AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 7
Mila could feel eyes on her. She knew that her dress was perfect. It made her feel not only sexy as hell, but like a million dollars. It had been specially made for her and fit perfectly. Her four-inch heels gave her a little more height than she was born with and allowed her to walk with ease with the floor-length dress.
Her father was speaking with Yin Huang, the boss of one of the most powerful Chinese Triads. Huang ran the Black Orchids, who were one of the leading triads in Hong Kong and all of China. It was one of the triads whose membership spanned worldwide, and had a hand in every criminal activity one could think of.
“How’s business going?” Salagin began making light conversation with the triad boss.
“It’s going well. I see that your children are continuing the legacy,” Yin replied, nodding to Mila. She gave him a brief smile. She knew that he and his son, Wen, were at odds. Wen Huang had been making a name for himself in their organization, and it was rumored that Wen was going after his father’s position.
“Yes, I couldn’t be prouder of my kids and nephew,” Salagin said.
Mila let the two chat as she glanced around the room in search of her cousin. She knew he was here, but she had yet to see him at the party. There had been an altercation down in Atlanta that put him behind on arriving to New York. But Pasha assured her that Nikolai had made it for the event.
Her eyes met a pair of familiar piercing green ones that captivated her. She couldn’t look away.
Kole Bozovic.
It wasn’t until he broke through the crowd that she saw the woman with him. Of course, he would have brought a date to the charity event, and she would be a drop-dead gorgeous blonde. Mila’s eyes narrowed on how close they were and how the blonde had her arm wrapped through Kole’s.
She tried to beat down the ugly green jealous monster as they made their way closer. She could see that Kole was intent on coming over to them.
“Should we head over to our table?” her father asked as Yin Huang walked away.
“Sure—”
“Salagin Petrovna,” Kole said as he arrived at her father’s side. He held out his hand and her father grasped it. Mila was slightly shocked that Kole would be so bold as to come over to her father. He knew that they were going after his gang and business, and here he was, meeting them head-on. Kole was just as cocky as they said he was. She had to admit, she loved it. A man who was not easily intimidated was just what she was looking for, but by the looks of it, he was taken.
“Kole Bozovic,” her father murmured, shaking the gang leader’s hand. Tension was in the air as her father stared Kole down, but her father, being a member of the Black Society, knew this was the one night where issues had to be left at the door. “And who is this with you?” her father asked.
“Meghan Bennet,” the woman greeted, offering her hand with a bright smile. Salagin, being the gentleman that he was, grasped her hand and placed a small kiss on the back of it.
Mila had to hold back her vomit. Meghan was perfect and elegant, everything Mila wasn’t. She could tell the woman was not in any organization. Mila racked her brain and couldn’t remember hearing that Kole was married. Kole’s girlfriend, wife, or whatever the hell she was, didn’t belong at the party. Mila had to try to keep the daggers from spewing from her eyes, but one look at Kole and she knew she had failed miserably.
“This is my daughter, Mila Petrovna,” her father introduced.
Mila put on the best smile she could drum up and shook the woman’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“You too, and can I say that I love your dress,” Meghan exclaimed as her eyes took it in.
“Thank you. It’s a Sabrina Caspari design,” she murmured. Sabrina Caspari was one of the most sought-after dress designers, and Mila had been lucky enough to get her to make the dress for tonight.
“We’ve already had the pleasure of meeting,” Kole announced as he grasped Mila’s hand. He in turn mimicked her father and brought her hand to his lips, laying a small kiss on the back. Her eyes followed the motion and her core clenched.
Down girl, she thought. No need to get all excited, he had a woman.
“So, Kole, since you’re here, I might as well bring this up. I hear you met with my son and turned down a very generous offer,” Salagin said, his voice hardening slightly. No one turned down an offer from the Tokhan Bratva. Salagin would not let it rest, as Pasha was not.
“Father—” He cut her off with a raised hand as he waited for Kole’s response. Rules on this night didn’t say business couldn’t be discussed, and it looked like her father would press Kole in the absence of Pasha. She ground her teeth and forced a smile back on her face as other party patrons passed them with curiosity etched on their faces.
“As I told both your son and daughter, it is not an offer I would ever consider.” Kole’s sharp gaze didn’t waiver from the elder boss.
“We can make your life a living hell, Mr. Bozovic. I highly recommend that you consider the deal.”
An event photographer stopped by with a camera, requesting a quick picture, breaking the tense standoff. Her father wrapped an arm around her and brought her close, while Kole and Meghan stood on her other side. Mila smiled as the photographer snapped a few photos.
Kole’s cologne drifted over to her and she breathed deep, loving the masculine smell of him. She had to push him out of her mind. She may be many things, but a homewrecker was not one of them. She didn’t need to steal a man from another woman, as there were plenty of fish in the sea. She would have to think of him as the enemy from now on unless he gave in to her brother’s demands.
“Excuse me,” a man’s voice echoed through the air. They all turned to find a handsome older man standing at the microphone near the front of the ballroom. “If you could start making it to your tables, we would appreciate it. The auction is set to begin soon.”
