Page 23 of Devil's Bride

“Where the hell’s Mikhail?”

As if on cue, the door opens and Mikhail walks in. He probably chose to run up the stairs rather than take the elevator, given the way he’s sweating. Dimitri enters after him, and Igor follows.

Igor was one of my father’s loyal soldiers and I used to fuck his daughter until my engagement to Irina. After my father’s unfortunate demise, Igor’s loyalty quickly changed and he got his only daughter to seduce me, probably thinking it would raise his standing, making him more than just my father’s loyal dog.

I know better than to completely trust a man like him, but he’s a useful asset for now.

His daughter was also a good fuck and she gave the best head. The problem is, I can never remember her name, no matter how hard I try.

My brothers, along with Dimitri and Igor, are all the men I need here today. On a normal day, Igor wouldn’t be here, but I need a good hunting dog. And he’s a good choice because of his desperation to get on my good side. He’ll do anything to convince me his loyalty lies with me.

“Has anyone gotten a lead on who is responsible for that video?” I ask when they’re all settled in.

I don’t get an immediate response as they all exchange glances. I know in an instant it means they have nothing for me yet.

“We should get Dominic’s help,” Mikhail suggests. “He owes you a favor.”

Dominic does owe me a favor, and we never forget. I’ll only play that card when I’m in dire need of his assistance.

“I do no not need his help, not right now.” I drum my fingers on the edge of my desk as I think. “I won’t ask Dominic to step in unless it’s something we can’t handle.”

“I have Matteo being watched,” Dimitri says. “He’s been well behaved lately. I think he knows we’re onto him. He’s being more careful than usual these days.”

“Let him be, he can never be too careful.” I run my hand over my beard. “His daughter is in my care now, I’m sure he won’t do anything reckless, at least for now.”

Nikolai clears his throat. “We need to stay alert for now. We shouldn’t give the Phoenix something they can use as leverage over us.”

I incline my head with a nod. “I agree.” Glancing at Mikhail, I say, “How many men do we have on Matteo?”

“Ten,” Mikhail answers.

“Reduce it to three.” Ten is a crowd, three men can easily go unnoticed. “I don’t care whether he’s fucking or throwing out the trash. I want a report on every fucking thing he does.”

Dimitri flashes a cocky grin. “You want to be updated on whether your father-in-law is fucking?”

I frown at my friend. It’s in his nature to make the most inappropriate jokes. “Shut up.”

His grin widens. “How’s married life treating you?” Before I can reply, he continues, “Seeing as you’re here early, I’ll have to assume you snuck out of bed.”

That is exactly what I did. I snuck out of bed while my wife was still sleeping, exhausted from how hard I’d fucked her. She’d been so damn beautiful that I just wanted to lie beside her and watch her until she woke up. Being a Pakhan comes with responsibilities and consequences, and not watching my wife wake up is one of them.

“Do you want to join us tonight? You’ll get updates on my married life if you do.” I lift a brow.

My brothers laugh. Dimitri stretches out in his chair. “I’ll have to pass on that offer.”

“I’ve yet to be properly introduced to your new wife,” Nikolai says, scratching the back of his neck. He has a smug smile on his face, one I would be afraid of if he weren’t my brother. “How about a family dinner?”

“No.” I know he’s only asking because he wants to come over and tease Irina. It’s a thing he does, teasing people he thinks are afraid of him. “Irina is not like that.”

If anyone should be afraid, it should be him.

“You can’t hide her away from me forever,” he muses.

“Try me.” My gaze darts to Igor who has been quiet this whole time. Given how he dreamt of becoming my father-in-law, I would guess the mention of Irina’s name makes him uneasy. Too bad because I wouldn’t have married his daughter even if Irina wasn’t in the picture.

Nikolai only smiles.

I push up to my feet. While I’m disappointed this meeting didn’t have the desired outcome, I’m more than happy to return home to my new bride. “Get your asses out of my office, I have somewhere I need to be.”

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