Page 48 of The Mistake

Was Cassie and Ivan right? All I had to do was ask?

Chapter Eleven

Ive

“You need to get your wife a puppy,” Ivan said, taking a seat in my office. Rage was due to arrive any minute.

I’d woken up to knocking on the door. Cassie had arrived at exactly seven o’clock with the intention of spending the whole day with her sister. I had no idea Cassie was such a morning person. Charlotte hadn’t responded to the door, but I had, and seeing Cassie first thing in the morning wasn’t good for my mood. It had pissed me off.

I left the two sisters and made my way to my casino office, where Ivan was already waiting. He was in a chipper mood. It was rare for me to see him in any other kind of mood. I’d rarely seen him lose his temper.

“And you know this how?” I asked.

“Talking to your wife, of course. Did you know when she was younger, shefound a stray? Yeah, this dog made her so happy and she was going to keep it, but because her dad didn’t want her happy, he took it from her.”

My hands clenched into fists andI was tempted to swipe the contents of my desk onto the floor. Demon got an easy death. The more I learned about that man, the more I didn’t like him. Charlotte had been a mistake on our part, but I’m so fucking pleased we got her, and not Cassie. I have a feeling if Cassie had been taken, Charlotte would have paid the price.

Ididn’t want to think about my wife right now. Last night I had offered her anything her heart desired. I expected her to pick a shopping spree, or ask for credit cards, or to go traveling—anything. And she had asked for a kiss, not just any kiss, but a proper kiss between a husband and a wife. And that kiss had played in my mind since.

“Are you wishing we kept him alive?” Ivan asked.

“Yes.”

“And this is why you never act in the heat of the moment. You allow things to fester, and you’re calm.” Ivan smiled.

“Is that why you haven’t decided between The Butcher or The Beast to take over from Oleg?” I asked.

Ivan shrugged.

“So it is them.”

“It’s not like it’s a shock. They’re the onlytwo people capable of bringing order to the territory.”

“Why not just makea decision?” I asked.

“I like to make sure I’m making the right decision and I like to have certain things in play before I decide.”

“The longer you leave it, the higher the riskof that territory being reclaimed.”

“True, unless I already have plans in place.” Ivan pressed his finger to his lips. “Don’t tell anyone.”

“So, a puppy?”

“Yes.”

I stared at Ivan and thought about him at my home with Charlotte. He seemed close to her lastnight. I’d not had the chance to call Slavik and Andrei yet.

“Are you attracted to my wife?” I asked.

This made Ivan chuckle. He lifted his watch and smiled. “You took your time. I expected you to ask me the moment I showed up. Instead, you waited a goodtwenty minutes. You are showing patience.”

“You know I’m apatient man.”

“No, you’re a patient man when it comes to extracting information, unless you’re in a desperate situation. You’ve always been a man of action, Ive. That’s not going to change.”

“You’ve not answered my question.”

“Because you know the answer to it, my friend. If I was attracted to Charlotte, she wouldn’t be your wife.”

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