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“I mean, I am a businessman and you’re no charity case. Which means I can’t just give you something for nothing. That being said, not every exchange needs to be monetary…”
Connor stalked forward, and I flung out an arm to stop him. He was wasting his energy and coming off as more of a hothead than a tangible threat. Neither was a good look when we were knee-deep in negotiations. I shoved him down into the closest chair and propped my ass up on his thigh. To keep him in place, not to appease his misplaced sense of ownership. But pretty boy didn’t need to know that.
Nikolai’s eyes followed my every movement, his hands steepled and a single dimple punctuating his slow grin. “Guard dogs aren’t of much use when they don’t know when to yield.”
I could feel Connor tense beneath me. So I quickly reached a hand just under his kneecap and pressed a thumb into his femoral nerve, causing his leg to go limp before he could think about getting up again.
“Sit,” I hissed, and Nikolai barked out a laugh. I flicked my glare from Connor back to the man in front of me. “Something funny?”
“Nyat. You just remind me of someone.” He shrugged, his posture much more relaxed than it was moments ago.
“Right, well, I’m all for being nostalgic but can we get on with it? What sort ofexchangedid ya have in mind?”
The Wolf pushed back in his chair, his thumb and forefinger rubbing against his stubbled chin, as he eyed me from across the large desk presently separating a predator from his intended prey. I could see the gears turning in his head. The plotting. As I held my breath and waited for the first designer shoe to drop.
“Do you know how important blood is, Danica,” Nikolai said more than asked, and I could already tell where this shit was going. “I’d do anything for my family. For my blood.”
“No offense, but you’re a little old for my taste.”
“Not me.” He shook his head. “I have a nephew though. A good-looking kid with a strange…” He waved a hand as if trying to find the right words. “…afflictionfor Italian women. I never could understand the appeal but?—”
53
“No.” I threw the idea out the window before the fucker could finish his thought. And had to admit I was more than a little surprised when Dani didn’t make a move to stop me. Even as my arm wrapped around her waist and my hand clamped over her mouth.
She could shake me off if she really wanted to do it—I wasn’t putting all that much pressure on her face—but baby girl was looking to avoid causing more of a scene. Though that didn’t keep her teeth from digging into the meat of my palm vicious enough to draw blood.
“No?” The fucker in front of us tilted his head to one side, eyeing me like a curiosity rather than a threat. Like he found me fucking hilarious or some shit. And I was dying to throw my fist through his too-perfect teeth. Ya know, show him howfucking funnyI could be.
“No,” I repeated, since it was clear the bastard didn’t hear me the first time.
This had Dani elbowing me in the rib, forcing my arm to drop back into my lap and my hand to latch on to her thigh.
She was about to interject when the Russian lifted a palm to stop her. “Nyat. Let the pup speak.” His nostrils flared as his lips pulled into something resembling a tight smirk. But not quite. “And why the fuck not, guard dog?”
I laughed. Because it was fucking funny in an awkward sort of way. Like someone tripping at a funeral. I could hear his teeth grinding with my lack of a response. It was clear the guy was used to people askinghow highas soon as he barked at them to jump.
“Go on, boy. You look like ya had something to say. Suddenly the cat got your tongue?”
“Oh, something’s got it for sure. But it’s more pussy than cat.” I grinned, only to widen it when Dani knocked me upside the head, and the Russian finally had the decency to drop that smug-as-shit smirk of his. Not so amusing, now is it?
Welcome to the club, buddy.
He flicked his wrist in my direction, like someone swats at a fly buzzing a little too close to their ear, before slowly returning his focus to my girl. “Who you fuck is of little importance. A discussion to be had after the marriage contract has been agreed upon and signed. So what do you say, Danica? Do we have a deal? Your choice of weaponry, whatever you can carry as an act of good faith.” He lifted a single shoulder in a half shrug while leaning back in his seat as though the guy were looking to audition for the role of villain in a Bond movie. “Think of it as a wedding gift for my future niece?”
“What part ofnodon’t ya understand?” I snapped, despite the weight of Dani’s scathing glare boring through the side of my face. “Is it the N or the O that was lost in fucking translation?”
“It’s the part where this is none of your fuckin’ business,” he growled, appearing much more animalistic and far less suit and tie.
“Pretty sure it’s entirely my business, seeing as you’re tryin’ to marry my wife off to some prick who ain’t even here to speak for himself.”
The Russian balked while Dani nearly choked on air, hissing my name under her breath a little too late for me to care. I might not have been married to the woman just yet but I sure as fuck would be the moment we stepped out of this office and found ourselves a priest. I wasn’t about to let her be used like some bargaining chip between a bunch of thugs who didn’t give two shits about her as a person.
“Well, this is news to me.” He made a sound low in his throat. Like a hum but not nearly as appealing to the ear. “I don’t recall getting an invitation?”
“No shit? Musta gotten lost in the mail. Sent it by carrier pigeon and everything.”
Dani’s eyes flicked between me and the Russian before finally settling on him. “Yeah, well, I never was one for tradition. Kept things intimate,” she grunted, and I grinned like the fucking cat who ate the goddamn canary. It might not have been my ideal proposal but the fact she wasn’t making me out to be a liar was as good as ayesto my ears.
