Chapter Eight
Igor
“What do you mean she’s going to turn down the offer?” I glared at Maxim even though I knew this wasn’t his fault. “Did you explain to her that Mr. Stephens was rich and powerful?”
Maxim’s lips twitched. “I did and she asked if he was anything she should give a damn about,” his lips lost the battle with the smile. “She was quite fiery. I can see why you like her.”
I did like her which was reason enough not to do this.
“And that is why you think she will reject the offer?” It was quite generous, and more than any agency would ever offer her but there was something about April that roused my protective instincts.
I wanted to help her out of her predicament, and I was sure that three hundred thousand dollars would be enough to entice her.
Maxim shrugged. “She wasn’t impressed by money or power which means she might be offended by the offer.”
“Offended? Most women would literally kill to be in this position.”
“Ah yes,” he agreed. “But you like her precisely because she is not like most women, don’t you?”
He had me there. “If she refuses then I will make a counteroffer.” I hoped the woman wasn’t too silly or too sentimental to take this chance to save herself and her brother.
She’d downplayed the severity of his illness and from Maxim’s research I knew that keeping him healthy required a lot of money, more than they both made in a year.
“I will get her agreement.” Now that I’d found a woman, I was determined that April would help me continue the Romanov bloodline.
“How will you do that if you are determined to keep yourself hidden from her?”
“Just trust me, Maxim.” When I was set on a course there was no deterring me. “April will give me my child and Maria will care for him.” It was the perfect plan, and it was finally coming together. “Once she is pregnant, I can turn my focus to killing Voronov.”
A knock sounded on my door and immediately Maxim was on high alert. He moved to the door, standing where it would open to conceal his identity and nodded.
“Enter.”
Ivan entered the room and looked around, clocking the ways in and out of the room, and then he frowned. “I thought Maxim was with you, Boss?”
“I am,” Maxim answered but he never appeared.
Ivan gave a short nod and stood tall, hands clasped behind his back. “Voronov has been making his presence known. At Club Omen, one of our restaurants and several of the whorehouses. He’s not being discreet about it either.”
I nodded. “He’s taunting me.” Good. It played right into my plans for him. “Keep an eye on him and let me know if he does anything disrespectful.”
“Yes, Boss.” Ivan turned on his heels and left as quickly as he’d come.
“I like him,” I told Maxim as he closed the door. “He listens well, and he gets the job done.”
“I agree.”
Another knock sounded and I arched a brow. “Have I spoken too soon? Come in,” I grumbled, tired of the interruptions.
This time it was Mikhail, and he looked nervous. “Ivan says we are not to handle Voronov.”
I stared at the young man who thought he could come into my office and question my orders.
“He will make the Romanov Bratva look a fool.” He was red in the face and his chest heaved with the supposed disrespect.
“You have a lot to learn Mikhail.”
“But Boss.”
“No more,” I shouted. “Do as you’re told.”
His nostrils flared and his face flamed red but after a long staredown, he left.
“He isn’t wrong,” Maxim offered when it was clear there would be no more interruptions.
“I know but I have a plan, and I will not be goaded into acting. Let Dmitry play the role of bully, thinking that he’s getting under my skin. It will make his death that much sweeter.” And I planned to savor it because his death would not be quick.
“Unless you have to.”
I nodded. “Unless I must.” But first I needed April to agree. And waiting was not my favorite pastime.
“Don’t do it,” Maxim advised.
“Don’t do what?”
“Avoid the temptation to call her and pressure her. If the answer was no, she might have answered by now.”
He had a point. “Maybe she’s waiting for you to return as you said you would.” I arched a brow hoping that he could read my mind and go get the answer I needed so that I could move forward with my plans.
With a dramatic sigh, Maxim rolled his eyes. “I will get your answer and leave Mikhail for your protection.”
I stood quickly. “Maybe I will go with you.”
Maxim stopped and stared at me. “That doesn’t help you keep your true identity hidden, does it?”
“I’ll stay in the car,” I shot back quickly. “With the tinted windows up. Of course.”
Maxim grunted his displeasure with the plan, but I was the boss, and this didn’t put my safety or life in danger, so he didn’t argue.
I followed him to the car and settled in the back seat, anticipation making my fingers tingle.
“If she refuses?”
“Get her to agree.” I couldn’t even imagine a world where she would refuse. “Offer her an additional fifty thousand dollars.”
“Anything else? Other perks or benefits?”
I sighed. “Yes. Don’t give away the whole fucking house but give her what she wants.” Now that Voronov was making himself a nuisance, I was more determined than ever to settle the matter of my heir and focus on the matter of my enemy.
I sat tall and leaned forward when we arrived at the duplex that was in the name of April and Jacob Stone, as if that act could let me see her better. It couldn’t but I watched closely as Maxim knocked and waited for April.
She opened the door with an exasperated expression on her face. She nodded and then shook her head.
Curiosity got the better of me, and I opened the window just enough to see if her voice carried on the evening breeze.
April wasn’t happy to see Maxim, but she wasn’t rude about it either. “You could have called.”
“What is the point when I am already here.” The smile in his voice was sure to piss off a spitfire like April.
A low groan exploded from her mouth. “I meant before you just showed up. Obviously.”
“Noted. But I am here now so we can sign the paperwork.”
“Hang on there,” she began and put a small hand to Maxim’s broad chest. “Who said anything about signing anything? I haven’t even agreed.”
I heard the yet hanging in the air and relaxed a little. I wouldn’t let myself relax completely until the contracts were signed.
“So you won’t sign?”
“I didn’t say that but you’re being awfully presumptuous, aren’t you?”
I bit back a smile, certain the stubborn woman was texting Maxim’s nerves.
“Ma’am.”
“Do not call me ma’am.” She pointed a finger at Maxim, a scowl on her face that might terrify a lesser man.
“April,” he bit out. “Are you going to sign the contract or not?”
April sighed and nibbled her bottom lip. Her gaze darted up and down the block and I swear they locked on mine for a fraction of a second before she turned her gaze skyward. “That depends on how much wiggle room is there.”
I smiled. She wanted to negotiate, which meant she was going to agree. I wished I was there to negotiate with her myself.
Maxim sighed heavily. “What is it that you want, Ms. Stone?”
“That’s the problem, I don’t want anything at all, and I wouldn’t even consider this if I didn’t need something. Your boss or whatever wants to rent my womb which basically means renting my life for the next year, at least. I need something too.”
“What do you need?”
“More. I need more money. My brother needs expensive medical treatments and sometime in the very near future he’s probably going to need a transplant which means more treatments and post-transplant treatments.
All of that is going to cost a lot of fucking money so I’m going to need more of it. ” She was stalling. And nervous.
“How much?”
April sighed and looked away. “Five hundred thousand. I know it’s an obscene amount of money but it’s not even for me, and well…
” she covered her face with both hands. “Once he gets sicker, he’ll probably lose his job which means his insurance goes too, and this will be out of pocket.
Anyway you don’t care about all of that, but that’s the number I need to say yes. ”
Maxim said nothing for a long time, and I knew what he was doing. It was a tactic I employed often to make the opponent or enemy squirm, but it wasn’t working on April.
Her arms remained crossed over her chest and her expression was implacable. “Why don’t you get back to me when you’ve spoken with Mr. Stephens.”
“Five hundred thousand is acceptable. Will you sign the papers now?”
“No.” She shook her head and extended her hand to receive the contracts. “Change the amount and I will read through the contract thoroughly and then I’ll sign them.”
“Fine.”
“Great.”
Maxim grunted and dropped his arms, the contract dangled from his beefy fingers. “See you soon, Ms. Stone.”