Page 55 of Savage Little Lies

But it worked. I convinced Luca to work with us, so why is Dmitri being so brooding?

My eyes stray over to him again, and it hits me the moment that I realize that he’s glaring in Luca’s direction as he waits for the elevator to take him down to the ground floor.

He’s jealous.

Luca made him jealous by asking me out.

Excitement flutters in my stomach as another plan hatches in my mind. My assault on his marriage isn’t just a single blow to one aspect. I’m using multiple tactics to break his resolve.

Seducing him. Reminding him of how awful his bride is. Expressing how sorry I am over how terrible his life is about to become.

Now, I’m going to add a bit more jealousy baiting to my arsenal.

21

Dmitri

I don’t see Cara much the next day, but that’s probably for the best.

After Luca flirted with Cara, I damn near lost my mind. I wanted to pull the plug on our business deal out of spite, but I need his goddamn trucks.

What I feel for her is starting to affect me. I keep looking at the photos of her on my phone like a damn fool. She keeps me up all night. And when I finally do fall asleep, she haunts my dreams, making me wake up restless, in a sweat, and painfully hard.

I’m running out of restraint.

Isaak and Gabe trail me as we head toward the office building after a business luncheon with some other Bratva leaders. Several vor v zakone who think too highly of themselves because of their prestigious title. They’re so eager for me to seal the deal with the Suyunovs, urging me to get it done so that we can increase our cash flow.

They don’t care about what I’m sacrificing. They don’t care that I’ll be stuck with a snobby princess. All they care about is what they get out of the deal.

Even if they name me Pakhan, I’m still just a cog in this machine that has run for generations. And I can’t be the one who runs us into the ground.

My father started out as a foot soldier in Russia and spent his life clawing his way up the ranks. Pakhan was the dream he never reached, so he handed it to me.

“How was your lunch, sir?” Gabe asks, holding open the lobby door.

“That red fish was terrible,” I say before walking inside, my mood already through the floor.

The sound of Cara’s familiar laugh makes me immediately look up. My steps abruptly come to a stop when I see her talking to a guy by the information desk.

“You should really check out that bar I mentioned,” I hear the man tell her, standing way too close to her. “It has the best drinks and food. I know the owner.”

“Really? You must be a regular,” Cara teases him as she brushes her hair back behind her shoulders. “Will you be around tonight?”

My entire body burns with anger as I watch her flaunt herself for him, pulling all the moves that she’s pulled on me. Now, she’s going to do all of this for him?

Fuck that.

If I learned anything yesterday when Luca was flirting with her, it’s that I’m going to be miserable watching her be with someone else while I’m stuck in a marriage that I don’t want. I’m not dealing with that until the paperwork gets signed.

I refuse.

“Cara!” I bite out.

She doesn’t jump in surprise. Instead, she looks over her shoulder at me and smiles. She fucking smiles as if she enjoys tormenting me.

“Hello, sir. Did you enjoy your lunch?” Cara asks me as I storm towards them.

Now I’m sir? I prefer it when she calls me by my first name. No, I think I would prefer to hear her screaming my name.