Page 16 of Deviant Need

Shaking my head, I turn to Daniil. “Can we stop by the club? I need to put the document back into the safe.”

He nods.

Ozero’s almost a year old now, and it’s the one thing I’ve done that I’m actually proud of.

I handle all three clubs because Father doesn’t trust anyone else to run them properly, but Ozero is different. It’s mine in a way the others aren’t.

I built it from nothing, watched it become the most successful club we own, proof that I can do something right even when Father acts like I’m his worst disappointment. The numbers don’t lie, and for once they’re working in my favor.

It’s one of our biggest laundering hubs, and that’s what keeps smaller operations dependent on us. They need somewhere to wash their cash, and we control the access. The whole building is ours. I spend most of my time there, and Daniil always comes with me, sitting in my office while I handle the cash flow and sorting. Clubs aren’t his thing at all, the noise and crowds make him tense, but he shows up anyway and stays. For me. That means more than he realizes.

The document that asshole stole was the blueprint for the entire unopened section, the expansion Father’s been pushing me to finish ahead of schedule for the event I’m planning that’s supposed to wash cash for us.

We need it back in the safe before anyone notices it’s gone. I can’t afford to look sloppy, especially not when Father’s already watching and waiting for me to fuck up.

We pull into the underground garage, and I jump out before we’ve completely stopped. Daniil climbs out after me, and I reach for him immediately, pulling him into my side. My arm settles over his shoulders, keeping him tucked close as we walk. He leans into me without hesitation, matching my pace.

The elevator takes us up and the doors open to “Type Shit” by Future, bass vibrating through the floor. Strobing lights flash across the crowd, and the club is packed as hell tonight.

My arm drops from his shoulders when we reach the bouncer standing at the VIP stairs.

The private area up here is darker and quieter than downstairs, LED strips casting soft light along the walls while chandeliers hang low over expensive couches and private booths. The unfinished section sits to the right, door closed and locked.

“Mikhail,” a loud, whiny voice shouts.

Stopping, I swear under my breath. Two staff members are heading toward us, Cassie and the new one whose name I can’t remember and don’t care about.

I try to be polite and fail miserably. “What?”

Cassie tries stepping closer to Daniil, and I throw my arm out, blocking her like a human barricade. This is exactly why she drives me insane. I’d fire her yesterday if her dad didn’t work with us. She won’t stop staring at him, and it makes me want to throw something.

“I saw you at Mikhail’s last fight,” she says, leaning toward him with this smile that makes my eye twitch. “I sat near you, but you didn’t notice me.”

He didn’t see you because he wasn’t looking, which means he didn’t care. Wild concept. He looks up for like half a second, gives the tiniest nod, then rubs the back of his neck and looks away again.

My jaw clenches. “Cassie. What do you want?”

She steps back and clears her throat. “Um, Vincent’s here? The guy who handles your fights? He’s asking for you.” She points toward the back booths. “Over there.”

I glance at Daniil, and he’s already picking at his sleeve, eyes fixed on the floor. I just want to get him out of here, go home so we can smoke together, and he can put on one of those documentaries he loves, and I always fall asleep during. Anything sounds better than standing here dealing with this right now, but Vincent’s waiting, and I can’t just bail.

“Daniil, I was thinking maybe you and I could⁠—”

Hell no.

I interrupt her fast. “He’s not interested. Whatever you’re about to ask, he doesn’t want it. So back off.”

Grabbing his shoulders, I push him toward the back before she gets another word out. I hear her try to say something else, but I’m already punching in the code to the office, and the door shuts behind us. The music cuts down to almost nothing thanks to the soundproofed walls.

“Don’t make that face, you know I got to talk to him,” I say.

He looks down to the floor.

“You want to come with me?”

He shakes his head. Didn’t expect anything else since this isn’t his thing, never was.

I pull him into a hug. “I’ll try not to take forever. Still down to smoke when I get back?”