“Are you there—”
“I don’t know what Thatcher has to do with our weekly call. He’s certainly not important enough to waste our time on. This is for business, remember?” I’m harsher than I intended, and Teddy notices immediately.
“So he’s driving you crazy, then. I’m really sorry about the intrusion, you know. If I had known you were going to be at the compound so much, I wouldn’t have told him to—”
“Theodore, snap back to it!” I chirp, “Bratva business call! I don’t have all night. Tell me what’s been going on in Thunder Bay.”
“Alright. Um, well, nothing actually. It’s been eerily quiet lately. For the Santoris, too. Or at least that’s what Nikki told me. I think the union between our families has everyone spooked.”
As chaotic as his and Ellie’s relationship began, I have to admit that marrying into the Santori family was probably the best thing Teddy could have done for himself. The first few years after a takeover are the most vulnerable time for a new Pakhan, but with the Santori Mafia as his ally, nobody would dare mess with him. Of course, he had no idea what he was doing when they met. It wasn’t until tragedy struck and her family blamed Teddy that we all realized the two lovebirds were together. It was an oversight on my part, not paying attention to his dating life, but Ellie was a Mafia princess and knew how to cover her tracks well enough.
“That’s good,” I sigh. “I honestly don’t know what I would do if storms were brewing down there right now. I barely have any fucking time to deal with all the bullshit going on up here.”
“Oh? Anything I should be concerned about?”
“No. Nothing you’ll ever have to worry about, my dearest brother. Just some misogynistic assholes who can’t deal with a woman being Pakhan. Same shit I was going through before you came along, except this time there aren’t any long-lost brothers to appease the board. Ivan named me his successor. The only solution would be to kill me or to marry me off. I’m sure they’re plotting for the former in private, but they aren’t bashful at all about pushing marriage on me.”
Teddy laughs so hard he snorts at the mention of marriage.
“Thanks a lot, Cuddles. Glad you’re so concerned for me.”
“I’m sorry, I really am. I just can’t imagine you married. To anyone.”
“Me either, little brother, me either.”
“Those guys don’t realize who they’re dealing with, Sis. You’ll let me know if I can do anything to help, won’t you?”
“Of course. But don’t worry about me. It’ll all work out. If there’s really nothing going on there, we’re good for the week. Give my best to Ellie.”
“Will do. Talk to you next week.”
Sipping my tea, I consider the unsettling news that everything’s quiet in Thunder Bay. I suppose there’s no reason to look a gift horse in the mouth. If Teddy and the Santoris have my former stomping grounds under control, great. Our call was so short, though, that I have another half hour to relax before my nightly walk through the bunks. Usually, it would be impossible to avoid perseverating on all the issues plaguing me here in New York, but all I can think about is last night with Thatcher. Just the thought of his mouth on me sends sparks of arousal straight to my core.
If I were a weaker woman, I’d go to him now. Push him further to see if he’s really as good a boy as he seems. But I can’t. I shouldn’t have let him touch me in the first place. I know Teddy wouldn’t care, but it’s just too messy. I can never give him anything more than fun, and if he became attached…I don’t want to break his heart.
Last night was a wonderful reprieve from my recent stressors, but I’ll simply have to cope with them on my own until I can get to a club. I’ll only have to resist for a few more weeks. How hard could it be?
Chapter 13
Six, seven…eight. Fuck.Dropping the heavy weight to the floor of the gym, I ignore the black spots clouding my vision. I didn’tplanto wake up at three in the morning and immediately lift heavier than I ever have for eight fucking reps, but here I am. Since I woke up alone in Mila’s bed after the most intense experience of my life, it’s been clear that she thinks it was a mistake. If she was avoiding me before, she’s a ghost now.
I know she’s still on the compound somewhere, but other than hearing the faint rustle through our shared wall as she comes to bed late, then gets up early, she might as well be a figment of my imagination.Except my imagination has never been robust enough to call into existence a siren like Mila…
The door opens, and light floods the space, pulling me out of my melancholy thoughts and scaring the shit out of me.
“Ahh!” I wish my screech of alarm wasn’t so high-pitched, but it’s only Misha. If my presence surprises him, he doesn’t show it.
“Good morning, Sunshine. I think you’re the first one to ever beat me to the gym. Couldn’t sleep?”
“Uh, no.” Misha lifts the weight I was struggling with like it’s nothing and re-racks it for me before striding to the stair climber and starting his warm-up.Which is jogging up the stairs while continuing to chat with me like it’s nothing.
“So you decided to take your frustrations out on the weights? Did it help?”
“Also no.” I accept that he’ll be on the stairs for a while, so I start at a leisurely pace on the machine beside him. Fuck, I forgot how much I hate this machine. My quads and glutes are in amazing shape, thanks to so much time on the ice, but something about the never-ending climbing…I hate it.
“Do you want to start by telling me that something happened between you and Mila and now she’s closed off and ignoring you, or do you want to beat around the bush some more?”
“Uhh. How do you—wait! Did she say something about me?”
