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All the amusement drained from my face. “Artem Pivovarov,” I exhaled his name.
“Yep, his oldest daughter.” Declan stroked his chin.
Artem was a Russian Mafia boss, head of the largest Russian crime family in his home country. He was a man of few words and deadly, never hiding his shady business. His half-brother was the Russian President, so he was never held accountable for his crimes, which I envied.
Luckily, we had a good relationship with Artem and his crew, as of the last time I checked. However, Ian would never agree to work with anyone from his family, no matter how insignificant the task may seem. We kept our family affairs separate for a reason. Any mistake could ignite a full-blown war.
“Just our luck,” I quietly grumbled to myself, even though I doubted either of them caught it.
“All the women at her club,” Declan interjected, “are pretty, uh?—”
“Slutty as fuck!” Chance burst into laughter. “I’ve had a few of them.” He cleared his throat, looking down at his wedding band and running his thumb over the titanium material. “Oops, that didn’t come out right. I’m not proud of that.”
“He’s not wrong, though!” Declan chimed in with a wide grin behind the rim of his glass. “Same, bro, and I’m not married and never plan to be, so I can say what the fuck I want.”
“Okay,” I raised my hand.
Chance was visibly uncomfortable with his own statement and beating himself up internally. Declan, as usual, would push things too far. I lifted a hand to interrupt before he could continue.
“You guys bonding over your sex partners is weird.” I snorted. “As long as they’re not full of abnormal drama and know how to follow our rules, I don’t give a fuck. I think we can handle a few slutty women. Plus, I don’t think calling them that’s appropriate whatsoever, so let’s just leave that word here.”
Declan removed this phone from his pocket, swiping the screen. “I’ll text her before she gets off work to see if she can meet with us tomorrow.”
It was going to be a waste of time, but I’d sit and listen to what she had to say.
Chance and I spent the next few minutes talking about his injury and whether he would be able to fully return to work. Despite being sore for a week after the incident with Alejandro in the parking lot, Chance had been careful on set so far.
However, he was determined to do his own stunts. Acting and directing were his life, and he refused to retire. Just like there was no leaving the Mafia except through death, Chance planned to work in Hollywood until his last breath. He’d go down doing what he loved most.
“But when the kids are born, who knows what I’ll decide,” he continued.
“What?” I blinked several times. “Is Amber pre?—”
He let out a soft laugh. “Nah, we’re not ready for that just yet.”
Nibbling my bottom lip, I nodded before drinking more. “Have you and Amber discussed you going back to work one hundred percent? Not like this last time, but I mean full stunts and all?”
He bobbed his head. “I’ve brought it up, but, of course, you know how she worries. Ultimately, she wants me to do whatever makes me happy. Filming in New York gave me life again if that makes sense.”
“Understandable. I’m not sure what I’d do if I couldn’t do my job to the full potential.” I lifted my glass to him sarcastically, “But I think we’d all be upset if something happened to you,” before taking a drink.
He laid his hand on his chest, mocking a laugh. “Well?—”
“Sorry to break up your weird bromance,” Declan huffed, and we turned to him, “Kat said come at 10:00 p.m.”
“Damnnn, it’s so good to be back here,” Chance murmured as we passed the crowd lined against the side of the building.
Chance! Chance! Chanceee Hardwin! As we walked past, the women’s voices grew louder and more frantic, calling out his name with each step. Their arms stretched out toward him, some holding phones to take pictures. Suddenly, a group of paparazzi materialized in front of us, camera flashes blinding us as they snapped pictures of Chance. We were trapped in a swarm of fans and photographers, unable to move closer to our destination.
Chance, is it true you bought Amber a puppy? “No,” he snorted. How do you feel about Simone Mullins dating Marcus Ross? “Come on man, I’m not discussing my friends’ relationships,” he replied with a shrug. Is it true you and Ashton Jackson are doing a movie together? He ignored that one. What do you think about vegan cheese? “What?” he laughed, “Never tried it.” So, you hate vegans? “What?! No, I never said… that’s enough, guys. Back up so my friends and I can get by.”
I shielded my eyes from the bright light, glancing at him. “How do these people find you?”
“It’s not just me. They show up everywhere.”
Club security appeared, shooing the media back. “Back behind the black rope!”
Oh my God, Chance! Another female shouted near the front of the line. Congrats on your wedding! Another shouted. It’s my birthday! Can I please get a pic with you? Someone else requested above the hundreds of shrills.
