“He’s fine.” Ivan brings her into his chest for a hug, squeezing her. “He got lucky. The bullet went straight through just below his clavicle by his armpit.”
His gaze meets mine as his sister steps back from his embrace.
“It looked a lot worse than it was. The doc’s just stitching him up now. He’ll stay here at least until tomorrow. He’ll be sore and stiff for a few weeks, but he’s okay.”
Elana blows out a long breath. “Oh, thank God! Thank God!”
“Is Alexander still down there?” Megan’s already halfway across the kitchen.
“I’ll go with you.” Elana links arms with her and they disappear.
“I’m glad he’s okay.” I fold my arms over my stomach.
“Me too.” His eyes are tired; he’s aged at least five years down there waiting.
“You’ve been drinking?” He picks up the empty bottle of Shiraz.
“I had two glasses. I’m fine.”
Heat returns to his eyes. “Didn’t I say no more after that last glass of champagne?”
“You said last one, and that was my last glass of champagne.” I pick up my stole. “It’s really late, Ivan. I think I should go home.”
Silence falls between us, growing heavier as the moments tick by. His face is unreadable. His jaw tightens.
“Yosef will take you home.” He’s already on his phone tapping out his orders.
“And Ivan…the money, you don’t have to?—”
“It’s already taken care of.” He cuts me off.
A switch has flipped. There’s a chill coming off him that makes no sense. He was all simmer and boil earlier.
“I don’t want the money.”
Yosef appears in the doorway. Ivan turns on his perfectly polished heel and joins Yosef.
“Take her home. Make sure the apartment is secure before you leave,” Ivan orders.
And then he’s gone.
“Take her off this fucking list.” I growl into my phone as I yank open the front door to Vivienne’s apartment building.
The lock is still broken.
“You’re sure?” Meredith’s question comes through as more than curious; she’s poking around the edges of an already sore wound.
“Yes. Why was she even on it? I took her off that list.”
“Vee is an adult and has a mind of her own. When she saw you removed her name, she demanded I put her back on.”
“When was this?”
“The day after you removed her,” she says casually.
Meredith’s inability to be intimidated by me at this moment only brings my irritation up another level. It’s also the reasonshe’s in charge of managing Obsidian. That, and she’s immune to Kaz’s charismatic personality.
“Take her off, and she doesn’t get put back on. She’s banned from the auctions.”
