I needed Tristan’s easy affection. I needed Alek’s steady presence that never expected me to be anything other thanthe man I was. And most of all, I needed Eva and her quiet bravery, making me want to be type of man she deserved.
So, I drove to Alek’s apartment, where I knew they’d be waiting.
And I let myself have the only thing in the world I could truly call mine.
51
ALEKSANDR
The knock came justafter midnight. I was restless, drinking vodka and staring at my book without reading it. Eva was asleep in my bedroom. She’d been staying the last few nights, claimed she slept better here, though I suspected it had more to do with not wanting to be alone while Carter’s threats escalated. Tristan had crashed on my couch an hour ago.
I opened the door to find Cole in a suit, shadows under his eyes, looking a mess, tie loosened, jaw tight, eyes bright with angst. His expression softened when he saw me.
“They’re asleep,” I told him.
His answering smile was crooked. “I wanted to see you too.” And fuck, if that didn’t light up my chest more than it ever should have.
“Come on in,” I said, my eyes flicking to the security cameras in the hall. Silently, I swiped my drink off the end table and dumped it down the sink.
“You don’t have to,” Cole said with that same crooked grin.
“I want to,” I answered back. “Take a seat.”
“Is this going to be awkward now that we’re fucking the same people?” he asked me.
The laugh that burst out of me was genuine. “God, I hope not.”
His answering smile was just as genuine. “I had dinner with my father tonight. I think he’s in trouble, and I think we can drive him closer to the edge.”
This was the Cole I’d come to respect—engaged, brilliant, and yes, scheming. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree in that respect.
“Tell me.”
He swallowed. “My father’s meeting with Senator Reynolds tomorrow, at the Marauders game.”
I leaned forward. “Why Reynolds?”
“FCC oversight. The Russian oligarch issue that Tristan’s brother told him about—he’s trying to get our broadcasting license revoked.”
“Over what?”
Cole’s jaw tightened. “He wouldn’t say. Called it a personal disagreement, but he’s desperate enough to bribe a senator. I think that’s what the ten million from selling the buildings is for, and I think he’s broke enough that he doesn’t have that kind of cash sitting around anymore.”
I spared a thought for the child of a billionaire who thought that not having ten million in cash was being broke.
Reynolds was dirty, but he was careful. There was a reason no one had ever caught him accepting a bribe. “What are you thinking?”
“One of my father’s key accounts is empty,” Cole continued. “And I think we can put pressure on him. If, say, Dmitri Lebedev were to stop by and be friendly with my father, it’d sour the deal with Reynolds. It’s one thing to make dealswith billionaires and quite another to be publicly photographed with the bratva.”
Maybe.
“I’ll arrange tickets,” Cole said.
I laughed. “I may have resigned, but I’m still Alek Novikov. Tickets won’t be a problem.”
I pulled out my phone. Cole watched as I dialed, his expression unreadable.
“Sasha,” Dmitri’s voice was warm. “I assume this isn’t a social call, not at this hour.”
