Chapter 12 #3
“Honestly? I’m finding the gala a waste of my time. I’m hoping Katie is having better luck than I am in finding potential clients. I’m not impressed with half the guests you invited.”
“Most seem to be impressed with you.”
“Unless we’re talking about your employer, I don’t particularly care.” Jamie shifted his hold on Kyle, running his hand up Kyle’s back to grip Kyle’s neck. He turned his head to stare down into Kyle’s eyes, gently squeezing his fingers. “Why don’t you go find yourself something to drink?”
Kyle tongued his bottom lip, blinking slowly. “Just one?”
“I don’t want you drunk.”
“Yes, sir,” Kyle practically purred before slipping away and disappearing into the crowd, Madison mere steps behind him.
That is more about your sex life than I ever wanted to know, Donovan told Jamie in a mournful-sounding voice.
Jamie ignored the quiet laughter from the others in his mind in favor of the task at hand.
“I can see what draws you to him,” Niko said, his eyes locked on the direction Kyle had gone. “It really is a shame you don’t share.”
Jamie had to fight to keep the anger off his face and settled for a cold look that any of the Marines in his old platoon would have recognized as the equivalent of incoming mortar fire. “For you.”
“Tragically, yes.” Niko made a show of glancing around Jamie’s immediate area. “I don’t see your sister around. Will she be joining you later?”
Don’t do it, Donovan warned in his mind even before Jamie’s fist was half-formed.
One punch would be all he needed to take Niko out, but Donovan was right.
They couldn’t risk making that kind of scene.
Not yet, at least. Jamie shoved aside his anger at knowing Niko was the one behind Leah’s invitation to the gala.
Whether the Dutchman had wanted to use her as leverage or target her for something worse, Jamie didn’t know.
He was just glad he’d kept Leah away and safe tonight.
“When I explained tonight was more a business scene than a party scene, Leah opted for a night out at the clubs instead. I’m sure she and her friends are dancing up a storm somewhere else,” Jamie lied.
“I hope they chose Vesuvius. If they did, I can call—”
“They didn’t.”
Niko pursed his mouth before shrugging. “If she changes her mind, let me know. I’ll make sure they’re well taken care of. Supplying the customer with what they want is only good business. We’re both businessmen here, Jamie. You understand.”
“As I understand it, you’re a facilitator. That’s less decision-maker and more subordinate. So why don’t you let your employer know I’m only interested in talking to him, and if he’s unavailable, then I walk.”
Niko froze mid-sip of his drink, eyes flicking for a quick second off to the side. Jamie didn’t bother to look, knowing everyone in that area wasn’t important.
“Him?” Niko finally said after finishing his sip.
“We both know Oksana isn’t the one in charge.
Did you think we wouldn’t do our due diligence before making overtures with you?
” Jamie stepped forward, using his superior height and build to loom over Niko.
“I’m sure you know money isn’t an issue for me.
What I’m after is making a name for myself in markets that aren’t saturated.
Katie convinced me this was the way to go, and I take her counsel very seriously.
She is extremely good at what she does, which is why I had no problem bankrolling her company.
What we can provide is something your employer needs, and if he’s willing to pay, then we’re willing to work with him.
So why don’t you cut out the middleman and introduce us? ”
Niko’s eyes narrowed, even as his shoulders raised a fraction of an inch in reaction to Jamie’s close presence.
He didn’t start gibbering out excuses though, but neither did he back away.
Jamie had to admit that Niko was a good performer, cognizant of the eyes on them from too-curious gala attendees.
From the outside, it probably looked like they were having a conversation they didn’t want anyone else to overhear.
Niko probably wished the conversation was going in an entirely different direction.
Jamie couldn’t feel it when Niko tried to use his empathy to influence Jamie’s emotions, but he could tell when the other man became frustrated at his failure by the way he almost broke his glass when he clenched his hand a little too tightly around it.
“You’re a hard man to please. Most people are happy when they see me,” Niko got out in a clipped voice, some of his English accent fading beneath the edges of his birth language.
“I’m not most people.”
“No, you certainly are not.” Niko smoothed out his expression, the anger leaving his face, if not his eyes.
There was a coldness there Jamie didn’t like, but he trusted in the shields Katie had reinforced in all their minds that morning to hold.
“I’m surprised you seem to think you know who my employer is. ”
Jamie shrugged, taking a step back, giving Niko room to breathe in such a way that would signal it was on Jamie’s terms. “If there’s one thing the Marine Corps is good at, it’s preparing you to handle anything the world can and will throw at you.
Information is currency, and I hold it at a high value. ”
“Ekaterina said something similar at lunch the other day. Some tech you left with that actually works?”
“The United States military is on the cutting edge of weaponry. I wasn’t averse to leaving with some,” Jamie said, going for a cryptic casualness over solid details.
Niko’s eyes narrowed, but his expression remained politely interested. “I see.”
Jamie looked down his nose at the other man. “And I think you’ll see I’m running out of patience. We played your little game and cracked your little code. We did what you asked, free of cost, I might add. Now, why don’t you hold up your end of the bargain and introduce me to your boss.”
“You’re in luck.” Niko set his glass down on the railing surrounding the sculpture they stood next to. “Stanislav Pavluhkin came tonight specifically to meet with you. Shall we?”
Jamie waved his hand at the nearest exit. “Lead the way.”