Page 18 of Use Me, Daddy

“About time you showed up,” Maxim said as I took a seat, his tone dry but edged with a smile. “I was beginning to think our charming art dealer had forgotten what real business looks like.”

I smirked, ignoring the jab. “You know I’m never far,” I replied, settling in. “Besides, someone has to keep our hands clean.”

Nikolai chuckled, clapping me on the back. “You keep those hands dirtier than most, Aleksei. Just not the way our brother here does.”

A small grin played on my lips, but it vanished quickly as I leaned in.

A petite waitress approached our table, her steps careful, her smile a little too eager as she set a tray of drinks in front of us. She was young, fresh-faced, pretty, which was every new girl Yuri hired. Her gaze flicked to each of us, lingering for a moment longer on me. I gave her a quick nod, and she blushed slightly before stepping away.

But my thoughts were elsewhere.

On Amy…

“The gallery’s revenue has spiked this month,” Maxim said, studying me with his usual intensity. “It’s bought us some breathing room.”

“More than breathing room,” Ivan added, his voice thoughtful, though his gaze remained on the tablet he was scrolling through. “Moving the money through your auctions has been smoother than we expected.”

I shrugged, leaning back and taking a sip of the vodka that had been set in front of me. “The art speaks for itself. That makes it easy.”

Then they began to talk amongst themselves.

I glanced at my brothers, each focused on the plans laid out on the table before us. Sergei was talking about tightening security around some of our more vulnerable assets, his voice low and steady. Nikolai was murmuring something about a contact who’d need ‘persuasion,’ his grin a little too eager. But my mind wasn’t on the business at hand, not really.

My thoughts wandered to Amy, and the way her cheeks blushed bright pink the moment I stepped just a little too close.

A voice snapped me back to reality.

“So, Aleksei,” Maxim said, his tone more cutting now, “the next auction’s set for Friday. You’re handling it?”

I nodded, slipping back into focus. “Everything’s in place. The crowd’s been carefully selected—buyers we can trust, and enough outsiders to keep it looking legitimate.” I let a small smile play at my lips. “And I’ve brought someone in to keep things interesting.”

Maxim’s eyebrow lifted, though his expression remained neutral. “Oh?”

Nikolai leaned forward, a mischievous glint in his eye. “Is she pretty?” he asked, his grin widening as he caught the look that I shot him.

I smirked, shaking my head as if to brush off the question, but Sergei caught on. “That’s a yes,” he said, his rare smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Our little brother’s got someone worth noticing. Should we be concerned?”

“It’s not like that,” I said, but even I could hear the hint of something that betrayed my casual tone.

“Oh, come on,” Ivan cut in, tapping a finger against his glass. “Spill a few details, Aleksei. If she’s running the gallery, we should know more about her, no?” His grin was sly, though he was only half-teasing. Ivan always wanted to know exactly who was involved in our business.

I sighed, unable to dodge them entirely. “Her name’s Amy,” I said, keeping my tone even, though I knew this would only make them dig deeper. “She’s intelligent, knows the art world inside out. Competitive as hell, too. The kind who hates to lose.”

“Sounds like she’ll fit in perfectly with this family,” Nikolai laughed, slapping the table. “And just how much of that world famous charm have you laid on her, Aleksei?”

Maxim’s gaze didn’t falter. “As long as she doesn’t cause complications, I don’t care who she is.” His words were flat, but his eyes held a warning.

“She’s an asset,” I said, keeping it professional, even though my mind lingered on the way she’d looked at me yesterday, trying to size me up. “She’s good with clients, knows how to work a room. And with the buyers we’re bringing in, her expertise keeps things running smooth.”

Nikolai shot me a knowing look. “Oh, I bet it does.”

I leveled him with a stare. “My interest here is business. If she’s good at her job, she stays.”

Maxim took a measured sip of vodka, eyeing me over the rim of his glass. “Good. Because we have more important matters to deal with.” He leaned forward, his tone sharpening. “Our contact in Brighton says there’s some movement with the Orlovs. We’re watching their assets, but if they start making moves here in Boston, we’ll need to send them a message.”

Sergei’s expression turned serious, his jaw tightening. “I’ll arrange for extra security, have eyes on the key locations. They make one wrong move, we’ll know.”

“Let’s be clear,” I said, catching each of their gazes. “Their crew is unpredictable, the kind that’s just dumb enough to think they can pull something. We need to keep everything tight, no loose ends. The gallery included.”

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