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“Not bad, but we need to do better. We can’t grow the business without new and lucrative clients. Right now, we’re less than a month away from financial ruin if we don’t bring in some new business. It’s as simple as that.”
It was and wasn’t that simple. They did need new clients; they needed to expand the base of their business from Charleston and the deep South to something more suited to their specialties in antiquities, art and jewels. If that meant doing business with a guy who wanted a blow job while she was talking to him, fine. It just wouldn’t be her on her knees giving it to him.
CHAPTER 2
VIKTOR
Viktor stood on the sidelines of the fundraising gala. God, these things were tedious. Had it not been for the anticipated presence of Fitzwallace and his wife JJ, Viktor would have been gone long ago. He glanced at his watch. He had arranged to have one of the club’s submissives waiting for him. She could wait. He would use her well, give her what she needed, and then take what he wanted.
He spotted the Fitzwallaces as they entered the ballroom and smiled. He envied Robert Fitzwallace his wife and submissive. They were famous, or infamous, depending on your point of view, for not only their ownership of Baker Street and the Cerberus group, but also for living the lifestyle twenty-four/seven. JJ wasn’t a perfect sub; in fact, she was an alpha sub who only submitted to one man—Fitzwallace. But as Fitz often said, she was perfect for him.
He looked at the crowd milling around in the ballroom, sipping champagne and using the silent bidding system to try and buy things they didn’t need. There wasn’t one person on the guest list or here tonight who had any need for any material thing. The gala was being held at one of the large event venues here in the city that afforded the guests a spectacular view of the harbor.
The twinkling lights strewn all over the balcony, as well as the starlight, drew his attention. Standing just inside the doorway that led to the terrace was a stunning redhead, dressed in a slinky black dress that outlined curves that begged to have a man holding them as he pounded into her. His groin tightened. Like the others here tonight, he might not need anything materially, but he definitely needed the release only a woman could provide.
“Viktor?” said Fitzwallace as he drew alongside him.
Viktor turned to face him. “Fitz. I thought I saw JJ with you.”
“You did, but since you didn’t walk your ass over to us, my darling wife chose to go look at what was on offer.”
“That’s going to cost you,” Viktor chuckled. “I don’t think there’s anything on offer that won’t go for less than five figures.”
“Aye, but she’s worth it... every single penny.”
Fitz’s gaze found JJ and he smiled. Something inside him seemed happier and more relaxed when he was with or near his wife. Their bond was palpable and powerful. They might have their most intimate play in private, but they took their connection out into the world. The way they looked and touched each other said so much about them if one was observant enough. Viktor Romanov was nothing if not observant.
“You and I need to have a sit down and talk about your future with Cerberus,” said Fitzwallace, shifting part of his considerable focus to Viktor—although part of it was always trained on JJ if she was anywhere around.
“I have a future with Cerberus?” asked Viktor nonchalantly.
The nonchalance was feigned. Fitz had been after him for several years to join Cerberus. After the death of his cousin, Viktor had stepped away from his business interests to ensure his great-aunt, Rosemary, was made comfortable as she began her decline into death and to find those responsible for the murder of his cousin. The violent predator in Viktor had been awakened and while he was able to assert his iron will to contain it, the thrill of besting a business opponent was quickly losing its allure.
“You’ve always had a future with Cerberus, and you damn well know it. Do you know her?”
“Who?” Answering a question with a question was a tried-and-true method of deflecting the question asked.
“The redhead in the come-fuck-me-hard black dress.”
“No, but I’d like to. Should I know her?”
“Depends. If all you want from her is a few, good hard scenes at the club, probably not.”
“Is she that vanilla?”
“Unknown. I just know if you treat her with the callous disregard as most of your play partners, JJ will skin you alive.”
“What’s JJ’s interest?”
“Emerson Ravenel is the head of Ravenel Reliance—they’re experts in authenticating, locating and valuing artifacts, art and jewels. Each sister specializes in one area. Emerson’s specialty is artifacts and antiquities. She has a specific interest in Fabergé eggs.”
“So how do you know her?”
“Cerberus has utilized Ravenel’s expertise in helping us recover things long believed lost from the world. To describe all three sisters as relentless would be putting it mildly.”
Viktor forced himself to shift his focus from Emerson to Fitz. “So how does JJ figure in?”
“Emerson got herself into something of a pickle with those in the UAE. As I said, Cerberus has utilized Ravenel Reliance. When her sisters lost contact with Emerson, they reached out to us. We were able to extract her. We took her to one of our safehouses, and my wife mother-henned her until she was fully recovered.”
