Drake Sisters 03 - Oceans of Fire

Aleksandr’s.
    “Please ask her to forgive my blunder. Prakenskii tells me she was upset that I put her in the position of having to sing. I didn’t understand why a great singer was forced to endure another of lesser talent and no one asked for her. They should have been on their feet paying tribute to her greatness.”
    “She likes to come here to relax,” Abigail said with a small smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “There are so few places left to her.”
    She risked a glance at Prakenskii. Aleksandr believed Sergei Nikitin was the more dangerous of the two Russians, but she knew differently. Prakenskii wore violence, deceit, and death as a second skin. He showed no emotion, acted as if the entire incident with Joley had never happened, but his gaze was restless in the same way Aleksandr’s was. He was aware of every detail of the room, the crowd, even conversations, whereas Nikitin was completely self-absorbed.
    And Prakenskii had his own agenda, she could read that much. He wasn’t as loyal to Nikitin as his boss believed, nor was he in the least bit afraid of the man.
    Aleksandr’s thumb rubbed across the back of her hand in warning and she sent another smile to Nikitin.
    “I’m certain you know what that’s like.”
    “Yes, of course. It makes perfect sense. I was told she might come here. It was why I chose this place, but I had no idea she wouldn’t be singing.”
    “Really? She’ll be so flattered.” Abigail tilted her head, resting her hand on her chin as she leaned a little in toward him. “Where did you hear she comes here? All this time we thought her secret was well guarded.”
    Aleksandr leaned back in his chair. Nikitin was more interested in talking to Abigail about Joley and that left him free to watch the room and Prakenskii. Nikitin had almost forgotten he was there. The man had narrowed his attention to Abigail, and it occurred to Aleksandr that Nikitin hadn’t even been aware of the small exchange between Joley and Prakenskii. It didn’t fit with his assessment of Nikitin. The man was reputed to be a shark, not a minnow.

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    Abigail was a natural at leading a conversation; her voice was pitched just right, her eyes were wide with interest. He resisted the urge to acknowledge her skills by kissing her hand; instead he turned his attention toward the two men who had vacated their seats to allow Aleksandr and Abigail a chance to visit with Nikitin.
    “It isn’t difficult to get information on your sister. She’s a very public figure. One of my friends knew a local woman and he asked her.”
    Abigail’s fingers dug into Aleksandr’s hand, but she hung on to her smile as she glanced around the bar looking for Sylvia Fredrickson. She was in a nearby corner talking animatedly with several men including Chad Kingman, Ned Farmer, and Lance Parker. Her hand was on Chad’s arm and she leaned into Lance, nearly rubbing her body against his. Occasionally she rested her palm on Ned Farmer’s thigh.
    Abigail could feel her temper beginning to rise and she struggled not to wave her hand toward the drink in Sylvia’s hand. Instead she concentrated on the universal laws and glanced briefly toward the door, hoping it was enough to get a response, before flashing another smile at the Russian. “I’m so pleased you enjoy Joley’s voice. We think she’s incredible.”
    “I would really like to meet her.” Nikitin raised his empty glass and immediately one of his men sprang up to get him a drink. “Do you think it’s possible to arrange such a meeting? I would be very grateful. I’m a man who repays favors.”
    For one terrible moment Abigail wanted to trade a visit with her sister for the contract on Aleksandr’s life. The urge came out of nowhere and hit her hard. The walls of the room seemed to move, nearly crushing her. It was almost impossible to draw air into her burning lungs. She could see the words floating in front of her eyes, bizarre headlines flashing. The urge to speak was so strong she bit down hard on her lower lip, hoping the small bite of pain would help her focus.
    Only one other time in her life had such a thing happened. She and Joley had been experimenting, working with a spell to influence others by using a steady flow of power, and it had backfired on them.
    Instant recognition flooded her. She sat back and clapped her hands together, waving the air around them back toward