Page 136 of Ruby Mercy

He laughs, but no one else joins in. Then he turns to me and offers a conspiratorial wink. “Tough crowd. The guy died weeks ago.”

“If you think we’re a tough crowd, try making that joke in front of Sasha Lenin tonight,” Kirill says.

Kirill places a little extra emphasis on the man’s name. I know that’s for my benefit. He’s trying to make a point.

See what I was trying to save you from? Get out while you still can.

I can handle myself in front of Sasha Lenin just as well as I can Viktoria… I think.

I haven’t thought of the man in years, but suddenly, I can feel the way he tried to pull me in the dark with him.

“You’d love for me to make that joke to him, I’m sure,” Leonid laughs. “Don’t pretend you’re trying to look out for Sasha, Kirill. The entire point of tonight is to settle the little spat between the two of you from—Well.” He looks at me and shrugs. “It will be fun to have theentireensemble together again, I’ll say that much. I love when things are interesting.”

“Me?” I ask before I can stop myself.

“You,” Leonid says with obvious amusement. “The woman who started it all. The feud between Kirill and Sasha has been ongoing ever since. Rather silly when you think about it.”

I remember Sasha’s hand around my arm, the dark look in his eyes.

I look over my shoulder and Kirill is staring daggers at Leonid Kozlov. When he looks to me, his expression doesn’t soften much.

Whatever Sasha had planned that night five years ago, it didn’t seem silly. Kirill clearly doesn’t think so, either.

I thought going to this event would show him that I can take care of myself. But now, I think I might be walking straight into the lion’s den.

47

KIRILL

“Disrespecting me and my staff in front of my collected allies in my own home is not ‘rather silly,’” I growl. “It’s an act of war.”

Leonid holds up his hands in surrender. “I misspoke, Kirill. It goes without saying that Sasha’s behavior was out of line. But someone once killed a maid of mine and we hashed the entire thing out like gentlemen that very day. I think we’ve all let this get a bit out of hand.”

Rayne’s face turns pale. I know what she’s thinking.

She’s disposable.

She’s worthless.

She isn’t safe here.

I’m ready to show Leonid exactly how “silly” I can be. But surprisingly, Viktoria steps forward.

“You’d feel differently if you had any idea how many times Sasha Lenin tried to get his grubby little hands on me,” she says. “Being a woman in this world is filled with enough assholes as it is. We don’t need that attitude coming from the top. Even if the attack is against someone so… inconsequential.”

I see the hope rise and fall in Rayne’s face. For a second, she thought she had an ally, no matter how unlikely. That fantasy didn’t last long.

“Speaking of ‘inconsequential,’” I say, turning to face Viktoria fully, “I’m not sure why you’re coming to the event at all. As far as I understood, this party was for leaders.”

“Less than a week ago, I was the bridge between two families,” she sniffs. “I’ve earned my place at the table.”

I’ve got a reply cued up about how the only thing Viktoria bridges between is one dick and the next, but before I can get it out, Leonid steps between us. “Now, now, you two. We’ve arrived at the big day. Can we manage some civility? A twenty-four hour embargo on eviscerating each other would work for me.”

“I’m always as civil as the company deserves, Leonid.”

The man’s mouth flattens with distaste, but he knows how to play the game as well as anyone. His relentlessly cheery disposition is his trademark. Arnov called him “The Duck” for a reason. He looks calm on the surface but is busy paddling like hell underneath.

He downs one last sip of his drink and then pushes in his chair, signaling that this meeting is over. “I think we share more common ground than you all think. Tonight, there will be good food and drinks aplenty. This will be an evening of reconciliation for all of us in one way or another, I’m sure.”

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