Page 41 of Mafia King's Bride

I scrub my face with my hands, the cold water doing nothing to wash away the lingering frustration. I shouldn’t be thinking about her like this.It was a mistake; she’s made that clear. I need to let it go, move on.

But the truth is, I can’t stop thinking about last night. About how her body fit against mine, the way she whispered my name, the way she let me in.

I step into the shower, the scalding water cascading over me, but the heat doesn’t stop my mind from wandering back to her. It’s stupid, but I can’t shake it. She’s gotten under my skin in a way I wasn’t prepared for, and it’s messing with me.

There’s no going back to the way things were between us. No matter how much we both pretend it was an accident, we’ve crossed a line.

So where do we go from here?

I don’t know, but one thing is clear: she’s not leaving my mind anytime soon.

“Igor,”I say, the second I see him hovering by the elevator as I step out.

Typical. He’s been circling like a vulture for days. “What brings you to my office?”

“I was hoping I could have a word with you,” he says, trying to match my strides as I make my way down the hallway.

I know what this is about before he even opens his mouth. Igor’s been sweating the Las Vegas deal for weeks now, unable to close it. I knew he would come to me sooner or later. I let him twist in the wind and watched him scramble. He’s desperate now, and desperate men are easy to control.

We reach my office door, and he halts, shifty-eyed, fidgeting like a kid about to confess.

Here we go.

“Okay?” I ask, pausing to let him gather whatever courage he has left.

He avoids my gaze, staring at the floor, the walls—anywhere but at me.

Pathetic.

I already know what he wants, but I let him grovel. It’s more fun.

“You remember when I told you about that good deal in Vegas?” His voice is laced with anxiety. “A billionaire investor interested in my casinos?”

I arch a brow, barely able to conceal my disdain. “Yourcasinos? Did you actually buy them?”

He scratches the back of his head, avoiding the question entirely. “Well, no. Not yet. But I met with the owners. They’re willing to move forward, it’s just...there’s a time factor.”

I stare at him, pretending ignorance. “And what’s stopping you? You’ve got your investor, right? You’ve got the parties lined up. All you need to do is close the deal, buy them out. Profit rolls in.”

Igor shifts nervously, and I can practically see the beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

Just say it. Admit your failure.

“Well,” he falters, looking like he’d rather be anywhere else. “The thing is, the investor wasn’t going to give me the money outright. He wanted shares. And then, after some time, I’d pay him back half.”

I nod slowly, enjoying the way he squirms. “So, you’re telling me you just realized you were about to get played? That the investor was ready to screw you over?”

Igor’s eyes widen with panic. “Yes. Yes, exactly! I should’ve listened to you. You warned me about outsiders. I thought I could handle it, but?—”

I raise a hand to stop his rambling.

Pitiful. I can almost feel sorry for him.

Almost.

“Let me guess,” I say, the edge in my voice unmistakable. “You’re here to ask me to fix this for you.”

He flinches at the bluntness of it, but nods. “Yes, Dmitri. I need your help.”

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