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It’s hard to keep a lid on my rage. I want to gut this motherfucker. It’s been however long since he put her through this and yet the horror in her eyes says it’s as fresh now as it was on day one.
“What made you think that?” I rasp.
“He has two kids with his ex—” She stops short, her eyes going wide at her own misstep. “—with his wife, I mean. He gave me this whole sob story about how she took his kids when she left him. He was so broken up about it. He claimed that he loved them both to death and he just wanted to be a good father to them, but she was keeping them from him…” She trails off. “And I swallowed every single lie he fed me.”
She looks so small. So afraid.
She glances at me uncertainly. “When I told him I was pregnant, he flipped out. He went from angry to panicked so fast that he blurted out that Candice would leave him if she found out. And when I pointed out that Candice had already left him, he just stared at me with all this self-pity in his eyes. He didn’t have to say anything else. I knew I’d been played.”
“What happened after that?”
She blinks and two fat tears squeeze out of her eyes. “Shit,” she whimpers, wiping them away aggressively. “I won’t bore you with the details. Bottom line: I got an abortion.”
“Was it your choice?”
Her eyes snap to mine. She wasn’t expecting the question.
Which is exactly why I can read the answer written all over her face. Everything I need to know is right there, painfully and blindingly obvious.
“That bastard,” I hiss. “That fucking bastard. I’ll kill him.”
Her hand flies out and lands on my arm. “Listen, this is all ancient history, okay? Go ahead and make your deal with him. It won’t matter to me. Especially because I’m not part of your company anymore.”
No, but you are part of my family now.
“I’m serious, Dmitri,” she continues. “I don’t care if you choose to sign him. I just… I wasn’t prepared. I didn’t think I’d ever see or hear from the man again.”
Bee chooses then to burst through the white curtains. “Okay, guys! I’m—” She stops short as Wren peels her hand off mine quickly. “Shit. Did I interrupt something?”
“No,” Wren insists, getting to her feet. “Everything’s fine. Did you pick a dress?” She’s trying her best to act normal, but her eyes are too shifty and there’s a wobbly catch in her throat.
“Yup, I’m going Westwood.” Bee turns to me. “I put it on your tab, hubs. Thanks! How about lunch before we go home? Dmitri’s paying.”
Wren smiles tightly as she follows Bee out of the room. I pull out my phone and dial Aleksandr immediately. “Tomorrow’s meeting with William Deerfield—is that still on?”
“Yessir. Confirmed it a few hours ago.”
“Call him back and cancel. With prejudice.”
“Seriously?” he balks. “We’re nixing a contract worth millions? Why?”
“Because I said so,” I growl. “Your job is not to question. Your job is to execute. So go fucking execute.”
“Okay, jeez. Manners wouldn’t kill ya. I’ll cancel the meeting.”
“And I want the fucker blackballed.”
I don’t have to see Aleksandr to know that he’s surprised. “Um… are you sure?”
“Chase him out of the city. Anyone who so much as sells him a fucking hot dog will have to answer to me.”
I hang up. It’s not as satisfying as burying my fist in his fucking face.
But it’ll do until I can get my hands on him.
49
DMITRI
