading to our room, when I realize we’re not alone. He quickens our pace. Someone followed us from the bar.
I want to look so badly it’s killing me, but he insisted I don’t. With considerable effort, I keep my gaze to the floor, pretending like someone isn’t walking in step behind us.
“Khristos,” Nicolai says, and to my shock, we come to a stop. I look up, and gasp in shock when I see his father. I’ve known him since I was a baby, and I want to run to him and hug him. I’ve always loved Stefan. But this isn’t the place to greet him.
They don’t let on that they know each other. They don’t touch each other, but stand at a distance.
“Pleased to see you’ve arrived, Aleks,” he says. I blink in confusion. What the hell? He knew?
“Thank you,” Nicolai says. “And I appreciate the recommendation to Tomas.”
Ah. So it was his father that recommended him to the Boston Bratva.
His father nods. “Yes,” he says. “It was my pleasure. Has your pakhan told you I’ve brought some guests with me?” Though his voice is casual, it’s tight. My pulse quickens. My father is a member of Stefan’s Bratva.
Nicolai stills. “He has mentioned guests, but none by name.”
They hold each other’s gazes and Stefan lowers his voice. “Several arrived here before me,” he says. “I didn’t know they’d be coming here this weekend. I came as quickly as I could.”
Nicolai holds his gaze and drops his voice. Casual, so a bystander wouldn’t suspect anything is out of place. “Is he here?”
“Yes.”
My heart skips a beat, and I draw closer to Nicolai. Who? My father? I’ve suspected since my abduction he wasn’t innocent in any of this.
“I see,” Nicolai says. He can’t hide the panic and anger in his voice. “If you’ll excuse me, my woman is sick, and I was taking her to go lie down.”
“Of course. I hope to see you soon.”
Nicolai marches me so quickly to our room now, he’s nearly running. He opens the door and practically shoves me in. I stumble, and when I right myself, I look at him in surprise.