The dim night illuminated half his face, the other still blanketedin shadow, reminding me of a demon.
Something coiled in my belly as my feet moved forward, closing the distance. His head snapped to the sound of my footsteps, his uninjured hand moving to his gun. When he realized it was me, he stilled, his jade eyes glittering like polished river stones.
“Come here, sweetheart,” he said, his voice harsh and gravelly.
Nine
KAELEN
Fuck, I needed a smoke. I tried to cut back, replacing cigarettes with whisky. Right now however, I craved to have the smoke fill my lungs.
The nightlights of the Boston skyline blurred outside the window of the SUV as Aidan drove us past Quincy. Things with the Bratva had been tenuous ever since my Da passed.Never trust the Russians or the Italians.It had been drilled into my head since I was old enough to sit in on meetings.
I loved my parents, and my Da was a good man—a good leader. But after I took over, it was clear that warring with the Cosa Nostra and the Bratva only led to our men being killed for no reason. Dealing with Vittorio Rossi was impossible. But in the last year, a new head of the Brotherhood took over, Dimitri Romanov, who was more amiable to negotiations with me.
I agreed to a meeting with him tonight at one of his clubs. A possible alliance that would give him access to our shipping ports,and in exchange, we’d get access to the underground utility tunnels the Bratva controlled.
Patting my suit jacket, I fished out a lighter, slipping a cigarette between my teeth. Liam rolled down the window, but said nothing, and Pat eyed me from the front seat.
We agreed to a small meeting. I would bring only three men, and he promised the same. Aidan parked the car outside ofScent Allure, one of the Bratva’s above-board establishments, even if I didn’t like it.
A scantily-clad omega who smelled like peaches escorted us into a roped off VIP section in the back of the club. My nose twitched, put off by her intensely sweet scent. All I wanted was the subtle, honeyed floral notes ofmyomega.
Every night, Torin updated me on her daily activities. She had yet to leave the house, but that changed today. I chanced a quick peek at my cell, seeing that after lunch, Torin had taken her to a farm on the outskirts of the city. He included a picture of her wearing a fitted dress that hugged her curves.
My cock twitched, and I adjusted my trousers.
I imagined nuzzling her hair, playing with one of those blue highlights. Music thumped in the background, and all I thought about was drowning in her scent. Would she perfume for me again? I hated how busy I’d been. I hope she liked the clothes I’d gotten her. Soon, she would let me spoil her, court her properly.
“Kaelen,” a heavy, accented voice boomed.
Dimitri stood, his dark hair framing his even darker eyes. The dim lights of the club cast his olive skin in shadow as a waitress deposited a bottle of scotch on the table. A bright pink collar glistened around her slender neck. Tension tightened at the base of my spine as I realized every woman in the club was a collared omega.
The Bratva and I had very different views on how to handle business. My skin itched, hoping these women were willing and not forced. I shared a look with Aidan, who nodded. Before I agreed to anything with these men, I wanted to understand every part of their business. Both the legal and the more illicit activities.
“Dimitri,” I said, meeting his hand in a firm grip before sitting.
“On the house,” he said, clapping his hands.
Two omegas appeared almost out of thin air. One with long, fiery hair and another with pale blonde curls and alabaster skin.
“Yours for the night. Which one would you like?”
Neither omega smelled appealing, and their fake, breathy sighs made me stiffen. It was a delicate situation. I couldn’t afford to offend Dimitri before we talked logistics. I scrubbed a hand over my beard, and Liam winked.
“If I may,” Liam cut in. “My brother prefers to keep a clear head when working. I, on the other hand, have no such morals.”
A haunting laugh echoed off the walls as Dimitri nodded, gesturing toward the girls. Liam smirked, guiding the tiny redhead into his lap as he sat. I searched the girl’s face for any sign of unease, but the lines around her mouth were relaxed as Liam whispered something that made her giggle.
Liam was a charmer, having the ability to make women, especially omegas, swoon. He splayed a hand over her stomach, holding her close as he took the offered glass of scotch from another server. He nibbled at a spot above her ivory collar, his thumb drawing circles around her navel.
“Now that we are settled. Let us discuss,” Dimitri said.
The plush seating cradled me as I leaned into it, listening to Dimitri’s proposal. It was simple enough. But I needed Aidan to dig more into what he was hiding before I agreed to work with him. Those utility tunnels would be key for our underground casinos. Right now, we used our pubs to front the casinos. It was a dangerous dance that would eventually bite us in the arse if we weren’t careful.
A grating voice cut through the din of music and conversations. I recognized it without looking. Sensing the shift in my demeanor, Dimitri raised a bushy eyebrow at me. I flicked my gaze to the bar, my teeth digging into my lip.
Senator William Sterling sat on a stool with a blonde omega, younger than his daughter, nestled between his legs. Someone with a sick wife and omega at home shouldn’t be sloppily pawing at a woman who was neither of those things.
