Page 40 of Asher

“I got a visit a few months ago. Then we talked it over.” I locked eyes with Rome. “This is your call; it’s up to you. Ivan Svankov is stepping down as the mafia's cleaner. He’s retiring and wants to spend time with his wife and daughter.”

Rome jerked up his chin, “Heard about that. Word is he’s reached out to you and two others.”

I lifted a brow, “Who?”

“A man he knew way back in Russia. Sergei Alekseev, he’s the Sovietnik for Maksim Kostikov. And the other, he’s the Sovietnik for Konstantin Mikhailov.”

I leaned back in my chair and thought it over. It was a good plan. With Maksim, the new Pakhan of the east of the United States, and Konstantin, the new Pakhan of the north, a lot more ground will be covered. I liked it. It was a damn good plan.

But... “You gotta think on it. It’s a big undertaking. Not sure your woman will be okay with it.”

Rome lifted his chin, “I’ll talk to her about it.”

And he would because there wasn’t a move Rome made unless he talked it over with Collins. She wasn’t his ol’ lady. But we all knew he was hers.

“Anything else that needs to be brought to the table?” I asked.

And when no one opened their mouths, I slammed the gavel on the table.

It was time to get the clubhouse ready for the party we were hosting this weekend.

***

That night, as I lay in my bed behind my closed eyelids, I allowed myself the one pleasure I had given myself.

She was old enough now.

It wasn’t criminal.

Some might say it was criminal to have done what I did.

But I knew that at the end of the day, as long as she ended the day in my bed, then I didn’t consider any of it not to be worth it.

I would do it all over again for it to be her face I saw at the end of the day and the first thing I saw every morning.

Perhaps that was why, after four hours of lying in bed awake, I had gotten up, dressed, then got on my bike and rode to where I did.

And, like always... her bedroom window was open.

Chapter 9

Chloe – Present – Age 21

I had been waiting for this.

Needing this.

For years and years and freaking years.

I wanted to pinch myself.

Because this had better be real life.

If I found out this was a dream... there was no telling what I would do.

My eyes stared at his amazing body. Fit. Tattooed. Sprinkles of grey on his chest.

Even though the man was twenty-one years older than I was... it didn’t make me see any less in him.

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