Page 37 of Split

“Good afternoon, Mrs. Volkov,” Niko greets as he steps up alongside me, his smile brightening when I turn to meet his gaze.

I can’t help but smile back. He may be just another burly mobster, but his presence in the manor is like a ray of sunshine. “Nice to see you again, Niko,” I reply softly, an unwitting blush rising to my cheeks.

“How’s it going with Jekyll and Hyde?” he drawls.

My heart trips over its valves. I stare back at him dumbly, my jaw going slack and my brain short-circuiting.

Niko’s brows pinch together as he clocks my reaction. “The book you were reading?”

The pieces finally click together in my mind, a whoosh of air leaving my lungs.Of course he’s asking about the novel, not my psychopath of a husband.

“Oh, right,” I breathe, shaking my head with a girlish giggle. “Sorry, I… I finished it the other day.”

“And?” he prompts, grin widening. “What’d you think of the big twist?”

I shrug, another soft giggle slipping from my lips. “Kinda saw it coming,” I admit. “It was still good, though, you were right.”

“Eliza,” Roman interrupts sharply.

I snap my head in his direction, breath hitching when I meet his glacial glare.

He beckons me with a lift of his chin. “Come here.”

My posture stiffens as I stand frozen in indecision, cautiously assessing my husband’s tight expression.

Do I dare refuse his order and embarrass him in front of his colleague?

The wildcat in me wants to, but the housecat I’m trying to portray myself as would never. So, I beam a brittle, mirthless smile back at him, lifting my chin as I turn on a heel and step around his desk.

His eyes never leave mine as I approach. He swivels his chair in my direction, nodding to his lap. “Sit.”

Though I’m fighting to keep my composure, I feel my cheeks burn with humiliation as I step between his spread knees and lower myself down onto his thigh. This is just another one of his sick powerplays that I’ll force myself to endure. I need to allow him to win the battles if I’m going to win the war.

“Niko, take a seat,” Roman commands, gesturing to a chair across his desk while his other arm comes to dangle loosely around my waist.

My husband’s second-in-command eases down to sit, the leather creaking beneath his weight as he shifts uncomfortably.

“I trust you’re here with good news about the shortage in the recent shipment?” Roman prompts.

Niko flickers me a glance, hesitating for a moment before returning his gaze to Roman and nodding. “Yes, we were able to pin down the source. It turns out our middleman thought he could dip into the profits and it would go unnoticed.”

“Where is he now?” Roman questions, his voice dropping to a dangerously low decibel.

“Took care of him myself,” Niko replies with a proud lift of his chin.

I readjust my position on Roman’s lap, subtly moving around in an effort to make myself a little more comfortable. His fingers close around my hip, grip tightening to hold me in place as he responds to Niko.

“Good. See to it that he didn’t manage to bring anyone else in on his scheme. Clean house if you have to.”

It’s amazing how these men can discuss murder as if it’s nothing more than a business transaction. I tune them out as they continue droning on, and though Roman’s directive to sit still is clear, I can’t help but wriggle again in a bid to escape the discomfort of something digging into the back of my thigh. My breath stalls when I realize what it is, jarring me back to reality.

He’s hard.

My mind trips over itself at the impossibility, because when I regarded him before coming over to sit on his lap, I was positive Dr. Jekyll was looking back at me. He’s not the side of Roman who’s always after a pound of my flesh. To the contrary, he’salways seemed impervious to my feminine wiles– or at least Ithoughthe was.

My head spins, a jumble of scattered thoughts ricocheting through my brain. This could be the opportunity I’ve been waiting for. The calmer side of Roman’s personality is decidedly more reasonable, so if I can appeal to him, maybe I can finally get the leverage I’ve been seeking.

I shift my weight again, purposefully rubbing myself on his erection as I lean back against his chest. His muscles tense beneath me, cock thickening against my backside as he fights to retain his composure in front of Niko. It’s obvious I’m making him uncomfortable, and I can’t help but derive a sick sense of satisfaction at that realization. It’s about time he experienced just a fraction of the discomfort I’ve endured at his hands.

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