Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 82881 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82881 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
“Strong man, wears gloves, and hates to be touched,” Igor says.
“When?” I demand.
“Two weeks ago,” Igor replies casually, smiling to reveal a gold-plated tooth.
“Who was the girl?” Because that’s the most unlikely part of this entire story.
“River,” Igor says to River, ignoring my last question. “I don’t care to entertain your fling any longer. I’ll accept your forty million in good faith that I will be considered the first choice in your next collection.”
“Fling?” I scoff.
“Anya,” River warns.
“No.” I jerk my arm free of River. Fuck this guy and these men. I’ve played nice for far too long. “Do you not know who I am? Whose fucking city you’re in?”
“Apologies if we’ve offended you, miss,” Igor says insincerely.
I laugh hysterically. I’m hungry and pissed. The last fucking thing I needed on my plate was another asshole thinking he has some entitlement to fuck with me in my own city. The men look at one another.
“Miss?” I reply rhetorically. “Oh, now come on, Igor. That just won’t do. My name is Anya Ivanov, and don’t forget it.”
I raise my hand, and, suddenly, a bullet is shot straight through the eyes of the man standing next to Igor. With a wicked smile, I pretend to blow out smoke at the tip of my fingers. Perhaps I forgot to mention how exceptional my men are with long-range shooting.
Igor’s men explode into action, pulling out guns and aiming at me, and my carnal smile only grows as I open my arms wide, daring them to fucking try. “You’re in my fucking city!” I shout. A reminder to them and River. “And you will play by my rules and bow to a woman while doing it. Do you fucking understand?”
Igor holds his hand out to ensure his men don’t shoot, and River’s stepped closer to me now. How chivalrous, but I doubt he’d really take a bullet for me. Or maybe he will. Maybe even he is no exception to my charm.
“Now, tell me. Who was the girl?” I ask again, and this time, any politeness is dipped in venom.
Igor looks at River, who I can feel is glaring at me. But I don’t care. He should know the risks involved in taking me on. If he did his research better, he would know that being quiet and a “good girl” are not qualities I possess.
“You killed my man,” Igor accuses without heat.
“You underestimated me. Why? Is it because I’m a woman?” I ask him.
He seems mildly amused. Now he looks at me like he would’ve if I were a man. Much like he respected River, he now holds the same impression of me.
I don’t play when it comes to power.
I am power.
“Yes, I do think I judged you for being a woman. Next time, I will know better,” Igor agrees. “He was chasing some dancer. That’s as much as I know.”
A dancer?
Why?
I raise my chin and step out of River’s grasp. “Finish up your business. I’ll wait for you in your car. Move it along, I have things to do.” River’s jaw clenches, and I purposely walk out of his range so he can’t reach for me. Because the way his gaze burns into me, I know he wants to pull me into him, and I don’t know if it’s to punish me or fuck me. Both are fine with me if they’re mixed together and clear my debt.
When I walk away, I overhear Igor speak. “Dangerous game you are playing with a dangerous woman there, River.”
Who knows? Perhaps out of the two, Igor’s the smarter man.
I slam the door shut behind me and curse feverishly in Russian. I want to kick and tear apart the interior of his car, but I know it’ll do very little to remedy my frustration.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
I pluck my phone out of my clutch on the bottom of the car floor and hit call.
“Come on, Alek, pick up. Please,” I say quietly.
Ring.
Ring.
Voicemail.
I explode. “You’re in Russia? Really, Alek? Are you still there, or have you just jumped to the next country while having a fucking holiday?”
I expect a chastising comment, but I’m left with his cold rebuff that’s wounded me more than anything else I care to admit. I bite my bottom lip as I look around. It’s dark, and the only light is from the cars. River is still speaking with Igor and his men.
“A dancer, Alek? You’re chasing a dancer?” I scoff into the phone. “You didn’t even tell me about her. We tell each other everything. How could you leave me for a woman? You left me in the lurch with debts, and now I have to spread my legs to pay for them.” I hear myself and laugh.
“Wow, I never thought I’d be complaining about sex. Alek, this is fucking torture. River says he wants to fuck me to wipe your debt clean, but he won’t actually fuck me. I’m on fucking edge because I can’t sleep or eat. And I’m not being fucked! This is all your fault!”