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Ada was worth everything. I would sacrifice the world if it meant keeping her alive another day.
I sat down on the couch, and she joined me. I did nothing more than place my hand on her thigh, squeezing gently to let her know that she had my full support. Before I could say anything at all, my phone pinged with an alert from my second in command, letting me know that Maxim had arrived and was on his way up to the suite.
Minutes later, he was walking through the door with a small group of his own. I noted that all of them were big men, each and every one built like bodyguards meant to keep the rich and famous safe.
“Mr. Kavanagh.” He nodded, appraising me first before his gaze slid to Ada. He bowed his head in respect, which caught me by surprise, and then he addressed her directly. “It is an honor, Ms. Murphy,” he said.
“Mr. Morozov,” she replied coolly. She nodded, her movement much slighter, but still partly deferential. Maxim smiled, his gaze warm and friendly. Immediately, my gut instinct told me that he wouldn’t try to hurt her, but I would still be on guard all the same.
“Please, call me Maxim,” he suggested. She didn’t offer him the same sentiment, which I could tell was a carefully calculated maneuver on her part. She nodded and offered him a smile while sitting back against the couch, purposefully putting a reasonable distance between us both. It didn’t bother me. I recognized what she was doing.
This was a meeting between three very powerful families coming together to arrange a possible alliance, each one of us a figurehead in our own right.
“Call me Shane.” I stood up and offered him my hand in greeting, which he took readily. His handshake was firm and strong, but also partially restrained. From that alone, I knew that Maxim Morozov was a formidable man, and he knew the right moments to reveal that side of himself. He was a man to be feared and respected, which would make him a vicious enemy, but a ruthless ally if we played our cards right.
I was hoping for the latter.
“Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Shane. You as well, Ms. Murphy.”
He took a seat across from us, and Ada lifted a finger. Immediately, three glasses were placed in front of us. His glass was full of his favorite vodka, a strategic move that would tell him we knew more about him than we were letting on, while she and I were served her preferred Irish whiskey. Maxim reached for his and took a sip, a flash of recognition flaring across his features.
“This is from the Mariinsk Distillery, isn’t it?” he asked.
“I’m not the biggest fan of vodka, but I’ve certainly enjoyed a chilled glass of Beluga Noble on rare occasion,” she grinned.
“There’s something that’s special in the natural water from Siberia. Nothing else even comes close to a glass of this,” Maxim said after taking a long, leisurely sip of his. When he placed it beside him on the side table, he gazed back at the two of us knowingly.
“I feel similarly about Tullamore Dew myself,” I answered with a smile.
“Is there anything else I can get you? I can have the kitchens prepare a meal for us, if need be,” Ada offered, and Maxim shook his head.
“Thank you for offering, but the vodka is more than enough.” He smiled, tipping his glass and taking another small sip before putting it down. He sat back and I scrutinized him, looking for any signs of a weapon. On first glance, I saw nothing, but I knew he wouldn’t have come in here without something to defend himself. In all likelihood, he probably had a knife in his back pocket or maybe even tucked into the ankle of his leather boot. His body language remained relaxed, which made me feel more at ease the longer we were in the same room.
I had my reservations about him, but my gut was telling me that Maxim was a decent enough guy. He treated Ada with the same respect that he did me, and I appreciated that. She deserved nothing less. If he had turned out to be dismissive towards her, I didn’t know what I would have done, but it would certainly have affected my opinion of him immensely.
All of my interactions with the man prior to this meeting had been respectful. When he’d first arrived in Boston, he’d called me himself as a show of mutual respect. It was natural that other organized families like his would move into new cities when opportunities arose, and he’d done everything he could to ensure he wasn’t stepping on anyone’s toes in the process by respecting already established territory lines. Had he not done that, I’m not sure I would have agreed to this meeting at all.
“I wanted to meet with you to discuss a few things I’ve learned about Anton Kozlov,” Maxim began. His tone was explorative, but I caught a distinct tone of displeasure at the mention of his rumored ally. I cocked my head, watching him more closely now as my own curiosity swelled.
“It was my understanding that your family and the Kozlovs entered into an alliance. The two of you cemented the agreement through an arranged marriage between Roman’s heir and your daughter,” Ada dictated, striking right to the heart of the matter.
I grinned, her candor making my cock even harder than it was already. I bent forward and adjusted my suit strategically to cover it up. I reached for my whiskey at the same time, taking a sip while Maxim cleared his throat.
“That was the rumor we had perpetuated, yes,” Maxim answered. With a heavy sigh, he leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees. He covered his face with his hands and shook his head. “I should have done a better job profiling Roman’s son Anton before I agreed to give him my daughter’s hand in marriage,” he added as he sat back once more.
His face fell a bit, and I could tell that his regret was sincere.
“What’s her name?”
“Irina,” he answered, still crestfallen. At the mention of his daughter’s name though, his lips perked up in a small, hesitant smile, and Ada replied with a kindhearted one of her own. Maxim visibly relaxed when he saw the warmth in her reaction.
Historically, mafia families had been ruled by men, for men. If there were ever more women like Ada in the world though, they’d turn our dark, dirty underworld right on its head. If I was brutally honest, Ada could probably do it all on her own.
“That’s a beautiful name,” Ada replied.
“She was named after her mother, Katerina. I chose it for her after her mother died giving birth to her, as a way to honor her sacrifice,” Maxim answered. There was a glimmer of pain that crossed his features, but he hid it so swiftly that I questioned if it was ever truly there in the first place.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” I said quietly. Ada’s file had detailed his wife’s death back in Russia, but I didn’t want to mention anything that would make him suspicious of me or of her, especially on a topic that was so emotionally charged.
