The restaurant is expensive. Two Michelin stars.
Nelson and Kirill stand at the door with two more guards standing outside the entrance.
We’re led to a table by a hostess that apparently knows Sergei.
Two men approach the table just as I'm settling into my seat. They're both tall, both dark-haired, both carrying themselveswith that same predatory grace that seems to be a Sokolov family trait.
The first one reaches us and grins. "Seryozha!" He claps Sergei on the shoulder with genuine affection. "You actually did it. You got married."
"Maksim," Sergei says. There's warmth in his voice I've never heard before. "Sofia, this is my brother Maksim. He runs our operations in Miami."
Maksim turns those blue eyes—lighter than Sergei's and with a hint of playfulness—on me. "The infamous Sofia Baranova." He takes my hand and brings it to his lips. "I can see why my brother was willing to start a war."
I wasn’t even aware there were brothers until this very moment. I’m left speechless.
“It’s nice to meet you,” I murmur.
He's younger than Sergei by at least five years, maybe more. Handsome in a more obvious way. Where Sergei is all sharp edges and controlled danger, Maksim is charming. Relaxed.
The second brother steps forward. "Nikolai," he introduces himself, offering his hand for a more traditional shake. "Vegas."
Nikolai is somewhere between Sergei and Maksim in age, I'd guess. Mid-thirties. He's quieter, more reserved. His eyes assess me with the same calculating intelligence I see in Sergei.
I look to Sergei. He nods at the chair he’s still holding out for me.
I sit. I have no idea what’s happening.
And then I do.
They’re sizing me up.
Am I worthy of their brother’s hand in marriage. They have to know this is a business arrangement. But I get it. They need to know I’m not going to shiv their brother in the middle of the night.
Verdict is still out on that.
"You're finishing your degree?" Maksim asks during the first course.
"Business. Yes.”
"And you’re running the Baranov operations,” Nikolai says.
“Yes.”
A sommelier appears with a bottle of wine. Sergei nods once, and our glasses are poured. I take a sip of wine.
"And now you're married to our brother," Nikolai says. It's not quite a question. More like he's testing how I'll respond.
"I am." I meet his gaze. "Which benefits both our organizations."
"Strategic," Maksim says with a grin. "I like her already."
The conversation flows easier after that. I get a better sense of the hierarchy. Sergei oversees the operation as a whole, but his brothers run the cities. Judging by the respect I see between them, he sees them as equals, but they still see him as the top dog.
I like that.
Maksim asks about my degree, my plans for the Baranov operations. Nikolai is quieter but I catch him watching me withthat same assessing look. They're both trying to figure out if I'm an asset or a liability.
I notice Sergei watching me too. Not obviously. But I feel his eyes on me when I laugh at something Maksim says. When I answer Nikolai's question about distribution networks.