Page 80 of Cruel Honor

DIMITRI

Entering the restaurant full of women would normally be my dream, but right now, it’s my nightmare.

Tons of Bratva woman who are desperate for gossip about my sudden marriage, why I didn’t choose Tatiana, and everything else in between.

I fix my cufflinks and then enter into the room. Heads swivel my way. Women stop and look. I spy a few older women who I just know are salivating for information.

“Dimitri,” calls out one of those women. Vera, if I remember her name. “We were just talking with your new wife earlier.”

“That’s great.” I try walking past her, but Vera asks: “Why did you marry Evie exactly? She’s a lovely girl, but it’s clear she’s not a Bratva daughter.”

I don’t have time for this. Katya called me, telling me there was an emergency, and I need to help her and Evie. I’m not sure what I’ll be walking into, but I do know I don’t have time for polite chit-chat.

So, I answer Vera honestly. “She’s beautiful and smart, and I likeher.” I flash Vera my most charming smile, and she melts a little under my gaze. Even older woman can’t resist me.

“Why are you here? Men rarely step foot into this place. Too feminine for them.”

“I’m not worried about my masculinity, Vera. I love women.” I wink then walk away as she fans herself. That’s an old trick I used to use. Flatter a woman, make her flustered, then walk away before she can say anything else. It came in handy with women I didn’t want to speak to. Granted, there weren’t that many women I wouldn’t have slept with in the past, but there were a few bad apples I didn’t want to be around.

Too bad I didn’t think of Tatiana as a bad apple before I fucked her and put myself and Evie and Katya in danger.

I reach the restroom door and knock. “It’s me, Dimitri.”

I wait as someone unlocks the door, and then Katya ushers me inside.

The sight of Tatiana on the floor with blood surrounding her is not what I expected to see today.

Katya quickly shuts the door again and locks it. “She’s dead.”

“I can see that.”

“We can’t exactly get her body out of here without arousing suspicion. And we can’t just leave her here. Even for the Bratva, it would cause too many problems.” Katya paces back and forth. I’ve never seen her look so worried before—not even when Abram came to our house to shoot it up.

I look over at Evie, who’s frozen solid. Her eyes are looking out blankly at nothing. She looks more like a doll than a real woman right now.

“Evie?” I ask gently. She still doesn’t move. “What’s wrong with her?”

Katya sighs. “Shock. She’s, uh, the one who pushed Tatiana away from me. Tatiana tripped on her heels and then …”

I lift an eyebrow. “Died?”

“Pretty much.”

“So, Evie feels responsible.”

“I’m not sure what she feels. I just know she’s the one who technically did it. But Tatiana didn’t die right away, and … I didn’t call for help. I told Evie we should call you instead.”

“Smart. That was for the best. I can handle this.”

“How? There’s a whole restaurant filled with nosy Bratva women just outside. How are you going to handle this?”

“I have my ways.” I call the number of my cleanup crew and tell them to make their way over to the restaurant. Once that’s done, I call one of my guards to come inside and pull the fire alarm.

“Won’t that make someone come check on us in here?” Katya asks.

“It will. But my cleanup crew will be here by then to hide Tatiana’s body. I told my guy to wait until I text him to pull the fire alarm. That will force everyone out and in the commotion, we can move her body.”

Katya slumps against the counter. “Thank god. How did you get so good at this?”

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