Page 49 of Painted Scars

“So what? My mother married at fifteen.” He leans too close to my face. “Did you try out the goods before marriage? Tell me, was she good or maybe your cock got blasted along with your leg?”

I’ve had enough for tonight. I take the steak knife from the table, where I intentionally placed it earlier, grab Tanush by the collar of his shirt, and put the knife under his throat. Varya is going to kill me, but I will quite enjoy ending the bastard.

“My husband’s cock works quite well, but thank you for your concern.”

My head snaps up. Nina is standing in the doorway and looking at me with one eyebrow raised. She’s wearing the short black dress, the one I said she wouldn’t be wearing for this dinner.

“You have a fever. Get back to your room.” I snap.

Tanush tries to wriggle free, so I press the blade more, just a hair’s breadth shy of it breaking the skin.

“I’m fine, honey. Can I join you? I see that you saved me a spot and I’m starving.”

Nina approaches, her heel-clicks on the floor the only sound that can be heard, and stops between me and the empty chair. After leaning forward to place a quick kiss on my cheek, she sits down.

“You must be Mr. Tanush. I’ve heard you own the biggest casino in the city. Maybe Roman can bring me one day and you could show us around, I’ve never been to a casino.” She smiles at him sweetly and turns to me. “Honey, would you mind removing the knife? I’m trying to have a conversation here.”

Tanush stares at her for a moment, then bursts out laughing. I slowly lower the knife, giving Dimitri a discreet signal to keep his gun ready, and let go of Tanush’s shirt. He’s still laughing. Crazy Albanians.

“I like her Roman! She’s feisty, this one.”

“Thank you, Mr. Tanush.” Nina beams and I shake my head.

“This is my wife, Nina,” I announce and send her an irritated stare. “And she definitely knows how to make an entrance.”

“Thanks, honey.” She brushes her hand over mine and turns to Tanush. “About that casino, how do you make sure people don’t cheat? Do you have cameras that watch the tables or...?”

Tanush listens to Nina chattering and answers her questions. She’s intentionally asking ridiculous things that make everyone snicker from time to time, keeping the atmosphere light. When she questions if the casino’s air vents are covered by cameras, everyone looks at her and bursts out laughing as she explains that casino robbers always get in through the vents in the movies.

She’s in her element, playing her part of a naive and slightly slow-witted wife perfectly, but I can see the bags under her eyes, which she tried to cover with makeup. It’s clearly time to announce the end of this idiotic dinner and send Albanians home.

When the door to Roman’s suite closes behind me, I exhale slowly and finally let my shoulders slump. I feel like shit.

“Don’t you ever do that again,” Roman says through his teeth, and wheels toward me until I’m standing between his legs.

“What exactly?”

“Where do I fucking start?” he barks, his nostrils flaring. “You coming to a bloody dinner with a fever. Or putting yourself in harm’s way. We were this close to full-blown bloodshed down there, and you walked right in the middle of it!”

“I’m sorry for distressing you.”

Roman grinds his teeth. He’s really mad.

“And you wore that dress.” He leans forward and grabs me around the waist. “You’re wearing that dress only for me from now on. Is that clear?”

I try my best to hide my grin. And fail.

“Alright, caveman.” I put my hands around his neck and place a kiss on his mouth. “You are sweet, you know?”

“I’m not sweet, Nina. I’m fucking furious.”

“Still...” I place a kiss on his brow, then another one on his hard jaw. “You are hot when you’re mad.”

“Are you trying to manipulate me?”

“Yes.” Another kiss, this time on the other side of his jaw. “Is it working?”

“Maybe.” He cups my face in his palms and slams his mouth to mine. “Get into the bed. Your temperature is up again, I’ll bring Tylenol.”

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