Page 72 of Pregnant Bratva Wife
Autumn had blushed, waving away the praise. “It was just math.”
“Just math that our professional accountants missed for six months,” Caspian had pointed out. “Don’t be modest. You’ve got a knack for this.”
I’d watched her face as she tried to hide how pleased she was. Something warm had spread through my chest—pride, I realized.
Pride in her.
“It’s nothing,” she’d insisted. “Anyone would have caught it eventually.”
“Not true,” I’d said before I could stop myself.
Now, as I walked the casino floor, I found myself checking my watch every few minutes like a teenager waiting for his prom date. God. Why the hell was she taking so long?
Work could…wait?
But I sure as hell couldn’t.
***
The Black Diamond was our newest bar, an upscale and trendy establishment that quickly became a hotspot for New York’s rich heirs and heiresses. It was also one of the cleaner operations—perfect for Autumn’s involvement.
“Let me grab my tablet,” she said when we walked in on Monday morning.
I immediately noticed how Autumn remembered everyone’s names, asked about their weekends, and made each person feel seen.
It was so different from how I operated. Autumn earned respect through genuine kindness. And I? Probably through fear.
Okay. Not probably.
Definitely.
We headed to the back office, where the bar manager was waiting with the schedules. As Autumn dove into the paperwork, I stepped out to talk to the head of security.
When I returned twenty minutes later, she was engrossed in conversation with the bar manager, explaining a more efficient rotation system. The man was nodding eagerly, clearly impressed.
“Problem solved?” I asked.
She looked up with that satisfied smile she got when she solved a problem around here. “Mostly. We just need to hire one more person for the Thursday night shift, and we’ll be covered.”
“I’ll take care of it,” the manager said, gathering his papers.
After he left, Autumn turned to me. “I love this place. It’s so different from the casino—more relaxed.”
“It’s doing well,” I agreed. “Revenue’s up thirty percent since opening.”
“I’m not surprised. The staff is excellent.” She glanced at her watch. “Should we go check out the new bar setup for tonight?”
“Sure,” I shrugged, following her out.
I didn’twantto look at her like that—not here, not when we were supposed to be working—but fuck, she made it hard. She had on this knee-length black skirt that clung to her ass every time she walked, and I swear to God, it was like the thing was painted on. Smooth, tight, perfectly indecent.
And she had no idea.
She walked ahead of me down the hallway, her hips swaying, tossing me a grin over her shoulder like she knew exactly what she was doing.
I bit down a groan.
Useful, I reminded myself. She’suseful.
