Page 83 of Tied to Hope
“How did it go?”
“I slept with the dogs.”
Rytsar’s lips twitched. “Good. Then you are ready for this meeting.”
Vlad frowned. “No, Anton, I am not. But I want to see my son.”
Brie hadn’t cared for Vlad up to this point. So, it surprised her that she suddenly felt a spark of compassion for the man. It seemed Vlad genuinely cared about the child.
At the appointed time, the four of them left to confront Sasha. Brie was grateful that Rytsar had insisted they attend. Sir would prove effective as a mediator, should things become dicey.
When Rytsar pulled up to a hotel, Vlad demanded angrily, “Why are we meeting her here?”
Rytsar shrugged. “It’s where we always meet. I didn’t want to arouse suspicion.”
Vlad snarled, clearly unhappy with the location.
“Will the boy be there?” Sir asked.
“Da, I asked that she bring him today.”
Looking at Vlad, Rytsar said, “You deserve to see your son.”
Vlad nodded curtly.
Brie let out a nervous sigh as they walked into the hotel. This was going to be an ugly confrontation. Sasha had no idea that Vlad would be there or that Rytsar knew he was not the father. There was no way this was going to end well for her.
Rytsar unlocked the door to the room and allowed Brie to enter first. She was impressed by the large suite. It sported a formal living area, dining room, wet bar, and kitchen.
Vlad snorted in disgust, obviously jealous, as he glanced around the spacious suite. Looking at his watch, he told Rytsar, “She should be here any minute.”
Rytsar shook his head. “Sasha is notoriously late.”
“That’s not true,” Vlad insisted. “I’ve never known her once to be late.”
Rytsar shrugged. “She likes to be punished.”
Vlad’s nose crinkled up in disgust. “Damn it, Anton, I don’t want to know that.”
“It’s obvious we know two different sides of the woman.”
Vlad ran his fingers through his hair nervously, reminding Brie of Rytsar when he rubbed his head. Apparently, it was a nervous tick they both shared.
Fifteen minutes later, Rytsar’s phone pinged and he glanced at the text. “She’s here.”
Brie’s heart skipped a beat, wondering about how this would go.
“I want all of you to stand out of her line of sight so she doesn’t notice you until after she’s entered the room,” Rytsar told them.
When Brie heard the excited chatter of a child running down the hallway, she noticed Rytsar and Vlad tense.
She held her breath when the door swung open and the little boy burst into the room. He toddled up to Rytsar and craned his head up, smiling at him.
Sasha walked in. She laughed as she shut the door. “Just look at how he loves you…” Her smile faded when she saw the other three standing there.
“Viktor, come here,” she commanded.
The little boy toddled back to her and she grabbed his hand, pulling him closer.
