CHAPTER 23
BLAKE
The hunger in Nero’s eyes fades as annoyance takes over. He steps back, pulling me in front of him and wrapping his arms around my waist, holding me close against his body. “Maksim.”
Maksim studies us, his lips stretched into an enigmatic smirk. “Having fun?”
Nero’s grip on me tightens. “A warning might have been nice. We’d have come better prepared if we’d known we were walking into this.”
“I apologize.” That smirk keeps playing on his lips. “I thought you might appreciate the surprise. What do you think?” His gaze moves to me.
“It’s…like nothing I’ve ever seen before,” I answer.
“I wanted you to step out of your comfort zone. Do you know the club’s philosophy?”
“Enlighten us.”
“Here at Seven Lives, we embrace a singular truth: unlike our feline friends, we are granted but one life. It’s our belief that we should savor it.”
“How inspiring,” Nero says in a bored tone before releasing his grip on me and pulling out his phone from an inner pocket of his jacket. His brow furrows. “Fuck. I’ve got to take this call.”
Maksim smiles. “Would you like to take it in my office? It’s quieter in there.”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
Nero grabs my hand, and we follow Maksim to his office. “It’s that bastard Cosimo,” Nero says, his voice hushed. “I have no idea what he wants, but I can’t ignore him.”
“Doesn’t he know we’re busy?”
“No. He’s not involved with this.”
That’s right. I forgot Cosimo Ferraro doesn’t know about what we’re doing with Maksim.
The music is muted as we step into Maksim’s office.
The room is more like a suite, divided into two sections—a sitting area at the front and a room with a large wooden desk behind a set of French doors.
Maksim gestures toward the sitting area. “Will you be comfortable here, Nero? While you take your call, I can show Blake my small library.”
Nero frowns, his hazel eyes narrowing on Maksim before moving to me.
A silent conversation passes between us.
I don’t trust him alone with you, his expression seems to say.
I tilt my head.You’ll be able to see us through the French doors. He’s not taking me far away.
Nero clenches his jaw and nods in agreement. “I won’t be long.” His phone rings again, and he answers it with annoyance. “What is it?”
Maksim fixes his tie. “Shall we?”
I follow him into the second room, while Nero switches to speaking in Italian on the phone.
“Where’s Ekaterina?” I ask.
“At home. She doesn’t like coming to the club.” We enter the second room, and Maksim closes the French doors with a quiet click. His shoulder brushes against mine as he moves past me. “Can I offer you a drink?”
“Just water, thanks.”
