I fix my appearance and head back out.
Lev's eyes find me immediately, tracking my movement across the club. When I sit beside him, his hand returns to my thigh. Higher than before.
"Everything okay?" His voice is low.
"Fine."
A man approaches our section—older, fifties, expensive suit, cold eyes. I don't recognize him, but I see Lev's posture shift. Tension.
"Volkov." The man's accent is thick. Armenian. "Didn't expect to see you here."
"Grigor." Lev's voice is pleasant. Too pleasant. "Could say the same. Thought we agreed you'd stay in your territory."
"This is neutral ground." Grigor's smile doesn't reach his eyes. "Besides, I wanted to see if the rumors were true. That the great Lev Volkov has found himself a weakness."
His gaze slides to me. My stomach drops.
"Careful." Lev's hand tightens on my thigh hard enough to hurt. "That sounds like a threat."
"Not a threat. Observation." Grigor shrugs. "Just noting that men with weaknesses make mistakes. And mistakes are... costly."
The temperature drops.
Lev stands slowly. And suddenly the pleasant facade is gone.
"Let me make something clear, Grigor." His voice is quiet but carries perfectly. "The girl is under my protection. That means she's untouchable. If you look at her wrong, I remove your eyes. If you threaten her, I take your organization apart piece by piece. Your men, your family, everyone you've ever cared about—scattered across three states in pieces small enough to fit in jars. Do you understand?"
Grigor's smile falters. "I didn't mean—"
"Do you understand?"
"Yes." Grigor steps back. "No disrespect intended."
"Good."
Grigor leaves quickly.
Lev sits back down, hand returning to my thigh like nothing happened.
My stomach flips—terror and that dark arousal I can't control.
The night continues. More business. More drinks. More watching Lev command this world while guilt eats me alive.
Around midnight, he stands and pulls me with him.
"Come."
"Where—"
"My office."
“You have an office here?”
“You’d be surprised at how many business deals have been struck here.”
He guides me through the club, past the PRIVATE door, up stairs to a corridor lined with heavy doors.
At the end, he unlocks one and pulls me inside.
