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“Keeps her safe?”
I turn back to look at Emily, resting a hand on the railing. “Would you agree that most men carry around a dark side, something they like to keep hidden from those around them?”
“I would definitely agree with that,” Chris says.
“I need an outlet for that dark part of myself. As long as I have it, then those around me are safe. It’s when I lose that outlet that things start to get messy.”
Chris is quiet for a second before he says, “It sounds like maybe you’ve lost a few pets over the years.”
It’s my turn to give a soft laugh. “It’s an unfortunate occurrence that does sometimes happen. I do try my best to keep them around for as long as possible, though.”
“I’ve known a few men like you. That’s never been my particular problem.”
“Oh yeah? What’s your problem?”
He laughs and takes another drink of whiskey. “I’m greedy. I walk into a pet store, and I want them all. My newest acquisition is barely eighteen, and fuck me, Roman. I’m so sore today I can barely walk.”
I laugh, even though all I really want to do is bash his head against the railing over and over again until there’s nothing left. The only thing that calms me is the taste of Emily’s sweet pussy on my tongue and watching her lazily float around in the pool beneath us. She gives me another cute wave that I immediately return.
“How do you get your hands on all these pets?” I ask. “A couple of my brothers might be looking for something soon.”
I look over at Chris to see him studying me. “Baby steps, Roman. You know how this works. Stick around for a while, earn my trust, that kind of thing.” He gives another laugh and looks down at the pool. “I mean, you’re already fucking my daughter, and judging by the way she looks at you, I’m guessing you’re going to be sticking around for a while. We’ve got all the time in the world.”
The thought of spending more time around this sick fuck makes me feel nauseated, but I’m not letting his daughter go. I comfort myself with the knowledge that just because he’ll be my father-in-law one day doesn’t mean I can’t still kill him.
“Come back to the Viper tomorrow night. David and Aaron were impressed with you, and when you gain their trust, you gain mine. Your brothers will have more to choose from in a couple of weeks. How’s your club coming along?”
“Renovations have already started. We should have it all up and running in another few weeks.”
“Rumor has it it’s the Barinov’s club.”
“On paper, yes,” I tell him. “That’s all I care about. If something goes wrong, it’s not my name on the paperwork.”
Chris gives a soft laugh. “Smart man. If your club is everything you say it’ll be, then you’ll probably be getting a lot of business from me and my friends. The Viper is good for a lot of things, but it’s not a place we can show our faces.”
“I’ll let you know when it’s ready for business,” I tell him, and then my entire body goes still when I see Connor walking towards the pool. He’s been avoiding us all night, or I guess just avoiding me, because he’s not hesitating to pounce on Emily when he thinks she’s alone. He says something to her that I can’t hear, but whatever it is, it’s enough to make her bolt upright, putting her feet on the bottom of the pool and wrapping her arms around her chest while she quickly shoots me a look.
I give her a nod, letting her know I’m coming when Chris reaches out and grabs my forearm. I grit my teeth to keep from throwing it off.
“He’s protected by very powerful men,” he warns. I meet Chris’s eyes and remove his hand from my arm. “I’ll try very hard to give a fuck about that.”
Chris surprises me by laughing and tossing back the rest of his whiskey. “No wonder your pets don’t last long. Nothing is set in stone, but we’ve always assumed the two of them will marry at some point.”
I meet his eyes so there’s no doubt in his mind about how serious I am. “Emily will never marry him. She’s mine now, so you might want to spread the word.”
“There’s that possessiveness coming out again,” he says with another laugh. “You shouldn’t get so attached to your women.”
I ignore him and rush down the stairs, already seeing red as I clench my hands into fists, forcing myself to not reach for my gun. I come down the stairs and nearly run into Angela, who looks up at me with half-lidded, glassy eyes. She paws at my chest and gives what I’m sure she thinks is one hell of a seductive laugh.
“Oh relax, Roman. Let her have some fun. It’s the only time she’ll have men fighting over her.”
“Get the fuck out of my way, Angela.”
Her hand runs over my chest, and I see her intoxicated smile grow just a bit more. “Maybe we could have some fun too?”
I shove her hand off me and push her aside. “Don’t fucking touch me.” Her eyes widen in surprise at my angry tone. She takes a step back when she sees how pissed I am. “If you weren’t Emily’s mother, I’d cut your fucking collagen-stuffed lips off your goddamn face and throw your ass over this boat for the sharks to eat.”
Her face visibly pales, but I don’t bother sticking around another second. I turn and rush over to the pool that Connor is now in. Emily is trying her damnedest to get to the edge, and as soon as I’m close enough, I reach my hand out to her. When she takes it, I haul her ass out of the water, pressing her wet body against mine.
