Chapter 38
SLADE
“So we know he’s in St. Petersburg. How do we get this guy off our backs?” Ryker asks, sitting in the chair across from my desk.
“I don’t know why you guys haven’t put the girl as bait and just lured him out. Obviously he wants one thing and that’s her so why are we dancing around the solution?” Landon is sitting next to Ryker, a little pumped up with aggression and adrenaline.
He’s on a wild streak right now.
I shoot daggers in Landon’s direction. “You know I won’t do that so don’t bring that shit up again. You wouldn’t put the love of your life in danger would you?” I raise an eyebrow at him.
A smirk appears on Landon’s face. “So you love the girl now?”
“Don’t start, Landon. You’re the one who fucked things up with your own relationship. Don’t bring Isabella into this mess or else I swear to god, our relationship won’t save you from me.”
He just gives me a teasing smile. “I’d like to see you try brat.”
He really shouldn’t test me since I broke my loyalty to my dad before I left Russia and that was to protect myself and my mother.
I’ll fucking destroy the entire world for Isabella if she wanted me too, no questions asked.
I sigh and rub my forehead. “This isn’t why I brought you both here. I need you guys to just fucking find this Georgino guy for me. I’ll take care of the rest.”
“Why should we help you? It’s not like you’ve spoken to us in the past three years ever since dad died,” Landon argues.
It was for a reason, motherfucker.
“Landon, stop,” Ryker says calmly. “We’re going to help Slade, alright? It’s not like this is hard.” Ryker looks at me. “But Landon’s right about the bait. We should use Isabella and lure him out just so we can make this quick and easy. Once we get Georgino, it's in your hands and we’re done.”
Fuck.
My jaw ticks in annoyance and frustration.
They both don’t get it since they have never been put in this position.
Landon probably thought about it before him and his ex broke up but he’s confident in himself and knows he can protect her.
The only way I feel like I can protect Isabella is to hide her away from the world and make it where it’s only us two.
It’s been two days since the bookstore incident. She’s been staying in our room or the library, reading or watching TV.
Most of the time I’m with her instead of with my brothers but I need to get this shit resolved so that she can get out of her funk.
I also spoke with Becky to convince her to come over here.
Once Becky’s done with her manuscript she’ll pack a bag and I’ll book a flight for her. She did argue with me and asked me what’s going on with Isabella and I told her that all will be explained once she gets to Russia.
I have too much shit to worry about right now to worry about not just Isabella but Becky too.
“Okay. But if we do this I want to take precautions. I want as many of your men and my men there. I don’t care if it's a waste of their time being there for only one guy, I want as many men as I can get to surround us when we use her as bait. I’ll train her and make sure she’s ready too.”
“Finally we can agree on something.” Ryker rolls his eyes. “Are we done?” Landon asks, looking bored and like he wants to leave already.
He can fuck off.
“Yea. I’ve got things to do anyways.” I stand up from my chair and leave the office with my brothers.
They see themselves out the front door and I go upstairs to where Isabella is hopefully getting ready.
Because she’s been in a funk, we haven’t gone on the date I planned for us. So I brought it up to her last night and she said she would be okay with going on a date today.
I slip inside our room at the same time she walks out of the bathroom.
I stop in my tracks and check her out.
She is wearing lacy stockings underneath a black dress.
I whistle and shake my head slowly at her. “You look...” I walk towards her.
Isabella blushes and her hair falls over her eyes.
She enhanced her curls which makes her look absolutely stunning but different in a good way.
“Hopefully that means good,” she teases.
I rest my hands on her hips and pull her closer to me. “To, chto ya khotel by sdelat' s toboy v etikh chulkakh.”
Her face turns red like a tomato as she blushes uncontrollably. “I’m going to assume that what you’re saying is good.”
“Trust me it is.” I nod. “I could get down on my knees and eat you out right now.”
She laughs and shakes her head.
I grab her hand and admire my ring on her finger.
I’m surprised she hasn’t taken it off but Isabella is a good girl and she follows directions well even if she doesn’t want to.
“Where are we going?”
I’m already dressed. I got ready before the meeting with my brothers because once they left I wanted to go and spend the rest of my night with Isabella.
“One of my favorite restaurants that has the best view overlooking the city.” I check the time on my phone. We were cutting the reservation close. “Are you ready to go?”
She nods and grabs her gray coat from the bed.
Before we leave, because I can’t help myself, I grab her by the waist and kiss her.
I lick off her lipstick, grip her waist, and grind against her. When I try to deepen the kiss and demand her mouth to open, she pushes away from me.
“Stop, you’re going to ruin my makeup.” She giggles.
“I’m going to ruin it by the end of the night, so it doesn’t really matter.”
I hold her hand as we walk outside to my car.
It’s a blacked out Mercedes GT63.
One of my absolute favorite cars to drive along with my BMW M4.
I open the door for her and she smiles while getting in.
I slip into the driver’s seat and start the engine, making it roar to life.
“You have so many nice cars,” she says while looking at the interior. “I never thought you’d be this rich.”
“I don’t like to show it off. That’s why I usually use my bike.”
“Where is your bike? Back in the States?”
I pull out of the estate grounds, a blacked out Escalade is following behind me with Niko inside.
It’s just a precaution.
I’m paranoid to a fault and just want to have a good first date with Isabella and I’ll do anything to make sure that happens.
“Yea, but I’m getting it transported over here as we speak. Shouldn’t be long until it arrives.”
“Why did you move away from Russia anyways?” Isabella asks and I know it’s an innocent question but the reason haunts me almost every single day.
My mom and I haven’t talked about that night and we never will.
I don’t want to remind her of those memories that likely still terrorize her to this day.
“Because I did something bad,” I let out, trying to focus on driving instead of this conversation. What will she think of someone that killed their own father? “But I don’t regret it. I never will.”
“What did you do?”
I rest my hand on Isabella’s thigh, needing some comfort.
“If I told you, you would be scared of me. I don’t want you scared of me, Isabella. I’m trying my best to be good for you even though I’m not. I’ve done bad things. Really shitty things.”
“Even if I am scared of you, you said you wouldn’t let me go. Just tell me. I understand that you do things for a reason and I don’t agree with you on some of the things but like I said, I understand.” She nods, keeping her eyes on me.
My jaw clenches and anxiety rushes through my body. “You just won’t give up will you?”
“You’re the same way. You can’t just keep making me tell you things and not tell me anything.” She raises her eyebrows at me.
“You don’t want to get through dinner first?”
“It’s a first date. First dates are meant for getting to know each other.”
“Yea, but not to get into the deep stuff.”
“You made me tell you about my parents' death and the nightmares.”
I grip her thigh and she smiles as a blush covers her cheeks. “Okay.” I nod. “Not right now though. Let’s enjoy the date without any family drama or deep shit. I want to have a real first date with you.”
Isabella nods. “Okay.” She holds her pinky out in front of me. “Pinky promise?”
I smirk at her and lightly chuckle. I hook my pinky with hers and her smile widens.
She locks the promise by putting her thumb against mine.
“I promise, avtor. I’ll tell you everything soon.”