Page 138 of Sinful Blaze

I nod. I hope I don’t look too enthusiastic about it.

Brennan glares at us. At me.

So I give him a sweet smile and a little wave of my fingers.

He sees it. If he was upset before, he’s fuming now. “That’s all for tonight,” he says abruptly. The senator downs one more of the tepid glasses of water, clears his throat for the hundredth time, then rushes off the dais.

Pasha is grinning from ear to ear. Once he’s eased himself from me, he tucks my panties back into place and pats my thigh.

“Best dinner I’ve been to in a long time,” he murmurs mischievously. “Dessert was damn near orgasmic.”

52

PASHA

The new imports arrive without issue. I don’t know if Sofiya had to threaten to castrate a few pilots, but whatever she did, it seems to be working. Business is good.

I just wish I could shake this unsettled feeling in my bones.

“He’s here,” Sofi announces as she joins me in my perch over the hangar. “Waiting in the office.”

“We’re absolutely sure about him?”

She frowns. “You know how I feel about absolutes.”

“That does not inspire confidence.”

“It also allows for a tiny margin of error. And I do mean tiny. Makari ran background checks, even sent out a few of his own men to the motherland for on-site intel. Not to mention my own vetting process, which you know is thorough.”

My grip on the railing tightens. “A perfect background means he’s got something to hide.”

“Everyone has something to hide.” Sofi sighs and pulls out her phone. “But if it makes you feel any better, he’s not all cologne and rose petals. He grew up with Kostya. Difficult to say if they were friends, but… he’s still alive. Hard to imagine Daddy dearest allowing an enemy that close to suck oxygen for so long.”

“Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”

“Yeah, except this guy stayed in Russia for the most part.”

I arch a brow. “‘For the most part’?”

Sofi shrugs. “Yeah, aside from a few sporadic visits to the States back in the day. Way back, like, before you were born. He came around a few times after, too, but finding anyone who remembers him well enough wasn’t so easy.” She rolls her eyes when I narrow mine at her. “Old guys, Pash. People are allowed to grow old and die.”

“Fine.” I sigh and drum my fingers on the railing. “Fine, fine. It’s all fine. It’s all gotta be fucking fine.”

I leave the conversation abruptly, but my little sister is used to it. She falls in step behind me without question. Not for the first time, I appreciate my siblings. No matter what shit hits the fan, they’re always here with me to clean it up.

Makari is in the office with our guest when we arrive. The two men are laughing about something; two more men I don’t recognize share a chuckle in the background.

I don’t know what’s so fucking funny. I’m definitely not in the mood.

“Arlo Fedorov.” I give the man a once-over. “Welcome back to America.”

He shakes my hand with a knowing smile. “Pasha Chekhov. I’ve heard a lot about you. Which is why I’ll cut to the chase. I understand you’re probably wondering who the hell I am and what the hell I’m doing here.”

Maybe I can see the charm. Just a little. I offer a nod. “Those questions have come up, yes.”

Arlo regards me with a steady gaze, but I don’t sense any ill will from him. Yet. “Well, to be honest, I am long overdue in sending my condolences for your father’s passing.”

“You mean his murder?”

---