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“You met with her by yourself?”

“Fuck no. I took the boys with me. Thankfully, she left me alone, latched her talons into Dimi instead.”

“Bet he loved that.”

“I tried to warn him.”

Dimitri was a tease. If they had tits and a nice ass, they drew his attention. It was all for show, though. At least I thought it was. In my time at The Four Kings, I’d never actually seen him date, which, come to think of it, was strange. He was a good looking guy with a body built for sin, not that I was looking. His brown eyes perfectly matched his deep mahogany hair that was threaded with golden blond highlights, making it look like he spent a considerable amount of time in the sun. On occasion, he grew a beard, although he kept it short enough to be considered a five o’clock shadow.

But the mayor was a walking, talking sexual misconduct charge waiting to happen. In public, she was the graceful, intelligent woman who managed to sway public opinion in her favor during the last election. Behind closed doors, when it was her word against someone else, was where the rabid floozie came out of her shell. On more than one occasion, I’d walked in on her trying to climb Zak like a tree, despite his repeated refusals. The woman didn’t have an ounce of shame or she didn’t care.

Daria and Emil were already inside the elevator waiting for us. We ascended three flights in silence. When my sister slipped the key into the lock on unit three-oh-seven, I cringed. For all I knew, there could be a bra thrown across the couch and moldy dishes in the sink. My home could be a disaster in need of a hazmat suit. Thankfully, the clean scent of eucalyptus hit my nose as she pushed the door open.

“By the way, we need to have a conversation about your grocery shopping.” Daria caught my eye. “You eat like a child.”

Well that explained who cleaned my apartment. I’d have to thank her right after I defended my culinary choices.

“I do not.”

Great come back, Pru.

“Seriously? You had SpaghettiOs in the cabinet. SpaghettiOs.”

“Those suckers are good hot or straight out of the can.”

She pulled a face. “That’s disgusting.”

“Don’t knock it till you try it.”

“I’ll pass.”

Right on cue, my stomach grumbled. We’d left Atlantic Care and Rehab before lunch was served, and I’d been too nervous that morning to eat breakfast. I was starving.

“I’ll order a couple of pizzas.” Zak offered. “Any specific toppings?”

“Pepperoni and extra cheese, please,” I said with a smile.

“Anything for you.” From the look he was giving me, I was pretty certain he was talking about more than the pizza.

Zakhar

Alone at last. Daria left us in the living room under the guise of needing to make a few work phone calls. Emil excused himself long before the pizza had even arrived. Not only was he my driver, he was also one of my personal bodyguards. I trusted him with my life, and now, I was trusting him with hers. I’d put him in charge of the small contingent of men who were installing cameras around the perimeter of the apartment complex. Every corner, every angle would be monitored twenty-four seven. Whatever the cost, I’d pay it tenfold to ensure Pru’s safety.

We were sitting side-by-side on the sofa with the TV on in the background. Neither of us was paying attention to the program on the screen. It wasn’t as if we’d never spent time alone before, but this was different. Not awkward, but not exactly comfortable either. Just different. I opened my mouth to speak, but closed it when her soft voice whispered beside me.

“Thank you for today.” Her fingers tangled together nervously on her lap. “For picking me up, for dinner…for being here.”

I shifted sideways, tucking a lock of her mocha-colored hair behind her ear. “Pru, you never have to thank me. Being with you is not a hardship, it’s a privilege.”

“Will you come with me to my appointment with the prosthetician?” The words spewed from her mouth so fast it sounded like one word instead of eleven. Her palm immediately covered her reddened face. “My sister will be there too––”

My hand came down on her left knee, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Absolutely. As long as you’re comfortable with me being there.”

“I have to be. You said you’re all in, right?”

“Yes. I am.”

“Then you should know exactly what kind of bet you’re putting all your chips on.”