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I sure as fuck don’t need a man assessing my worth, because I’m priceless.
His suit is slightly wrinkled, and his belt doesn’t match his shoes. His endearment makes me cringe. Maddie is the name my family and friends call me. We surely aren’t on nickname terms. I raise a brow, fighting the urge to roll my eyes at how presumptuous he is.
“I can’t say I feel the same way, Dmitri. This isn’t a social call—you assume this is a lunch meeting because of the time.”
The server comes to the table, dropping off a glass of champagne and a slice of cheesecake topped with moscato marinated strawberries. It’s tied with tiramisu as my favorite dessert. Dmitri watches as I bring a forkful to my lips.
“I thought maybe you further considered my family’s offer.” His eyes zero in on the tattoo on the back of my hand, and his lips sneer in distaste. He never liked it, because it symbolizes my power. I’m not a mafia princess to be sold and bartered for, but on an equal playing field with him, and it drives him insane.
“There’s nothing to think about. I denied your proposal, and my decision is final. I’d rather be found dead in the Hudson than married to you or any member of the Yedinstvo. I advise you to respect my decision instead of sending your thugs around to watch my apartment.”
He doesn’t deny it outright, nor does he confirm it. His gaze rakes over me once more, settling on my eyes.
“We have territory in Manhattan. I can’t help it if sometimes our people bump into each other,” he casually offers. He doesn’t even try to sell his excuse and has the nerve to smirk, as if it’s funny that I caught him.
I cross my legs while giving him a saccharine smile. “That may be so, but this is your one and only warning. If I see Yedinstvo soldiers at any of my places of residence or if they contact me in any way, I’ll handle them accordingly, alliance or not.”
I can’t come out and accuse him of penning the note or sending the pictures outright. If he isn’t the culprit, I don’t want this to become public knowledge. But I can allude to it.
“Why would any of them speak to you?” he asks, outraged.
Before I can respond, a shadow engulfs our table. I peer up and see Garrix Cameron’s tall, imposing form. He wears a sharp navy suit with a light blue dress shirt that’s unbuttoned at the top. His eyes are locked on Dmitri, and he doesn’t look happy.
“Why are you speaking to her?” he growls. Somehow, he’s gone from man to beast. His furious glare and snarl are downright scary.
Gabriele stands at attention, his gun drawn and ready. He recognizes Garrix, and I can see his wheels turning. Dmitri looks at him, then Garrix with a confused expression, as if they control his fate.
“Who are you?” Dmitri huffs.
“Maddalena’s lunch date.” He comes to my side of the table, kissing my cheeks before taking a seat on the bench next to me. “I apologize for being late, beautiful, I had some business that ran over.”
He takes my hand under the table, resting them on my thigh.
“Mine has too,” I quip, directing my attention to Dmitri. “You’ve been warned. We’re done here.”
It takes him a few painful seconds to realize he’s been dismissed. When it dawns on him, he stands from the table, giving both of us death glares. “I think you should reconsider my family’s
offer, Maddie. It’s in the best interest of everyone involved.”
“Ms. Vettore asked you to leave,” Gabriele reminds him, standing at my unoccupied side like a sentinel. He gestures toward the door.
Before Dmitri leaves, I remind him, “The answer will always be no. Gabriele, you can escort him off the premises. Make sure every member of the Vettore security team knows that I don’t want Dmitri within three hundred feet of me or any of our properties.”
He nods before escorting Dmitri to the door. I turn and regard Garrix. His exterior seems calmer than before, but I know it’s a facade because of his death grip on my hand.
“Who was that man you were having lunch with?” The space between us in the booth is charged.
“He’s far from a man, in my opinion. That’s Dmitri Popov, the youngest heir of the Yedinstvo. His father wanted to join our families through marriage, but my father gave me the choice. I’ve told him no, repeatedly.”
“Then why were you anywhere near him?”
“Because I think he may be the one behind the note. After I rejected his proposal a second time three days ago, my brother, some friends, and I ran into him at a nightclub the next evening. My father received the note and pictures and shared them with me the following evening at a meeting. One of my associates gave me proof of Russian thugs hanging around my building. The dots connect.”
I sip my champagne to stop myself from spilling my secrets. I’m not sure why I’m sharing any of this with him. Most men aren’t trustworthy, but men in the life are especially dishonest. They’ll step on anyone to get ahead and none of them, with the exception of my immediate family, respect a woman in the ranks.
He has no business knowing anything about me, especially something that can destroy my family. How will it look if word gets out that the Vettores can't even protect their own? For some reason, my gut is telling me to trust Garrix. I can’t explain why, but something inside me is so drawn to him, it’s scary. I have to ignore it, push it as far from my mind as I can, because I can’t afford to trust anyone.
Garrix’s mask slips, and I can see the rage on his face as he mulls the information over. He sees the cheesecake on the table and picks up the fork, cutting a piece off and bringing it to my mouth. I open on instinct, letting him slip the cool treat between my lips. He takes a bite, then feeds me another one. With every piece he feeds me, his face relaxes and his shoulders even out. When the slice is finished, he puts the fork in his mouth and makes a show of licking it clean. It reminds me of how his tongue licked me clean not too long ago and I shudder, the electric feeling going straight to my pussy.
