He knows that although I hate him, I want him even more.
Chapter Twelve
Nikolai
My estate has felt empty since the wedding ceremony.
It’s too big of a space for one person, sure, but that has never bothered me before. Something has changed.
I sit in the living room and scroll through my phone, replying to a few messages and emails.
I decided to give Lauren a few days to cool off.Blyad, I need it as much as she does. In retrospect, I shouldn’t have charged over there like a fucking bulldozer when she was probably shaken up about the pregnancy herself. She needs time to wrap her head around this just like I do.
She hasn’t contacted me, and I wager it has something to do with me riling her up the other night.Words can’t describe how badly I wanted those plump lips wrapped around my cock. I bet she would have knelt down and sorted me out if I had stayed a little longer.
I shouldn’t have teased her.
But it was fun.
The good news is, she doesn’t seem to be making any plans about aborting the baby. According to my intel, that is. One of our hackers managed to retrieve her latest online doctor records, and she hasn’t visited the office since she tested positive.
I’ve been keeping an eye on her though. She went to the gym yesterday. Apart from that and getting a latte from her local Starbucks this morning, she’s only been at work and at home, in her apartment. I can always step in if she does anything reckless, but so far, I haven’t had to.
Which is unlike her, but a surprise pregnancy changes things, I suppose.
I drop the phone and switch on the TV, hoping to take my mind off Lauren and her pregnancy. I shouldn’t care if she wants to do this solo, but I do. The thought of her carrying my child alone doesn’t sit right in my gut. She can say whatever the fuck she wants, cast me out with that pretty little mouth of hers, but nothing will stop me from getting involved in my child’s life.
My phone buzzes, finally snapping me from my thoughts.
Timur.
I raise the device to my ear. “Bratok.”
“You were right. Something isn’t right about Lauren’s old man.”
I sit up straight, my grip tightening on the phone. “Charles? What have you found?”
“Well, looks like our dear old Charles Watson has been making quiet payments to shell companies. Regularly. The old man’s dirty like we suspected. The worst part is that all of the companies are directly linked to Aslanov.”
That gets my attention in an instant. Fucking knew it. There was always something sketchy about the old cunt.
“Meet me at Horizon in thirty.” I hang up before he can answer, springing from the couch to grab my jacket and keys. Charles Watson using shell companies to make payments? The pieces start clicking into place and the picture they’re forming makes my jaw clench. Is he skimming accounts and filling his own pockets? Or is he making payments to Aslanov for some reason? What am I missing here? And how the hell is Lauren involved in all this?
One thing I know for certain—I don't believe in coincidences.
Lauren's mother—killed.
Charles tangled up in Aslanov's business somehow.
Lauren’s strained relationship with her old man.
Too many connections for comfort. Too many questions to be answered. But I won’t rest until I find out what connects the pieces.
The drive to Horizon gives me time to think, but not enough to settle the questions clawing at my mind. Something is brewing under the surface and I don’t fucking like it. I especially hate the fact that there are gaps in my knowledge. What if Aslanov is a step ahead of me, already making moves against me and my empire?
Traffic moves at a crawl through the city center, each red light another moment for doubt to creep in. But by the time I pull into the familiar parking structure, my hands are steady again, my thoughts focused.
I have owned Horizon for many years now.
