Page 90 of The Dark Side

Jolie picked at her nails as doubt began to filter through her head. She fell for Vincent's charms so quickly, and here she was, doing the same thing for Adrik's. Were they the same person, just a few years apart? Adrik was the older, more mature version of who Vincent would become.

She hadn't learned a thing. "Oh, God, I am so freaking dumb." She sighed.

When Jolie returned to her room at the Morozov residence, completely exhausted and ready for a long nap, a hairdresser and makeup artist were waiting outside her bedroom. Jolie tried to say 'no thanks,' but it wasn't a choice. There were six hours till the party, and she couldn't understand why they were starting so freaking early. Until she realized all that they had to do.

Now her hair was curled and pinned to the top of her head, her makeup was flawless, they managed to cover up the bruise on her arm, and her nails were perfectly cut and painted. Hours of work and Jolie despised her reflection. She looked fake. Jolie attempted to rub at it, but it was frozen on her cheeks with some type of super glue.

The dress she wore was too exposing. She didn't know how much Katia spent, but the fact that it was a designer dress meant it was over a hundred dollars. She didn't want to insult the woman by removing it, but it was too much change. Her face and hair and now her clothes? She couldn't handle it. She needed a piece of herself, or she'd go insane.

Jolie removed the dress and grabbed a simple peach-colored halter dress that went down to her feet. She kept her plain black heels, hoping that would somehow abate. But now her face and hair didn't match the type of outfit she had on. The upper part of her was ready for the Grammy's while the lower part was ready for wine country. Imposter syndrome kicked in. She didn't look like the kind of girl that hung on the arm of a mafia boss.

Because I'm not.

Katia's dress was staring at her from the bed. Should she try harder? Try to fit the mold?

A knock on the door interrupted her decision, and she whipped it open with aggravation. She blinked in surprise when Alexei stood in front of her. He wore a perfectly cut maroon suit, with a crisp white undershirt and pocket square. The only thing destroying his natural good looks were the bruises on his face. A hand went to her lips, a sound escaping her. Up close, it was worse than she thought.

Alexei smiled, his eyes running down her outfit. "You look amazing." Her look of concern didn't fade, so he touched his face to acknowledge the bruises. "I'm fine. Got in a brawl with someone. You should see the other guy."

His attempt at humor forced her to move on. She dropped her hand, smiling. "Did he insult your brother?"

His brows knitted, and he playfully wondered, "What makes you say that?"

"You'd do anything for him. Even take on someone bigger than you."

Alexei bowed his head, a slight heat coming to his cheeks. It filled him with pride to know she could see it. "I would," he whispered. Using her words, he reiterated, "Even step aside for a girl."

When Jolie made the connection, her eyes widened.

"Can I come in?" Alexei didn't wait for an invitation; he stepped in and closed the door behind him. She took a few steps back and struggled to speak, but he interrupted, holding out a small back phone. "This is for you. You and Adrik will be able to communicate without worrying about my father. Delete all your messages every time you talk, and leave it in your safe." Alexei walked over to her closet and pulled back her door. In the far corner was a black box that wasn't there before. "Make the code longer than six numbers and tell no one."

Jolie blinked, processing everything he was saying. "You're helping us?"

"Just like you said, I'd do anything for my brother. My loyalty lies with him. So, I feel I should warn you. If you hurt him—" He hesitated. Threatening her felt unnatural and wrong. "Just don't," he finished. Alexei took a breath, "Ready?"

"For?"

"I asked to escort you to dinner."

Jolie uneasily shifted on her foot, "But people might get the wrong idea."

He nodded. "That's the point. Whatever takes the attention away from Adrik. And I'll remind you, you can't look at him, can't talk to him. It's better if you don't go near him." With that, Alexei moved to the door and waited with his arm out to her.

Will it always be like this? Will Adrik and I never be able to be together in public? Or just until his father is out of the way?

Jolie took a deep breath and took Alexei's thick arm. "You smell good," she complimented, hoping to break the tension. If there was any tension. She didn't want things to be weird between them, but she was unsure how to be friends with him. He threatened to kill her but asked her out.

What if Mally was lying?

The thought would have never crossed her mind, but Mally could have lied as effortlessly as Santiago did. She trusted people without really looking at their credentials. Jolie thought about asking Alexei. Would he know what happened to the member of the Toxins? Would he admit to talking about killing her? How honest were members of the Mafia?

Chapter thirty-four

Dinner Party

Thedinnerwasasextravagant as Jolie thought it would be. It was on a rooftop, with a twenty-person table, candles, and big centerpieces of roses and lilacs. The lighting and the ambiance set an elegant mood. There were couches by the edge of the glass railing and an electric fireplace in the center. A bar traced the edge, with twenty servers all standing, waiting to deliver. The menu had five items, and with no price, Jolie struggled with what to order. But as she was reminded by Alexei, it was all paid for by the Morozov family.

Sitting next to Alexei made the night a comedic adventure. With every question, he had a hilarious quip that got her several stares throughout the night. The first time she laughed out loud, she was so embarrassed she didn't know what to do with herself, except try to bury her head behind a menu.