Page 6 of Caught By the Bratva Beast

When I wink at the man, he laughs and shakes his head.

His attention remains on Noah, but his gaze cuts to me for a second, roaming up and down my body. “Noah is a lucky man. I’ve known him for years. He rarely brings a woman to these events, so you must be something else if he’s eager to show you off to the rest of us.”

Noah chuckles. His arm loops around my waist as he pulls me closer. “Wade, this is Pearl. Pearl, this is Wade. He’s one of my biggest competitors both on and off the golf course.”

I hold out my hand, trying not to cringe when Wade abandons his date, pressing a kiss to the back of my hand. He holds my hand for a second longer than necessary like he’s trying to weigh whether he can steal me from Noah for the night.

Not likely with the amount Noah is paying me to be his date for this event. Noah clears his throat and Wade drops my hand.

As he takes a step back, Noah’s fingers drift lower to my hip. “We should be getting inside. I want Pearl to meet a few other acquaintances before dinner begins.”

Before Wade can answer, Noah steers me toward the stairs. He doesn’t say anything as we climb them, but that’s fine. I’m too busy looking at the brilliant orange birds of paradise lining either side of the door to care.

Noah is a good man, but if it weren’t for this special event, I might not have gone out with him tonight. Well, the special event and his connections here, that’s what I’m curious about.

It’s not often that an unknown woman would get an invite to some of the most prestigious events in the city. She wouldn’t get a seat in the front row to the criminal or corporate world of the dark underbelly. I’m able to see both, and all it costs is a couple of nights a week with rich men looking to lavish me with attention.

We step into the casino and cigar smoke circles the top of the room for only a few seconds before disappearing through the vents. I try to take in the layout of the casino, the slot machines at the front, tempting people to spend a bit of money before they even get to the tables at the back. A bar sits to the side, polished wood and brass railing gleaming beneath warm-toned lights, waiters in white shirts and ties weaving through people in their best black-tie outfits.

Noah loops his arm through mine. “Are you having a good time?”

“Thank you for letting me drive your car. I’ve never driven one that fast and the handling was a dream.” I lean my head on his shoulder briefly, looking up at him like he hung the stars in the sky. “Truly, this is already a wonderful night.”

“Well, it’s just the beginning.” Noah’s lips brush against my ear as he speaks. “There’s still some gambling to do in the name of breast cancer research.”

“How could I resist gambling for such a good cause?”

Noah’s hand slides lower on my hip as he guides us to a table near the stage. “You should see the way the other men are looking at you in that dress.”

“You have excellent taste.” I shift slightly, the antique gold fabric is cascading like liquid on my body, catching the light and shimmering. “I especially love the low back. I never would have thought to pick a dress like this for myself.”

“Noah, your date is stunning.” An older woman looks up at us as we join a table filled with people dressed in jewel tones, blending with the vintage vibe of the casino.

“Thank you.” Noah pulls out a chair, waiting for me to sit before tucking it back in. “Pearl, these are my associates, Connie, Carmichael, and Roger.”

I lean closer to them to be heard over the jazz singer currently on stage. “The three of you look amazing together. Did you coordinate your outfits? I must know where you got that necklace, Connie.”

Connie blushes, color rising high on her wrinkled cheeks as she touches the little gold pendant hanging around her neck. “It was a gift from my late husband on our first anniversary. I’ve had it nearly forty years now.”

“I wish I could find a love like that one day.” I shift my seat closer to her, pegging her as the woman I need to charm to help Noah.

Based on the expensive dress she wears and the crystals dotting her updo, the quantity of them more elegant than tacky, she seems like the kind of woman who would have good connections. Especially if her husband was buying her necklaces that must have cost more than a thousand dollars at the beginning of their marriage.

I nod to Noah. “He’s been nothing but a gentleman.”

Connie studies him for a moment, the corners of her eyes crinkling. “He’s a good man. Still young in the world of business, but he has ideas that are going to be taking the world by storm. Right now, he’s eyeing a new investor, but there’ve been difficulties.”

Glancing at Noah I see his attention is caught by movement on the other side of the room.

It’s not something. It’s someone.

Maxim Orlov.

Chapter 3 - Maxim

Yegor sets a glass of whiskey in front of me, the single ice cube clinking against the side. “I told them that there would need to be more whiskey if the rest of the Orlovs were going to show up.”

I sip the whiskey, tilting my head to Nikita. “Nik, did you hear of anyone else joining us?”

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