Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79747 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79747 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
“It’s being handled.”
“Hm,” she says as if she can’t hear me.
My knuckles go white. “It’s being handled,” I repeat. I can’t very well ask Anya if her people can identify the man because it certainly won’t look like I’m handling it. But I do know that someone is fishing around where they shouldn’t be, and now it is affecting my business.
I keep my composure because the Ivanov siblings are best kept as allies. And we’re already on fragile ground after the stunt Crue pulled by killing off one of their regular clients. One who bid for me to personally escort her.
Anya pouts as she walks over to me and stands between my legs. She presses her finger against my lips. “But I could be lenient. Forgiving, even. I could put a good word in with my brother if you play nice.”
Everyone knows the Ivanov siblings work in equal shares. She is the front, and the brother is the dirty work behind the scenes. But they are ruthless. It doesn’t mean that I can’t be any less cruel if needed.
I curl my fingers under her hand and kiss her knuckles. “I think you’ll put a good word in for me either way. You will both receive your usual cut from the auction.”
She seems pleased. A difficult thing to do with Anya Ivanov.
She offers another lingering gaze over me. “We look forward to doing business with you as usual, Dawson. But clean up your shit.” And there’s a hint of a threat behind her words.
Fuck. Too long.
We’ve taken too long to find this fucker.
No more.
CHAPTER 23
Honey
He’s waiting for me, dressed in a perfectly tailored suit. And I am wearing a white dress, per the instructions in the email I received earlier.
“Are you ready?” I nod as he holds open the door for me and offers me his hand.
“Honey?” I turn to find Rya walking toward the building, obviously coming home from work. Dawson looks her way but doesn’t say anything. Her eyes scan him before they land on me and eye me up and down.
I can’t tell her anything, so when she’s closer, I stay still as a statue, trying to think of the best lie I can think of, but instead, something else falls out of my mouth. “Dawson is taking me on a date.”
I feel Dawson stiffen behind me, and I’m not sure if she believes my lie because she eyes him with a narrowed gaze before she pins her gaze back on me.
“Are you sure that’s a smart idea? Your dates with Kit have been going well.”
“I know. And I like him. I’m just, you know… playing the field, as they say,” I tell her and reach for the car door Dawson is holding open. Dawson steps away and walks around to the driver’s side.
My sister eyes him the entire time. “Does Marco know about this?” she asks.
I bite my bottom lip. Fuck. “He’s taking a nap right now.”
Her brows furrow. “You spiked him?”
“Shh,” I say, as if someone might hear.
“Honey, what the fuck?” she demands.
“I want some space for myself for once, okay?” And that’s not a lie. She shoots a death glare at Dawson. Her mistrust of the situation isn’t at all misplaced. “Rya, I’m an adult. I’m sick of being followed everywhere. I love Marco like he’s family, but I should be able to go on a normal date.”
She tucks a piece of my hair behind my ear. “But you’re not a normal girl, Honey. And Dawson isn’t normal either.”
He scoffs at that, and I can’t help but smile because I know she understands. “I know that. But please… I feel suffocated. I want to live freely. Like you have all these years.”
She crosses her arms over her chest. “You know father won’t be pleased when he finds out.”
“So let him be disappointed in me for once.”
She sighs. “I get it. But next time, let’s think of another way to get distance from Marco. What you did breaks trust on so many levels.”
“In my defense, he probably hasn’t had a decent sleep since our father forced him into this role.”
She nods once as if in agreement. “But it still doesn’t make it okay. And you…” She points at Dawson. “So help me, Dawson, if you hurt my baby sister, I will find a way to put you behind bars… for life.”
He laughs it off, and that only seems to irritate Rya more. Although, I sense he takes her threat seriously. Where Crue might threaten, Dawson swipes it away. Both are equally infuriating.
But tonight serves a purpose.
“Have a good night,” I tell her, clicking my seat belt into place. I take a shaky breath, and Dawson whistles as he drives off.
“You didn’t tell me you were going to literally put your bodyguard to sleep,” he scolds.
“Shut up.” I swat his comment away as if I don’t already feel bad enough about it. But the store clerk told me it was harmless. I’m twenty-seven years old, and I know Marco wouldn’t let me go anywhere if he suspected. A date here and there, he might be fine with. But a date with Dawson? That’s a big fat no, in his opinion. “There’s no way my father can find out about tonight. For both of our sakes.”