And as the SUV heads across town to the gym, I know that now I have formally agreed to work alongside Viktor’s family, the real work might just be beginning…
* * *
I don’t like to hit the same gym every day. Call me paranoid, but I feel like the less obvious pattern of movement I have, the less likely I am to fall foul to any schemers who might want to remove a second Antonov pakhan in a short space of time.
Time is also a big thing for me, so I always try to keep my workouts as early as possible. Or late, depending on your perspective. In fact, it’s not unusual for me to work out at three in the morning. This drives my security team nuts, but I don’t pay them to question, only to be there as and when I require them.
But I enjoy training.
It’s an hour or hour and a half where I can escape the pressures of leading the family. I don’t think about enemies, plots, or how to keep the increasingly aggressive police clear of our operations.
I even put all thoughts of my father to one side too.
“Okay, time to work…” I mutter to myself as I step out from the locker room and stride over toward the free weights area.
I glance quickly over toward the gym’s entrance and see one guard leaning up against the empty smoothie bar. In his dark t-shirt and matching chinos, he doesn’t exactly look like he’s here to pump iron but trust me when I say I’ve seen some strange gym outfits in my time.
And anyway, it’s not even six in the morning yet, the gym is still quiet. The few souls here are pretty much locked in on their own routine to notice anyone else.
I pick up some dumbbells, choose one of the empty benches and take my seat, ready to work a warm up set. But as I look into the large mirror in front of me, I can’t help but notice a couple of boys working out behind me.
Damn.
They’re both cute.
But him in the lemon yellow t-shirt… he’s… fuck.
I shake my head and break myself out of any horny thoughts that might be developing. I’m here to train, not fuel any ridiculous fantasy that I might actually be able to carve out the time and space in my life for any kind of social life.
As far as boys go, I’m very much not interested.
Ever since assuming the role of pakhan, my mind has been focused on running this family. I’ve stopped going to clubs, bars, or anywhere that might actually lead me to meeting someone. And with the added threat on my head now that I’m pakhan, I really can’t imagine any time soon where I would feel even remotely comfortable at the thought of brining someone new into my life.
But as I finish off my warm up set and get up from the bench to choose a heavier dumbbell to work toward my top set, I can’t help but look in the mirror again…
Petit but strong.
Athletic but with softness in the right places.
And cute. Real fucking cute…
“Focus,” I growl, my voice low as I skip the next warm up and pick my top set dumbbells as a means of refocusing my mind.
No matter how sexy that boy is, I don’t have the time to indulge myself in any wishful thinking. Hell no. This is my time to train, work out the stresses of my life, and then get the hell out of here.
But that doesn’t mean I won’t perhaps choose to train here again tomorrow…
Chapter 3
Teddy
“Yikes, here we go,” I mutter, my eyes still firmly shut.
My alarm buzzes at 5:00 a.m. sharp, the same relentless drone that has become the soundtrack to my mornings. I slap the big red button without even opening my eyes fully, groaning as I roll over and hug Brando close for one last second of comfort.
“Morning already?” I whisper to him, my voice still thick with sleep. His floppy ears tickle my cheek, just like they always do. “Wish I could stay in bed with you, buddy. But duty calls.”
I force myself upright, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed. The apartment is still dark and quiet, the kind of pre-dawn silence that makes the city feel almost peaceful. No honking taxis yet, no neighbors arguing through thin walls. Just me, my racing thoughts, and the faint glow of the streetlight sneaking through the blinds.
