Page 61 of One of Them

Maxim’s fingers trailed the inner side of my thigh, but I was confident it was going to take way more effort to taunt me. Or even get a reaction.

With a familiar smirk, he abruptly stood up and faced me head-on.

Leaning in, he came close, stopping just short of my lips.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t eager to give him this first. One I’d been wanting to be rid of for a while.

Do I close my eyes?

No. I blinked several times, watching him from behind lowered eyelids.

It was when his tongue licked the pastry’s filling from the corner of my mouth that it hit me.

Asshole.

He was lucky I didn’t choke him with the chain decorating his thick neck.

An amused snicker escaped him, and I only saw his back as he returned to the driver’s seat, eyes fixed on the entrance. When I glanced behind me, Luka finally walked out, hands filled with junk food.

Once back in the car, it was Maxim’s turn to laugh.

This time, I didn’t need to ask who he was laughing at.

Ilya was sitting at his desk when a staff member led us to him. Despite today being his wedding day, he looked terrible. I highly doubt he slept.

Cigarette smoke still hung in the air. Whiskey glasses cluttered the room.

Papers covered the ground and occupied the sofas. Broken glass pooled under the left wall, making me wonder what exactly happened earlier.

With the turn of the handle, I opened the window, letting the morning breeze in.

I remained there, in my familiar spot, when I spoke to the man who was apparently in desperate need of us. “Ilya. You do realize that I’m not a dog to be summoned.”

With no regard for my words, he barked out orders. “I need you to follow Malek throughout the wedding,” Ilya urged. “Keep an eye on his movements. Who he talks to, and report back to me.”

A deep breath helped me stay calm.

“Let me get this straight. You want me to be your witness and play spy?” I eyed him. “What’s this really about, Ilya?”

His hand waved dismissively through the air. “We’ll talk after the ceremony.”

“Fine, I’ll watch him,” I agreed. “But I’m not going out of my way.”

My answer displeased him, the vein on his forehead pulsing in response.

“You will do as I say!”

Unacceptable. His manner and tone were far too disrespectful.

“I’m going to pretend none of this happened because I don’t want to ruin Alisa’s special day,” I said, my voice steady. I truly didn’t want to, even if her fiancé was being a dick. “But this behavior won’t fly with me anymore.”

I leaned against the front of the desk. “I am nobody’s toy.”

The Pakhan laughed. Right in my face. A full-hearted, deep laugh that resonated through the room, making my blood boil. I turned to the Galkins behind me, wondering if I was the only one seeing this, but they looked just as confused.

Before we could make sense of Ilya’s strange behavior, he started rambling. “I knew the fucker wanted to overthrow me for a while. There wasn’t much I could do. He had the numbers. My very own people turned against me.”

A fist pounded against the desk, and I instinctively took a step back, preparing myself for whatever was coming next. I could already tell I wasn’t going to like his next words when he looked at me.

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