The other six men weren’t pleased with my decision to bring her along. But I couldn’t care less. In fact, I’d brought her here just to piss them off and bask in their discomfort.
The last time we gathered like this, none of them had cautioned Igor Yevgeny when he began running his mouth about my wife.
I wanted them to know that she wasn’t some random woman, but someone significant enough to be in the same room with them.
Ellie didn’t disappoint me at all. She sat in silence, spine straight, head held up high. There was no sign of fear or intimidation in her gaze. Just the confidence of a woman who knew who she was and the power she possessed.
For someone who almost freaked out when she found out where I was taking her, her composure was rather remarkable.
Despite their discomfort, each of these men couldn’t help stealing hidden glances at my wife every now and then. I noticed, and the idea that they could admire from a distance filled me with pride.
Her beauty was irresistible, and that floral scent of her perfume was so powerful it filled the room. Every man at the table struggled to stay focused because her presence alone was a huge distraction.
“If Igor Yevgeny was working for the Sokolov Syndicate, how can we be sure that he’s the only one?” Boris asked, throwing the question at everyone present.
“I say we have Karik look deeper into our lives,” Mikhail answered, his eyes shifting across our faces. “He’s clearly good at fishing out the moles amongst us.”
“I agree,” Boris concurred.
“Bullshit,” Ivan objected, his brows furrowing. “I don’t want anyone looking into my private life.”
“No one gives a shit about your private life, Ivan,” Vlad said to him, voice deep and menacing. “The plan is to make sure we’re all on the same page.”
“We allareon the same page,” he insisted, his scowl deepening. “This circle, this organization, is built on trust. I don’t want anyone invading my privacy.” He glanced at me.
I sat in silence, watching. Observing.
“What are you hiding, Ivan?” Vlad asked him. “Why are you so defensive?”
Ivan turned to Vlad, his voice laced with displeasure. “Are you accusing me of something?”
“Are you guilty of something?”
A pause.
Both men glared at each other, fingers curling into fists. The tension in the air was heavy, and at any moment from now, things could turn ugly.
“Gentlemen, now isn’t the time to fight amongst ourselves,” I said, my voice low and even. “Isn’t that right…Roman?” My gaze shifted toward him.
Roman had been lost in his own thoughts for the past few minutes. And his lack of focus had everything to do with my wife’s presence. He’d been stealing secret glances at her, thinking no one would notice.
Unfortunately for him, I did.
He blinked back to the present and cleared his throat, then lowered his head.
“Karik is right,” Alexei, the oldest amongst us, said, ignoring Roman’s inappropriate behavior. “We shouldn’t fight one another. The purpose of this meeting is to make sure that none of us is compromised.”
The door opened, and a figure walked in, his presence commanding attention. Tall. Lean. A pair of striking steel-gray eyes that seem to catch everything. His black hair was slicked back, each strand perfectly in place.
His polished shoes clicked on the floor as he stepped inside, dominating the room without saying a word. The fabricof his tailored black suit clung to his body, accentuating his biceps and triceps.
My eyes flicked toward Ellie, as if to make sure she wasn’t swept up by the aura of this man’s presence. She watched him in silence. Although her expression remained neutral, the idea that she might’ve admired him stung more than it should.
She was supposed to have eyes for me.Onlyme.
This newcomer looked familiar, but I wasn’t sure where I’d seen him before. Alexei had mentioned we’d be joined by a Bratva strategist and a financial controller.
I guessed that was him.
