Page 49 of Lust and Honor

“There’s a birthday party for one of the underbosses’ daughters this weekend. I want Aurora there beside me. You need to come too, to keep an eye on her. I doubt you have anything suitable for an event like that.”

He’s right, I don’t. My life’s never exactly required designer dresses because I’ve never had a reason to wear them. His tone isn’t aggressive; he’s just stating facts.

“What kind of clothes should I get?” I ask. “I mean, I’ve never been in that kind of crowd before.”

Maxim spears a cooked carrot with his fork, and before bringing it into his mouth to chew slowly, he asks with a smirk, “You mean our little crowd of gangsters?”

Aurora throws her hands in the air, mumbling through a mouthful, “Ganser!”

Maxim wipes a bit of food from her chin, not bothering to correct her. He picks up Aurora’s plate of chicken steak and begins cutting it into tiny pieces.

“Don’t be stingy when buying clothes. Get something from a top brand. The place Alex is taking you, people there can help you choose. The men and women you’ll be meeting are from the highest tier of society.”

He sets the plate in front of Aurora and turns his gaze to me, his expression serious and businesslike.

“Stick close to Emily. Don’t say a word about your past, how you know me, or our relationship. Don’t give out any information.”

He pauses briefly before adding, “They might be high-class women, but don’t forget, you’re no less than them. Disrespect to you is disrespect to Aurora. Make sure they understand that, because trust me, some of them will come at you with everything they’ve got.”

“Why? Why would they want to come after me?”

“Because you’re the mother of my daughter. You have something they’ve only dreamed of having.”

I squint, thinking it over. When the realization hits, I bite the inside of my cheek and mutter with irritation, “I get it. You were involved with one of them, weren’t you?”

He raises a brow. “A few of them.”

My jaw drops at his audacity. He’s unbelievable. I take a deep breath. “At least tell me their names so I can watch my back.”

He pops another carrot in his mouth and replies with his signature arrogance, “I don’t remember them by name. I’d need to see certain parts of their bodies to jog my memory.”

I wrinkle my nose in disgust, ignoring the mischief in his eyes, and focus on my food. After fidgeting for a moment, I finally voice something I’ve been thinking about for days.

“I want to go back to work.”

He leans back in his chair, his gaze piercing. God help my poor heart. Does he have to be so damn attractive and flaunt it in my face? He’s so big the chair looks too small for him, and his stare is so intense it feels like he’s looking straight into my soul.

“Given your new situation, you can’t work for another family, and Carlo would never hire you again.”

“Why not?”

“Because you deceived him. The only reason he lets you near his family is the connection you have to me.”

I nod uncomfortably, then bring up the second thing that’s been on my mind. “Then I need to go back to school. I can’t spend my life stuck like this.”

He places his right hand on the table, his thumb tapping rhythmically against it.

“Got a specific major in mind?”

“I’ve already taken some child psychology courses. I’d like to study that.”

He pulls the corner of his bottom lip into his mouth, staring at me for a long, loaded moment. His dark eyes flash briefly, and without warning, he says, “If you earn my trust, I’ll let you go to university.”

I blink in surprise, narrowing my eyes. “What do you mean?”

“My meaning’s clear, Ava. If you want me to grant you privileges, you’ll have to impress me.”

There it is, he’s made it obvious what he wants. That manipulative bastard. I smirk. “And how exactly am I supposed to impress you?”