Page 49 of Torn Souls

Our woman tenses and Kirill’s hands tighten on her waist where he’s holding her.

Baker steps forward, his face menacing. “You will calm the fuck down and sit. Don’t forget who you’re meeting with. If you think Kirill is the only danger in this room, then you haven’t done your research.”

Chambers swallows hard and sits down slowly. He glances around the room, seemingly to just now realize the violence threatening him from all sides.

“You can’t marry my daughter without an agreement with me,” Chambers states as if he has a leg to stand on.

“Why?” A sinister smile curls on Kirill’s lips. “She’s right here.” He gives her waist a squeeze which has her letting out a small sound of surprise, one for effect more than anything else. “She’s already mine.”

The promises in Kirill’s words are real, but they’re incomplete. I know he doesn’t like presenting our woman as just his, but that’s what is required in this moment.

If Chambers were to know how much she means to all of us, it would only give him more leverage. We can’t have that.

“She’s my daughter,” Chambers growls.

“She is,” Kirill admits.

The longer Chambers tries to use Oaklynn for his gain, the more anger I can practically see radiating from my brother. But I know he won’t lose his control. Not now, not yet.

“You can’t marry her without my consent.”

Fucking hell. What a complete asshole. I run my fingers through my hair and look away because looking at him pisses me off.

“Because of my upcoming nuptials, I am feeling generous,” Kirill tells Chambers who clenches his hands into fists as his jaw clenches. “I’m sure that we can come to an agreement.”

“Good,” Chambers leans back in his chair and forces his hands to relax as if he’s just won something. He hasn’t. He can’t even see the noose that has been slipped around his neck. “I’ve been a financial advisor for years. I’m sure I can expand your portfolio.”

I have to bite my lip to stop myself from laughing.

Does he really believe that we don’t know that working as a financial advisor is only a cover? That most of his work was really done in the shadows?

“I can give you a copy of my portfolio as it stands right now. I’m open to hear your suggestions about how to manage it,” Kirill offers.

“If you want my daughter’s hand in marriage, I want a contract about the terms of managing your portfolio. I will be the only financial advisor you use. I will make decisions about the best way to grow your money and will provide a quarterly update.”

“I can agree with those terms, but all investments are to be brought to me before finalization and I expect a certain percentage of growth in the first year,” Kirill negotiates. “At least thirty percent.”

It’s easy to agree to terms when everything about the financial portfolio Chambers will work is completely fake. He won’t know it until it’s too late.

Because I have no doubt that he’ll be playing fast and loose with all his decisions. And it won’t be long before he brings us some shit investments or ones that are all smoke and mirrors. That’s how he was able to keep Morozov a float for as long as he did.

Nothing about the investments made or the money coming in was real. But it was effective at laundering money and keeping the darker parts of Morozov’s businesses under the radar. Not like people who would have filed charges weren’t paid off anyway.

“When will the wedding be?” Chambers eyes Oaklynn who is still sitting demurely on Kirill’s lap.

“Two months,” Kirill answers without missing a beat. “That will give my beautiful bride time to plan the wedding of her dreams where not a single expense will be spared.”

“I’m sure that will be enough time.” I can practically see the dollar signs in Chambers eyes; he no longer cares about anything beyond the next step in his plan. He stands up, his voice going cold, “Come now, Oaklynn. It’s time to go home.”

Oaklynn doesn’t move. For a moment it looks like she stops breathing. I can almost smell her fear.

This is a man who has hurt her for years. She couldn’t figure out how to get away from him, but now she’s been safe and he’s demanding for her to follow behind him like an obedient pet.

Not going to happen.

“No. Oaklynn stays with me.”

“What?” Chambers hisses. “That isn’t exactly proper.”

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