Page 101 of Emerald Malice

35

NATALIA

“There is no way in hell she agreed to this,” Katya announces loudly. “You’re trying to get me killed.”

I tuck the phone between my chin and shoulder. “I’ve told you a dozen times already: I cleared it with Mila. She has no problem with you hanging out in the manor.”

“Right. Sure,” she snorts. “More like, she’s trying to lure me into her house so she can poison me while your back is turned.”

“Dramatic, much?”

“She’s a Bratva wife, Nat!”

“She’s not like that.”

“They’re all like that.”

“You ever consider that maybe it’s you? ‘Cause I’m not a Bratva wife, and I kind of want to kill you right now.”

She doesn’t bite on my joke. “Seriously, Nat, I don’t see the point in Mila and me meeting. We aren’t gonna be all buddy-buddy.”

“Mila is my friend and so are you. I would like for the two of you to get along.”

“Um, I slept with her husband! Then crashed her wedding! She has to hate me. I’d hate me.”

“Technically, you slept with him before he was her husband,” I point out. “And she understands why you crashed the wedding.”

“Just like I understand why she’s letting me into her house.” Katya lowers her voice to a whisper. “To poison me.”

I roll my eyes. “Just trust me. Mila’s cool.”

There’s a beat of silence on the other line. Then Katya lets out a frustrated sigh. “Oh, dammit, alright. If it means that much to you.”

“It does. How about this Saturday?” I suggest. “We can have a girls’ day. And you can finally meet Remi.”

“Can Remi taste-test my food before I eat it?”

“Kat.”

She lets out a dramatic moan. “You’ll be sorry when I’m choking on arsenic. I hope you have a great eulogy planned. Those tears better be real, bitch.”

“Don’t worry: Remi actually is trained to sniff out dangerous substances.”

“How reassuring,” drawls Kat. “Guess I can look forward to a steak knife through the ribs instead.”

I curl my fingers through the soft fur on Remi’s head. He’s currently tucked on the sofa next to me, his head nestled comfortably against my belly, like he’s protecting both me and the baby at once.

“And what about the other alpha in your life?” Kat ventures. “How’s he doing?”

My fingers stiffen on Remi’s head and he gives me an encouraging whine. “He’s, er… the same,” I admit. “He’s been a little more present lately, but I think that’s for Remi’s sake.”

“How do you figure that?”

“He wants Remi to get used to him. And it’s kinda working. Sort of. The last time Andrey joined us for a walk around the grounds, Remi didn’t growl at him when he got too close to me.”

“Ah, he’s trying to get close, is he?” I can hear the eyebrow wag even over the phone.

For Kat's benefit, I pretend to find it amusing. “Oh, don’t worry: he still gives me a wide berth.”

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