Page 87 of Anton

Harlan lifts a hand again. “I understand you’re not happy about this, but we aren’t trying to make enemies here. I hope you know that.”

“You’re the ones insulting us.” Konstantin’s mouth tugs.

“I’m sorry you see it that way.”

Harlan isn’t sorry. Konstantin knows it, and so do I.

Then the door to the study opens, and the second my eyes land on her, my body stiffens.

Thora stops for half a breath, the tray she’s carrying still balanced in her grip, and when our eyes meet, color rushes to her face.

She didn’t know I was here. That much is obvious from how her eyes flare and her fingers tense around the tray. Her steps falter beneath those cutoff jean shorts as she crosses toward the table between the sofas, unable to keep her attention from drifting back to me. A plain white T-shirt hugs her tanned skin, and her hair hangs loose around her shoulders. Her lips part before she realizes I’ve caught her watching and quickly lowers the tray.

Every thought in my head goes silent. That’s what she does to me. No matter where I am, no matter who is in the room, Thora walks in, and the rest of the world loses volume.

But how the hell do I keep her without wrecking it all?

“There she is.” Harlan’s face warms as she approaches. “Gentlemen, I don’t know if you’ve met my youngest. My pride and joy, Thora.”

My fist curls inside my pocket.

“If you ever need a vet, she’s the one you want.” He watches her with unmistakable admiration. “Finished vet school in three years and graduated at the top of her class.”

Thora offers a brief smile and does her best to avoid me, but her attention keeps straying back to me. Each time our eyes meet, my fingers dig further into my palm.

I shove my other hand into my pocket too before I do something reckless like cross the room and kiss her in front of everyone, letting every man in this blyatski room know exactly who she belongs to.

“Well, Daddy, if there’s nothing else, I, uh…have some work to do.” She brushes a loose strand away from her cheek, and when she catches me watching, her brow furrows.

She’s clearly upset, and I’m the reason. I’ll keep doing it too, because that’s what I do. I destroy things.

I accepted long ago that a man like me was never meant to have anything good. Then she came into my life.

Harlan nods. “Thank you, sweetheart.”

“Of course.” Her gaze fixes on me one last time before she slips out.

The second the door closes behind her, my attention stays there, wishing she would walk back in just so I could look at her for another second.

When I pull my focus back to the room, Kirill is watching me with too much interest.

Damn it.

I give him nothing, dragging my blank stare to the Whitlocks instead. To Cole, in particular. Because right now, thinking about killing him is a hell of a lot easier than thinking about her.

THORA

My heart hasn’t stopped pounding since I left the room. I hide in the staff room by the foyer, needing a second to calm myself down.

When Daddy texted to bring in a tray of pastries and coffee, I had no idea Anton would be standing in that room. He looked just as surprised to see me, and God, he looked so good. Every second I spent in there reminded me just how much I’ve missed him, even though it’s only been a couple of days.

Plopping my head back against the wall, I wonder if this is it. If the day he brought me the basket was the last time we’ll have together.

My thoughts wander back to that day until I lose track of how long I’ve been in here. But just as I’m about to leave, footsteps sound in the hall.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Anton says, keeping his tone low.

“I saw you.” Another man speaks with a Russian accent, probably one of his brothers. “The way you looked at each other. Everyone in there must’ve been blind if they didn’t see what I did.”