Page 72 of Ruby Mercy

German laughs. “No way. How did it go over when she found out?”

“Not well. It doesn’t help that the other woman is a spiteful bitch.”

Rayne’s cheeks are angry red slashes. She is so lost in listening to me that she accidentally pours an ungodly amount of creamer into German’s cup. The coffee is nearly white.

German picks it up, his lip pulled back in a grimace as he peeks into his cup. “Aren’t they all?”

“Not all of them,” I say. “My woman is a good one. She has the right temperament for this life. She knows what she wants, and she isn’t afraid to ask for it.”

“Are you talking about in life or in bed?” German wags his brows.

“Believe it or not, German, I’m not just in this for the sex.”

He snorts. “Sounds like the don is whipped. What do you think, Avel?”

Avel smartly refuses to answer.

“When you find a woman who is in a relationship for more than money and power, you hold onto her,” I say. “You definitely don’t throw it all away on a run of the mill gold digger who—”

Without warning, Rayne flings the last coffee mug on the floor.

The ceramic shatters and coffee arcs across the room, splashing on the floor and the wall.

Rayne stands above the mess, her shoulders tense and her breathing coming in heavy gasps. “Oops.”

Ah, yes.There she is.

“Still clumsy after all these years,” I say.

Rayne is shaking with anger. “Doesn’t matter. You have the money to buy a million mugs, which you remind us all of constantly. But I don’t give a shit about how much money you have.”

“Oh?”

“I am not a gold digger, you conceited, adulterous jackass,” she hisses. “How dare you sit here and talk about me to your friends like I can’t hear you? Like I’m not intelligent enough to follow a simple conversation? I showed up today because, unlike you, my word means something. I said I’d work for you, so I’m here. But if you’re going to treat me like this then—”

“Men.” I gesture to German and Avel. “Leave me andmy womanalone for a few minutes.”

German stands up instantly. Avel hesitates, still trying to understand what’s transpiring, but German grabs him by the collar and drags him out.

Seconds later, Rayne and I are alone.

I turn to her, a smile turning the edges of my mouth up. “You were saying…?”

Rayne looks to the door and then back to me. Her eyes trace every inch of the room like she’s searching for a booby trap. Not finding one, she continues her tirade. “I’ll clean up after you and collect my paycheck, but if you think I’m going to take this abuse from you and your fiancée, you’re insane. I won’t do it. I deserve better than that.”

“You’re right.”

Her mouth hangs open. More words are ready to spill out, but she can’t seem to find the voice. “I am?”

I nod. “Of course. Plus, I don’t have a fiancée.”

Her body slouches forward, whatever willpower was holding her up faltering momentarily. “Are you going to try to claim temporary insanity or something? Is this short-term memory loss? You forget who Viktoria is unless she’s standing right in front of you. Admittedly, that would be a nice trick; I’d also love to forget she exists. But I doubt that’s what is happening here.”

“I know who Viktoria is. I’m just not engaged to her.”

Rayne pinches her forehead with her thumb and forefinger. “You’re not making any sense.”

“Then listen to me. It’s simple: I am not engaged.”

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