Chapter 7 #2
“If you’d read the Marriage Ink contract that Margo had showed us, you’d know Chloe prefers the marriage to be in name only. A sub-clause stated each partner can carry a discreet arrangement with a paid professional.”
I hitched my shoulders. I’d known people with this type of marriage before. All for business with not an ounce of chemistry, it might as well be a marriage between two robots.
We got caught in traffic. Maks checked his watch impatiently.
“So how far are you going to keep up this game?” he asked.
“I don’t follow.”
“You’re free to marry Chloe. Offer your son and her the protection of your name and the bratva. You don’t have to love her. That could come later.”
I was surprised this came from Maks because he and Ophelia married for love.
They were sickeningly sweet as newlyweds.
But now? Their marriage was dead. Ophelia took herself out of the equation and fled the country, renouncing every single cent of Zahkarov money.
Hell, Kirill was grumbling to me that Maks had been earmarking a chunk to finance Ophelia’s humanitarian mission because he didn’t want her to go without necessities.
“It’s not that simple.” Since Maksim was on the legitimate side of the Zahkarov organization, he didn’t know of the secret history remembered by only a few.
Before my cousin Grigori framed me for the Mistress Strangler killings that sent me to prison, he approached me about honoring the agreement between the Petrovs and the Vozhokari.
Kirill once asked me why my cousin would sell me out.
It was because Grigori felt I was the one who had betrayed the clan despite swearing our loyalty to the Zahkarovs.
There were a few Petrovs left in the Zahkarov organization, and many of its soldiers loyal to Grigori had been killed after Grigori became persona non grata.
Still, there had always been a House of Petrov under the Zahkarov bratva.
Kirill was trying to rebuild the triumvirate with me as the next brigadier.
Maks sighed. “I can’t help you if I don’t know everything. I know there’s some kind of assassin’s code or society rules, etcetera. Is that the problem here?”
I remained silent. Maks wasn’t as in the dark as I thought. Maybe Kirill or Ivan filled him in. They just didn’t know how deeply embedded it was in everything I did or avoided.
We didn’t speak any more until we reached the club.
Maks grumbled again when I refused to park valet. Why should I when there was available parking outside the building?
We walked up to the establishment. Bouncers wearing suits and earpieces like Secret Service stood beside the receptionist's podium, but we were waved through.
“You come here often?” I asked.
“They have private rooms and top-notch spirits. The Zahkarovs pay for six memberships, and it’s a hundred k a year. Two of them are not being used. Three brigadiers, Ivan, Kirill, and mine.”
Two vacant brigadier positions. One once held by Grigori. The other held by Kirill until he became pakhan.
“Not my scene.”
“You haven’t even tried it,” Maksim chided. “Try it. For Chloe.”
I glared at him. “I doubt this is her scene, too.”
Decadence met us at the door. I learned about baroque-style interiors for my cover as Frenchman Nicolas Durant.
What one would call opulent designs of ornately carved furniture, gilded architectural accents, heavy drapery, and fantastical crystal chandeliers, I would call gaudy.
Aralina called it ostentatiously frou-frou.
Well-heeled guests in the latest haute couture.
Champagne, caviar, Cartier.
These things bored me and I barely paid attention to the lavish entrance.
I needed an infusion of vodka.
Maks and I descended the thick, burgundy-carpeted steps. “Mr. Zahkarov,” the ma?tre d’ standing at the podium at the bottom of the stairs greeted us. “You’re not on the reservation tonight…” the stiff-lipped man in a tuxedo said.
“Just the bar tonight, Chris.”
“Very well, sir.”
I was on my second glass of vodka when I clocked Chloe’s arrival.
She was wearing a black cocktail dress that molded to her curves.
The skirt flirted around her thighs as she negotiated the stairs.
I’d seen her in some photos alongside Theo, but never this radiant.
It was as if she’d walked out of a spa and had a full eight hours of sleep.
Her sleepy doe eyes, which I’d spent more time imagining in the throes of an orgasm, were heavily made up.
She styled her hair into a twist on top of her head with seductive ringlets framing her face.
Did she go to a salon and get fancied up for him? A curtain of red fell over my eyes as I imagined Daniel Wu’s head through a sniper scope.
His slicked-back dark hair matched the impeccable suit he was wearing. He was handsome in a way like those Korean actors Aralina swooned over. He had a lean build. If his exercise of choice was in the martial arts, then packed muscles were hidden beneath his clothes.
Behind them were his sister and De Lucci.
They hadn’t spotted us yet.
I turned away from the staircase and watched them make their way to their table in the bar’s mirror walls.
“Do I need to warn you about the Wu siblings?”
“They know kung fu,” I said glibly.
“It’s not public knowledge, but I wouldn’t challenge them in a hand-to-hand. Rumor has it Daniel Wu fought off Triad assassins five to one.”
“Impressive.” I tossed back my vodka and pointed to the bartender for a refill. “Is that supposed to rattle me?”
“The problem with you, comrade, is there are not many who dare challenge the Zahkarov bratva’s enforcer.”
“Goes with the reputation.”
“So far that reputation hasn’t been helpful in gaining more time with your son. We’ll be revisiting the arbitration agreement again in a couple of weeks. Have you decided whether you want to push for a form of joint custody? Then you’ll have to ask for half days with Sebastian now.”
“Chloe is open to it. I already asked her. It’s her fucking brother that’s been throwing all the roadblocks.”
“It’s about the optics,” Maksim said. “The board is about to give him power over Jeremiah’s shares, and he didn’t want a scandal to change their vote.”
But I was hardly paying attention to what Maksim was saying. What did I care about corporate scandals? My eyes were riveted on Chloe’s date doing the gentlemanly thing by holding out the chair for her to sit. On paper, Daniel Wu wasn’t a bad choice, but he wasn’t the best.
My chest tightened when I saw him lean forward. Surreptitiously watching her was forgotten, as I spun on my barstool to watch what was playing out.
Daniel appeared to brush something off her cheek. Probably an eyelash.
Chloe laughed lightly, but her cheeks turned a pink hue.
She was blessed with long, thick lashes, and there was always a stray one loose. I should know. I’d watched her sleep and wake up.
Her eyes opened. Her naturally sleepy eyes were so calming.
“Close your eyes, princess.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to kiss them.”
“Any harder holding that glass and it will shatter.” Maksim’s amused tone broke through my memory.
“I can’t do this,” I said.
“What can’t you do?”
“Watch her marry another man.” I slid off the barstool and stood.
“What the fuck are you doing?”
My movement had the desired effect. Chloe was staring at me; her mouth gaped.
Daniel noticed.
Their entire table became aware and twisted in my direction.
De Lucci scowled. As for Chloe’s date, his brows were drawn together in a hint of confusion. I didn’t know what his sister’s expression was. My gaze was focused on Chloe.
“Where’s the restroom?” I asked.
“What are you…”
“Where?!” I boomed, losing patience and drawing attention to me and Maks. More than a few guests glowered at us with judgmental expressions.
“Christ. The hallway on the right,” Maks muttered. “What the hell are you doing?”
I didn’t answer him and started walking in that direction, my eyes on Chloe as I gestured for her to follow me.
Maksim caught my elbow. “You better not cause a scene. Quorum has zero tolerance for violence. They don’t care who we are.”
Chloe and her companions leaned closer to have a discussion.
“I’ll try not to get us banned.” I shook off his hold and continued walking.
I didn’t expect Chloe to be meeting me alone. Daniel was behind her and was staring daggers at me. I guessed he was updated on our history.
“Chloe,” I drawled. “Mr. Wu…are you her bodyguard?”
His jaw hardened.