Page 34 of Beautiful Deception

“Not tonight, Natasha. I really do have things I need to deal with.”

“But-,”

“Not tonight. I’m sorry. You were lovely tonight. But I have work to do.”

“You always have work to do.”

He’s silent for so long, I finally work up the courage to look over at him. He’s staring down at Natasha with a frown. “My work is important. If we are to be wed one day, you need to understand that.”

“Of course. I know how to be a good wife. I am a widow, after all. Goodnight.” She leaves with her nose upturned but before she walks out the door, she shoots me a glare for good measure.

Viktor sighs. “It’s been a long night.”

“It has,” I whisper.

“Did Finn say anything to you? You screamed. What did he do?”

“He… works with you, sir. I’m not sure I should say.”

“Say it,” he orders. It does something funny to my body. A tingle in my stomach. “He touched my waist. It felt… threatening. So I screamed.”

“Fucking bastard,” he mutters.

“Sir, you don’t seem to like him.”

“How could you tell?”

“Why do you work with him if you don’t like him?”

“I don’t like a lot of people, Inessa. Finn is a means to an end. He’ll help me achieve what I want to achieve. It’s simple as that. It’s business.”

I let out a sharp sigh. “He told me you’re the Russian Mafia.” It’s better Viktor knows I know. It will be one last lie I have to hold onto.

Viktor tenses. “He told you that?”

“He did. Is it… true?” We both know it’s true but will he tell me is the real question.

“That’s a conversation for another day. Finn should not have told you that.”

“So, it was a lie?”

“It was… it is complicated. But you need to know that you don’t need to fear me. As long as you haven’t done anything wrong.”

“Sir?”

“I don’t take kindly to people betraying me. Now, I want to discuss this cake business more but right now, I need to deal with Finn. Tomorrow night, come to my office.”

Why is my heart beating faster? Out of fear or… something else?

“Goodnight, Inessa.” He walks away before I can say anything.

But I don’t even know what else I would say. Viktor is not a man you just easily converse with.

Viktor

“What the hell were you thinking?” I snarl as I enter my office, slamming the door behind me.

Finn sits on the chair opposite my desk. What pisses me off the most is his feet, on my desk, as if he has the right to put them there. “What are you talking about?”

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