Page 78 of Lies He Told Me (Bratva Crime Syndicate 1)

“Mhmm,” I say, like this isn’t news to me.

Just who the hell is my fake fiancé that he has the kind of money to pay a professional ballerina for private lessons?

A bad, dangerous man.I shiver.

“So, what do you say, Ariel?” Havanna’s eyeing me. “Ready to waltz?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

* * *

It’s probably only been an hour when the music ends and Havanna nods at me, though it feels like I’ve spent my whole life in here going left, right, forward, backward. “Good. That’s it for our lesson. I think Gavril will be pleased.”

She walks to the door and I’m left blinking like an idiot. That’s it? Am I supposed to just wait here until my beloved decides to grace me with his presence?

But then I see a familiar face in the doorway, and it alights something like surprise or fear in me.

“Nice meeting you,” Havanna calls as she throws a wave behind her and smiles to Gavril. “She’s all yours.”

He strides in. “Test time.”

Next thing I know, the music is on, another classical number, and Gavril is conveying me around the room, his one hand in mine and his other on my upper back.

Havanna’s reminders trill in my head—up, up, over, back, back, over—as Gavril whirls me around, every step bringing us closer, and for the life of me, I can’t tell if I’m actually doing the steps or just gliding when his face moves beside mine.

Cheek to cheek, I can feel his breath, how his closeness registers a literal ache in me.

Brrrrrrinnnggg!

Jolting away, Gavril picks up his phone. “Hello?” A pause. “Yes.” Another pause. “Yes, I’ll be right there.”

Without another word to me, he strides away. I stand there for a few seconds, sure I missed something, some cue. Then I storm after him. He doesn’t get to just whisk off this time without so much as a goodbye. No way.

Instead, though, I almost run right into Ludmil. “Oh hello,” I mutter, making to move past him.

“Hello,” he replies, making to block me again.

I glare at him. Clearly, I’ll have to save bitching at Gavril about manners for another day. “So, you’re my ride home?”

“It would appear so.”

“Must be my lucky day.” Even I’m not sure whether I’m being sarcastic or not, seeing as I do have some questions that only Ludmil can answer.

Okay, he isn’t the only one who can answer, but he’s probably the only one willing to answer. Or at least, the only one I’m not terrified of asking.

I follow him out to his waiting vehicle and get in. Once the car has pulled away—clearly Gavril took another one, since he’s nowhere to be seen—I start out innocuously. “Known Gavril long?”

“Going on fifteen years now.”

“Wow. How did you two meet?”

Ludmil laughs. “You’ll have to ask Mr. Vaknin that sometime.”

“It’s some big secret?”

But Ludmil just shakes his head, his smile obnoxiously secretive. “Not my story to tell.”

“But you do know what he does for a living.”

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