“This one is routine,” Sorokin says, casually pushing a page over. “Go ahead, right at the bottom?—“
“What is it?” I frown at a dense web of legalese, squinting at the fine print. I notice Gabe’s full name in several places, Gabriel Russo. I turn to him. “Why are you on this one?”
“It’s giving your husband access to your accounts. All very routine, I assure you. Go ahead and sign?—“
I nearly do it. That’s how trained I am. A person in power tells me to do something, and I almost go ahead and obey.
Except I stop, pen hovering over the paper. Gabe’s watching expectantly, and I realize with a sharp, physical jolt.
This is my leverage.
My pen skitters across the page. I smile sheepishly as the men watch me. I pull back and pointedly place the pen back down.
“Actually, Mr. Sorokin, I think I’ll keep my husband away from my money for now.”
“Ah, are you sure?” He looks to Gabe, appearing bereft. “This is highly unusual."
“Very sure.” I get to my feet. This man is lying to me, or at least spinning a truth Gabe wants me to hear. “And I think thismeeting is done.” Anger simmers in my chest. I’m not quick to rage. It typically comes on slow. But when it does, it reliably fucks me up and anyone nearby.
Go ahead and ask my former boss about what happens when I’m pissed off.
CHAPTER 8
NIKA
Istorm out of the lawyer’s office and into the lobby. I’m seething with anger when Gabe catches up. We stand in silence as the elevators rush toward us and all I can feel is my hammering heart and a litany of curse words zooming through my skull.
“That was why you married me, isn’t it?” I say through my teeth. “You want my money.”
“To be fair, it’s a lot.”
“You piece of shit.” I whirl on him, hands balled to fists, practically smoking with how badly I want to knee him in the dick. “You tried to trick me, didn’t you? And that slime ball Sorokin was willing to help!”
He shrugs, watching me with that infuriatingly calm smirk. The bastard isn’t even ashamed of himself. “Can you blame me? I have a war to run, darling. I need resources.”
“You can suck my big fatresource, you asshole.” The elevator dings and I stomp on. Two men are waiting in the back, bothof them in disheveled suits. They look like exhausted junior bankers. One’s whispering on the phone, begging someone not to be angry with him for staying out all night working again.
Gabe gets on beside me.
The descent down is maddeningly slow. I want to scream in my husband’s face. How dare he try to take what’s mine? Even though I didn’t know I was filthy rich, that doesn’t matter. He married me, fingered me, and now he’s trying to rob me too.
The piece of trash.
“It’s not just about legitimacy. This was never just about my father. You married me formoney.” I hiss at him, ignoring the other two men. Although I hear one of them mutter, “Money’s kind of a big deal though.”
As soon as we reach the ground floor, I storm out. Gabe quickly keeps up.
“Why would I give away my game, Nika? Nothing changes. We have a deal. You help me win the Dragon position and I find your mother.”
“I could hire a thousand private investigators with the stupid amount of money I have!”
“Maybe, but you’re my wife now.” He grabs my arm and stops me. We’re standing near the doors. Sunlight streaks in through huge glass windows. The tiles are polished to a sheen. Men and women in business attire walk past, and if any of them are worried about me, none stop to find out what’s going on. “You think my enemies are going to leave you alone?”
“Don’t do that. Don’t try to scare me.”
“It’s the truth. I didn’t plant that drone. I didn’t hire those goons.”
“For all I know, you did.”
