Page 11 of No Longer Safe

Alexei perked up at that. “Oh, you’re definitely right, Father."

Emeline looked on the verge of tears and Sinclair seemed absolutely unfazed. He took a sip of his water and spoke to his oldest instead, completely ignoring what Alexei said. “Did you order the red I like?”

“Only the best,” Ace replied gruffly.

“Good, good,” Sinclair nodded.

Carina grabbed my hand under the table and squeezed. This was going to be a long night.

The restof the brothers were nothing like I imagined. They were a good mix of New York soul. There was an artistic one— Dimitri, the bored one who didn’t give any indication of hispersonality—Ivan, and the flirty one who tried to get Alexei to give up his chair to sit beside me— Griffin. Not a single one of them brought a date. Though Alexei didn’t seem a tad bit interested in me, as he couldn’t keep his eyes off of the waitress’ ass, he would not give up his chair. I pleaded with my eyes for him to justgo. But instead, he grinned like a maniac and stabbed his steak.

There was conversation happening all around the table and I wasn’t quite sure where to pay attention. Carina was engrossed in wedding planning with Emeline, Ace and Sinclair were whispering animatedly, and all the brothers at the other end of the table were telling some heinous tale of robbery. Alexei looked entirely too amused with the whole thing and it made me wonder if it was even true, it seemed ridiculous. Something about a car chase, naked women, and canned cheese.

“Those were my more wild days,” Alexei finished off his steak and leaned his chair back onto two legs.

“There were wilder days?” I couldn’t help it. My food was awfully bland and all I wanted was some kind of seasoning blend to dump on the top of it. I wondered if I could get takeout sent up to the penthouse after this or if it would offend Ace. I didn’t want to step on any toes… unless it was Alexei’s, I wanted to stomp them flat.

Alexei’s brow lifted and I watched as a scar shone in the low lighting. It split through the edge of the hair there, just barely. I wouldn’t have noticed it any other time, at least that’s what I told myself because I was certainly in denial about how much I looked at him tonight.

He ran the tip of his tongue over his bottom lip and I almost forgot what I said. Instead of answering my question, he leaned forward and gripped the back of my chair. I couldn’t have taken my eyes off of him even if I tried. “Some of the best days of my career. Did you have wild years, AudreyWild?”

Carina put her chin on my shoulder and giggled. At least one of us was having a good time, or it was the expensive ass wine doing all the laughing. “Audrey? She didn’t do anythingtooillegal but before she met Mr. Safety Pants, she was the fun one out of the two of us. I would have to drag her out of tattoo parlors, clubs,” I knew where this was headed before she finished her sentence. “Ja?—”

I clamped my hand over her mouth. “They don’t want to hear about those days. I’m not the same person anymore.”

“Mr. Safety Pants? He work in construction or something?”

Carina’s delighted face turned sour. “No, he’s just a stick in the mud and has turned Audrey into one too.”

My tongue ached from how hard I was biting it. Right on cue, the perfect distraction, my phone lit up in my lap. “Speak of the devil.”

Chapter Nine

Alexei

Feelings weren’tsomething I was used to so when I watched Audrey tuck tail and run with her phone clutched between her hands, I frowned. My chest was tight with a new feeling and I wasn’t exactly sure what it was. It started with wanting to crush her cell phone and cut all communication with the man whochangedher. But then the feeling morphed into something else and I found myself grinning.

“I’m so happy you and your friend could come to New York,” The good boy act was almost too easy. I slid into Audrey’s vacant chair and patted Carina’s hand. Ace watched me from the corner of the table. He didn’t look jealous or worried, merely curious. Hell, he wasn’t the only one. I had no idea what I was doing and I was sure my older brother could see right through it.

Carina narrowed her eyes at me, she was smarter than she looked, even though she was a little tipsy. “Is that so?”

For the first time in my life, I was nervous. Another new feeling I wasn’t used to or knew what to do with. “Yes, as you know I’m the Best Man and honestly, I have no idea what I’m doing. I haven’t ever been in a wedding.” I leaned back in Audrey’s chair and my frown only deepened. “Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever been to a wedding.”

A napkin soared across the table and hit me square in the chest. “You’re such a liar,” My mother laughed but I could see the tension in her eyes. If this didn’t go perfectly she would lose her one chance at an ally. “You went to Mildred’s wedding last year.”

To keep myself from rolling my eyes, I gritted my teeth until it was almost too painful to bear. “I was so drunk I didn’t know which way was left or which way was right. You don’t remember me swinging from the chandelier? I’m surprised I remember it. The only thing that jogged my memory of it was that my tie was left up there.”

“How could I forget?” She muttered before she took another gulp of wine. Ace was back to his conversation with our father and Audrey still wasn’t back from her phone call.

Carina must have realized this at the same time I did as her eyes went wide and she glanced back toward the front of the restaurant. I needed to wrap this up. “Anyway, I’m hoping Audrey and I will be able to spend a lot of time together so she can help me get the hang of all of this.”

Carina leaned forward, no longer a giggling idiot. Her light blue eyes were as serious as my brother’s got when he was pissed. “I’m not stupid. I don’t like Brian, okay?” Of course that was the fucker’s name. Her voice lowered and I swore I could feel a chill in the air. “But I also know you’re not going to try to get in her pants either, she’s my best friend and if you ruin this time off for her, I will kill you. You’re also not going to fuck up my wedding. I’ve found happiness where no one said I would. I found happiness despite everything I’ve been through and I will not let you take that from me. I will not letanyonetake this from me, do you understand?”

I swallowed thickly before I nodded. I was at a loss for words, which didn’t happen often. I was impressed. I didn’t expect much from Ace’s bride-to-be, this was completely different fromwhat I pictured— from what Ace had even described. There was nothing timid about this woman. Did he actually believe her to be or did he want her to show off her own personality?

“I didn’t mean to be gone for so long,” Audrey said from behind us. Even though I really wanted to pick apart Carina’s layers, I knew it would have to wait. I slid out of the chair and back into my own. Audrey swiped at something on her cheeks and Carina’s eyes darkened. “I didn’t realize he would have so much to say.”

Carina’s hand found Audrey’s under the table and I watched them communicate silently. Had Brian done something to hurt Audrey?

---