Page 74 of Beautiful Rush
“If this is personal, leave your emotions at the door.”
If this was personal. “It would be a lot easier to do that if I knew that she wasn’t in any danger. I don’t want her involved in this. I don’t want that man anywhere near her. So, I need to know what the plan is to ensure her safety.”
She fixed me with a look. “You do your job and let us do ours.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose and took a deep breath, trying to keep my shit together. She was implying that Dmitri and his crew were my job, Petrov was theirs. If I had to choose between my job and Keira, I would choose Keira, but in twenty-four hours this would all be over.
Just one more day.
“Does your job include protecting Anthony Brennan’s fiancée?”
“Yes. She’ll have protection. She’ll be safe.” Her tone of voice was meant to be reassuring. As reassuring as a person with a clipped voice and a no-nonsense attitude could be. So I nodded and on that happy note, I returned to the dinner from hell.
“Keira was such a good friend to my son, Sasha,” Ivan told the table as I took my seat.
“He was my best friend,” she said with a sad smile. It was the first time that she had sounded genuine all night.
Ivan smiled and patted her hand, his eyes on the cross around her neck. “I’m so happy to see you honor his memory.”
“I never take this cross off. I think about him often.”
Anthony didn’t like that answer. His eyes darkened and his jaw clenched. He put his arm around Keira, a possessive gesture. I saw her flinch, almost imperceptibly. I also saw the way he squeezed her shoulder, more tightly than a romantic gesture would suggest, as if he was trying to keep her in line.
Her eyes met mine. She was miserable and she was scared. That fucker. What had he said to her to get her to agree to this farce? She averted her gaze before she gave away more, and the conversation continued around us.
The vodka flowed, the caviar was consumed. More dishes were served. Lamb. Beef. Potatoes. Russian food to warm the soul, or so Ivan Petrov claimed. He had shrewd blue eyes, graying brown hair, and a powerful build. It would be a mistake to underestimate him, but whenever he talked about his son, his features softened, and his eyes got misty. Sasha had been Petrov’s Achilles heel and I was willing to bet that someone had known that and used it against him.
* * *
“There are two kinds of women,”Ivan said. “The ones you marry, the mother of your children… and the ones who become your whores.”
“Bitches need to know their place,” Dmitri agreed. “Sometimes they overstep the line.”
“Indeed,” Ivan said. “Women need to accept which category they fall into and act accordingly. Too many women don’t understand that sex is a physical act. If a married man strays, it doesn’t mean anything. Who wants a steady diet of caviar? Sometimes you want to try a different item on the menu.”
Dmitri laughed, har har har, like Ivan had said something both clever and hilarious.
“And which category do I fall into?” Keira asked, amused. She was on her third martini. It had made her bolder and her eyes kept seeking out mine which was pissing off Anthony. I could see him getting more agitated as the night wore on.
“I’m marrying you,” Anthony said as if he was patiently explaining something to a child. I knew I’d disliked the man even before I met him. Tonight had confirmed that. “So, I should think it would be self-explanatory.”
“Hmm, I don’t know. I can be a bitch sometimes.”
Anthony laughed. “I know. I’ve seen it firsthand. But never with me, Babygirl.” He took the martini out of her hand and set it down across the table out of her reach. “You’ve always loved me, haven’t you? Ever since you were twelve.”
“I had a crush on you, and you knew it.” She laughed at the memory, but her laughter was forced, and her eyes were on the martini he’d taken away from her.
Petrov’s shrewd blue eyes focused on me. “And what are your views, Mr. Nikolevsky?”
“On women?”
He nodded once and held out his hand like an invitation for me to share my views. I could feel Keira watching me, interested to hear how I’d respond.
“I don’t see the need to put women into categories. If I find a woman who can be a whore in the bedroom and a good mother to my children, I’ll put a ring on it. If she’s a bitch on occasion and she gives as good as she gets, I’d like to think that I’m man enough to handle it without feeling threatened. I prefer women with a streak of wildness who speak their minds and push back. Why settle for less when you can have the whole package? But then again…a woman like that only comes around once in a lifetime. If you’re lucky.”
Ivan studied my face, his brow furrowed as if he was trying to figure something out or read the deeper meaning in my words. It was easy. Everything I said was for Keira, and I knew, without having to look at her, that she understood that.
Dmitri chuckled and shook his head. “You’re full of surprises, Kosta.”
