Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 76915 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 385(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76915 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 385(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
I glared at Alexie’s back as he left my study, following my brothers down the hall to my dining room.
Chapter 10
Mishka
Imoaned as I slipped the hateful high heels off for a moment. It was my second week in the service of Anton Aslanov, and I had grown to truly despise the shoes. My feet had quickly developed blisters, but more than that, they ached.
Standing was surprisingly taxing on my entire body. This was especially strange considering that I often stood to play the violin over the years. But the duration of even the longest piece of music was less than a single evening serving Anton.
I sat down on the window seat to check my phone. I had just eaten then run up to my room before it was time for me to serve lunch. My father still hadn’t texted back. He was traveling today, and would see the doctor tomorrow.
I had no idea how he had arranged things so quickly, but I was vastly relieved. I knew it my heart that it was a one in a million chance that he would recover, or even live much longer, but the little girl in me could not help but dream.
I set the phone down and slipped my aching feet back into the black leather heels. I winced, running to the door and down the hallway. I hastily smoothed my hands over my hair, realizing I was most likely makeup free, and pulled a lipgloss out of my frilly little apron, hastily applying it as I passed a mirror, not even bothering to fully stop.
I could not be late for lunch. He would be angry if I was late. And I could not afford to make him angry.
I slowed down from a run to a brisk walk as I veered into the dining room and froze. Three handsome men were staring at me expectantly. All of them in suits. All of them nearly identical in face, and form, other than their coloring.
There were subtle differences that registered in the moment that I stared at them, aghast, before scurrying over to my place where I had stood every night since I started working for Anton, holding up the wall.
“Thank you for joining us, Mishka,” the master of the house drawled, his voice dripping with sarcasm. My face turned beet red. I did not have a watch but I could not have been more than a minute late.
“Don’t tease the girl. She’s on time. We were early,” Andrei said. The brothers were famous in Moscow so I recognized them easily. Anton, of course, was the one with the light brown hair and easy-going smile. Alexie looked like a rock star with his shock of nearly white blond hair and turquoise eyes. And Andrei was dark, his hair and eyes nearly black.
“So out of breath. Can we offer her some vodka?” Alexie teased, holding up a glass that was nearly empty. I hastened to refill it, stutteringly asking if he wanted ice.
“Not now, little Mishka. Thank you,” he said, then gave me a flirtatious wink. I blinked, momentarily frozen, then scurried away.
“Interference,” I heard Andrei mutter under his breath, but I was too distracted to wonder what he meant.
The brothers drank steadily through the meal, making offhand comments to me, sometimes asking questions, sometimes making strange jokes to Anton that I did not understand.
I did my best to ignore all three of them. Finally, the two brothers left, though one of them stopped to kiss my hand. The blond one. I saw the other two shooting daggers at his back with their eyes as he bent over my hand, saying ‘it was a pleasure’, in a silky voice. I swallowed, pulling my hand back as soon as he released it.
I sighed in relief as they left the dining room. I was free for the afternoon. Free until the evening where I would be required to pour vodka and wait, until the master decided it was time to go to bed. I felt my whole body relax as I turned toward the door.
“Mishka.”
I stiffened and turned back to face him. Anton was looking at me thoughtfully, still in his seat. I could have sworn his eyes slid down my body, but it was so fast I could not be sure.
I wondered if he could tell the shoes were uncomfortable, or if he just thought I was below par. Either way, his eyes were hot and hard.
“Please join me in the study. I have a lot of work to do and find your presence… calming.”
I swallowed and nodded. He stood and gestured to the door. I waited. He stood there. I glanced at him and he gestured to the door. I walked out, feeling odd preceding him. I stood in the middle of the hallway, still having no idea where his study actually was.