Page 24 of Boss Daddy

“Misha Grinkov.”

The name lands like a punch to the gut. My fingers curl into fists, my knuckles aching all over again.I know that name. I know what kind of man Misha Grinkov is.

She swallows hard. “I quit because Misha tried to force me to strip, among other unsavory things.” She says it quickly, like ripping off a bandage.

A surge of protectiveness roars through me, and I feel the need to shield her, to fight for her, to destroy anyone who dares to lay a finger on her.My vision goes red again for a split second before I pull it back under control.

“You don’t have to deal with this alone. You understand me, Erin?”

Her lips tremble slightly, but she nods. And for the first time, I see a crack in her armor. The fear she’s been hiding. The strength it’s taken for her to keep going.

I have my own history with Misha, and unfortunately, I know him well. Years ago, I made the mistake of handling some of his investments. The numbers checked out and the returns were good—until I realized the money was dirty, laundered through his goddamn strip clubs and other sleazy operations. The second I figured it out, I severed ties. Misha Grinkov is pure poison.

“Misha’s bad news, Erin.”

She lets out a short, bitter laugh. “Yeah, I figured that out.”

I look at her, the red mark still blooming across her cheek, her hands gripping the edge of the bar so tightly her knuckles are white. Anger bubbles up, threatening to break the surface, but I force it down. Right now, she needs me to stay calm. My anger won’t do anyone any good.

“Is he after you?” I take a breath. “Erin, tell me honestly, did you steal from him, anything like that?”

“No!” The word shoots out of her mouth, indignation flashing in her eyes.

I’m good at catching liars. She’s not one of them.

“The guy out there said Misha wants to talk to me.” Her voice wavers, but she stays steady on the stool.

“Because you quit,” I say.

“People quit jobs all the time. What makes me so special?”

I exhale slowly, my fists clenching so hard my knuckles scream in protest. The answer to that question is Misha doesn’t toleratedefiance, especially not from a woman who can bruise his ego just by walking away.

Erin is the kind of woman who would cause his twisted possessiveness to bubble to the surface. She’s strong, stunning, and smart enough to escape his grasp. That alone would drive a man like Misha insane. In his world, you don’t have a woman like her and let her slip away.

“Does he know where you live?”

Her eyes drop to the floor. “Yeah. I had to give him all my info when I started working for him.”

“You’re coming to stay with me.” The words come out of my mouth without thinking about what I’m saying.

She raises her eyebrows. “I’m…what?”

“You heard me. You’re staying with me.”

Her eyes widen. “Samuel, I—”

I cut her off. “I’m not letting you go back to your apartment, not when he knows where you live.”

Her lips part, like she’s about to protest, but then she closes her mouth. The fight flickers in her eyes again, but it’s dulled by exhaustion, by the weight of everything she’s been carrying.

“Samuel, I can’t juststaywith you. I barely know you. Besides, I’ve got my own place, and…” She trails off, as if knowing she doesn’t have any more points to argue.

“You got family in town?”

Her eyes flash, and in that moment, I’m guessing her parents are either gone or she’s not on good terms with them.

“It’s… complicated.”

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