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Her jaw drops, a gasp slipping from her lips. “Do you know what I could do to you?”
I take a step closer to her. “I have a pretty wild imagination. We can definitely run through some of my ideas together.”
Valentina glowers at Alek. “You cannot be serious about us working together. I will kill him before I let him fuck up this mission.”
“Plans for the mission have changed.”
“Says who?” Her gaze darts back to Katarina, whose eyes not too coincidentally drop to the floor.
“Says me. We’ve uncovered some new information as of this morning. We have a new strategy for breaking into Branko Ivanova’s organization, but it’s gonna take two of you to do it.”
Valentina gestures wildly at me. “I will not let all of the work I’ve done be jeopardized by this clown. I don’t know what he did in New York, and I don’t care. Give him some other bullshit job so I can do this on my own. Please, Alek. You know what I’ve given up. We’re too close and this is too important.”
“I know it is. To everyone involved. That’s why the next phase will require us to go in a different direction. So you’ll change course and work together.” He looks between us, his voice grave. “As husband and wife.”
Chapter7
Valentina
It takes me a solid thirty seconds before I can find my voice again. “I’m sorry, I must have had a mini stroke right there because I thought I just heard you say husband and fucking wife.”
Alek gives me a cool look. “You heard it right. Meet your fiancé.”
Heat pinches my cheeks. “I won’t do it.”
“You don’t have a choice.” With a glare, Alek roots me to my spot next to Kat. “You gave up your choices a long time ago, Valentina. When you decided to focus your life on targeting Branko Ivanova.”
“Ichoseto protect my family,” I growl, balling my hands into fists. “And to avenge them.”
“That’s why I know you’ll do the right thing now. What’s expected of you.” Alek pushes his chair back. The legs scrape against the shiny tile from the sudden movement. He edges around the desk until he’s right in front of me, all seven feet of him.
He’s so tall, I need to tilt my head back to glower at his gorgeous face. I might have had a tiny crush on him way back when I started working with him, knowing full well nothing could ever happen because he has a perfect family that he’s totally devoted to, and his wife Gianna is just incredible and the most stunning woman I’ve ever seen. I think it was probably the whole air of power and control, the way he carries himself, and the level of desperation I felt at the time that confused my feelings.
My life had spun so far out of control and there he was, a stake in the ground to cling to, someone who had answers and plans that could get me closer to my goal. I also think a little bit of it had to do with the fact that I lost my father and my brothers in the process. I had no one but this ruthless Russian god to throw me a lifeline.
However, it didn’t take me long to figure out I was just trying to fill a void. Years later, there’s still a gaping hole in my heart and soul, but I found out a long time ago Alek would not be the one to stitch me back together. We’ve since graduated to more of a prickly older brother-younger sister relationship where I tell him exactly what I think of his ideas. Sometimes I get a pat on the head, other times, a kick in the ass.
“If you think that move is going to intimidate me, then you don’t know me that well. I don’t cave from pressure. That’s why I’m one of your best operatives.” I lift an eyebrow. People don’t typically mouth off to Alek Severinov. If they do, they suffer for it. Long and hard.
“As such, I know you’ll do what I ask.”
“Why?” A lump throbs in my throat. “I need to know why you are punishing me like this.”
Alek looks past me and nods at Quinn. “It’s because of him that I got the idea in the first place.”
I whirl around to look at myfiancé. Blech. Just thinking the word makes me throw up in my mouth. “What the hell did you do to get banished from Manhattan? I mean, what kind of bottom-dwelling thug derelict gets kicked out of the city?”
“The kind who knows how to shake shit up. I protect, too. Always. And I do whatever I need to make sure that nothing touches my family or organization.” Quinn leans back against a wall and crosses his jean-clad legs at the ankle. I scrunch up my nose at his choice of clothes. Is he trying to look like a homeless person? The denim has so many holes and tears, I don’t know why he bothered to wear pants at all. They hang low on his hips, his tight, black t-shirt stretched across his chest. He has the build of a basketball player more than a hockey player like my brother Danil, or a football player like my brother Zak used to be. He’s long and lean with chiseled arms, but what his body lacks in bulk, his personality more than makes up for in arrogance.
“At everyone’s detriment.” Alek rolls his eyes. “You being out here comes with a lot of challenges, Quinn. You need to fly under the radar and learn how to take instruction.”
“And is my wifey gonna teach me how to be a good boy?”
That’s it. I storm over to him, grab the edges of his t-shirt with my fists, and pull him toward me.
“I like where this is going.” His lips quirk and he snaps his peppermint gum.
“You have no idea who I am and you never will. I have no issue with causing you major physical harm if you lay a finger on me.”
