Mikhail

18 (R)

It was like an old fashioned cowboy showdown.

"Stand down, boys," I advised lightheartedly, sidestepping the three and on foot toward the impromptu staircase ascending to one of Mogilevich's jets.

Vinnie and Ivan were murderously glaring at one another, ready to draw their guns at any moment. Mikhail wasn't too happy, either.

It hadn't been apart of his plan for me to bring one of our men along on our quick trip, but my trust in him wasn't enough for me to have come alone. Besides, he had Ivan with him.

I confidently made my way up the stairs, the engine of the jet humming as two beautiful stewardesses greeted me by its entrance.

The men followed my lead, muttering underneath their breaths like little children.

The inside of the jet was as lavish as one could expect. Mogilevich liked to travel with style, beautiful women and surrounded by luxury.

I wasn't one to judge how he spent his wealth, only how he had acquired it.

"This is a mistake," Vinnie grumbled, trailing right behind me.

"Would you rather I go alone? You can still leave," I reminded him, glancing back just in time to see Mikhail entering the cockpit to speak with the pilots.

The sight of his deliciously rippled back was replaced by a glaring Ivan, who followed Vinnie inside the jet.

"I'm not leaving you alone with these..." he spat out, "savages."

I laughed lightly, unbothered by his disgust for being here with our enemies.

I neared the final row of the first compartment, shielded from the second by a milky glass door.

Seating myself down at the final seat, Ivan all but pushed past Vinnie to stand by the one seat opposite mine.

I peered up at him curiously.

"I'll sit with her," Vinnie gritted out, struggling to hold himself back.

Ivan remained silent, his hard eyes fixed ahead, preventing Vinnie from seating himself down.

"I think Mikhail wants to sit there," I came to the conclusion, "it's a short flight, anyway."

"Then it shouldn't be such a big deal where we sit," he neared Ivan's side threateningly, but the stoic man remained wordless.

I sighed out deeply. The flight from London to Brussels wouldn't be long, but with constant bickering it would drag on forever. Still, I didn't regret having brought Vinnie with me, on the one condition that he would keep this mission from my father.

Despite his newly acclaimed trust in me and my future as the heir of our family, two things I had dreamed and craved for since the death of my mother, I had to finish what I had started and rid the world of the disgusting men who benefited most from human trafficking. Only then would I be able to focus on the future.

Mikhail appeared from the front of the jet, dark eyes focusing in on me, unfazed by the silly standoff between our companions.

"Natalia, I need to show you something," he informed me gruffly, "once we've taken off."

"Could you tell your friend to-" Vinnie cut in furiously, but the devil's attention unwaveringly remained on me.