Page 123 of His Prince

I’m going to show him the evidence he needs.

I just need the help of my brother.

Diablo is a little harder to convince. He doesn’t want to help Mikhail—says he’d rather burn one of his beloved saws—but the intrigue of the entire situation has him agreeing to it.

He’ll do this for me, not for Mikhail.

I’ll take it, I think as Dima drives us to the restaurant in the middle of the city. It’s an older, elegant building with the sign of the restaurant painted in gold. It shimmers in the night sky as Dima pulls up to the front and we all step out.

“Dima, you can come in,” Mikhail says, but he just shakes his head.

“I’ll feel better waiting here,” he says and catches my gaze. Ah, so he agrees with me then.

Good. Mikhail may need more convincing than I planned.

“I’ll bring you something,” I tell him, and he just nods, maneuvering the car around back to wait. Just in case.

The four of us move into the restaurant, greeted by an older woman in a dour-looking outfit. She looks like a headmistress in an old British school.

“You are here with Mr. Novikov?” the woman asks, her teeth snapping slightly, and Mikhail nods.

“Right this way,” she replies, and we all follow her to a back room. We move through the opulent space boasting golden walls, chandeliers, and chairs made of red leather.

I hold back my comments on the decor as we see Daniil seated at a table with three other men. Four against four is my immediate thought.

I don’t like this at all.

Mikhail’s hand squeezes mine, and I repeat the action.

“Glad you could make it!” Daniil says and stands up, welcoming us with a wave of his hands. The other men don’t rise, just stay seated, their gazes cold and unmoving. I swear the bulges under their jackets are guns, and I don’t like that at all.

“Ah, yes. I see your concern,” Daniil says with a fake grin. “This is just some added security. In case things get a little out of hand. You know, the city can be a dangerous place,” Daniil says, and he turns his gaze to me.

My lips purse, and I force my eyes to meet the table.

If I pretend to be demure, hopefully he’ll think I’m not the problem. And I really hope Diablo is able to get the information I need so Mikhail can be rid of this man forever.

Hopefully where George can dismember him.

But I won’t go there quite yet. Maybe he has a plausible explanation, but I doubt that very much.

In fact, I’d bet my life on it.

“Please sit. I have drinks coming and then appetizers.”

Mikhail’s hand curls against my lower back as he leads me around the table, situating me between him and Casey. He pulls out the chair, and I lower myself into it, sitting across from Gael.

Unfolding the napkin, I set it in my lap and then reach over and gently touch Mikhail’s leg.

We’ve got this.

He reaches between us and squeezes my hand once more, almost as if he’s gleaning strength from me. But within seconds, it’s gone.

I don’t let it bother me. With his history and the fact that Katarina betrayed him so terribly, I know he’s unwilling to believe Daniil has betrayed him for all these years. I’m going to have to come up with more proof than just some numbers on a spreadsheet.

Hopefully something in black and white, something so damning that even Daniil can’t explain it away.

The men all begin speaking in Russian, but Mikhail stops them with a wave of his hand.