CHAPTER 14
HUCK
Maxim is scowling.
Actually, he’s mostly pouting.
It would be amusing if it weren’t so annoying.
He’s a grown ass man acting like a child and I can tell that Kirill is about to lose all of the good mood he gained by burying himself in our woman last night because of his brother.
“If one of you steals alone time with our woman, again, before me then I’m going to shoot you,” Maxim’s voice is threatening, but there’s also a thread of a whine there that has me smirking.
“Maxim,” Kirill’s tone holds a warning, one I’m sure won’t be heeded, “you’ll get your time with our woman.
“I fucking better get my time with her,” Maxim grumbles.
“Even now, Baker is having more alone time with her. Who the fuck knows what they’re doing right now. I barely got any time with her because I didn’t want to overwhelm her since I was taking her to her new home. A home she’s sharing with four men. I was thinking about her and putting her first, but my dick doesn’t know that.”
I bark out a laugh, tempted to bring up how good her lips felt wrapped around my dick yesterday.
As if Kirill knows what I’m thinking he looks at me and smirks but also shakes his head slightly.
My shoulders sag because, yeah, bringing it up now would not be a good idea.
Maxim is volatile and when that happens blood is usually spilled.
Or at least some fits fly.
Today is not the day for that.
Not when we’re putting in motion our plan to ensure our woman remains ours and that her father can never touch her again.
“I doubt they’re doing anything all that exciting,” I point out to Maxim, trying to calm him down.
“Baker wouldn’t put our woman in that kind of situation, not with his team so close as they watch the monitors.”
Maxim glares at me but concedes with a nod of his head.
Just as Kirill opens his mouth, probably to redirect his brother back to what is important, Richard Chambers, the door opens, and Betty walks in with a cloud of sickly-sweet perfume and an air of desperation around her.
Maxim covers his mouth to hide the shit eating grin on his face and looks away from the scene.
Betty freezes for a moment and looks around the room.
I’m not sure what she’s expecting to see, but the fact that Oaklynn isn’t in the office even though she came with us today to work, has Betty straightening her shoulders.
The look of triumph on her face makes me narrow my eyes at the woman and her fucking audacity.
This is far from the first time Betty has burst into Kirill’s office who has slowly been losing control of his anger.
It is obvious Betty has no sense of self-preservation or else she would be able to feel the danger in the air.
Apparently, her need to social climb by using her tits outweighs her need to stay alive.
Stupid fucking woman.
I’d be more pissed than I am if it weren’t so damn entertaining.
Maxim’s eyes are glittering with mischievousness, his complaints about not having enough time with Oaklynn forgotten.
At least for now.
I’m sure it’s just temporary, but it’s a welcome reprieve.
“Mr. Volkov,” her voice is meant to be seductive but just sounds like she has something stuck in her throat, “can I get you some coffee?” She tilts her head to the side and flutters her eyelashes; it’s comical.
“I’m sure you’re in need of a little pick me up.”
Kirill narrows his eyes at the woman.
I’m sure he’s noticing the same thing as I am.
Betty has undone some more of her buttons to show off her cleavage.
The woman wasn’t exactly demure to begin with when we walked into the office this morning, but now she’s skirting the edge of indecent.
I swear when we walked off the elevator this morning, Oaklynn surrounded by all four of her men, smoke started coming out of Betty’s ears.
She glared at our woman, but Oaklynn ignored her completely.
It was sexy as hell watching our woman dismiss someone so inconsequential even though Betty believes she has a sort of hold over us and it’s just a matter of time before she’s warming one of our beds.
If I wasn’t already infatuated with Oaklynn, the way she just ignored Betty this morning would have pushed me right over the edge.
Sometime between then and now, Betty decided it would be a good idea to push her luck.
I almost sigh because this is not going to end well for her.
And we have far more important things to do than keep our receptionist in line.
“Betty,” Kirill barks, “do you believe I am a man incapable of communicating to you when I need something?”
Betty pales slightly but doesn’t seem nearly deterred enough.
I can see the threat of violence shining in Kirill’s eyes.
Maybe she can too and is choosing to ignore it.
Or maybe she’s just too blinded by the thought of luxury and being kept.
Not like that would ever happen.
“Of course not,” Betty’s voice is weak as she answers Kirill.
“Then why have you asked me no less than five times if I want coffee? Not only am I perfectly capable of communicating that I want a cup of coffee, but I’m able to get up and get it myself if I wanted it bad enough.”
“But I always bring you coffee,” Betty practically whines.
I’m unable to hold in my wince at how high her voice is.
It grates on my nerves and by the way the amusement leaves Maxim’s eyes and Kirill stares Betty down, I’m not alone.
How the hell has this woman lasted this long with us?
She’s a user and she thinks she’s capable of manipulating.
Clearly, she thinks we’re the kind of men to be led around with our dicks.
“Betty,” my voice is low and deceptively calm, “do you believe any of us are stupid?”
Her wide eyes meet mine and she shakes her head.
“Of course not, Mr. Cardenas.”
I stand up slowly and start to stalk toward the woman.
I’m done with her bullshit.
While we’ve all tried to rebuff her gently, for the most part, it’s clear to me that she’s just not getting it.
Now, with Oaklynn in the picture, she’s fighting even harder for a place that was never hers.
I’m unable to sit back and watch it any longer.
“Then stop acting like it. You are the receptionist for this floor. Your job is important to the business,” she flashes me a huge smile, thinking I’m complimenting her, “but that doesn’t mean you are important. The role can be filled by anyone.”
“What?” Her eyes become glassy with unshed tears, but I don’t believe them for a moment.
They’re fake, just like the rest of her.
“You heard me.” I tilt my head to the side as I look her over, my lip curling up in disgust.
“Right now, you look more like a whore than the professional receptionist that we need.”
Her hands come up and she covers her bountiful cleavage as if she wasn’t the one who made the choice to put it all out there for anyone to see.
A blush covers her cheeks, but I have a feeling it’s more from anger than anything else.
It sure as fuck isn’t because of any innocence she may have.
She turns her puppy dog eyes toward Kirill who only gives her a cold stare in return.
If she thinks that he’s going to save her from my words, which are the truth, she’s in for a rude awakening.
Her entire demeanor crumples when Kirill doesn’t defend or placate her.
“I’m sorry,” she stutters out before turning and fleeing from the office.
Kirill relaxes back in his chair and lifts an eyebrow as he looks at me.
I shrug, not even a little bit sorry.
“I was tired of avoiding looking at her tits. They’re not that great,” I tell him honestly.
Maxim chuckles and shakes his head with a grin on his face.
The man loves stirring the pot or just watching drama unfold.
Kirill nods thoughtfully, “They’re nothing like the perfect breasts our woman has.”
Maxim glares at Kirill and growls, “Yes, we know you got to see our woman completely naked and even buried your cock inside of her. You don’t need to remind me.”
Maxim stands as if he’s going to leave the office and go to track down our woman, but Kirill’s voice stops him, “It’s time.”
I give a curt nod and sit back in my chair, ready to get this conversation over with.
The man hasn’t contacted his daughter in the few days she’s been with us.
It makes me wonder if he’s even noticed that she’s not at home.
From what Oaklynn has said, it wouldn’t surprise me if that was the case.
Anger ignites in my gut, and I know it won’t be satisfied until Richard Chambers is dead and our woman is completely free.
Kirill dials Chambers and puts the call on speaker.
It only rings twice before the dead man walking picks up, “Kirill, I had a feeling you would be calling me today.”
The chuckle that comes out of Kirill should serve as a warning to the man who doesn’t know his time is almost up.
“I don’t recall giving you the liberty to address me by my first name, Richard,” his voice is cold and domineering.
“Of course, Mr. Volkov, I apologize.” Chambers clears his throat and tries a different approach.
“What can I do for you? Have you considered my proposal?”
“Your proposal? You mean when you offered your daughter up on a silver platter without a single care?”
“No,” the shout that comes from Chambers is full of indignance, “that’s not what I did. I came to you to propose a partnership with my daughter’s hand in marriage strengthening our alliance.”
“Alliance,” Kirill chuckles the word like even the suggestion is amusing.
It kind of is.
Alliance.
What a fucking joke.
To pretend that he brings anything to the table besides his daughter, is comical.
The man has nothing, and he knows it.
He just doesn’t believe that we know.
But he’s underestimated us.
It’s no big surprise, unfortunately.
“Speaking of Oaklynn,” Kirill’s voice drops an octave lower, “do you know where your daughter is right now?”
Chambers doesn’t rush to answer, and I can feel the hesitation coming from him even over the phone.
“She’s at home of course,” he tries to sound sure of himself, but his voice wavers and gives him away.
“Oaklynn doesn’t do much,” his voice is stronger now, “and is best fulfilling her duties to the household. At least until she is married and has children.”
My hands tighten into fists on my lap.
How fucking dare him.
He’s tried to clip his own daughter’s wings for no other reason than his own selfishness.
It’s disgusting.
The man is oblivious.
He has no idea that his daughter isn’t where he thinks she is.
I doubt he’s even checked on her after beating her.
I suppose I can’t see that completely as a bad thing because her father’s indifference has allowed Oaklynn to strengthen her mind and body.
She learned to defend herself; the image of her putting Baker on his ass the other night has me smirking.
We’re not the only ones Chambers has underestimated.
It will be his downfall.
Our woman is strong.
She’s perfect for us.
“For the last two nights, your daughter has been sleeping in my home,” Kirill lays it out there for him in the simplest of terms.
“What?” The roar that comes down the line has me grinning from ear to ear.
The man is pissed and rightly so.
“It seems your daughter thought it best to follow up after our dinner meeting. She came to me to inform me why she would make the perfect wife to have on my arm.” Kirill’s tone turns thoughtful, “It was quite bold of her, but not unwelcome. She made some excellent points.”
“I see,” Chambers is unable to keep the surprise and suspicion out of his voice.
“I think it’s time for us to discuss terms. Oaklynn will be my wife,” there’s no room for argument in Kirill’s voice.
“Of course,” Chambers readily agrees.
“I’ll be at your office shortly.”
When the call ends, I meet Kirill’s gaze.
The determination in his eyes is clear to see.
“He sounded far too eager,” Maxim muses.
“Chambers believes that his plan is working. That works in our advantage.”
“Do you really believe that he’s going to simply let his daughter go, even with whatever terms agreed upon?”
Kirill shakes his head as he answers my question, “Not at all. Oaklynn has been the only bargaining chip he’s had for a long time. He won’t give her up easily, but he won’t have a long time to gloat and feel like he’s won.” He flashes a sinister smirk.
“Dead man can’t revel in their wins.”
I nod and relax back in my chair.
It’s time to play the game.
Baker knows when to bring Oaklynn into Kirill’s office.
The thought of her being in the same room as her father kills me, but then she’ll be one step closer to being ours completely.