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He looks up at me wide-eyed, before turning his face enough to say over his shoulder to Cristian and Carter, “My father…”

Fuck.

“You can go sit with Roman and the others,” I tell him quickly.

Those bright blue eyes of his meet mine, and the breath gets knocked from my lungs when I see thefearin them.

“No,” he whispers, shaking his head at the same time. “There’s no way he won’t find out I’m here. I don’t know whathe’s doing here; he never makes public appearances, but it’s better to meet him on our terms rather than his.”

“You sure?”

He takes a deep breath. “Yes.”

Soren is the one who moves us forward, and I let him, even when my mother finally notices us and reaches up for my father’s hand where it rests on her shoulder.

He gives her a sharp, disapproving look for the interruption, but whatever she says gets both hisandNikolai Petrov’s attention, and both men turn to face our approach.

“Mother,” I say with a practiced ease. “It’s been far too long, I’ve missed you,” I lie.

She rises and gives me her cheek, allowing me to press a chaste kiss to her smooth skin, even as I try not to choke on her perfume. “I wasn’t sure you would be coming, Ashby darling,” she says. “I know how busy your job keeps you.” Her eyes flick to Cristian over my shoulder, but she doesn’t comment further.

“I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” I assure her. “Besides, I thought it would be a…fitting event to make Soren’s debut.”

My mother flicks cold brown eyes Soren’s way, and it takes all my etiquette training to not hide him from her sight.

I look to my father and greet him with a nod of my head. “Father, Mother, let me introduce you to my date, Soren Petrov Knightly. Soren, this is Arthur and Madeline Wescott.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you both.” Soren gives them a well-practiced smile. “I have heard many good things from your son.”

My mother raises her chin delicately and keeps a shrewd eye on Soren as she says, “Forgive us…Soren, for Ashby has kept us quite in the dark about his personal life over the last few years.”

Before Soren can reply, my father speaks up. “Petrov? Any relation to Nikolai here?”

While I had hoped the older Petrov would have disappeared into the growing crowd over the duration of the introductions, that is, of course, not the case.

“Soren here is my son,” Nikolai says, and for a moment, he manages to sound genuine, but when he turns his shrewd blue eyes on me, I can see the burning hatred in them. “I did not know you’d be here, Synok.”

“I didn’t expect you here either, Papa, but I am glad to see you,” Soren lies. “This is Ashby Wescott, my partner.” Soren lets the words hang for a moment before stepping back and gesturing to where Cristian and Carter are quietly observing the unfolding trainwreck. “And this is my Boss, Cristian Amato, and his husband, Carter.”

“It is lovely to see you two again,” Mother has the grace to say.

“The pleasure is all mine,” Cristian tells her charmingly. “It would be remiss of me to not greet you and your husband, especially when you’ve both so graciously allowed me to commandeer your son.”

“We are very proud of Ashby and all he’s accomplished,” Father says. “I am very glad to see he’s proving to be of use to you.”

Cristian’s eyes turn cold, but he doesn’t lose his gentlemanly veneer. “He is one of the most valuable members of my staff.” Cristian turns to Nikolai. “Your son, as well. He is a very competent nurse, and I am happy to have poached him from your brother. Is he here? I would like to thank him in person for recommending Soren.”

Soren’s father shakes his head. “No, I’m sorry, I am here in his place as something unavoidable came up.”

“Well, no matter, I am happy to meet with you personally, though I’m sure I don’t have to tellyouwhat a good man your son is.”

Nikolai doesn’t smile, or even play the game of pretending. Instead, he gives Cristian a measured, calculating look. “If you say so. Medicine isn’t the first career of choice I would have picked for Soren, but it seems to be working out for him.”

“It is,” Soren speaks up. “I’m happy, Papa. And I am glad I get to introduce you to the people I work with, who’ve helped make me enjoy my life.”

“Well,” Mother says. “I, for one, am very happy to have met you, Soren. Anyone who makes our son happy is a good person in our books. That’s all we’ve ever wanted for Ashby, after all.” Her well-practiced line shouldn’t be comforting, but it is, especially in the face of Nikolai’s quiet hatred.

Luckily, before anything else can be said, an acquaintance of my father’s comes up to speak to him.

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