Page 32 of Bratva's Intern

I grinned. “Well, I got good news for you. I’m now working as Mr. Morozov’s PA, which, by the way, I think is a terrible idea, so if you really want to run into those two guys, you gotta do it quick before I’m fired.”

“You don’t know you’ll be fired.”

I snorted. I hadn’t started working in the new position yet, and I already knew it boiled down to when it would happen.

CHAPTER NINE

MAXIM

Wren was late.

Not a little late. Not the kind of late that could be excused by traffic or a last-minute delay. No, it was the kind of late that made a man like me reconsider every decision leading up to this moment.

His first goddamn day as my PA, and he couldn’t even be on time.

I leaned back in my chair, fingers steepled, watching the clock tick forward with a slow, measured patience I didn’t possess. People fought for the chance to work for me, climbed over each other, pulled strings, even begged. And yet here was Wren, squandering an opportunity most would kill for.

Was I wrong about him? I knew he didn’t want the job, but he didn’t strike me as the kind to quit without trying.

A sharp exhale from across the desk pulled me from my thoughts. Archie stood there, lips curled in that smug way healways wore when he thought I was making a mistake. Which, according to him, was often.

“You’re making a mistake.” He dropped a file on my desk with a little too much force. “This is who you should’ve hired, or I could always return to this office.”

I didn’t bother looking. Didn’t even glance at the name printed on the profile. There was no use explaining why it had to be Wren. I didn’t even understand it.

“I’ve already made a decision.”

“And it’s wrong.”

“Everyone’s trainable. If you’re as great as you say you are, then you’ll do a damn good job.”

“In two days?”

“Aren’t you up to it?”

Archie sighed, exasperated. “For god’s sake, if you want to fuck him, fuck him. But must you ruin your business to do it? That’s extreme, even for you.”

My jaw tightened. “I’m not going tofuckhim.”

The door swung open before the last syllable had left my mouth. Wren froze in the doorway, his face turning a deep red. His wide eyes flicked between me and Archie, and he caught his bottom lip between his teeth.

How much had he heard?

Archie’s irritation flared. “You don’t knock?” he snapped.

Although I agreed with him, I ground my teeth. It wasn’t his place to speak to Wren like that. I’d given him way too many liberties with my company.

Wren’s already crimson face darkened further. “Sorry.” He quickly retreated, closed the door, and knocked hesitantly.

Archie’s expression twisted with incredulity as he turned to me, gesturing toward the door. “Really? This is the guy you’re trusting with your business?”

“He’s only doing what you suggested.”

Shit, I shouldn’t have said that. It wasn’t for me to defendWren. My nature wasn’t to defend anyone at all. I wasn’t an understanding boss. The people I paid were expected to get their tasks done right the first time. I’d fired people for less.

Wren knocked again, the sound louder this time.

“Come in,” Archie said.

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