Page 40 of Sinful Queen (Dark Mafia Sins 5)

“I’m glad you got it under control. I know you’ll keep our girls safe. I believe you,” he says softly, making my eyes tear up for a different reason.

Those three words,I believe you, coil around my heart. He believes me. Relief floods me. “Thank you.”

“I haven’t done anything, so there’s nothing to thank me for. But I’m quite excited to watch you make me dinner.”

His hands trail up and down my back, soothing me. A ghost of a smile tries to come back to my face. “I could teach you how. Since you said you didn’t know how to cook.” I quickly add, “But if you have to go back to work, I get it.”

“You know what? That’s sounds like a great idea. Let’s go see what you got at the store.”

Chapter 22: Demetri

“Youwantedtoseeme?” Eva asks as she enters the office that overlooks my bar. I’m a silent partner, and this space gives me the quiet I seek at times.

“What were you doing at the supermarket yesterday?” I pour myself a glass of bourbon with one large ice cube.

“I wasn’t.”

I turn to look at her. She’s pretending to be confused. She was there; I saw her on the video.

I drop the subject, knowing I’m going to have to look deeper into this. “How is the new house?”

“It’s a house. You know I don’t value materialistic things. I would have been happy with anything with four walls and a roof.”

“I know. But you work hard, and I wanted to reward you.” Her house is a mansion in a gated community, next to my cousin.

“Will that be all?” She shifts her weight from one foot to the other.

“You may leave.” I sip my drink, watching her try to keep her pace steady like she’s not running away, before she stops and turns back when she reaches the door.

“Do you trust her?” she asks.

“My inner circleonlyhas the people I trust.”

“Then I’m happy you found her,” she says before she opens the door and leaves.

I’mstilloverlookingmyclub when Mikhail strolls in.

“How’s Eva?” I ask my cousin. He’s been keeping an eye on her. I don’t want to believe Eva was following Katrina, but the evidence is there.Why would she lie?

“Still pissed at you. But she’s fine. Actually, she seems happier than normal.” I nod at his reply. “I want to ask her out.”

The idea catches me by surprise. Could the two of them be conspiring behind my back? My cousin has always been loyal to me.

“Now that you’re married, I didn’t think you would have a problem with it.” He’s never been so open about how he feels about my relationships.

“I don’t.” When I say the words aloud, I realize I mean it. Eva and Mikhail could be good for each other.

“You’re really taken with Katrina. To be honest, I thought it was a phase,” he tacks on, opening up even more.

“Cousin, have you suddenly forgotten your place?”

He closes his mouth and takes a step back, looking sheepish. “Sorry, boss.”

“I need you to go to my South African port meeting today.”

“Why? You never miss work. You’ll be expected to be there. Having me there is an insult to them,” my cousin questions.

“It’s none of your business what I’m doing. No one will miss me. You are my second-in-command. Frankly, it’s an insult that I even have to have a meeting with them.”

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