Page 30 of Inked Adonis

“Fuck. So this is the end. When did you find out?”

“Right after my meeting with Danovic.”

“Double fuck. What are you going to tell him before he arrives? Are you going to prepare him for what he’s walking into?”

“And give him time to plan my murder?” I chuckle darkly. “Pass.”

Losing Lev Danovic will be portrayed as entirely my fault. One more dash in the running tab of reasons my father thinks I’m not fit to lead.

If I gave a shit about his opinion, I might actually be worried.

Lucky for both of us, I stopped caring a long, long time ago.

“I was thinking maybe you’d hit him with the other news we’re sitting on.” In case I’m not following his train of thought—though I always am—Myles makes it clear. “There are leaks within our inner circle, Sam. We both know where they’re coming from. Leonid should, too.”

I cross my arms over my chest. “We’ve had this conversation before, Myles. It’s not the time to out Ilya.”

“He’s the reason shit’s hitting the fan!” Myles cries out. “Why should you have to take the brunt of it?”

“Because that’s my role in this family. I’m the punching bag; Ilya is the crown prince. I’m not going to take on my little brother until I know I’ll come out on top. Long game, remember?”

Myles grits his teeth. “It feels like it’s been a really fucking long game.”

“You gotta build up your endurance, pal.” I clap him on the shoulder as I make my way to the door. “Like me. It’s not too late to lace up and join me on my run.”

He wrinkles his nose. “I prefer to purge my demons on the ice. I reserved the rink for tonight. You in?”

I toss him a thumbs up on my way out the door. I’ll burn off some of my sour mood on this run, but there will be plenty left for later.

This well of rage runs very fucking deep.

Running isfor prey animals and people with something to prove.

I am neither.

And yet here I am, pounding the Lakefront Trail like every other corporate schmuck trying to convince himself that grinding his cartilage to dust somehow makes him more of a man.

Give me hockey any day. Give me the brutal satisfaction of slamming someone into the boards. Give me blood on ice.

But I make myself run, because running is what humans evolved to do. What separates us from the beasts we pretend not to be. Before we invented stocks and bonds and Italian leather oxfords, we chased our prey until it collapsed from exhaustion.

I intend to do the same.

I’m on my second loop when I spot them.

At first, all I register is that giant wall of fur that is Rufus, prancing through the grass like gravity is optional. Then I see her. Nova. She’s wearing tiny running shorts that make her ass look like an invitation to sin, her hair falling out of its messy bun as she tries to wrangle control of her beast.

Something in my chest loosens. Something dark and ugly uncurls.

I’m moving toward her before I can stop myself, already anticipating Rufus’s enthusiastic greeting. Already thinking about how I’ll use it as an excuse to get my hands on her again.

Then she turns.

And my world stops spinning.

Because Nova isn’t alone.

She’s with my ex-wife.

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