AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Prove it.” The words come out of my mouth in less than a whisper.
Pasha is quick to respond, leaping over to a closet across from the bed and flinging both doors open. I peak around to see him bending over what appears to be a safe, punching in a code. A light on it turns green, and he yanks it open.
Inside, there are stacks of cash bound in labeled paper bands. He pulls one out, tossing it to me. “Read that.”
I hold it up, reading the number printed across the band. “It says this is ten-thousand dollars.”
“Right,” he says, “and a hundred of those make a million. Guess how many I have in this safe?”
“A hundred?”
He grins. “More.”
“Two-hundred?” I ask, trying to get a better view of the safe to judge its size. It’s not easy to tell, since it’s built into the wall inside the closet.
“A thousand, actually. Probably a bit more because I like to keep extra,” he says, his eyes glowing as he pulls more money out of the safe. I don’t know what he has planned, but whatever it is, it’s got him excited.
“So, that’s ten million,” I say, looking down at the stack in my hand. It feels like so little compared to what he has in his closet. How is it possible for him to be this rich? The scale of his wealth would be obscene to most people.
But to me, unfortunately, it’s not obscene.
It’s arousing.
“Let’s have a little fun this evening. We have a late lunch cooking that should be ready by the time we get back downstairs, and then we’ll fill some bags with this and take it for a drive.”
“We’re going shopping?” I ask, curious what he would want to buy. I feel like I already have everything I ever wanted, but then again, hedonistic adaptation knows no limits. I’m sure I’d think of something the second we arrived at a suitable shopping center.
“Not shopping,” he replies, shooting down my idea immediately. “You’ll find out later. Let’s fill some bags, and then we’ll go enjoy a nice hot meal together. I don’t know about you, but I’m absolutely starving.” His eyes meet mine when he speaks, traveling down my body a moment later like I’m his meal of choice.
Another shiver moves through me, one that I can’t hide as easily this time. Pasha looks like a tiger ready to pounce, but he just as I brace myself for it, he turns away, digging into the closet and throwing out a few monogrammed leather duffle bags.
The way he treats priceless designer goods like plastic grocery bags is equally frustrating and funny. He doesn’t need to prove that money means nothing to him. I can already see it in the subtle behaviors he exhibits.
But I’m curious about how he intends to prove that this ten-million dollars we’re packing up means nothing to him, so I join him in silence, shoving piles of money into monogrammed bags until the zippers are barely able to close.
21
Pasha
My phone buzzes as Valerie changes into something more comfortable for dinner. I check it, expecting Boris, but it’s a number I haven’t seen in a long time.
Anatoly.
What the fuck does he want at a time like this? Does he really think he can set fire to one of my clubs and then call me on the phone like we’re still brothers? Some fucking gall this asshole has.
I consider letting it go to voicemail, but my curiosity gets the better of me. I answer it, slipping out into the hallway where Valerie won’t hear my furious voice.
“What the hell do you want?” I growl into the phone the instant the door to the master bedroom closes.
Anatoly scoffs. “You’re really going to greet your own flesh and blood like that? Maybe we should try this again. You hang up, and I’ll call you.”
“You’re no blood to me, asshole,” I snarl. “Why the fuck are you calling me?”
“Just wanted to chat,” he replies casually.
A bitter laugh escapes my mouth. “Sure you do. What’s really going on? Did you call to gloat about burning down my club?”
“I had forgotten about that one. What was it called again? Was itYour Life is a Disaster?”
