Page 38 of Sinful Promise

16

ROMAN

The princess has joined us. Alex and I called for men to be at my house. We’d be fools not to anticipate Ratmim finding us. I want to enjoy being at sea, but revenge comes with stress and unknown factors.

I take solace in the fact that Dasha is interested in me. She’s never been with a man. That’s obvious. The curiosity in her eyes gives her away. That and her shyness confirm my suspicion. I want to make love to her, and I want her first time to be special.

Why do I care so much? Other men would fuck her and sell her.

My thoughts drift from her to business. I have a text from Dmitry in New York. The cocaine will arrive in Russia this week. I text the man who will be in charge of the exchange when it comes in. I should call Nikolay, and yet, I delay the inevitable. I’d rather contact him when I have the guns or the money to replace them.

“Alex, I’m not sure how to handle this. I have men at my compound, and Mom’s protected in case Ratmim has a stupid idea to make more trouble.”

He smokes his cigarette. “It’s better to be prepared and not need men and guns than to be caught without them. Have you fucked her yet?”

“No.” My voice is low. I’m still at war with myself. A woman in a club is a one-and-done. They know what they signed up for, but Dasha is something different.

“Well, tap that and get her out of your system. Being this far away is a great idea, but he’s going to find her eventually. We need to call with demands. Keep the call short so it can’t be traced.”

“I agree. He owes us a million dollars. We also need to make sure no one finds our coke. I’ll put more men on it. You may have to head back early. I don’t trust anyone more than I trust you.”

Alex nods and blows a smoke ring. “Sure. Whatever you need.”

“Let’s take the women out on the boat to ski in the Côte d’Azur. We can have some fun. It’s turned into a working vacation, but we’re entitled to one day off.”

“Sounds great. I’ll drive the boat.” Alex’s face perks up. He loves to be in a boat more than he loves land. I’m surprised he still lives in Russia. He should buy himself a house on an island. He can easily afford it.

Irina joins us, and we exchange hugs.

“Thank you for coming,” I say.

“I hope you won’t need me. Are you expecting trouble, Roman?” Her voice is filled with contempt as she drops the questions.

“Aww, you only think the worst of me,” I chide her.

“I know you. And you have trouble written all over your face.” She waves her finger in the air. “It’s rare you call me to hang out unless you need something.” She turns away to hit the buffet table and obtains a plate of food she won’t eat and a drink she’ll love. She returns to sit beside Alex, predictably picking at her food like a bird.

“Well, we might have incoming. Hard to tell. I’m weighing my options at the moment.”

“It’s never good to take a captive. You open yourself up for more trouble.” Her eyes scan me. “Ah, she’s more than just some girl, right?”

“Mm.”

“No, this one is special. Who is she?”

“The fiancée of the man who stole from me.”

“You should have just put a hole in his head,” she says. “You’ve exposed yourself. It’s not like you to take risks like this. Something about this young woman enthralls you.”

“Perhaps.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you. And if I get hurt, you’ll pay for it.”

I lean back in my chair and meet her eyes. “I’m sure of it. Nothing about you is inexpensive.” I slip her a smile to let her know I don’t hold it against her. We’re excellent friends, and I want to keep it that way. She has contacts and expertise that are second to none. And as a woman, she can access some areas more easily than my men can. She can be invaluable and comes with a pipeline to contacts in other countries.

“Well, make sure I get my share of the product you have coming in, and I’ll be sure to do my part so that no harm comes to this precious princess you have lost your mind over.”

I nod. How do I remain objective when I only want to feel Dasha’s body, fondle her breasts, and show her what an attentive lover I can be? I can’t control my cock forever, but my instinct tells me that once I sink myself into her pussy, I may never be sane again. I’m not myself as it is. It’s not like me to behave this way.

---