Kirsten looks up from her desk. “Everything okay?”
“Fine.” I force my voice to stay neutral. “Just some business I need to handle. You should go to lunch with the others.”
She frowns. “I brought something from home. I was just going to eat at my desk.”
“Go out. Get some fresh air. Please.”
Something in my tone must give me away, because her frown deepens. But she doesn’t argue. She just nods, grabs her bag, and heads for the door.
“I’ll be back in an hour,” she states.
“Take your time.”
The door closes behind her, and I release a breath I didn’t know I was holding. Good. She’s safe. She’s away from this.
I spend the next fifteen minutes clearing my desk of anything sensitive and making sure the floor is empty. Most of the staff went to lunch at noon, and the few stragglers leaveshortly after. By the time my assistant buzzes to tell me I have a visitor, the place is deserted.
“Send him in.”
The door opens, and Viktor Sokolov walks into my office like he owns it.
He’s older than I expected. Mid-fifties, maybe, with silver hair slicked back from a weathered face. His suit is expensive but poorly fitted, and he’s wearing too much cologne. He’s the kind of man who thinks money can buy class. Who believes his wealth makes him untouchable.
He spreads his arms wide as if greeting an old friend. “Mr. Karpov. Thank you for seeing me.”
“I don’t recall having a choice.” I gesture to the chair across from my desk. “Sit.”
He sits, crossing one leg over the other and making himself comfortable. “I think there’s been a misunderstanding between us.”
“Has there?”
“Last night. Your men came to my establishment. Caused quite a bit of trouble.” He shakes his head with mock disappointment. “Broke some equipment. Scared some of my employees. Very bad for business.”
“Your business deserves to be ruined.”
His smile doesn’t waver, but something cold enters his eyes. “You don’t know anything about my business.”
“I know exactly what your business is.” I lean forward, bracing my forearms on the desk. “You find vulnerable women. You dig up their secrets, their weaknesses, anything you can useagainst them. Then you exploit that information to force them into escorting for wealthy men who pay you for the privilege.”
Viktor’s smile finally slips. “That’s a very creative interpretation.”
“It’s not an interpretation. It’s what you do.” I keep my voice level, even though rage is building in my chest. “You’re a predator. You target women who can’t fight back, and you destroy their lives for profit.”
“I provide a service. Supply and demand.” He waves a dismissive hand. “These women have options—”
“They have no options once you’re done with them. That’s the whole point.” I think of the women we found last night. Their hollow eyes. Their trembling hands. The way they flinched at every sudden movement. “You take everything from them until they have nothing left but what you allow them to have.”
He studies me for a long moment, and I watch his demeanor shift. The friendly businessman mask falls away, only to be replaced by something harder. Something that matches the monster I know him to be.
“Let me be direct with you, Mr. Karpov. I came here as a courtesy. To explain that what happened last night cannot happen again.”
“Is that a threat?”
“It’s a fact. You think you’re untouchable because of your family name. Because of your cousins and their reputation. But I have powerful friends, too. Men who would be very unhappy if my operation were disrupted.”
“I don’t care about your friends.”
“You should.” He stands, buttoning his jacket. “Because if you interfere with my business again, I’ll make it my personalmission to destroy everything you’ve built. This company. Your reputation. Your family.” He pauses, letting the words land. “Starting with that pretty little sister of yours. Anya, isn’t it? The one with the rebellious streak?”
