Page 39 of Savage Little Lies

Once he gives in, it won’t be my fault. And by the time he realizes what he’s done, it’ll be too late. I’ll disappear like a ghost.

And he’ll be left standing in the wreckage.

15

Dmitri

I’m going to crawl out of my damn skin if I don’t get some air after my meeting with Artur Suyunov. He’s worried about Annika’s safety after the shooting and doesn’t think I’m doing enough to protect her by only putting two guards on her.

I need to talk to someone who won’t use this against me, and it can’t be Cara because she’s part of the problem.

“He lives!” Andrei says as he enjoys a large lounge booth to himself in one of the secluded corners of Club Vibe inside his family’s casino. Strobe lights from the DJ booth and dance floor on the other side of the club cut through the darkness on this side, lighting up Andrei’s smirk.

I motion for the men I brought with me to step away before sitting on the opposite side of the booth from Andrei, a few empty shot glasses already occupying the small table between us.

“Glad you got out without a bullet in your head,” I tell him, speaking over the music but only loud enough for him to hear.

“Heard about the two guys that you lost. Sorry about that,” Andrei says before motioning to one of the waitresses in a white tank top and black mini skirt to come over. “Another round of shots for me and my friend. Thanks, sweetheart.”

The blonde smiles at him before heading off, strutting like she’s on a runway. She glances over her shoulder at Andrei one last time before hurrying to the bar.

Andrei turns back to me, looking pleased until he sees the stony expression on my face. “You’ve been shot at before. It couldn’t have been that big of a surprise.”

“The shooting is just an unfortunate part of the life. My men are getting security camera footage and talking to witnesses. It’s only a matter of time before we get a lead,” I reply as I wave my hand dismissively.

I have other issues bothering me more than that.

“Well, then what’s going on?” Andrei asks. “We usually only get a drink to celebrate or blow off some steam. I’m not getting either of those vibes from you since you lost good men. Did something else happen?”

“I’m about to tell you something that cannot be repeated to anyone,” I warn him, fixing him with a stern look. He’s not an Ivanov, but I’ve known him for a long time. Our fathers were close before mine passed.

“Of course, Dmitri. If you told my family some of the things that I’ve told you, they’d have my head,” Andrei replies as his playful expression drops off his face. “I swear my discretion.”

I nod to him, remaining silent until the waitress drops off our shots and clears away the empty glasses. I down the vodka, letting it burn its way through my body before I speak. “You know that I’ve decided to go forward with the Suyunov’s deal.”

Andrei nods. “Yes, I unfortunately heard all the wedding details from the heiress herself the other night. She seems…lovely.”

I scoff and lean back against the black leather seat, forcing myself not to blurt everything out at once. “There’s a marriage contract that we’ll sign after the ceremony is over, but I still haven’t made it official.”

“From what I’ve heard of Artur Suyunov, he’s strict and thorough about his businesses,” Andrei replies before downing his shot. He sets the empty glass on the table and lifts his eyes to mine. “I’m sure that contract is full of fun rules and restrictions to make sure that you’re the perfect husband for his darling little girl.”

He’d be correct. The contract is long and quite particular for some clauses. It hasn’t been signed yet, though. There’s still time to alter it.

“We can barely stand each other,” I mutter. “She’s going to bankrupt me instead of bankrupting her father.”

“There has to be some sort of silver lining, Dmitri. She’s pretty,” Andrei replies. “And she was pawing all over you.”

I give him a pointed look. Unlike him, the Sin City Savage, I’m not a raging manwhore who will screw any woman who smiles at me. I’m sure he’ll make a move on the waitress once I leave if he hasn’t already had her. “I don’t want to fuck her.”

Andrei clicks his tongue, his eyebrows darting up like he’s surprised. “That’s unfortunate. Get friendly with your right hand. Her father will gun you down if you’re caught sneaking around with someone else.”

I run my fingers through my hair while shaking my head. He’s not helping. He’s just reminding me of how fucked I am once I sign the contract.

“It’s not like she loves me. If some other rich guy came along, she would be climbing him like a tree,” I tell him.

“Well, unfortunately, you’re the rich guy of choice,” Andrei replies with a shrug. “She seemed pretty attached to you at the gala too. I doubt she’ll be interested in anyone else if you satisfy her.”

“There’s no way to fully satisfy her appetite for shopping,” I assure him.