Other members—Keys, Master and Player—would be there as well. Maestro was in the band, Crows Flying, with the three men. He considered each of the men brilliant when it came to music. Seychelle, Savage’s woman, often sang with them when they played at the Torpedo Ink Roadhouse, the bar the club owned.
They had rehearsed what they would say to make the meeting seem natural so they could sell the idea that they barely knew Lana. If Maestro and Lana were too close, Azelie would know Lana was part of a team. That would hurt andupset Azelie because he wouldn’t be able to offer much in the way of an explanation.
At the moment, Azelie believed she met Lana through the college. They were becoming friends. Lana genuinely liked Azelie, but if she felt betrayed because neither Maestro nor Lana told her the truth, she might walk away from him. There was always that possibility hanging over his head.
Three times he’d brought it up to the club that he should just simply tell Azelie the truth. Unfortunately, running life-or-death missions, they’d learned the hard way not to take on anyone untrained. One slipup could cause a number of deaths. Azelie had acting skills when it came to Billows, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t mess up. Each of this crew knew all about torture and how to hold out, if necessary, until their brethren came for them—and they would come. They would be certain the others would find them and get them free. Azelie wouldn’t have that faith in them.
Maestro understood the necessity of keeping the truth from his woman, but he didn’t like it. He refused to outright lie to her. That would be the one thing he could claim later when he was giving her the facts of their mission.Afterthey’d found the women or at least shut down this link in the trafficking ring and gotten information to lead them to the next one.
Azelie looked beautiful, even more so than usual. She rarely wore a lot of makeup, but she’d given her eyes a smoky, exotic look. Her lips had a soft color on them, drawing his attention immediately. Her auburn hair tumbled down her back in long spirals and waves, so when the light caught it, copper and shades of red shone through. Her hair looked a little wild, adding to her striking, glamorous appearance.
The clothes were perfect for her, that skirt and fitted camisole accenting her very feminine figure. The camisole hugged her lush curves lovingly and showed off her small, tucked-in waist. The way the skirt fit over her hips and dropped to her ankles, moving with every step, added to her allure. He found himself proud to be walking into the club with Azelie on his arm.
More than one man turned to look at her as they walked in. Glancing down, he was pleased to see she was looking up at him as if he were the only man in the room. She smiled at him with that amazing smile she reserved for him. Her eyes were bright. Her expression was not just adoring but held a hint of developing love. He could see it, and it set his heart soaring.
He followed the hostess to their small table and pulled out Azelie’s chair for her. He found he enjoyed doing little things for her. Opening doors. Seating her. Ordering for her. Hanging up her coat. Taking care of her after sex. All of it. He loved everything he did for her.
He knew he was already way too invested. If he lost her, he wouldn’t recover. One of the things he knew about Azelie’s character was that she was all or nothing. The moment she truly trusted him, he would have her devotion for life, but he had to earn it. He was on shaky ground. Each time he thought he was close, he remembered earthquakes.
Sea Haven and Caspar, where he resided, were right on a fault line. Earthquakes could turn things upside down if they were strong enough. They could damage property or completely destroy it. The things he was forced to hide from Azelie could not only damage but utterly and irrevocably annihilate their relationship. It was fragile. Just beginning. And she’d known betrayal the same as he had. If she had been using him to get to Czar or for any other reason and she lied, even by the sin of omission, he was certain he wouldn’t forgive her, yet somehow he expected her to understand.
“You’re doing it again, Andrii.”
Her soft voice startled him, he’d been that deep in his thoughts. She leaned her chin into the heel of her hand, propping up her arm with her elbow on the table. Her eyes were filled with concern for him. That made his heart ache.
“What am I doing?”
“Frowning. Inside. Going quiet on me, which means you’re worried about something.” She made a little moue with her lips and then shook her head. “Not something. Me. Us. You’re worried about us.”
He wrapped his fingers around her hand, connecting them. “Baby.” He kept his voice low and compelling so that she leaned forward to catch every word. “It’s traditional for the woman to fall for the man and want to be with him. She might pretend she doesn’t care if she’s a game player, but she chases him and falls at his feet.”
Her eyebrow shot up and a hint of amusement crept into her eyes.
“The man may or may not be interested, but he’s the one with the power in the relationship because she wants him. He can take it or leave it. Traditionally, he couldn’t care less about permanency, just the sex.”
“That’s tradition?”
He nodded solemnly. “You’ve got this entire thing backward. You’re supposed to worry and be nervous I might run. Men run from therelationshipword.”
“Traditionally.” She definitely sounded amused.
“Pay attention,Solnyshkuh. This is important information I’m giving you.” He kept his expression solemn, as if he were imparting something life-changing. “There are certain rules we follow as men and women in a relationship, and we aren’t supposed to mix them up.”
The waiter came to the table to take their order. He sent her a small smile. “Do you want me to order for you, or do you have something in mind?”
As always, Azelie was thoughtful before she answered. “You order. I loved what you got for me last time. It’s always fun to have a surprise.”
“You don’t like it, baby, we’ll just order something else.” He knew the menu without looking at it. He ordered her water without ice to start. “Azelie will have the khao soi soup and the shaved brussels sprout and Jonathan apple salad with avocado. I’ll have the same salad and the ravioli.” He flashed a smile at Azelie. “You up for trying wine? The club is famous for pairing wines with their food.”
“I don’t know the first thing about wine,” she admitted.
“Neither did I until I started coming here. Great musicand excellent food. I took a chance on the wine and found I liked it.”
“You’ll have to order,” Azelie said, turning the decision over to him.
He ordered her the wine suggestion that would be paired with her soup and then ordered himself a glass that paired with his ravioli.
Azelie gave him her bright smile, the one that lit up his world. He tightened his hold on her hand. “Getting back to what we were discussing, it’s imperative you understand your role so I can be in mine. Right now, the roles are reversed.”
