Page 8 of Maxim

A footstep.

A sudden shift in the air behind me.

There’s someone there.

I can sense them.

Oh God.

Just as I’m about to run for my life, a door opens nearby and a group of young people emerge, laughing and hurling jokey insults at each other.

The atmosphere changes from sinister to normal in a heartbeat. Noise and laughter follow me as the group chatters in my wake. They must be heading for an apartment in my building because they step inside just after me.

I take the elevator up to my floor while they wait for the next one.

When my apartment door closes behind me, I engage the lock, wedge a chair under the handle, and collapse on the floor.

Chapter six

Max

I was so busy watching the girl that I almost missed the call from Sasha. I’m hoping it’s about the mayor. He’s a massive thorn in my side and I hate the bastard, but right now, he’s useful to me. Or he will be once he stops fucking me around.

We have plans for a large casino development on a plot of wasteland near the city center. The money is all in place but some of the permits are outstanding. Without them, we can’t push ahead and break ground. The longer this bullshit takes, the more restless my investors get.

None of them are a threat to me, but delays for no good reason undermine my reputation and make it harder for me to keep control of the city.

The mayor knows this. He’s the asshole who has the final say on construction projects. He’s stalling and we both know it, but I’m not sure why. My guess is he wants more money, but so far, all he’s done is procrastinate.

I’ve been pushing for a meeting all week. Each time I call his PA, the mayor is ‘busy’. My patience is running out and I’m on the verge of paying him a little house visit, a quick reminder of who he’s dealing with. Perhaps that will crystallize his thinking.

It’s much too busy to take a call in the bar, so I push my way outside. Artem is parked a block away, as stoic as ever. He’s listening to some audiobook when I open the passenger door, but he turns it off when I take a seat and hit call on Sasha.

“You took your time,” he grumbles. “Thought maybe you were getting laid for once.”

My mind takes me back to the bar and replays the delicious visual of the sexy brunette’s ass gyrating to the music.

Bad idea.

Now I’m hard.

Thankfully it’s dark and Artem is looking the other way.

“Nope. Just a quick drink. What you got for me?”

Sasha chuckles. He knows me too well. “I can send Alina over if you need her?”

Fucking Alina is always entertaining, but I’m not in the mood for her particular brand of crazy tonight.

“Sasha, get the fuck on with it. I have shit to do.”

“OK,” he sighs. “The mayor is spooked. He made a call to one of his buddies. He’s gotten wind a journalist is digging into his shady dealings and now he’s panicking that something might stick enough to fuck things up for him.”

“Is he right?”

“Yeah. Some woman from the Daily Journal.”

“Fuck. This could cause us problems. We need the development signed off before anything happens to him.” Sasha is quiet but I can hear the clacking of keys in the background.

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