I swore to Kazimir that I would have his back, but it was appearing that I was completely out of my element.
Adjust. You’ll just have to adjust.
I could do it. Max and X too. We just needed to figure out the rules here and filter through the enemies to find the friends.
The limo passed the masked people heading to the castle and continued toward the back which took ten minutes on its own. It was clear we could literally get lost in that castle without a map.
I can’t believe I’m here.
X put down the drink and went to his phone. Maxwell followed. I sighed in relief. Earlier when they’d joked and drank in the limo, I figured they weren’t taking everything seriously. Knowing those two, they’d planned the whole drinking-in-the-limo situation. It was Max’s favorite way to get closer to a perceived enemy—fun drinks and laughs, buddy-buddy moments. And the whole time, he would be watching, analyzing, and taking notes.
We arrived to what I could only deem was the back of the castle. There were only three cars there. One man stood in front as if waiting for our arrival. And he wasn’t a bad man to look at, although he couldn’t rival Kazimir. However, he stood tall among everyone else around him, signaling that he was a leader of some sort. He had tanned skin and dark hair, chiseled features, although sorrow covered his face.
“Who’s that?” I asked.
“No one.” Valentina rolled her eyes. “That’s just Mikhail. We call him Misha for short.”
“He’s my uncle’s oldest son,” Kazimir added. “And as close to me as Luka.”
I nodded.
Then, I’ll be watching him closely.
Several men stood on the steps behind Misha. They wore scarred faces and blood-hungry expressions. Huge guys, tall and built. Vikings, had we been in more ancient times. Many had tattoos peeking out from their suits—on their wrists, hands, and necks. A few had crosses tattooed on the sides of their faces.
X returned to his phone. Kazimir watched us all with no emotion showing on his face. I wondered what he was thinking as the limo stopped and the driver hurried to our door and opened it.
I got out and moved to the side of the car. Misha focused a dark gaze on me. My heart hammered, but I remained where I was, happy the sunglasses blocked my eyes. A few men behind him whispered, probably wondering who the hell I was and why I would leave the limo first.
Come on, Kaz.
Kazimir and Valentina needed to be ahead of us. It would already be hard to blend in with us so far being the only black people here. If we could just keep the idea in people’s minds that where just the Harlem Crew—people that happened to help Kazimir in New York. Nothing more or less. None of us significant enough to cause damage. We needed to seem unimportant and as invisible as possible. It would be the easiest way to stay out of trouble and find out information at the same time.
Rumbling came from my side. I didn’t watch Kazimir exit the limo, even though it would’ve been a beautiful sight. He was all muscle and power under that high-end suit. But I had a mission, so I watched Misha and the other men’s faces as they realized Kazimir was alive and there in the flesh.
Where there was once sorrow, relief replaced it. Misha probably would’ve waited for everyone to leave in order to greet his father’s unexpected guests. He seemed like that type of man as he stood straight-backed and a neutral expression, monitoring our approach to him.
But once Kazimir left, a huge smile spread across Misha’s face. He hurried our way, and his men rushed after him. It all appeared comical, if not for the men looking like they could kill hundreds in seconds.
Misha greeted Kazimir with a huge hug, pecking both cheeks, and muttering several things in Russian. Kazimir smiled and patted his back. My body relaxed.
Next, everyone left the limo. Valentina didn’t greet Misha as she strolled by. He made no show of noticing her. Oleg followed her up the stairs and to the castle. Armed men and women moved out of her way.
Kazimir and Maxwell continued to chatter in Russian like two long-time friends. Their men gathered around them, scanning the space.
Maxwell and X were already behind me, giving me the appearance that I was their leader. I gestured for them to come close.
Maxwell put on his glasses. “We can’t hide this time, Em. Too many white people here. We have to go Chinatown.”
No. I hate the Chinatown Plan.
X nodded and drank in the area. “Definitely, Chinatown. We stick out. Every person here is going to wonder why we’re here, especially why you’re here.”
I hated Chinatown. With that plan, I was the center of attention, while the guys had all the fun. I was always the distraction and they were always the actual chess pieces in the game.
We continued to keep our voices low.
I frowned. “Maybe we can do what we did with the Shower Posse—”
“Different case and Kennedy isn’t here.” Maxwell stirred a little, but regained composure. “It’s Chinatown and you’re the supreme concubine. Sultry and—”
“Not me.” I shook my head. “Kazimir and I agreed that we’ll keep whatever we’re doing on the downlow. No one would even know—”
Maxwell snorted. “He had you ride in his limo and leave it first when he got here. He already put a crown on your head.”
“That was just what happened,” I said.
X took off his hat and rubbed that constellation covered head. “Nothing just happens with your Russian.”
Maxwell watched Kazimir and Misha. “It’s Chinatown. Suck it up.”
We’ll see about that.
I turned to X. “Did you find anything out on our ride here?”
X shrugged. “I’m in the princess’s phone as well as her ogre.”
You put a tracker in Valentina and Oleg’s phone?! We hadn’t really discussed that. What happened to you being scared of tracking the Bratva? I don’t think Kazimir will be happy about that, and we’re on his good side right now.
I exhaled.
That was another problem with sleeping with Kazimir. I was starting to care about what he thought. Had it been any other person, it would’ve been completely normal for us to start tracking and snooping on everyone around him, especially his sister. Where I was worried about the guys joking and drinking the whole ride, they were a hundred percent on the job.
And I was taking in the sights and enjoying the scent of my lion.
X continued as the second limo arrived. “We’ll see what pops up.”
It meant X had also ghosted Valentina and Oleg’s phones. Whatever they saw on their screens, he would see too. He could monitor everything from his own phone—texts, emails, Google searches, anything they liked or disliked on social media.
I swallowed and turned to Maxwell. “Thoughts?”
“Why are we here?” Maxwell whispered.
I leaned in closer. “Kazimir wants to make sure no one else helped Sasha.”
“So, everyone that is smiling could be his enemies?”
“Pretty much,” I muttered as Luka appeared out of the shadows and got to my side, ending our conversation.
The bear of a man didn’t appear taken aback by the scene. He’d probably been here many times. I tried to picture Kazimir and him escaping from jail. He looked at me and I turned away.
How much of a demotion is babysitting me, Luka?