Page 111 of His Wild Attraction

Pride burned in my eyes as I pictured them before I left for work that morning.

Ellie was wearing a pair of stretchy jeans and a fuzzy gray sweater, and Sammy was getting ready to visit the preschool we were looking to send him to starting that January since he missed the fall semester.

Ellie and I had spent a few days researching programs we felt would be good for him, and today was the first interview.

I was meeting them there at ten o’clock, but I had to handle some things first at work.

My phone buzzed, and I looked down, frowning when I saw the contact.

It was a message from the Sigma International bodyguard I’d enlisted to tail Gary Peters after our little meeting.

The motherfucker had given him the slip.

Fuck.

“Morning, cousin,” Marat said, walking into my office.

“Morning,” I replied, eyeing him warily.

Still known as the face of Volkov Industries, Marat was more than met the eye. Something his enemies had to learn firsthand.

Luckily, I was not one of them.

But I had no time for reunions or whatever Marat wanted to chat about.

I needed to get someone out looking for Gary. With Ellie and Sammy out and about today, even with a driver and bodyguard, I was on fucking edge as it was.

Knowing Gary was on the run was not a comfort in any way shape or form. I needed to call Ellie.

“What’s up?” I asked Marat, hoping to shoo him along so I could phone my wife.

“Nothing. Just thought I could spend some time bonding with my favorite cousin.”

“You only learned I was your cousin a few weeks ago. How can I be your favorite?” I asked blandly.

“Probably because I don’t know of any others,” he replied with a shrug.

“Idiot,” a gruff voice said from the doorway and we both turned to see Adrik standing there. “Get in my office, both of you.”

I followed Marat and Adrik to his office, wondering what was going on. Josef was already inside, and he didn’t look so happy.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“Anything you want to tell us, cousin? Like how you confronted your wife’s ex-husband in a law firm we don’t own and proceeded to beat the man to a pulp in front of witnesses?” Adrik snapped.

Eyebrows raised, I looked from one man to the other, stopping with Josef when he lifted his phone to show me a picture of a beaten and bloody Gary Peters.

I heaved a sigh.

“What? It’s not like you haven’t done anything like that before,” I grumbled, rubbing the back of my neck with my hand.

“Why wouldn’t you come to us for help with this?” Adrik spat, slamming his hands on the desk.

“Ellie’s ex-husband is my problem to deal with,” I said, shaking my head.

“That is where we beg to differ, cuz. You see, we’re family. That makes this asshole all of our problems,” Marat replied.

Emotion started to build inside of me. I never had this. Family, camaraderie, or whatever it was.

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