Page 34 of Slipping into the Dark Side

Fedor cackled. “We are weeks away from our wedding. You are mine now, and if I say you can have fun, then you will have fun.” He kissed her cheek.

Tatianna leaned into him. “You spoil me.”

“You are worth it.”

Yakov wanted to throw up. He kept a tight, dull smile till, finally, their affection ended. “Follow me.” He spun on his heel, his expression falling. There was nothing that pissed him off more than when someone didn’t know when they were defeated. What did he have to do to destroy her? He’s already taken her virginity. How could she act so withdrawn?

Because she is more like me than I care to admit.

Yakov didn’t know women were capable of such acting. She was a rare bitch indeed, but all people have their limits. He just had to push till she broke.

“My father owned this club. It is one of my easiest venues.”

“Is this where you plan to store the liquor?”

“Yes. Below is a storage fit for two thousand barrels. I want to mass produce.” Yakov stopped in front of the bar to order a quick beverage. Not surprised, Fedor denied a drink. Yakov took both shots. Nothing wrong with a little liquid courage to deal with a vengeful harpy.

But he paused as he put the drink to his lips. Would she be able to position him? He looked down at his drink and glanced toward her. She wore the same brilliant smile she had walked in with, yet humor shone in her eyes.

Yakov put the drink down.

“My company can only make ten barrels at a time,” Fedor continued.

Yakov cleared his throat and nodded. “Which is why we are expanding. This is where Nevsky will come into play. This union between your families is very helpful to me.”

Fedor slipped an arm around Tatianna’s waist, pulling her close. “So glad we could help.”

“Yes,” Tatianna lovingly said. “My father is excited about your meeting tomorrow.”

Yakov caught her gaze, and she gave him nothing in her expression. He wanted to slap her if only to see some kind of response.

“I always believed the southern families weren’t being utilized to the best of their ability. Now, they will pull their weight. It will make us all filthy rich.”

Fedor laughed, leaning into Tatianna as she giggled. “Yes, that sounds wonderful.”

“First, a tour,” Yakov waved to one of the girls. “Would you please take Fedor and his fiancée through the club?” He turned and hurried back to his office, trying not to slam the door, but he was losing control of his actions and his stupid fucking emotions. How could a woman get to him like this? Was it a curse? Or had he drunk some kind of potion that made him crave her like an addict?

A knock on his door pissed him off, and he yanked it open to scream at whoever it was.

Except it was her—Tatianna.

Yakov glanced behind her, but Fedor was down by the orchestra pit.

Tatianna answered his silent question. “I told him I had to go to the ladies’ room.”

Yakov clenched his teeth but gestured for her to enter. The door gently clicked shut, trying to show as little emotion as possible. He was not going to expose how deeply she cut him. “Was there something you wanted?”

Revenge,she thought. But as he stood before her dressed in a dark grey button-up with darker pants, she found herself losing such a drive. She had been hurt for the past two weeks, but as she went over all the details in her head, something didn’t add up. And now she was here to see if she was right.

Tatianna held up a paper. “My father’s proposal.”

“Your father’s? Or yours?” Yakov snatched it out of her hand and moved to the desk.

“He won’t talk to me or listen to me. Should I thank you for not having kicked me out?”

“You should.”

“Well, I won’t. You’re not doing it for me. You’re doing it for you. You want no one to know what terrible thing you’ve done. Because it is one thing to betray an ally. It is another to steal a daughter’s virtue.”

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