Page 165 of Marrying the Savage

“Yes.”

“Did your men scare her?”

“Yes.”

I glare at him. He looks completely unbothered.

Anya exhales. “Sorry. I told him to get you out fast.”

“Thanks.”

“Good. Go with him. Talk somewhere private. He owns a club. It’s safe.”

“A club?”

“It’s closed right now.”

“Why does your cousin own a club?”

“Because my family tree has range. Sofia, listen to me. Damir will find out you’re gone very soon, and when he does, he will lose his mind so decide what you want before he reaches you.”

My throat tightens. I hate that she knows exactly what he will be like.

I hate that I do too.

“Okay,” I say.

The car turns into a side street and stops outside a black building with no obvious sign, only a small gold emblem above the door. It doesn’t look like a nightclub from outside. It looks like a place people enter when they have either too much money or too many secrets.

Possibly both.

Two men at the door straighten when Arman steps out.

Inside, the club is empty and beautiful. Dark wood floors, red leather booths, low amber lights, a long bar with mirrored shelves, a small stage at the far end, and private rooms tucked along the side like the building was designed for conversations people don’t want remembered. It smells faintly of smoke, citrus, polished wood, and alcohol.

Arman leads me upstairs to an office overlooking the main floor. I keep my distance from him. He notices but doesn’t comment.

The office is neat, with a large desk, a wall of camera feeds, a sofa, two chairs, and a cabinet that probably doesn’t contain paperwork unless paperwork now comes in bottles.

“Sit if you want,” he says.

I remain standing.

He nods once, accepting that. Then he pours water into a glass and sets it on the low table instead of handing it to me directly.

Smart.

“You said Anya told you I needed help,” I say.

“She did.”

“And you came yourself?”

“I sent men first. Then I realized Anya would never forgive me if I let them handle you alone.”

“Because I’m delicate?”

“I took a big risk today, Sofia. Taking Damir Volodin’s wife out of a building under his security is not a small favor.”