Chapter 16 Nadir #2
Leon doesn’t know about Jess and Taro’s past relationship, and I’ll make sure it stays that way. The less people know, the better.
If they learn about Taro obsessively stalking Jess, they’ll want Jess fired from Sterling. We’re at a much lower risk with her out of the picture.
“It doesn’t matter where she’s staying,” I continue. “They’ll use her as leverage. She’s safer where I can see her.”
“Only Jess?” Leon asks. “She’s no different than any of your other employees, and I don’t see you inviting them into your home.”
“She’s a threat. We’ve had this discussion before, bratan.”
“Yes, about delaying telling her the truth, which she now knows.” Leon narrows his eyes. “You told me you met her at the harbor a few years ago.”
“Correct.” I clench my jaw. “What about it?”
“Are you sure there’s nothing more?”
“No.” I remove my hand from the seat, shoving it in my pocket. “And even if there was, it would be none of your business.”
“All due respect, bratan, I’m your right-hand man for a reason.”
“Yes, and you’re here to counsel me about the Bratva. The rest doesn’t concern you.”
Leon arches his brow. “The rest?” he repeats. “I didn’t know you had a life outside of all this.”
Mudak.
“Enjoy the rest of your weekend, Leon.” I head to the door and hold it open for him, encouraging him out. He does as he’s told. He knows I can fire him anytime I want, from Sterling Row Partners and from the Bratva.
But the tightness in my chest tells me that won’t solve anything, as the sound of Anastasia being killed rings through my ears again.
I walk into my apartment as Jess is preparing her kids for bed.
“But I’m not tired, Mommy,” Willow moans as she rubs her eyes.
That one’s a rascal. So is Charlie, although tonight he looks like he wants to sleep. Makes a change.
“Drink your milk like your brother and sister and shush,” Jess says, forcing the cup to her kid’s lips.
I watch them from the door, taking advantage of the fact that I haven’t been noticed yet. I’ll make things worse. Charlie will see me and rush right over. He almost tripped over his own foot the other day because he was running so fast.
The kids are lacking a paternal figure. They look up at me with wonderment, not quite sure what to make of me.
I’m not used to humans looking at me like that. I spend my time around adults every day, who know who I am from the start. Women fight for my attention. Men wish they were me.
I suppose my reputation has always proceeded me. It’s fun at first, to be respected without having to open your mouth. Not many people get that luxury. But it gets boring after a while. Where’s the fun in people always acting the same around you?
I stare at Jess, watching as she smooths a piece of hair from her eyes. Her blonde hair turns gold in this light. This place suits her.
She suited the business-class suite too, even though she wasn’t exactly dressed for the occasion. She caught my eye physically with her beauty, but it was the fire burning in her soul that really caught my attention the most.
I probably shouldn’t have taken her to the bathroom and fucked her.
People get arrested for that shit. Had I been caught, I wouldn’t be here now.
Police investigations aren’t anything new, but I avoid walking into them where possible, and although all of my previous cases are closed, they’re still on file, banking up as evidence.
But fucking her was a risk I just had to take.
Trouble is, it’s an even bigger risk now with everything going on.
I need to be doubling down on work, not admiring Jess from afar.
I already fucked up once today, forgetting to ask her about the license plate when she spotted Taro.
I made myself look like a fool in front of my team.
If I keep slipping up, Taro will find a way to take everything from me.
Or is Jess to blame for doing that, charming me with her incredible looks? Her big attitude is entertaining, but it’s a trap, and I can’t let myself fall into it.
Charlie finishes his milk and catches me by the door. My penthouse is one of the biggest in the city. I thought I was safe hiding over here in the shadows. Guess not.
“Charlie!” Jess runs after him, but the kid is too fast. “Charlie!” she hisses. “Nadir has just walked through the door and won’t want you pestering him.”
Before I know it, I have three small children beaming up at me, each demanding a high five. Blyat, their hands are tiny.
Willow giggles.
“Why are you laughing?” Iris asks, smiling. “He didn’t tell a joke.”
“Because he’s funny!”
I scoff. Can’t say I’ve ever gotten that one before, but I’ll take it. It’s better than people looking at me with a straight face.
I smile down at them. “You know what happens to children who stay awake past their bedtime, don’t you?”
Charlie sucks in a breath. “What?”
I extend a hand. “They get tickled by the monster.”
They’re all giggling again, twisting and turning as I get them under the armpits.
I squat down to meet their faces, and I’m still above eye level. Fuck, they’re small, their faces so damn innocent.
They can’t be caught up in this mess with Taro, but Jess moving back home with them won’t change anything. Taro knows she’s living in the city. I’d hate for him to find out about her children.
And children are easy to train, very malleable. They can be manipulated into any shape, and turned into mini versions of the people with the authority. I’d hate to see the light go out in their eyes, same as how I’d hate to see my business collapse. Can I have both? Probably not.
Tunnel vision is important in this game. When you distribute your energy and focus on achieving more than one goal, you lose.
“Oh, look at that.” I tap my watch. “Bedtime.”
“Why aren’t you going to bed?” Charlie asks.
“I get to stay awake. I’m older.”
“Ugh,” Willow groans. “I wanna be older.”
“I’m the oldest here,” Charlie announces, tipping his chin with pride.
I stall for a second. Raven-black hair. Piercing blue eyes. The eye color is inherited from his mom. But the hair? Mine can’t have been far off the same color when I was his age.
I rake a hand through my own hair. I’m going insane, clearly more distracted by Jess and her kids than I realize.
Sometimes, a very small part of me wonders how it would feel to be a parent. But I can’t be a father and run a Bratva. That’s why I’m still without an heir. I don’t know if I can put my own child through the same stuff I went through as a kid.
But cruelty is the only thing that keeps the business living on.
“Okay,” Willow drawls, dragging herself through the room.
Jess is still watching me carefully, standing in the middle of the room looking radiant as ever.
The plain white T-shirt she’s wearing drapes over one shoulder, exposing tanned skin.
But like always, my gaze gravitates to her eyes.
Makeup enhances the blue in them—it gives her a frightening edge.
But she doesn’t need it. Her eyes sparkle all on their own.
“Here,” Jess says, guiding her kids down the corridor.
I prepare dinner for us while she’s putting the kids to bed, reheating the rest of the lasagna Maureen cooked before Taro took her. I’m glad he decided to do that after she finished making dinner.
While the lasagna is heating in the microwave, I ensure everything’s locked.
Before pulling the drapes, I glance out the windows just in case one of Taro’s men has pulled a Spiderman and is waiting right outside.
They’re as skinny as spiders, no meat on any of their legs.
But could they climb ninety-two floors? Probably not.
That being said, I’d like to see them put it to the test. Free-falling ninety-two floors can’t be much fun.
“You came back empty-handed,” Jess states, returning to the kitchen.
She slouches into the worktop, and suddenly my cock is remembering that night with the wine.
“Lasagna is heating in the microwave.”
“Oh, fabulous,” she says, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “No need to worry about Maureen. We have lasagna.”
“What are you talking about?” I walk past her, removing the lasagna from the microwave when it dings. Taking two plates from the cupboard, I flash her a look, since she still hasn’t answered my question.
“What am I talking about?” She scoffs like I’m missing something. “Nadir, a person is missing and you’re looking at me clueless. Don’t you remember what happened today?”
“Is this enough lasagna for you?” I ask, distributing it onto two plates.
Jess leans in and gives me a curt nod, careful not to get too close. I walk the plates over to the kitchen table, stacking the empty milk cups. I take a seat, my back to the window, and signal for Jess to follow.
She keeps her distance. Couldn’t get further away from me if she tried. I suppose it’s a good thing she’s been forced to stay under my roof and put her children first. I’m sure she’d be on the next flight to Miami if she had the chance.
I slide the plate of lasagna over to her, and she takes it without registering me.
“What is it you’ve been doing today?”
“Work stuff. I had to arrange an emergency council meeting to inform the rest of the Bratva about Taro taking Maureen.”
“Instead of actually sending off a search party to find Maureen?” Jess piles lasagna into her mouth, still avoiding eye contact.
“May I remind you that Taro knows where I live, which puts you, Charlie, Iris, and Willow in danger.”
Her eyes snap up to me, her gaze zigzagging all over the place as she evaluates each corner of my face. “What about Maureen?”
“Housemaids are replaceable. I can have someone else in tomorrow to help out with the kids.”
Jess slams her palm on the table, flatware jumping, clattering over the plate. She bats her eyelashes, like she’s trying to understand what I mean by that.
I’m sure I wasn’t talking to her in Russian.
“Replaceable.” Her eyes space out after saying that, and then she’s shooting up, chair scraping on the floor.