Chapter 4

• DMITRI
• I head down the hallway from the conference room, just having concluded a meeting with other members of the Bratva who’ve come to pledge their allegiance and support to the Orlov enterprise.
• Some of them, like Alexey, didn’t seem so willing, but I could tell theyknewthey didn’t have a choice. I didn’t give them one.
• And they don’t deserve it, either, because many of them have forgotten what they did to my family after my father died.
• Nikolai Petrov might have committed the biggest betrayal, but the others aren’t blameless. They all tried to take a piece of what’s mine, coming through side channels because they thought I was too wrapped up in grief to notice.
• I suppose, in some way, I have to thank Nikolai for being so bold in his claim. If he weren’t, I wouldn’t have gained the upper hand I now enjoy. Even though his daughter tests my patience every single day and I have to summon every shred of self-control I have when I’m around her.
• She’s an expert at getting under my skin. It’s a damn shame that a woman that gorgeous, with eyes that look like a sunny day and wild curls that tempt a man, would come with a fierce personality like that.
• “Sir,” Jakob stops me as I near my office door, “I couldn’t stop her. She was going to make a scene, and I know how much you hate that, so I… I let her come through.”
• My eyebrows furrow. “Who?”
• “Miss Bianchi.”
• Lucia?
• Hell.
• “I’m sorry.” Jakob bows halfway.
• I shake my head. “It’s fine. I’ll take care of her.”
• My lips are curled with displeasure as I walk into my office to see Lucia seated in my chair, her legs crossed on my desk.
• “You seem to have forgotten your place, Lucia,” I say through gritted teeth.
• She shoots me a coy look, slowly removing her legs and taking her sweet time standing up. She’s wearing a coat, but I can tell she has very little on underneath.
• “I heard you got married,” she says, stopping a few inches away. “Why didn’t you send me an invitation? Aren’t we friends?”
• “We’re not friends, and you should leave.”
• Lucia brings her finger to her mouth, slipping it past her lips. I roll my eyes at her failed attempt at seduction.
• “Oh? We aren’t? Well,” she shrugs, “technically, you’re right. Because friends don’t screw each other every day, taste each other’s bodies, lick the sweat off?—”
• “What do you want?” I cut in, walking past her and heading to my chair.
• Lucia and I have a past. We met at a function that her father, a man involved with the Bratva, hosted. She was flirty, I had been drinking, and she didn’t say no when I asked her to come to my hotel with me.
• But our wild, tumultuous affair ended when I realized that she’ll sleep with anyone as long as they are powerful enough. Ididn’t judge her for it because we weren’t in a relationship, but I wasn’t the type to share, either.
• “What do you think?” she asks, walking back to my desk and pulling out a chair. She sits down and places one leg on the desk, giving me an unobstructed view into her coat.
• Once upon a time, I would’ve locked my door and bent her over my desk.
• “If you’re not here for something serious, I suggest you leave, Lucia.”
• “Is it true that you’re working with Nikolai Petrov?”
• “Who told you that?” I ask, vaguely remembering that I had the same conversation with someone else recently. Was it Alexey?
• She shrugs, smacking her lips. “I didn’t hear it from just one person. I was at a party yesterday, and your marriage to Anastasia Petrov was all anyone could talk about. You’ve succeeded in garnering fear, respect, and envy, Dmitri.” Lucia smiles. “But I know what Nikolai did to your father. I know what the others tried to do. I thought you’d be interested in knowing that they think you two are allies.”
• Annoyance and irritation rush through me, but I keep my cool. Even if what she’s saying is the truth, I know she’s trying to get a rise out of me.
• “You shouldn’t be a tattletale, Lucia. Your father wouldn’t like that.”
• Lucia stands up from her seat and comes to perch at the edge of my desk. I let her run her fingers over my arm, knowing that the quicker I attend to her whims, the faster I’ll get rid of her. Unless my patience wears off first.
• “You know, it’s working in your favor, being a son-in-law of Petrov’s. The only problem is,” her finger curls around my tie, and she tugs at it, “he’s not exactly paying for his crime. In fact, he’s starting to gain more attention. He’s now related tothe Orlovs, after all. One of the biggest, or,” Lucia’s nails brush across the stubble on my chin, “should I say,thebiggest empire in our little world.”
• Bullshit.I grit my teeth. If I’m the reason Nikolai Petrov is gaining more popularity, then I’d rather burn him and everything he has to the ground.
• When Lucia’s thumb brushes my lips, I smack her hand away and glare at her.
• “Don’t you dare. The only reason I’m still entertaining you is because you’re not enough of a nuisance to warrant extra measures. I could easily tell your father that you’ve been going around frolicking with his enemies.”
• She gasps. “You wouldn’t.”
• A corner of my mouth curls into a mean smirk. “You want to try me?”
• With a huff, Lucia gets off my desk. She stands with her hands on her hips, pouting.
• “You’re no fun. I used to like you because you were less talk and more action, but you’ve lost your spark. Is it because of your wife? Is she not pleasing you enough? You know?—”
• I shake my head when she opens her coat completely, stepping forward and leaving it on the floor. There’s nothing on her body but lingerie and a garter. “If you wanted to get married that bad, you could’ve asked me. I’m not a fan of commitment, but I would’ve done it for you.”
• I scoff. The sight of her body no longer turns me on. That’s how easy it is to turn off my emotions, even the strong ones like lust and anger—with anyone at all. The only person I’m having a problem with is Ana.
• No matter how much I try, the thought and sight of her evokes a reaction.
• Like last night.
• When she told me that she wasn’t going to be like everyone else, that I’d better give my ego a reality check, or she was going to do it for me.What the?—
• “You could’ve done things the usual way, you know.” Lucia runs her hand over her chest and cups her breasts. “My father has enough influence to buy you connections overseas. Not just here. Now everyone thinks you’ve forgiven the man who betrayed you. Who didn’t even wait until your father’s body was in the grave to steal from you. Undermining your ability to lead, to step into your father’s shoes.”
• “Get. Out.” My words are deathly cold, and my throat is choked with emotions too hard to swallow. My eyes sink into hers with a fury that has her staggering back out of fear.
• Because she knows what I’m capable of.
• “You were a pest seconds ago,” I say harshly. “But now, the sight of you disgusts me. Leave.”
• When Lucia doesn’t move as quickly as I want her to, I call Jakob.
• He walks into the office as she’s picking up her coat, and Lucia’s face turns red when she sees him. It’s a message—you’re worth nothing to me, so if you’re going to be on display, you might as well show everyone.
• “See her out.”
• “I hate you,” she whimpers, hastily buttoning her coat and grabbing her bag as she storms out of my office, her heels clicking on the floor.
• I immediately raise my fist as the door closes, and it takes every last shred of my will to keep from breaking it on the hard, almost impenetrable wood.
• “Fuck.” I run my fingers through my hair. “Fuck!”
• This is Nikolai’s fault.
• No.I shake my head. It’s mine. I’m the one who chose to take his daughter and nothing more. I should send a message that makes it clear I have no dealings with him.
• Nothing at all.
• Jakob returns to my office when I call him.
• “I want you to round up five men. Take them to any establishment belonging to Nikolai Petrov and give them instructions to cause enough ruckus to send a clear message that we aren’t cordial. Got it?”
• He nods firmly. “Yes, boss.”
• “Go.”
• And if that doesn’t work, I’ll have to step in personally. For everyone’s sake, I hope it doesn’t come down to that.
• Janet opensthe door for me, slightly bowing in greeting.
• “Good evening, Janet.”
• She collects my bag and jacket, heading to my room to drop them off. I called beforehand to inform her that I wouldn’t be eating dinner again. I didn’t tell her it was because I was in a foul mood, which I still am.
• I head for the stairs and then decide to go to my study to attend to an email I received on my way home. A meeting with Lucia’s father—who must’ve gotten a call from his whiny, entitled daughter.
• In a way, I admire her relentlessness, and I intend to use the meeting to my advantage, but it’s pesky and bothersome that she doesn’t know when she’s not wanted.
• At least when it comes to me.