The Bed You Make
Chapter 40, continued
Nikolas was just about to hang up the phone when he heard faint voices in the background of the call. Straining to hear, he pressed the cellphone firmly against his ear and moved to a quieter area in the hallway leading to the Outback's business office.
"… night after night of enduring that soft pale part of him. It was horrible, Stefan…" Nikolas easily translated the female speaker's Russian. Though he was not as fluent as his uncle in their native language, Nikolas understood the spoken words perfectly.
"… been hungry four years… will do for you all… I know you enjoy…" The young prince's eyes widened dramatically. He grew warm as he listened to a conversation that brought a hot flush to his cheeks.
"Hello?"
"Dara?" Nikolas' brow furrowed in confusion. She was definitely not the voice he'd been listening to.
"Yes, it's me. I apologize for the strange call, but the Countess de Mardors," Dara's voice grew sharp, "has been speaking in Russian to Stefan for quite a few moments now. I'm certain I can guess the gist of it, but I thought I'd get a translator to be sure. Were you able to hear any of her conversation?"
Nikolas hesitated. "…Yes."
"And?"
"The, ah, the Countess is looking to take liberties that should not be taken with someone else's husband," Nikolas hedged diplomatically.
"I figured that part out myself." Dara's acid tone alerted Nikolas that she was in no mood for niceties. "She's pretty transparent. What I would like from you is a literal translation. Now, please."
Nikolas squared his shoulders and complied. "What are you going to do?" he asked when he'd finished translating for Dara.
"Thank you." Dara ignored his question. "I will speak with you later. Goodbye."
"Goodbye." The response was wasted; Dara had already ended the call. Nikolas stared at his phone. His mind was racing with questions.
Slowly the prince returned to his table. Alexis and Detective Taggert sat, silently awaiting his return. "Is everything okay?" Alexis carefully asked.
"That was Dara," Nikolas replied absently.
Taggert unfolded his six foot something frame. "Dara? Is something wrong with Dara?" The menace vibrating in his tone made several members of Nikolas' Russian mob escorts rise to their feet as well. They did not care for the way that Marcus towered over their charge.
Nikolas waved a calming hand. "She is fine. She merely needed my assistance with the translation of some words," he replied truthfully. "When we speak again later tonight, I will tell her of your concern, Detective Taggert." He held the big detective's gaze until, with a snarl, Taggert turned and left the restaurant.
"Okay," Alexis asked when they were alone, "what was that call really about?"
"It was exactly as I told the detective. Dara needed my assistance translating a conversation."
Alexis tried to decipher the expression on her nephew's face. "Why do I get the feeling there's more to it than that?"
