Vlad looked like a shell-shocked deflated balloon. His eyes shifted between Marek and me as I crossed my arms over my chest.

“This mudak is the one you want to protect me? Seriously?” I clicked my tongue.

Now they were both looking at me as I glared at Vlad. Yes, I’d called him an asshole in Russian. I wasn’t about to not speak the language if I knew it, and everyone knows the first thing you learn in a different language is the swear words.

“Vlad Lenkov, I would like you to meet ...