Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 63638 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 318(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63638 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 318(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
He clenches his jaw, then drops his gaze and exhales sharply. “They killed Valentin, Serg.”
“I know.”
“We can’t just let them get away with it,” he presses.
I slap my palm on the desk. “I said I know.”
The silence stretches, thick and bitter.
I clap a hand on his shoulder. “I loved him, too,” I say more gently. “But if we act on emotion, we could lose everything.”
Sasha nods once, but I see the war still raging behind his eyes. He gets up and turns to go, but pauses in the doorway. “Are you sure that waiting is the right call?”
“No,” I admit. “But it’s the smartest one for now.”
“You seem weirdly relaxed,” he says after a moment.
I move behind my desk again. “Is that a problem?”
“No.” He shrugs. “I’m just surprised. There’s a lot going on right now, and you’re acting like you’re on a fucking tropical island. Things must be going well with Nicole.”
“I’m not discussing that.” I deadpan, irritated that he won’t drop the subject.
Sasha drops into the leather chair opposite me, studying me like a suspect under interrogation. “So that’s a yes.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t deny it either.”
I go back to scanning my emails.
He grins, satisfied. “Damn. You finally got some, didn’t you?”
“That’s none of your business,” I snap.
“I’m your brother,” he says, like that entitles him to the full play-by-play. “And more importantly, I’m your second-in-command. So if you bring someone new into your life, into this family, I do need to know what they know. Or don’t know.”
My fingers hover over the keyboard as I try to form a response. He waits patiently, and I know he won’t drop it until I give him something.
“She still doesn’t know anything about our business. I told her a little bit about the shipping enterprise, but she doesn’t know anything about our other endeavors.”
Sasha leans back in his chair, arms draped over the sides like a king on his throne. “She’s going to figure it out eventually,” he tells me, voicing my biggest fears.
“I’m aware.”
“It would be better if it comes from you.”
“Like I said.” I close the laptop and meet his eyes. “I’m aware. I’ll deal with it when the time is right.”
“So probably not right after you fuck her, right?”
“Watch your mouth,” I growl.
“Fix your shirt,” he shoots back. “You missed a button. I’m surprised you’re indulging in afternoon delight while we’re on the brink of a potential conflict.”
I scoff. “I’m not.”
“Could’ve fooled me.” He shrugs.
I turn away from him, toward the window. As casually as I can without drawing his notice, I try to fix my buttons.
“My head is in the game as much as it’s ever been,” I tell him with authority. “Nicole being here doesn’t change any of that.”
“So you’re not constantly obsessing that she’s sleeping one floor down from you? You aren’t constantly trying to find an alone moment with her?”
I shoot him a look, and he holds up his hands in mock surrender.
“I want you to be happy, brother, and I do like Nicole,” he says with sincerity. “All I’m saying is, if you want to keep her around, you better start thinking long-term. Because if she finds out from anyone but you, it’s going to blow up in your face.”
“I’ll tell her if and when the time comes,” I promise.
“Not that you asked me, but if I were in this situation, I would make sure that the time comes. It just takes one ill-placed newspaper article or one person showing up and asking her questions. And how can she possibly fall for you if she doesn’t know who you are?”
“I didn’t realize I was in the presence of Dr. Fucking Feelgood.”
Sasha rolls his eyes and flips me off. “This is a bad time for all of this,” he says, his voice low. “Any other time, I’d be thrilled that you’re getting some, but there’s so much at stake right now. If Semion tries to move in on us, I need to know that you’re not going to hesitate.”
“Have I ever given you reason to doubt me?” I shift uncomfortably, angry that my little brother is questioning my authority. “I told you, waiting is the smart move. It has nothing to do with my feelings for Nicole. It has to do with you not running in, guns blazing, and getting yourself killed.”
“Maybe that’s true,” he concedes. “But I also know that women can fuck with your head. I’m sure Nicole is great for you, but secrets aren’t good. And being distracted by those secrets is even worse.”
“And what if she can’t handle it?” I ask, my voice low.
Sasha considers this for a moment. “Then you’ll drink some top-shelf vodka and get back to business right away,” he answers without a hint of irony. Vodka is our go-to therapist. “But you can’t worry about how she’s going to react if you refuse to ever actually tell her. If I’ve learned anything about women in my thirty-seven years, it’s that they dislike secrets a lot more than they dislike difficult news.”