20. Elijah
Elijah
R usset and Sailor are the only things that make Max’s penthouse bearable.
Before his wife’s arrival, he lived in a cold and unlivable house. She added a breath of fresh air in the form of the Real Housewives and now there’s a delightful smattering of baby toys strewn around the living room.
Not that I’d ever admit that the sight of a baby warms my heart.
But turns out I’m not as heartless as people believe.
Sailor’s six months old and still the best gift to this planet, barring yours truly.
Roma, however, has this nasty habit of monopolizing her when we come over.
I tried to persuade Leonora to go to dinner with me. She wasn’t having it just like she refused to come back home with me after Isolde’s party last night.
She says everything is fine, but it’s clearly not and that’s annoying the hell out of me. When Russet called to invite me to dinner, I took the offer, merely to get out of the house and because I love Sailor the most out of everyone in my family.
Empty plates litter the dining table, and Albert lies beside me on the rug. Roma holds the baby, cooing up at her.
“You guys are so boring.” Russet appears, setting down a tray of cupcakes. Red velvet—my favorite. “You’re not even talking to one another.”
“What would you like us to say?” Max holds a newspaper in front of his face. We’re both content to sit reading the paper.
“For starters, I don’t know. . .” She really doesn’t because she wanders between the dining room and kitchen. She sets some sort of boring looking pastry in front of her husband.
The asshole doesn’t understand how good he’s got it.
Roma makes a noise and the paper in my hand twitches. “What?” I ask him.
He wipes his face clean. “I didn’t say anything.”
“You made a noise.”
“Are you doing well, brother?” he asks, holding Sailor over his head.
“Quite.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“It just seems like throughout dinner you were rather grumpy.”
Russet sucks icing off her thumb. “Are you okay, Elijah?”
“Yes.”
“You do seem a little grumpy,” she replies.
Roma makes a face at Sailor. “Is that what we call girl trouble these days?”
The moment he sets my niece down, I will murder him.
“Elijah’s dating Lennie,” he says.
His breaths are truly numbered.
Max lowers his newspaper. Between the frown and his glasses, he’s the epitome of fatherly concern, but his wife perks up. “Lennie Akatov? That’s great. I love her!”
“Have you lost your fucking mind?”
Russet frowns at her husband.
“Her mother will cut your fucking balls off,” Max says, still frowning.
“Gia?” Russet asks, looking between us. “Wait, why? She’s always so cool.”
“Oh, she’s great unless you decide to wound her daughter with a steak knife,” her husband says.
Russet’s lips part. “Wait. . . Lennie’s scar is because. . .”
“He sliced into her like she was a tenderloin,” Roma finishes for her. “Yeah.”
Russet tries to wipe the shock off her face which is honestly worse. “I didn’t realize. I kept asking you.” She shoves Max’s shoulder. He rocks, but never takes his eyes off me once. He becomes a father and suddenly he knows best.
“This is a fucking bad idea,” he says.
“It’s too late, brother,” Roma says. “When I helped him get home the other night she was in his bed waiting.”
“You guys are really serious?” Russet asks with a gleam of amusement.
“Yes.” That should end the conversation but it doesn’t.
“Exhibit A.” Roma shows Russet his phone. “A claw clip on the kitchen counter.”
She gasps.
He swipes. “Exhibit B. A romance novel that’s clearly not his on the coffee table.”
How fucking long did he stay in my apartment after he dropped me off the other night?
“You guys really are serious!” Russet squeals.
“Are we forgetting the part where Gia will literally fucking kill you,” Max argues.
“No,” I reply, grabbing a cupcake. He can get riled up as much as he wants, what’s it to me? As I said before, people will get used to it.
“Is she still pissed about you showing up late with a bunch of blood on your face?” Roma asks, a shit-eating grin on his face.
“Is that why you came over?” Russet offers Albert pets. “To get your mind off things?”
“I have a niece to spoil.”
“A niece you won’t see when Gia hides your body,” Max darkly states.
Russet pauses her petting. “Surely, after all this time she understands it was an accident? I mean your parents work together, and you were what, how old when it happened?”
“Eight and thirteen,” Roma supplies, rocking Sailor.
“It can’t nearly be as star crossed as you’re making it out to be,” Russet reasons, but she frowns. “Wait, what was the blood about?”
“That I would like to know too, brother.” Roma won’t shut up about it. He’s made three indirect comments, frowning each time I won’t divulge information.
“It was a simple matter,” I lie. “Nothing more to it.”
“You’re threatening to kill your latest mortal enemy,” Roma says.
“Seriously, you can’t do that,” Russet says like the hypocrite she is.
“What mortal enemy?” Max asks.
“Leopold Stuart,” Roma answers.
He frowns. “He went to university with Lennie.”
Roma loses his nonchalance. “Wait, so this is all to do with Lennie?”
“Are you jealous?” Russet asks me.
“No.” Max leans forward in interest. Someone’s been hanging out with Uncle Dima too much. “Elijah, doesn’t get jealous. What’s going on?”
I give them the simple version, not that I share all the details. For instance, they don’t need to know that Leanora believes our deal is temporary. It’s not and she’ll slowly start to figure it out as will Leopold.
“You need to talk to Boris,” Max tells me.
“No.” I snap my fingers at Albert, trying to draw him away from Russet. The unloyal bastard doesn’t budge.
Roma scratches the back of his neck. “Seriously, Elijah, the dude is weird. I couldn’t tell if he wanted to make out with you or kill you the other night.”
“The twins are right then.” Russet squeezes Max’s arm. “Why not up her security detail? A barroom brawl’s not going to help.”
“Lucky I’m not planning on anymore barroom brawls.”
Max narrows his eyes on me. “What are you planning?”
I smile wide. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”
“But you and Lennie really like one another right?” Russet leans her head to the side. “Once Leo’s out of the way, you’re not planning on. . .”
“Leonora’s not going anywhere,” I confirm. Whether she likes it or not, she’s mine.
Russet shoots me a wary look. “God, she’s going to need all the help she can get.”
I should be offended. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Is she still hanging out at Fujimori’s?” Max asks.
“Yes, as a matter of fact I was there with her last night.”
“Why?” Roma asks with those beady little eyes that always come out when a certain restaurant is mentioned.
“Isolde’s birthday,” I explain, smiling cheerfully.
“So you’re already meeting all the friends,” Russet says.
“I’m sure they’re cautioning Lennie as we speak,” Max deadpans.
Russet swats him again and walks back to the kitchen. Her husband glares at me the whole time. “You’re one dumb motherfucker if you think Gia’s not going to go for your balls.”
Russet slides back into her seat, this time with a tray of cinnamon rolls that Roma helps himself to. She licks icing off her finger while messing with her phone.
“I want to be friends with Ren and Isolde,” she says, not looking up.
“Absolutely not,” Max tells her.
“They’re really nice,” she says.
I open my mouth, but Max’s glare cuts me off.
“Do they have social media?” she asks.
“No,” Roma says with the air of an aggrieved man.
Russet talks to herself as she types on her phone. “Let’s check Lennie’s page and see if they’re under her friends profiles.”
She pops up in her chair and the image of a meerkat comes to mind. “Lennie posted on her stories. She never posts. Okay, let’s look.” She taps the screen.
“Does she always talk to herself like this?” Roma asks our brother.
Max sighs, sinking into his chair.
Russet’s mouth hangs open.
“What?” Roma asks, trying to peek over.
“Did you know they’re all hanging out tonight?” she asks me.
“With Isolde and Ren? Yes.”
Ivan informed me she’d arrived in the city several hours ago. I’m trying my best to ignore how he’s in closer proximity to Leonora than I currently am. It doesn’t help knowing I’m paying the man and when I asked him for an update earlier he didn’t reply. The bastard.
“They’re at a bar.” Her brow furrows and she sighs. At this rate, we’ll be here all night.
I take out my phone, bringing up Leonora’s Instagram. She last posted a year ago. A picture of a bookstore. She aptly captured it as ‘My happy place’.
After clicking her profile picture, I come to the conclusion that girl’s night isn’t taking place at Fujimori’s.
My woman looks over her shoulder, her cheeks flushed.
Her shoulders are on display and she’s wearing a pearl comb, the one I sent her this morning, in her hair.
She’s a fucking goddess, but the way she bites her lip, you’d think she didn’t know it.
Fucking cock tease, my woman.
There’s a dark, moody interior but before I can figure out where she’s at, Russet gasps.
“That’s Tyler!”
“Who?” Roma asks.
“Tyler.” Russet shows him her phone, zooming in. “Ren’s speaking to Tyler.”
“Tyler,” he faintly echoes.
I click forward until I’m on the photo they’re discussing. The focal point is a gilded bar, but sure enough, in the background, Ren leans over, speaking to a bartender. I’ve never seen the man before, but from his position, if he chose to look down, he’d get an eyeful of Ren.
Where the hell would they go dressed up in evening wear?
Russet notices Roma’s fixation. “Tyler’s gay.”
“That’s Nancy’s son, right?” Max asks. He’s referring to Nancy Mulligan, one of the city’s best triggermen and formerly Russet’s next-door neighbor. She taught her how to shoot and Russet took the news of her death hard. “I didn’t take him for a bartender.”
She studies the photo, leaning near Roma so they can both peer down. “I mean sometimes he’ll pick up a shift. I’m sure it’s just a coincidence.”
“That she’s talking to the son of Nancy Mulligan?” Roma quietly says. He leans back in his chair, physically distancing himself from the photo.
“I’m sure it’s just business then.”
“No,” he says in that same pathetically, quiet voice. At some point, Ren and Roma have to stop this nonsense. “All business is taken care of at Fujimori’s.”
“Okay. . . well, I’m sure—” Russet slaps a hand over her mouth. “Oh my God.” The words are muffled.
“What?” Roma asks, pausing his gentle bouncing of Sailor, who babbles away.
She shakes her head.
“Russet?” I ask.
Her eyes widen and her head shakes faster.
“What is it?” her husband asks.
“I just figured out where they are.” She slowly drops her hand from her mouth. “I’m pretty sure they’re at a sex club.”
Roma’s laugh is at odds with his earlier nerves.
“Give me my baby,” Max says as he leans over the table to grab Sailor. “And how do you know it’s a sex club?”
Roma gives his niece up, wiping his mouth as he stares at me.
“It’s Hartright,” she explains. “It’s a good place to bartend if they’ll hire you. I never did, but I wish I had because you could make a fortune in tips there. Oh, don’t look so disappointed in me. Not all of us grew up with wealth.”
Max says nothing, choosing to focus his attention on Sailor.
But Russet’s attention is on me.
Leonora decided to go to a sex club. I remain rooted in my seat, giving nothing away.
I texted her how many times today and never once did she mention her plans for the evening.
What the hell is she thinking?
I know she hid her disappointment regarding our plans, which would’ve seen me tear into her cunt, but if she wants my attention she’s going about it the wrong way.
I have a few questions for Ivan as well. Why the fuck didn’t he notify me the moment she stepped outside wearing a gown like that?
A new story appears and everything runs cold.
The black ballgown Leonora wears is strapless and her delicate chin points over her shoulder. My teeth want to sink into that shoulder.
She damn well knows what she’s doing.
If she wants to look like a submissive while at a sex club then she’s hit the nail on the head.
But she’s well and truly fucked if she thinks she’s going to get away with it.
Ivan has the audacity to finally message me and I see red.
Ivan: He’s here.
Russet’s hazel eyes fill with worry. “It’s just a bit of fun, Elijah.”
Max rests his arm on her shoulder.
It might have been a bit of fun, but she won’t be if she finds out Leopold is there to ruin her night. And I can’t fucking have that.
Ivan: I’ll get rid of him.
I make up my mind in a half-second.
Elijah: No. But he doesn’t get close to her.
He acknowledges the message.
“Thank you for dinner.” I stand up. “If you could please take care of my dog, I’d appreciate it.”
Max sighs, disgruntled at the idea.
“Be nice,” Russet mouths.
Sure. I’ll be nice. Very fucking nice.