Series: Series by Ker Dukey
Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 107407 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 537(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107407 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 537(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
“Yes, they certainly are,” he retorts, his tone light and teasing. “Flesh is much more personal.”
“Behave, brother,” I warn, my voice firm, but laced with amusement.
Rodion tends to act out whenever he feels rejected or betrayed. I lost track of how many bodies he brought to our bed after Alyona left us. This is his way of coping, and now that we've discovered Alyona was hiding more than just her presence from us, Rodion will need an outlet.
“I thought you were coming to my office today, but when you didn't show up, I decided to drop by and deliver the good news in person.” She smiles brightly and rummages through her oversized purse, pulling out a set of keys and a folder. I’d forgotten I was supposed to go to her office today. “I've never closed on a property that quickly before, but given the urgency you expressed, the sellers appreciated the offer over the asking price.”
“Hmmm, money often gets things moving,” I remark, taking the items from her. Happy to have the house sorted.
“If there's anything else I can assist you with, please let me know.”
Rodion positions himself firmly between me and her, intertwining his fingers with hers before bringing her hand to his lips for a lingering kiss. “Oh, we’ll definitely let you know, right, brother?”
“Right,” I grunt, trying to mask my amusement.
Her eyes have widened, and her bottom lip quivers as she takes quick breaths of air. Rodion has that effect on most people when he gives them his full attention, and she’s not immune.
“In fact,” he glances between us with a glint in his eye, “we’re having the grand re-opening of our newly acquired nightclub in a few weeks. We’ll make sure to send you a personal invite.”
He still hasn’t released her hand, his gaze practically undressing her right here in the bustling lobby. There are at least eight different surfaces in my eyeline that he’d happily fuck her on. Little does he realize that no matter how far he pushes this interaction, it won’t satisfy his hunger, because it’s not her he truly desires.
Snatching her hand back when Rodion flashes his teeth, she backs up and nods her head. “Wonderful, I’ll look forward to it.”
Chuckling darkly, he replies, “Us too.”
Ten pairs of eyes, filled with shock and disbelief, stare back at me with their mouths agape.
“You want to close the club and we'll still be getting paid?” one brave bartender asks.
When we arrived an hour ago, Rodion quickly fired the barmaid who served the nun assassin. “If you can’t distinguish between a real ID and a fake one,” he had stated firmly, his voice echoing through the empty club, “you won’t be working here anymore. Gather your belongings and get out.”
While his tone was undeniably harsh, it conveyed the seriousness of the situation. It was a necessary lesson, especially after the barmaid confessed that a police detective had come in earlier today, inquiring about the fucking nun woman.
With the type of business we want to run, errors that can bring any law enforcement to the premises cannot be tolerated. The doorman will go too when he decides to fucking show up because he let her through the doors with the fake ID in the first place.
“We’re having some renovations done and it will only be a few weeks, a month tops,” Rodion tells the staff, his ass sitting on the lip of the desk I’m sitting behind. His arms are folded over his chest, his dominance well and truly asserted. I like it when he’s in boss mode.
It costs nearly as much as the property itself to get people to work on short deadlines to have the lower level renovated, but it will be worth it once it’s exactly how we want it.
“I will be bringing in our bar manager from Moscow at that time of the re-opening who will shadow you, Riley,” I tell the club floor manager. “Her name is Nikita, and she knows how we like things done.”
Riley looks a little apprehensive as he asks, “So, I still have a position here, or will she be replacing me?”
“Of course you have a place here,” Rodion answers for me, sensing the concern in Riley’s voice. “We do have a more hands-on approach with our clubs but you will still retain your position as long as you do a good job of it. Those who work hard and to our standards will be well rewarded.”
We will take the necessary time to conduct background checks on all our employees to determine for ourselves who is trustworthy enough to join the lower-level team. In the meantime, Nikita will be bringing along a few of our trusted staff members with her.
“And, from now on, we’re no longer serving any cheap liquor,” I declare firmly, locking my gaze onto the waitress who served us those shit drinks the other night. “You’re going to promote the Rainbow Vodka, not just because it’s our in-house brand, but because it’s crafted with high quality ingredients and it's delicious.” The staff exchange glances, nodding in unison. “Excellent. Help yourself to a bottle of Rainbow Vodka on your way out. Get to know it and enjoy it.”