27. WYNTER

27

WYNTER

I 'm anxious about tonight. Not because I’ve never been to a fundraiser before, or that Dmitri will be here. It’s because of the man leaning against his car in the parking lot.

The only other time I’ve seen him was at Onyx and I thought he was an asshole then. A very scary asshole. Yet he’s played a huge part in getting me my life back.

I run my hand over my stomach, feeling the soft red silk beneath my fingers, and take a breath. I’ve never worn something so expensive or revealing before. It’s a backless gown with a slit that goes almost up to my hip. Noah has already been making the most of its easy access and the fact that I couldn’t wear panties with it.

He’s dressed just as nicely. The black suit he’s wearing is tailor-made to his form and once again he’s perfection.

Dean doesn’t smile as we approach, but his eyes are locked on us. It’s like those icy blues can see right into my soul.

Just like the night I saw him at Onyx, he’s not hiding his scars. The one on his lip is obvious, but his arms could easily be hidden under his sleeves if he rolled them down. He seems proud of them. I can understand that.

“You came,” Noah says to Dean.

“Of course, I came,” Dean scoffs as he shoves his hands into his pants pockets. He looks uncomfortable in his suit and like he clearly doesn't want to be here.

Letting go of me, Noah circles the car, peering through the windows.

“What are you doing?” Dean asks.

“Looking for your little kitty cat.”

“You think I’d take her anywhere in her condition?”

From what I’ve heard he rarely takes her out. Noah straightens and looks at his friend in shock for a second. “You’re having a kid?”

“Yeah,” he grins awkwardly as he rubs the back of his head.

“You could have told me, you ass!” Noah punches him hard in the shoulder, but the guy doesn’t flinch.

“Sorry I didn’t tell you, alright? I’m still kinda processing it myself. We had a bit of a rocky start with it. Plus you’ve been busy with your girl.” He gives me an odd look. “I had to hear from Luka what you’ve been up to.”

“Congratulations,” I say awkwardly and Dean narrows his eyes at me.

Noah comes back to my side and pulls me close to him as we head inside. “Don’t worry about him. Dean makes up for in looks what he lacks in social skills.”

“What the fuck’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’m saying I bet Willow creamed her little panties when she saw you in that suit. You should have brought her. I’m sure she and Wynter would get along great.”

I’m not sure if I even want to meet the woman that’s able to handle Dean.

His face goes red and he gets this endearing look, which is odd considering his whole demeanor screams scary attack dog.

“You’re lucky I’m here. Willow got so horny seeing me like this,” he says smugly as he licks his lips and gets this dreamy look on his face. “She passed out riding my face. Thought I was gonna asphyxiate.”

I’m distracted from the rest of their conversation by the stunning white marble and gold-trimmed hallway we’ve entered.

All the other guests are wearing black to commemorate Tommaso’s passing and I realize I stick out like an actual sore thumb in my blood red dress.

It’s perfect.

With my head held high, I hook my gloved hand tighter through Noah’s arm and we head through to the main hall.

We get a lot of stares and a few people come up to greet Noah. He palms them off with a quick hello.

“You ready for this?” Noah asks me quietly.

“For the millionth time, yes.”

I know he doesn’t want me to be on the front lines tonight, not when there are so many reminders of my torture around me. But I’ve got this. I’m not going to break.

We stop off at one of the refreshment tables and grab a drink. Surprisingly none of us goes for the alcoholic options.

Dean raises an eyebrow at Noah’s glass and he shrugs in response. “What? I need a clear head.”

We make our way around the room, keeping a close eye out for Dmitri. He doesn’t seem to be here yet.

“I’m gonna check out the other exits,” Dean says before abruptly walking off.

“Is he always like that?” I ask Noah.

“You’ll get used to him.”

I spot Daniella talking to a small group of guests not that far away from us. She’s wearing a black gown with matching gloves, but she hardly looks like a grieving widow. I suppose she has to save face tonight.

She catches me looking at her and her eyes widen like she’s seen a ghost. When she takes in the glass of orange juice in my hand a warm smile appears on her face. She gives me a wink. I’m not sure what she’s getting at until she presses her hand to her own stomach.

Goddammit. Noah had to make her think I was pregnant. It’s going to be awkward as hell if I ever have to say I’m not, especially after what she told us about her own fertility woes. At least after tonight, I’ll never have to see her again.

“It feels wrong all these people grieving Tommaso, celebrating his life without having a clue what he was really like,” I say gravely as we continue to weave through the guests.

“If it makes you feel any better I don’t think a single one of these fucks actually gave a shit about him when he was alive.”

I suppose he’s right. I’m surprised Daniella’s still hosting after all the news reports. Then again, how many of these people would actually care about a girl like Evie.

We’ve spent hours hacking into the police database and any local news networks, trying to find more information on Evie. Other than her body being found on the property that’s it. Daniella wrote a statement claiming to have no idea what happened and there's proof of her being away at some yoga retreat around the suspected time of Evie's death.

Everything’s been covered up and it makes me sure that it’s because of Dmitri. If he had taken and sold her to Tommaso then he wouldn’t want his involvement being found out. I doubt he would get his own hands dirty so he probably made Tommaso dispose of Evie himself. The perfect way to do that would be to send his wife away.

“There’s your father.” I point Gregory out on the other side of the room. He’s talking with Janine and a few other faces I’ve come to recognize from his office.

We head over to him and he cuts his conversation short when he sees us.

“Father. We need to talk.”

“Noah, Wynter. I’m surprised to see you both here.” Noah has told me about how he used to spend these events. He’d show his face for as long as was necessary then he’d find a room upstairs to party in. “It’s good to see you. Both of you. I’m glad you came.”

“We need to talk. I’m sure you can spare five minutes for your son.”

Gregory looks around at the guests then nods. “Five minutes.”

We head into an unused dining hall for privacy. “What do you want to—” Gregory starts to say.

“Why the fuck are you working for Dmitri Volkov?”

“I don’t know who that is,” Gregory responds, clearly flustered by the question.

“Cut the crap. I know you’ve been giving away properties for him to turn into whorehouses. What I want to know is why.”

“Noah,” he looks sheepishly between the two of us. “I really have no clue what you mean and I don’t think we should be discussing business in front of a stranger.”

“She is not a fucking stranger. Wynter is your future daughter-in-law so pay her some fucking respect. Anything we discuss happens in front of her.”

I place my hand on Noah’s chest and he calms down as he looks me in the eye.

Gregory looks full of regret as he stares at us. “My apologies. I’ve never seen Noah with the same woman twice. I assumed you were a fluke. But you really care about my son?”

Steeling myself, I look Gregory in the eye. “He saved my life. Dmitri Volkov and his men kidnapped and trafficked me. Noah got me out of it.”

His eyes widen as he looks at his son. Really looks at him.

“I had no idea. I’m sorry." Gregory hangs his head in shame. "All this time I tried to turn a blind eye to what Volkov was doing. I’m a coward.”

“It’s too late for apologies. Just give us the truth. The company is all I have left of Mom. You can’t give it up. Especially not to someone like him.”

“You think I want to be doing any of this? I have no choice.”

“I can help,” Noah says sincerely.

His father takes a seat at a nearby table and hangs his head in his hands. “Would you though? You’ve always been so wrapped up in your own life, I know it’s partly my fault. I should never have left you alone in that house after what happened.”

“Don’t make this about me. Why the fuck have you been working with criminals?”

“You’re one to talk,” he scoffs. “You think I don’t know the sorts of people you hang around with? I did what I had to do to protect us! You don’t know what I went through after your mother died.”

“What do their deaths have to do with any of this?”

Gregory sits back and loosens his black tie. “You’re not going to drop it are you?”

“No.”

“You want her to know?" He nods towards me and Noah pulls me in tight to his side.

“I’ve told her everything.”

Gregory’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise. After a moment, he nods to himself and pulls out the chair next to him. “You might want to take a seat for this.”

Noah remains standing next to me and his father sighs. “The cops said it was a random break-in. That we were just unlucky to be targeted. They knew the men who did it, but apparently there wasn’t enough evidence to convict them so the case was dropped.”

Noah’s face is hard stone as he listens to his father. I lace my fingers through his on my hip, letting him know I’m here for him.

“I found someone that could help. Dmitri Volkov and his gang took care of the bastards that killed them. He’s been hanging it over my head ever since. I’m sorry, Noah. I never wanted you to find out. I was desperate.” Gregory runs a hand over his stubble before rubbing his eyes. This secret must have been weighing him down for years.

Noah doesn’t move an inch. I’m not even sure if he’s breathing. “I spent years searching for their killers. But all this time you knew they’d been dealt with.”

Gregory gets up and tries to put his hand on Noah’s arm, but is knocked away. His son’s rejection hitting him hard. He’s shorter than Noah and now he looks even smaller.

“I couldn’t risk Volkov involving you in his blackmail, so I did as he said. The best thing to keep you safe was to keep you out of it entirely.”

“It’s a bit fucking late for that." Noah's face contorts into an angry snarl. "The day you put him first is the day you lost me. If I had known, I could have killed him years ago. Wynter would never have been put through any of the shit he forced on her.”

“Noah,” I say softly. “Your father was only doing what he thought was best. You can understand that. I went through hell, but I’m here now. And although I wish it never happened to me, I also don’t…I wouldn’t have met you otherwise.”

He stands there in silence. Shock on his face. “Wynter.” He cups my cheek and I see the fire reignite in his eyes. Looking at his father he says, “We’re going through with this tonight, with or without your help.”

“Nothing I say will stop you will it?”

Noah shakes his head and resignation settles on Gregory’s face. “Tell me what I need to do.”

“We need the East side of the building blocked off,” I tell him. He doesn’t need to know any of the gory details.

“The area’s under renovation anyway so it’s already been marked off limits, but I’ll have a word with security and make sure none of the guests go that way.”

That’s exactly why we chose the place as part of our plan.

Gregory puts his hand on Noah’s shoulder and says, “I still don’t want you doing this.”

I can see Noah fighting with his emotions. An inner battle over whether to accept his father's apology or to keep pushing him away.

“Dad. I’m not the same kid you think I am. Dmitri won’t be the first man I’ve killed or the last. You may not approve, but it’s who I am. It’s in my nature now.”

“I understand,” Gregory says and I believe him. The way he’s looking at Noah tells me he’s proud of his boy.

Noah’s phone buzzes and after he reads the text he nods at me. Dmitri’s here. He actually came. Who would have thought a party invite would be the way to get the big bad criminal out in the open?

“This might be our only shot. We have to go now,” I say, eager to put my dagger to use. It's strapped to my thigh and barely hidden under the thin material of my dress, but I refused to come here without it.

Gregory nods again. Tears start to well in his eyes as he looks at his son. He brings him in for a hug and Noah stiffens. I step out of the way to give them space and Noah looks at me over his father's shoulder, his brows rising as he silently begs me for help. Smiling at him, I mouth, " Hug him ." It takes a moment, but eventually Noah hugs him back.

When they break away, Gregory clears his throat and wipes his knuckles over his damp cheek. I wonder how long it's been since the pair of them have been this close?

Gregory looks between us as he says, “Do what you need to do, but promise me you’ll be safe.”

“I’ll look after him,” I assure him as I take hold of Noah's hand.

I can see the depths of pain in Gregory’s eyes, but also hope that his son will be okay.

Noah lets out a heavy sigh after Gregory leaves the room. “Well, that was fucking weird. I don’t remember the last time he hugged me.”

“He loves you a lot.”

Noah looks at me like I’m talking nonsense and I roll my eyes. “Come on. Let’s get this started.”

As we head out, Noah calls Dean to get Dmitri’s whereabouts. He's in the main hall watching Daniella give a speech.

“I think we should change the plan. I’ll go talk to him instead,” Noah suddenly says as we hover outside the door.

“Baby, I have my dagger. You’ve seen me kill men before. I’ll be fine.”

He gets that little scrunch between his eyes and his lip twitches. “Did you just call me baby ?”

Heat rushes to my face. “I think I did.”

Giving me a dark smile, Noah corners me against the doorframe. “I like it,” he says, running his tongue over his bottom lip. “You should say it again.”

Now is not the time to be wanting him like this. But he’s turned my insides to lava and I can’t think straight.

The ear-splitting sound of microphone feedback distracts me, breaking the spell between us. “Later,” I tell him, placing my hand over his erection. God, it’s going to feel so good fucking after we’ve just killed Dmitri.

Noah lets out a low growl. “Fine. You know what to do if you need me. I’ll be with you in an instant.” Taking hold of my hand he kisses my knuckles before tearing himself away. For the plan to work we can’t be together.

Noah let me decide on a lot of the details for tonight. I'm to get Dmitri alone in a secluded part of the hotel, from there we'll knock him out and take him with us. All the real fun begins once we have him back home.

I circle around the hall towards Dmitri.

He looks different than I remember. Less intimidating. In reality, he’s just a man wearing too much hair gel and a fancy suit.

He’s watching Daniella closely as she talks about her late husband’s achievements. Probably curious as to why he’s been invited here. His eyes start to wander and he picks Noah out of the crowd, his brow furrowing as he says something to the men next to him.

When they walk away I know this is my chance. Taking a deep breath I stand shoulder to shoulder with him. “You’re not welcome here.”

Raising a brow he looks me up and down. Smug entitlement drips off him like it did that night, but I know it’s all an act now. Everything Dmitri portrays is fake.

“Gregory is an old friend. I hear you are quite acquainted with his son.” Giving me a mocking laugh, he adds, “He’s put a lot of money into getting you to look like you belong here, but you still smell like a whore to me. I’m more welcome here than you are.”

Keeping my eyes on the stage I say quietly so only he can hear, “You should be disgusted with yourself for what you’ve done.”

“I did nothing to you.”

I scoff. “Just because you didn’t rape me yourself doesn’t mean you did nothing. You took me. Stole me. Ruined me.” I know I’m getting too worked up, but being this close to him is bringing it all back.

As angry as Dmitri makes me, I know he's just a heartless man. Not a monster or a devil. If he didn’t have his money I’m sure he’d be a nobody. It makes the thought of killing him that much more enticing.

“What do you want, little girl?” Dmitri gives me a bored sigh as he adjusts his cufflinks.

“A deal.”

He chuckles. “You want to make a deal with me? Go on then you’ve piqued my interest.”

“Pull your money and leave Noah and Gregory alone.”

“And why would I do that?” He leans in close. His warm breath fanning my ear, the smell of alcohol invading my senses, making the darkness start to creep in at the edges. I push it back and step away from him.

“Noah has wiped any record of his father’s involvement with you. If one of your establishments was to get raided then only you and your men would go down for it.”

His expression darkens and he stares me directly in the eye, trying to scare me into calling my bluff. But I have nothing to hide.

“I know someone like you will get out of jail easily. I’m sure Vyronov would find a way to get you off the charges.”

He tenses at the mention of his supposed boss.

“Noah won’t go to the police as long as you pull out of his life," I add.

“I’m not stupid. You’re playing me and I won’t be fooled that easily.” He starts to walk away and I grab his arm.

Bile swims in my stomach, its contents threatening to spew on his expensive suit. When he stops I squeeze his bicep. “I’ll sweeten the deal.”

“I can have pussy whenever I want. What makes yours so special?” He raises a thick brow at me.

“Let me show you. It can be just the two of us. Noah won’t find out. I’ll do whatever you want, just leave him and his father alone.”

“You’re too much trouble.” Shrugging me off him he hurries away from me out of the room.

Fuck. That was supposed to work. Thinking on my feet I rush after him into the empty corridor.

“Fine. I’ll tell you the truth.”

That gets his attention. He stops and turns to me, a menacing glare on his face.

“That may have been Noah’s plan. To call the cops on you. But he doesn’t know I’m speaking to you now. As much as I want to help him I want to help my sister more. Give her back to me and I’ll make sure Noah does everything you want. He’ll listen to me more than he will you. I’ll have him do your bidding. There’ll be no need for bloodshed. I just want my sister back.” I threaten to put on the waterworks for the last part. Tears brimming in my eyes. It’s not entirely false.

He seems to buy my desperation. Stepping away from me he gets his phone out and calls someone. He speaks to them in Russian and I try to focus on picking anything out.

Sister. Deal with him ? Her…upstairs?

Is he saying he brought Summer here?

Hanging up he stares strangely at me. Then suddenly he gives me that same look he did at Onyx. The one that warned me to steer clear of him.

“Do we have a deal? You’ll let her go and I’ll make sure Noah keeps working for you.”

He tilts his head as he looks me up and down again. His eyes zero in on the slit in my dress. “I’ll think about it.”

“But you'll lose the company if we don’t make a deal.” I take a step back from him and look toward the door we came out of. It's just the two of us here. If I need to I can stab him before he can do anything.

“You think I care that much about one business? I make Gregory give me property for free so I can sell my girls out of them. It’s hardly going to be difficult to threaten another pathetic businessman into doing what I want.”

“Selling girls to who?” I ask, hoping to pry more information out of him.

“Are you stupid? Did Tommaso fuck your brains out while trying to put a baby in you?” He grabs my wrist and I yank myself free before he can pull me away.

“You offered your services did you not? Or are you someone who goes back on her word? Someone that I shouldn’t trust?” With each question he fires at me, he backs me against the wall.

He presses his knee between my legs and I inch up as high as I can in my heels so he’s not touching me there.

“Are you going to kidnap me again? Sell me to another man like Tommaso Abato?” I manage to grab my dress and start to inch it up my leg without him noticing so I can access my dagger.

Getting in my face he spits, “You think you’re something special, don’t you? The only reason you were picked was because of your hair color.”

I knew it.

“What about my sister?” I ask.

“You want me to fuck her as well?” He grabs my face, squeezing my cheeks painfully. “I’ve not had sisters for a while. The pair of you together will make me good money. Even better if you’re twins.”

I look at him in disgust and manage to pull his hand off my face. “You’re fucking sick. She’s nine years old.”

Dmitri narrows his eyes at me, but doesn’t say anything.

My arm jerks as I attempt to pull my dagger free and Dmitri notices. He grabs my wrists and pins them to the wall either side of me. As strong as I've become, he's still bigger than me and I struggle to break free.

Wait, did he say twins?

“You don’t know who I’m talking about,” I say slowly.

Dmitri doesn't have her. Then where the fuck is my sister?