Chapter 17
“Huh?”
“Never mind, you’ll know soon enough.”
“Now aside from drinking lots of water and getting your haircut, you’re free today. I thought we could meet Colin, and Ian at NYU. Kane has half a day today so he can join us,” Sean said brightly.
“I’m sorry. I have no clothes to go out. Plus, the doctor said I have to stay inside.” Realization lit up his face. “If Alexei says it’s okay, and I help Katya, maybe we could have lunch here.”
As Donal walked gingerly to the elevator, Sean sent Armand a message on the mate link. Donal’s coming downstairs. He’s going to ask if Ian, Kane, Colin, and I can have lunch with him, make sure Alexei says yes. It’s necessary that he like and trust us because Alexei will need us when he tells him. Donal is skittish.
Donal burst into the dining room from the elevator. Sean came in behind him smiling and ready to catch Donal if he got dizzy. “Alexei, Sean asked me to go out to lunch but even though I’m much better than he thought I would be, Dr. Artis wants me to stay around in the house until he clears me. Could they come here if I help Katya? I know how to cook. One of the guards watched the Food Channel.”
Armand and Alexei looked at him strangely.
Alexei laughed. “Go down and ask Katya. I’m sure she’ll say yes, but after she does, you stay out of her kitchen. She doesn’t like anyone to help but Boris.”
“Okay.”
Sean followed Donal who limped over to the elevator and together they rode it down to the basement that opened into the kitchen, great room, and a small yard.
Donal stepped out of the elevator. “Katya…I…”
“I will cook for your friends. Meg, Marie Claire, Michele, and Agnes warn me this morning. I made food. Now we go five ways on Wednesday or Friday for lunch, yes?” she asked Sean.
“Yes.” Sean smiled, patting Donal on the back.
Grigory came down and told Donal the barber was here, and Donal went upstairs while Sean called the Mates.
* * * *
Alexei’s townhouse, formal dining room
Monday, lunch
Katya put out fragrant beef borsht with smetana(sour cream), thin pancakes with red caviar, pirogi, rasstegai(rice and minced mushroom pies), and a myriad of other Russian delicacies. For dessert, she made a raspberry charlotte with raspberry cream.
The Alphas decided to have lunch with their mates, and Katya presented still more food. Donal sat at the formal dining table. He glanced around everywhere.
“What up?” Sean asked.
“I’m seriously looking for the gnomes.”
Sean cracked up.
Donal changed into a long-sleeved rugby shirt with his sweats for lunch after his much-admired haircut. Alexei thought that regular pants might interfere with the healing of the wounds on his ankles and legs. He wore gauze wrapped over antibiotic cream around both wrists and ankles and soft house slippers on his abused feet. The Alphas, the Enforcers, the Betas, and drivers arrived at one. For every husband and his spouse, there were five additional people to feed—his two assistants, a driver, and two security officers. He didndrsquo;t know what these men did, but they commanded even Don Feronerrsquo;s respect. If Donal was in awe of Katyaarsquo;s cooking, he was almost afraid of the wealth and power inherent in these men who needed five servants to attend to each of them and their husbands.
Almost as if he knew what Donal was thinking, Sean said, “All of the Board of Directors here have had their husbands, meaning us,” he pointed to himself, Ian, Colin, and Kane, “become the target of criminals. We each have a guard, and our husbands need a guard. My guard is Rene. His brother, Martin, takes care of Armand. Our driver, butler, and the keeper of accounts is Pierre.”
“The others?”
“The other two are part of a team of six rotating security guards that guarantee our safety if something should go amiss. They’re like the Secret Service. When you have only eight men who control over five hundred billion dollars, you have security problems.”
“I suppose you would,” Donal said thoughtfully as he looked at the splendor the main dining room afforded.
A few tears slipped down his cheek and just as Alexei walked in the room, he ran. Donal tried to make it up the stairs but with his damaged feet, he couldn’t. He had barely made it to Central Park the night before.