Page 61 of Kings of Cruelty

“He probably can’t afford a suit here, anyway,” my father says. Then he smiles at Sierra. “If you ever need somebody to spoil you, sweetheart…”

Sierra laughs awkwardly. “Oh, I couldn’t—” Her phone buzzes, cutting her off. She pulls it out of her purse this time, and after a brief scowl, she says, “Hmm. I need to get going. But maybe I get your number? And your email address, if you have one?”

I stare at her, incredulous. “Sierra?—”

She gives me a look, then turns back to my father with a warm smile. “I’d be happy to help you out with anything fashion-related in the future. I have a knack for it. You should see the shoes I picked out earlier!”

My father happily exchanges phone numbers with her, tapping his phone against hers to instantly send their contact information. I didn’t even think he understood technology that well.

Sierra coos over him a little bit more before excusing herself. I watch her head toward the door, then I turn to my father.

“Don’t even think about it,” I growl. “She’s younger than I am! And taken!”

My father’s expression gets colder. “Somebody else’s woman, was she?” Then he shakes his head. “Be careful with her, Kolya. I don’t think she’s as vapid as she’s pretending.”

Yeah. I was afraid he’d catch that.

She’s playing with fire, and she’s going to get burned. It’s a sobering thought, one that dashes my anger immediately.

“She’s just a gold digger,” I growl at him. “You know how crafty they are. She’s probably thinking your bank account has a few more zeros than mine does, that’s all.”

He scoffs and waves me away. “Get out of here so I can finish trying on my suits in peace.”

I glare at him for another moment, then reluctantly follow Sierra toward the door.

She’s standing outside, her phone still out, but I can tell she’s not paying attention to it.

“What the fuck was that?” I hiss, grabbing her arm hard.

“You’re hurting me,Kolya,” she says calmly.

I release her arm, but I push her in the direction of the car. “Let’s get out of here before you get any other bright ideas. Do you have any idea?—”

“It really is a lovely day,” she interrupts me. “That’s why so many people are out and about. Let’s enjoy the weather and chat in the car.”

My father’s words burn in my ears. No, she’s not vapid at all, and she’s entirely too smart for her own good.

“Fine. Let’s go home.”

Konstantin had better appreciate me taking her out and keeping her busy—and next time, it’s absolutely Yuri’s turn.

SIXTEEN

Sierra

“Why won’tyou tell me who we’re meeting?” I ask Konstantin, adjusting my new shoes. The insoles help, but I’m glad we’re going to a restaurant and not intending to walk along the Grand Park.

Konstantin shakes his head. “Because it makes no difference. He’s an… acquaintance. He insisted on this, and he’s eccentric enough that I couldn’t refuse.”

The car pulls up in front of a hotel. I recognize it from all the high culture magazines my mother used to read. There’s a restaurant on the top floor, with a balcony that looks out across the city. I’ve never been, and while I should be excited, I can’t shake the nerves. Am I going to meet the reason the men have been so cagey lately?

“That sounds so mob-like. Is he old-school?” I try to press, wanting more information. If Konstantin had given me a name ahead of time, I’d have been able to do some digging, but of course he’s been tight-lipped about it—probably for that reason.

Sometimes, it’s irritating to be predictable.

At least I’d gotten some practice at being nice and sociable. Maybe Nikolai’s dad was an easy target, with his open misogynyand lecherous nature, but I’d felt good getting even a small bit of information from him. I can do this.

The driver hops out to open the door for us. As soon as we’re both out, Konstantin puts his arm around my waist and leads me inside. The elevator ride is quiet, and I think about who we could possibly be meeting.

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