Page 54 of Ensnared
Dimitri grinned broadly and sat back in his office chair. "You look like shit."
"Try not getting sleep for three days straight and see how you look."
Frowning, Dimitri made a show of looking beyond Roman. "Looks like you're missing one of my godsons. Where's the third one?"
Adjusting one squirming baby in his arm, Roman nodded over his shoulder. "Rahina's mom has him, while Rahina tries to get some sleep."
The smile faded from Dimitri's lips as he thought about Rahina. The tall, fiery woman was made for Roman but even between the two parents, three little hell spawns were a lot to manage.
"Enough about us, I want to hear about the Armenian problem," Roman announced.
That brought his thoughts in line. Dimitri recalled Andrey's latest report on the group. "So far nothing more to tell. Ardem really went to ground, the fucking rat. Andrey has seen a little bit of financial movement here and there and we've let them, hoping to see if it leads us to them."
"It's a loose tie," Roman warned.
The words sparked at his pride. If it were anyone else, Dimitri would have let that spark ignite a reaction out of him. He didn't need to be told the obvious. But he dismissed it; he knew where Roman was coming from and he wasn't wrong. The disappearance of Ardem and the rest of his family and crew was starting to prick at Dimitri's intuition. The bastard was furious with him, that much was certain. Dimitri had anticipated retribution, not utter silence.
"I've got my people on it," he informed him even as his thoughts turned to the woman in his kitchen right now. "I will find them."
Roman nodded and began to fill him in on some other news within the organization. It was the recurring cycle of infighting, betrayal, and attempted coups. Such an environment was one Roman had never tolerated; he wasted no time in severing an infection before it could metastasize, a trait Dimitri carried on with his own men.
Sitting back in his chair, Dimitri was listening to his friend when he felt a soft pressure on his leg. Looking down, Dimitri smirked at the gray puffball staring longingly up at him. Dimitri reached down and scooped the cat discreetly into his lap, keeping it from the view of the camera.
"Vladimir may call a meeting soon. But I swear to God it better be virtual," Roman groaned as he expertly lifted both boys onto his shoulders and began rubbing their tiny backs.
Dimitri nodded. The old bastard loved throwing around his weight, and calling all of his captains from around the world for an in-person meeting was one of his moves. Just the thought of leaving Eve for Moscow annoyed Dimitri to no end.
"Hopefully, Boris will talk some sense into-" The cat shifted in his lap and a paw reached up and tapped him softly on the lips, stopping his words midway.
Dimitri didn't react, he just stared at the screen at Roman's confused face.
A beat of silence stretched between them before Roman finally spoke. "I know for a fact that you are not a cat person so that could only mean there is someone there that is. Someone spending enough time at your noticeably new house that they brought their cat." With each word, Roman's infamous grin began to spread across his face with pure satisfaction as he pieced together the facts. "Tell me, who is she?" he practically purred.
Dimitri sighed and picked up Mochi in his lap and faced her to the camera. "I guess we have no choice," he spoke aloud to the cat, grasping one of her small paws. "Meeting adjourned," he said abruptly and used the paw in his hand to hit the spacebar on his computer, terminating the video.
Dimitri ignored the flurry of sudden texts to his phone with a chuckle as he walked out of his office.
Chapter 30
Evesmiledandleanedback in the office chair as she stared at her phone. She was using Dimitri's office to set up everything for her upcoming semester. She just finished her orientation and scheduling and now she was texting back and forth in a group text with her old college friends.
Since the breakup with Landon, Eve had been mostly silent in their group chat, occasionally chiming in just to maintain a presence. She had dodged their questions about all of it when they asked her outright, making excuses as to why she couldn't talk. She knew she had hurt them by not confiding in them, but they could never understand how humiliating it had been for her. When she announced she was moving back to Nevada to live with Landon, putting her master's degree on hold, all three of them gave her worried looks. They tried to gently tell her it was a mistake, to guide her back to some sense. But like a fool who was head-over-heels, she didn't listen. Eve had laughed off their worries and assured them that Landon was the one and they were going to begin their lives together, and everything was just going to go up from there.
What an idiot. So, when things inevitably came crashing down around her and her life was unrecognizable, Eve felt like a fool in their eyes. It physically pained her to think how far she had fallen compared to their lives still perfectly on track. Eve wanted nothing more than to confide in them but every time the thought crossed her mind she thought of her reflection in the mirror while wearing that stupid hostess uniform.
But things were different now. Eve glanced around the office, admiring the dark mahogany bookshelves that contrasted with the deep emerald couch and the black leather chair in the corner. The walls were lined with dark wallpaper covered in intricate silver patterns and a gallery wall of gold-framed paintings. The office had a dark and sophisticated vibe that suited the rest of the opulent house. While things weren't technically perfect in her life now, she couldn't lie to herself and say it wasn't better. Even if it was all a lie wrapped in a beautiful cage. Even if it was all just temporary at this moment, she was happy pretending.
Eve replied back to a funny comment one of the girls made with a funny GIF and smiled. Pretending in this life with all her needs met, her grandparents happy, and her classes paid for was a million times better than the harsh reality waiting for her when it eventually ended. So, why not enjoy it while it lasted, she told herself. It gave her the confidence to share the details of not only her breakup with Landon but the details of the relationship itself. For four nights straight, Eve juggled the four-way conversation as she answered questions and poured her heart out.
The whole thing had been cathartic, to say the least. Saying all the things that she endured out loud to someone else was more than eye-opening, it was life-changing. On more than one occasion she excused herself from Dimitri's side and barricaded herself in the bathroom to let out the tears her body had been secretly holding onto.
Why had she put up with so much abuse from Landon? No wonder she distanced herself from her girlfriends. Deep down she knew what she was putting up with was wrong. She knew her friends would have put their foot down and dragged her back to see sense.
Lilly:Omg I cannot wait any longer. I want to tell her.
Eve read the flurry of incoming texts with confusion.
Kaylee:My God, you can't hold water much less a secret!
