Page 10 of Savage Beauty

We breathe each other’s breath for a beat or two, and I close my eyes, trying to block him out. He releases me and moves away.

“I gotta go deal with this, and it’s not gonna be pretty,” he says. “Stay out of sight.”

7

Sasha

The party has moved up to the roof terrace. I make my way up the stairs, ready to meet the consequences of my actions.

I’ve never been adept at handling the aftermath when I’m responsible for the mayhem. I’m far more accustomed to cleaning up other people’s messes or simply walking away from the chaos I create. This time, however, it’s not a minor blunder. I’ve royally screwed up. Even worse, I have little to offer in reparation because there’s no way I’m letting go of Josie.

She’s my wife. My damnwife. Just the mere thought of it gets my blood pumping. It’s something I could never have foreseen, yet here we are. The woman who hijacked my thoughts from the moment we met now bears my name. She’s mine, and anyone foolish enough to challenge that fact is either incredibly naive or dangerously suicidal.

Sure, she’s pissed at me. But I can read between the lines and feel the electric charge in the air when I get near. I’m no stranger to the art of making women ache for me, and she’ll be no exception, regardless of how hard she tries to push me away. But if I’m going to throw the entire underworld into chaos to keep her safe, we will play this husband and wife game for real.

My younger sister, Lilyana, spots me and thrusts a beer into my hand. “Vladi is in conference with Sal Tosca and some of thekomissiyamembers,” she says. “You’ve really outdone yourself this time, Sasha. The man is baying for your blood.”

Damn it. I’d convinced myself I could smooth things over with some slick talking, but the way things are shaping up is not promising. I chug the drink and hand the bottle back to Lilyana.

“Don’t go over there, Sasha. You don’t know what—”

I’m halfway there when Claudia Tosca charges at me.

“I can’t believe you did this, you bastard!” She raises her hand, and I decide to let her have this one. I’ve embarrassed her, albeit unintentionally, and her fury is understandable. The slap lands, and she curls her fingers, scraping my skin with her nails.

“That’s enough, Claudia,” I say. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”

“Oh, sure,” she sneers. “Sasha Kislev, the man who’s everyone’s and no one’s. You said the right things when we were dating, and then you were all, ‘Sorry, honey, I don’t think we’re a good match.’ Then you agree to marry me, and now,” her eyes flash with renewed fury, “I find out you went to Vegas and married some slut instead?”

I feel sorry for her, but insults directed at Josie won’t fly. Before I can issue a rebuke, Sal Tosca appears at her side.

“Go away, Claudia,” he says. “You’re making a fool of yourself.”

Claudia stalks away, casting me a murderous look as she departs. Tosca turns back to me, his expression grim.

“You’re an idiot, Sasha,” he says, “Do you understand what you’ve done?

“I’m getting the idea.”

“Let me enlighten you.” He gestures behind him. “Your brother and these honorable men think you’re a fucking loose cannon. You know what loose cannons do, boy?”

It seems unwise to be a smartass now. I shake my head.

“They sink ships.” Tosca raises an eyebrow. “And your ship is going all the way to the bottom, taking all you jumped-up Russian fucks with it unless I see some cooperation.”

I see where this is going. I glance at Vladi, and he shrugs. Whatever Tosca has demanded has already been granted, but Vlad would never let Josie’s life hang in the balance. So, what the hell does he want?

Tosca sees my unease and rises to his theme, puffing out his chest as he speaks. “Until you fulfill my conditions, our families will not recognize each other as allies. And if you refuse to make amends, wewillgo to war. That’s what my daughter’s honor means to me.”

The deceitful prick. He couldn’t care less about her so-called honor—he just wants that high-strung lady off his hands. She’s too tightly wound to make a good bratva wife, and he probably thought her devotion to me would keep her in check.

Well, I say screw that. Claudia Tosca is not the right fit for me, and I should never have agreed to this doomed union in the first place.

“I won’t marry her, Sal,” I state firmly. “Whatever else you want from me, I’ll consider.”

Tosca turns back to thekomissiyaand Vlad. “I’m calling it,” he announces. “Sasha Kislev now owesmea personal debt of honor. This is a private agreement and can be invoked at any time.” He turns to me. “Tell them you agree.”

Fuck it.What’s the worst that could happen? I don’t want the whole bratva going to war on my account, and whatever Tosca wants can hardly be worse than the stuff I do every day.

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