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Dimitri appears to be in a contemplative mood and is quiet. He hasn’t said much since I opened my heart to him on the plane, which I’m still reeling from. I hate that he saw my emotions laid bare for him to pick over with his sons later. I’m sure they are used to women’s infatuation with them. They don’t have to try hard, and I just reinforced that.
I hope I don’t see Adonis, and yet I’d be devastated if I didn’t. My mind is officially screwed, which is only reinforced when we drive into an underground carpark in Miami and the freaking elevator doors open and we drive inside.
“He has an elevator for his car?”
I stare at Dimitri in shock, and he nods, a small smile on his lips. “The Romanovs are one of the most powerful families in Russia and also the wealthiest. They have extreme toys, and this is only one of them. Security is tight surrounding them, which is why it was such a shock when Mr. Romanov senior was murdered.”
“Serena told me.” I shake my head. “She also said that Alexei was working with his family on that, and Mikhail is only doing this as a favor to them.”
Dimitri nods sadly. “Yes, Mikhail Romanov doesn’t usually work in a crowd. He prefers to run his own operations, and this one is getting in the way of that.”
The elevator stops and the doors open into what appears to be another car park. I blink at the performance vehicles parked literally everywhere. It’s like a toy shop for cars, trucks, motorbikes and SUVs. My mouth must drop open because Dimitri laughs softly.
“It’s impressive.”
“You got that right.”
I stare around me in awe. “How much money does this family have?”
“Too much.” Dimitri sighs as he glances around and then whispers almost to himself. “Money doesn’t always buy the most valuable things in life.”
He turns back to me and sighs heavily. “This is your last chance to back out, Melissa. Say the word and we’ll head back the way we came.”
My last chance.
My stomach churns and my nerves are screaming, but I’ve come this far, I may as well finish the journey.
Adonis warned me not to. He told me not to do this and when he fucked me and left, it made me even more determined to prove I could.
The driver opens the door, and I am stunned as I stare at a showroom that you could operate in. Gleaming stainless steel, chrome and LED lighting make this room shine. If there is any dirt here, you would need a microscope to find it and the sheer wealth in front of me is dazzling.
We walk to another elevator, and as we step inside, I wonder what the penthouse will be like if this is anything to go by.
As we reach the top, it opens on another level, as vast as the one below and the white marble floor and painted walls make me feel as if I’m en route to Heaven.
A woman appears to be waiting for us and I wish like hell I had worn something smarter because like the showroom, it’s as if she’s just stepped off a production line for Barbie dolls.
Her dark hair is swept up into a complicated up do and she stands on huge eight-inch heels and is wearing a gray silk dress. She must be in her late twenties and her bright red painted lips are resting in a superior smile as she says coolly. “Please follow me.”
I have no words and Dimitri is obviously amused at my reaction as we follow her, and I wonder if it would be inappropriate to clutch his hand right now.
I am drowning. I never knew places like this existed and I am so far out of my depth, I couldn’t even reach a lifebelt if it was thrown at me.
We follow her through white sliding doors, and I hysterically wonder if this is where James Bond movies are created. I’m almost positive Mikhail Romanov would make a good villain because even though I haven’t actually met the man himself, I can guess what he’s like.
I envisage a man in a tailored suit with slicked back hair and piercing blue eyes. He will undoubtedly have a white cat on his knee when he spins around in his chair and casts a disparaging look in my direction.
Now I know I’m hysterical and as we enter through another door, an alarm goes off, causing a man to step out of nowhere and say politely, “Please surrender any weapons.”
Fuck! Weapons. What the hell? I glance at Dimitri who shrugs and then removes a revolver from his jacket and says apologetically, “Sorry, I forget it’s there most of the time.”
My eyes are wide because suddenly my situation is hitting home. I’m in way over my head and I really, really shouldn’t have agreed to this.
Like a lamb to the slaughter, I follow the woman into a room that must be the entire floor because I stare around me at the ocean on one side of the room and the city on the other.
However, the view is not what shocks me the most because standing by the window watching us approach must be the man of the hour. Mikhail Romanov.
It’s as if an icy wind is blowing through my veins as I stare at a man I certainly wasn’t expecting. There is no warmth to the man at all. He has the coldest gaze of any person I have ever met and there is no reaction in his expression as he stares at us approach.
