She grins so big, you would think I offered her a million dollars, not that she needs it. Her father owns nearly half the world with how many cookie jars he has his hands in. My family owns the rest of it, but not many people know that; we’re a silent part of the one percent. “It’s dandelion and honey frosting. I’m also working on a rose one, but it’s not ready for you to taste. It’s still too close to tasting like perfume.” She grimaces. “Anyway, do you like it? I’ve been experimenting with incorporating flowers into some desserts and I want to also adorn some cupcakes with edible flowers. I want to release them for the first day of spring in a few months.”
I nod. “It’s very good. I could eat a whole bowl of that, and you know I don’t have a huge sweet tooth.” She offers another bite to me, and I take it.
A laugh leaves her. She puts the spoon down to lift her hand, the pad of her thumb makes contact with my lower lip and she smears it across, then pulls back to suck the bit of cream off her thumb. My cock twitches more at the sight. Everything in me says to grab her and kiss her until all of it is off her tongue, but I can’t.
Thinking about a variety of things that aren’t as sexy as the woman in front of me, I take a step back from her and run my hand through my hair again. Lord, let this erection die before it makes itself known. “Thanks for the test sample.” I pretend to check my watch. “I have to go now, or I’ll be late for the meeting.”
Her smile falls a bit. “Oh, alright. I don’t want you to be late for your important meeting.”
It pains me to see her sad, but there’s nothing I can do about it. The meeting isn’t a lie, I do have one, with her father, but she’ll never know that. She doesn’t know that her father and I have dealings and she never will. “Have a beautiful day, Josie. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
She nods and the smile comes back. “I’ll keep your table for you. You have a good day as well.”
I hold the bag up. “Put these on my tab, will you? Stop giving me things for free.” I turn on my heel.
Her joyful laugh meets my ears. “Never. Love you, be safe.”
I swallow hard at her words. I know she means it in a platonic way, she’s said it to me since we were younger. I used to say it back until I started to catch feelings for her, and then it became too much to bear. “I always am, you stay safe as well.”
As I get to the front of the bakery Shannon hands me my chai as I pass her. I smile at her. “Thanks, Shannon.” While leaving through the gate I not so subtly make sure the swinging door hits Sacha in the leg, hard. “Oops. Pardon me, Sacha. I don’t seem to know my own strength.”
He grunts at me and glares. What I wouldn’t give to be able to punch that look right off his bulldog-like face. I would love nothing more than to be in his place, watching over her all day. Even if we can’t be together, I would gladly do it, just to make sure she’s happy and safe. Sadly, however, I’m overqualified and her father would never dream of letting me take on that kind of role.
Exiting the bakery, I sigh. Speaking of her father, I have to go see the man now. The man hardly ever calls meetings with me, but when he does I know it’s because someone is on his hit list and he wants them to be taken care of the right way.
* * *
I get to my office with half an hour to spare. I wasn’t running late at all, but with Michail Kotov you never keep him waiting. I can’t help but wonder who he wants me to take-out for him. There’s a lot of people who hate him, but I can’t think of any at the moment he would want dead. Most of them are too high profile to make disappear easily. Even with the family discount I give him, he likes to hold onto as much of his wealth as possible.
A light knock comes from my office door as I’m pouring a twenty-year-old scotch into two tumblers. He’ll appreciate the gesture, and I want to remain in his good graces. “Enter,” I call over my shoulder.
“Mr. Kotov is here to see you, sir.” The voice of Cheryl, my assistant fills the room.
The door closes with a click and I turn around to meet the cold blue eyes of Michail Kotov. He and his daughter look similar. There’s no question he’s her father. I steel my nerves. The last thing I would want is to appear weak in front of him.
“Good morning, sir.” I motion to the empty chair before going back to my desk to sit across from him. I offer the scotch and he takes it with a nod of thanks. It doesn’t matter if it’s not even noon, the man in front of me will always appreciate a good drink. Honestly, at this point, having a glass of anything is like having water. It doesn’t affect me in the slightest. I need six glasses before I start to feel the buzz that comes with drinking.
“Mr. Bancroft.” He takes a sip of his drink.
He doesn’t seem in any rush, but I’m sure he’ll get to the point. I don’t push, knowing it’s better to let him speak when he wants to. The man is nearly thirty years my senior. He waited a long time to have Josie. With her being his only daughter he’s always treasured her, and for that, I have a lot of respect for him. Anyone who treats her like the flower she is is good in my book.
He takes another sip and swirls the amber liquid. His gaze meets mine. “I have a snitch in my midst and I figured out who last night. I need you to take care of him. Our usual.”
I nod. “Of course, sir. Our family discount is still in effect. Who is it? So I can start to get intel on him.”
His gaze goes to the large window behind me that overlooks a good portion of the upper East side. “I’m not sure how much of that you’ll need to do. You already know him.”
My skin prickles with goosebumps. Who is someone that I know that could’ve turned their back on Michail?
“It’s Sacha, Josie’s bodyguard. He’s been slipping information to the cops about our shipment times and that not everything going through the bakery is for baking. I’ve also had the DA sniffing around my companies. I’ve managed to create a few false trails for them, their eyes are no longer on the bakery, but it’s only a matter of time before he turns them back onto it. I don’t know what’s made him turn, but he needs to be put down.”
I nod and, tighten my grip on my tumbler as heat invades my veins. How dare someone who works so closely with my... Josie, turn their backs on the Kotov’s. Does that imbecile not have any sense of preservation? I gulp down my scotch, but it only serves to heighten my rage rather than cool it. “Understood.”
He looks me in the eye again. “Cason, I trust you’ll be discreet about this? Josie cannot ever find out. As far as she’ll know Sacha quit. She’s been making remarks anyway that she doesn’t like him, so it works out. I’ll replace him in a few days and that will be that.”
My heartaches at the thought of her. I want to offer to take over for him, but being the current head hitman in my family, I can’t do that. If I have to be absent from a job, it would leave her vulnerable and questioning. She thinks I run a security firm ranging from small-time guard to elite security, even cyber. In truth, my family works with the Kotov’s as two Syndicates who joined forces. One day, I’ll take over for my father entirely, running the syndicate side of things as well, but until then I work as a hitman and keep our cover business running smoothly.
I clear my throat. “I would never do anything that could hurt, Josie, sir. She’s too innocent to know what’s actually going on inside her family. You’ve done well to protect her from all that, and I don’t have any desire to tear down the veil over her eyes.”
