Page 22 of Lorenzo's Claim

Of course, I wouldn’t hurt her, but that woman had been here one damn day. She was already driving me to the edge.

“Drink?” He rapidly changed the subject. Good man.

“Drink.” I confirmed as we headed back to the office.

“Things are new and unusual for the both of you right now. You need to try and refrain from losing your shit when she doesn’t do what you want. I know that’ll be hard for you, though,” he teased.

“No, I know that, but she makes it so hard. Why is she so difficult?!”

“Why are you?” He laughed, pouring me a triple whiskey.

He got me there. I was a difficult bastard. I never claimed I wasn’t, but Ana was a whole new kind of difficult. I genuinely thought I had nothing on her.

“Finn, continue calling my wife’s number, would you? She’s clearly ignoring me.”

“About that… She actually left her phone on the side table by the door.” He handed it to me. “My guess is that she wanted to piss you off even more than she already did.”

“Thanks for pointing that out, I wouldn’t have realised that otherwise.” I slammed her phone against my desk, the screen shattering beneath my palm.

“My bad. Sorry, Boss.” Finn smiled sheepishly. He was the youngest of the team, and honestly, he was a good kid. He just needed to think before he spoke.

“It’s alright. Just keep me updated on when she returns.”

I would be waiting for her, ready to show her exactly what happened when she didn’t listen.

8

“Everything alright?”Chad questioned the second I slid into the front seat.

“Yeah, everything’s fine. Why do you ask?” I couldn’t truly bring myself to open up and tell him just how much of a bastard Lorenzo was. I clocked my husband in the side view mirror as he ran his hands through his hair in anger.

“You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you run that fast before,” Chad joked, keeping his eyes trained on the driveway ahead.

“Fuck off! You know I have. I used to run circles around Miles!”

He threw his head back, letting out a throaty laugh as we pulled up to the gate. A man I had never seen before strolled up to Chad’s open window, not saying a word. I expected him to give some kind of warning from Lorenzo but that never came and I quickly realised. He was stalling us, wasting time for one of his men to catch up.

“Can you please just open the gate? I have somewhere I need to be.” I smiled, awaiting his response. He nodded at the other guard who politely opened the gate for us. “Thank you.”

“What was all that about?” Chad asked, completely oblivious to what just happened.

“Nothing, just drive.”

“Where to, Miss Fedorov?” He smiled, strumming his fingers on the wheel.

“You know that’s no longer my name. Well, legally, anyway.” I sighed, wishing that wasn’t the case.

“You’ll always be a Fedorov to me.” He sped off down the road as I turned the music up, enjoying the freedom. Freedom that would be ripped away from me the second I walked back through those doors later. “So, where am I taking you?”

“To see mybabushka, please.” The thought of seeing her filled me with happiness. Besides mydedushka, she was always my favourite.

“Stopping at the usual place first?”

“Of course.” There was no need to specify the plan. He knew it like the back of his hand. It was one we did every week. “Do you mind if I sit in silence for a bit?”

“Not at all. I was expecting it, to be honest. You’ve had an eventful twenty-four hours.”

I tutted, agreeing with him. Although, eventful wasn’t quite the word I’d use.