We sit in comfortable silence for a while, watching the crowd. People move around us, chatting, flirting, ordering drinks. Then Adrian walks in dressed in a simple dark button-up and slacks instead of his usual formal wear.
I spot him immediately and nudge Maxim’s arm. “There.”
He gives me a small nod, confirming he’s seen him. Adrian is alone. He moves to a booth in the back, checking his watch like he’s waiting for someone.
Maxim’s body tenses beside me, but he stays calm, one hand resting possessively on my thigh under the table.
We keep our eyes on him from our booth. He sits alone for a few minutes and then a waiter approaches his table.
The man has long hair and is wearing a black face cap pulled low and glasses that obscure most of his face. In the dim lighting, it’s hard to make out any real features.
The waiter places a drink on Adrian's table and leaves. Something feels off.
I lean closer to Maxim. “Did you notice? None of the other waiters are wearing face caps.”
Maxim’s entire body goes rigid beside me. “Fuck,” he mutters under his breath.
Before I can say anything else, Adrian stands up and follows the waiter toward the back of the bar. Maxim is already moving, sliding out of the booth with lethal grace.
I hurry after him, my heels clicking against the floor as I try to keep up. We push through the crowd and slip out the back exit just in time to see Adrian climbing into a black car.
The vehicle peels away from the curb before we can even get close. Maxim curses again, running a hand through his hair in frustration.
We rush back toward our own car, but it’s too late. They’re already gone, swallowed up by the city traffic.
He slams the wheel, jaw clenched tight. The anger rolling off him is palpable. “We had him. We could’ve seen who that bastard was.”
I reach over and place my hand on his thigh, trying to offer some comfort. “Hey… maybe next time. He’ll get sloppy again.Whoever that person is, they’ll slip up eventually. The important thing is Adrian didn’t see us. He still doesn’t know we’re onto him.”
Maxim exhales slowly, his hand covering mine on his thigh. He doesn’t say anything for a long moment.
I can see how much the failed mission is weighing on him. “You know what?” I say suddenly, turning to face him. “Instead of going straight home… how about we go to a club?”
He glances at me like I’ve lost my mind. “I hate clubs. The noise gives me a headache. That bar we were just in was already pushing it.”
“Come on,” I coax, smiling. “We’re already dressed for it. Let’s go out, have a little fun. Just dance, let off some steam. Besides… it’ll be our first real outing together as a couple.”
“How about I take you to dinner instead?”
“You can take me to dinner another time. I want to go to a club tonight.”
He’s quiet for a moment, then looks at me with a raised brow. “You really like going to clubs, don’t you?”
I laugh softly. “You’ll be shocked, but that night you took me and Milana… that was actually the first time I’d ever been to one.”
His eyebrows shoot up. “Really?”
“Yes. My brothers have always been so protective, we barely went anywhere. That night we had just… snuck out for once.”
He shakes his head, a reluctant smirk tugging at his lips. “Then I guess I’d better take you to a club now before you decide to sneak out again.”
I grin. “You’d better.”
He changes direction, driving us to an upscale club called Eclipse. The line outside is long, but Maxim bypasses it completely, leading me through a private side entrance.
The moment we step inside, the music hits me. Deep, pulsing bass that vibrates through my chest.
The massive dance floor packed with bodies moving sensually to the rhythm.
