Page 63 of Red Fury
But even as I consider it, the idea leaves me cold. I don’t want some random woman. I can’t have Shadow. My hand will do just fine.
Our waitress returns with our drinks – another bottle of Cristal for Webb and a beer for me. She’s about to set them down when a familiar voice cuts through the ambient noise of the club.
“Good evening, gentlemen.” Kozlov appears beside our table. He’s wearing another designer suit.
Webb practically falls over himself getting to his feet. “Roman! This place is incredible. Absolutely amazing. Thank you so much for inviting us. The champagne, the atmosphere, the…everything. It’s beyond anything I could have imagined.”
I stand as well, offering a more restrained greeting. “Evening, Mr. Kozlov.”
“Please, call me Roman,” he says, extending his hand. His grip is firm, testing, just like it was this afternoon. “You are my guests tonight. I hope you’re both enjoying yourselves.”
“Absolutely,” Webb gushes. “This is living.”
Kozlov’s smile widens. “Good. I have a private table around the corner. It is quieter, better view. Why don’t you join me?”
Webb’s eyes widen with shock at the invitation, but he quickly schools his emotions. “We’d be honored,” he says.
Kozlov looks at the waitress. “Bring their drinks to my table. And when the rest of their party finishes dancing, direct them that way as well.” He glances at Bella and Thompson, who are still dancing.
“Of course, Mr. Kozlov.”
We follow him through the VIP section, past other tables full of beautiful people. As we walk, Kozlov leans closer to Webb…and thank fuck for my superior hearing.
“I made some calls after our meeting,” he says, his voice pitched low beneath the music. “It’s looking very good that I’ll be able to acquire the items you requested. Give me a week to finalize the arrangements. Then it will be roughly another fourteen days and you can take delivery.”
Webb’s face lights up like Christmas morning. “That’s fantastic news. Absolutely fantastic.”
“The price will be steeper than we initially discussed,” Kozlov warns, fixing Webb with those pale blue eyes. “Significantly steeper.” He gives the male a hard look.
“How much are we talking?”
“Thirty percent more.”
“Not a problem,” Webb says quickly. “We had a budget meeting this afternoon. Secretary Harrison himself presented. Final approvals came through as expected. It’s a green light on our end.”
Kozlov reaches out and slaps Webb on the shoulder – a seemingly friendly gesture that nearly sends Webb flying. He stumbles, barely managing to keep his footing as Kozlov laughs.
“Forgive me,” Kozlov says, though he doesn’t look particularly sorry. “I sometimes forget my own strength.”
Something about the casual display of power makes my dragon stir.
“Tonight is not for business,” Kozlov continues, raising his voice, turning that intense gaze on me. “Tonight is for relaxation. For enjoyment. For forgetting the weight of our responsibilities.”
I force myself to smile and nod, even though inside I’m reeling. Nuclear weapons. My people. I know it like I know my own name.
I need to get out of here. I need to find Shadow, apologize for being such an ass, and share what I’ve learned. But first, I need to get through this without blowing my cover. One more drink and I’ll make an excuse and leave. I’ll go straight to her. We need to figure this out.
Fuck!
We round the corner toward Kozlov’s private section, and I nearly trip over my own feet.
The woman sitting at Kozlov’s private table, the one I glimpsed earlier but couldn’t identify…
It’s Shadow.
It’s her!
And she looks absolutely fucking stunning.
