Page 59 of Ruthless Creatures
Somehow, that doesn’t comfort me.
Even before we reach the table, all three men are on their feet. Sensing the sudden change in atmosphere, Sloane looks back and forth between them and us, her brows lifted.
“Hey, babe,” she says to me, her voice neutral. Even if she were unnerved—which she isn’t, she never loses her cool—no one listening would know it. “You look amazing. Kage, nice to see you again.”
She smiles at him. He sends her a cursory nod.
She turns to the man on her right. He seems like the leader of the three, though I don’t know how I know that. He just has an air of power about him. Like he’s used to calling the shots.
She says, “Nat and Kage, this is Stavros. Stavros, Nat and Kage.”
I say, “Hi, Stavros. Nice to meet you.”
He doesn’t answer. He and Kage are too busy doing a weird glare-off. So Sloane turns to the men on her other side. “And this is Alex and Nick.”
The shorter one says, “Alexei.”
The other one corrects her, too, with a curt, “Nickolai.”
They’re both looking at Kage when they speak.
Sloane gives me a baffled look, as if to say,That’s news to me.
Finally, Stavros tears his gaze from Kage’s. From the corner of my eye, I see Kage smirk.
I know what he’s thinking: he made Stavros blink first.
I have a feeling this is going to be a long night.
Very formal and serious, Stavros says to me, “Natalie. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Sloane has told me so much about you. I feel like I already know you so well.”
There’s a faint hint of innuendo in his voice when he says the last part. Around his lips plays a slight, provocative smile. He looks me up and down, taking his time, enjoying it.
That crackle on my left is Kage, bristling.
I squeeze his hand and say pleasantly, “Thank you, Stavros. Sloane has told me about you, too.” I turn to the other two. “It’s nice to meet you both as well.”
They dip their chins to me in unison, but don’t take their eyes off Kage.
For fuck’s sake.In an instant, I lose patience with the weirdness.
I direct my question to Stavros. “Is there a problem here? Because I’m happy to go sit at another table if there is.”
Sloane protests, while surprise flashes in Stavros’s eyes. He quickly quashes it, then says smoothly, “Of course not. Please, join us.”
He sits. The other two follow. Then Kage is pulling out my chair, bending over me as I sit and murmuring, “And you sayI’mdirect.”
I murmur back, “Life’s too short to sit through pissing contests.”
He tries to suppress a smile, but I don’t miss it.
The moment everyone’s seated, the weirdness begins again. I haven’t even gotten a menu when Stavros says to Kage, “Do you have family here?”
What a strange question. That’s what he leads with? And why does it sound like he’s really asking something else?
The situation grows even more odd with Kage’s reply.
“Here. Boston. Chicago. New York.”
