by Harper West
“I had breakfast brought up to her room. Relax. Nothing else happened. We got to talking about our fathers, and she mentioned meeting him. That’s all.”
Hugo waited a few minutes to reply. I could tell by the way he was staring at Michelle that he was wondering if it’d be such a good idea. I knew my brother well enough to know that he couldn’t just have one night with her.
“I’m not sure, Nico. I’m sure Michelle knows that we’re a part of the Bratva, but being surrounded by so many other families might intimidate her a bit.”
“Look at her, man. She’s not afraid of anybody. It’s just dinner, too. It’s not like we’re introducing her to the family before we get married. Plus, her father knows our father.”
“Alright, but only for business purposes. And from now on, don’t do what you did this morning without consulting me first. We have to keep our binoculars on, Nico.”
“If you say so.”
Hugo shot me a look out of the corner of his eye again, and somehow I managed not to crack a smile.
“This has been a very productive meeting gentleman,” Michelle said while standing and gathering up her belongings. “I look forward to moving forward with this project.” She turned her attention to our lawyers. “And I look forward to hearing back about a shorter time frame. Have your assistant get in touch with mine.”
After all of our lawyers left, leaving just the four of us in the conference room. Michelle whispered something in Elaina’s ears. Whatever she said made Elaina smile and then excuse herself, nodding at both Hugo and me on her way out the door. Michelle smiled at both of us as soon as she left.
“Would you care to have dinner with our father and us tonight? We know that he’d love to meet you.”
I couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear as I said it, which I knew was a bit unprofessional. But it was impossible for me not to smile when looking into her eyes.
“Yes, I’m more than happy to have dinner with you guys tonight. I very much look forward to meeting your father, too.”
“Perfect. We’ll arrange to have a car pick you up at seven o’clock. Enjoy the rest of your day.”
Michelle left the conference room, and both Hugo and I watched her go. Hugo went over and poured himself a drink, positioning himself on the windowsill.
“She is one damn good businesswoman,” he said, staring out at the street below.
“I wasn’t expecting her to be so level-headed, especially since her father has a reputation for being a bit of a dickhead.” Hugo laughed and continued to sip his vodka.
“It’s refreshing to know that a more honest and straightforward person will eventually be taking over that company, Nico. Can you imagine if Chase Harrington had come here to do this deal?”
I burst out laughing and leaned further back in my chair. “There’s no way that it would have gone that easily. He would have been screaming and pounding his fist on the table like a fucking gorilla. Plus, he’s getting close to retirement age. That means that she’ll soon take over, and all future business dealings should be smooth sailing.”
Hugo walked back over to the conference table and sat down across from me, his face taking on a more serious tone.
“Remember that tonight is all about business, Nico. We must get closer to her family.”
I nodded, even though I knew that Hugo was saying it more for himself than for me.
“The closer we are to the Harrington’s,” I replied, “the more secure we’ll be with their future business dealings. You have to admit that Michelle is one sexy woman, though, Hugo.”
He ran his hand through his hair like he often did whenever he was thinking about something serious. “Michelle might be the sexiest woman I’ve ever met. The way she came in here and demanded respect. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a man act the way she did.”
“Chase Harrington groomed her to be a badass,” I said, remembering the way she walked with elegance but determination.
“We have to focus on work, though, Nico. You want our father to be proud of us, right?”
“His approval only means slightly more than yours, Hugo. Of course, I do.” He reached his arm across the table, and we shook hands, then pulled each other closer for a hug.
As we left the conference room, I could see in Hugo’s eyes that he was fascinated with Michelle.
Chapter 9
Michelle
The drive to Alexander Stepanov’s house was pretty long, seeing as how it was on the outskirts of the city.
Nico said that it wasn’t too far from his condo, and Hugo also lived nearby. I put the divider up between the driver and me, craving some privacy as we made our way through the winding roads of Russia. It had been a long day at work and then straight home to get ready for the dinner party.
I checked my hair and makeup in my diamond-encrusted mirror, which once belonged to my mother. It was pulled back at the nape of my neck, with a few strands framing my face. My slinky, long, black sequined dress perfectly matched my black heels. It was the opposite of what I had worn to meet the brothers at the Vodka Grove. I had heard all about their father, Alexander Stepanov, and wanted to do my best to impress him.
Like my father, Alexander was a powerful man and the one who ran the family. I had heard stories about how he had people killed just for falling behind on their mortgage or rent payment, or if he suspected them of going against his family. After hearing about his family from my parents, who used to be close to them, I read up on the Russian mafia years before my trip.
They were one of the most dangerous crime families in the world.
That was one of my first thoughts when my father told me about the Russian project, but I wasn’t too worried since they wanted our business. Now that I was having dinner with them, however, my nerves had started to get the best of me.
The limousine pulled up to a large, iron gate, and a man walked over to our car. He and the driver exchanged a few words in Russian, and I waited for the gate to open. Instead, the man walked closer to my window, which was open, and looked down at me. I gasped and sat back.
“Apologies, Ms. Harrington. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
He motioned for us to pull forward as the gate opened up, revealing a long driveway with dozens of beautiful flowers and trees lining the way. As we got closer to Alexander Stepanov's home, I could hear voices echoing. Many of them were laughing, which helped calm my nerves down. The last thing I wanted to have was an awkward dinner with dangerous mafia members.
I kept reminding myself that the dinner was for business purposes only. Of course, Nico and Hugo would look sexy as hell, with their chiseled abs showing through their shirts, and pants hugging their perfect asses. In an ideal world, the three of us would have sex instead of doing business with each other. But we didn’t live in a perfect world, and no matter how good they looked that night, I had to keep it professional.
Our threesome was fun, and I didn’t have any regrets, but it could never happen again.
As the limousine pulled closer to the mansion, I saw dozens of people around us. All of them looked familiar too, but only because they were well-known Russian mafia members.
I instantly recognized Shikalov and Pechkina Anatolievich. The Anatolievich’s were another prominent mafia family. If what I’d heard was true, then Shikalov had killed a few people with his own hands. Pechkina made no qualms about being his trophy wife either, which was evident by the way Shikalov was flirting with a young blonde woman right in front of her. With all of the diamonds she was wearing, she probably agreed to an open marriage.
Gribov Eduard was smoking cigars with Zuyev Ruslanovich by the water fountain in front of the mansion. They were two big, burly, bald men who spent all of their free time and money on prostitutes. Both of their families were also part of the Russian mafia. If my memory served me correctly, both of their wives went missing years ago.
I was used to being around prominent businessmen, but mafia members were an entirely different situation.
All of these men could have someone killed with just a phone call, and here I was, having sex and doing business with two of them, although I doubt that Hugo or Nico had ever killed someone. They just didn’t seem like those types of men, and hopefully, they’d remain that way.
I had every right to be nervous, but for some reason, the danger of being near so many mafia members only made it more interesting. Nerve-wracking, but interesting nonetheless.
My driver came around and opened up my door, and I stepped out directly under the moonlight. Everyone turned to look at me as I made my way inside, including Bogomolov Victorovich. His family was slightly more potent than the Stepanov family, and he looked at me the way that I looked at Nico and Hugo. He didn’t have a chance in hell, though. I’d read that he was a billionaire, and based on his looks, that’s all he had going for him.
Nico greeted me as soon as I opened the door. He was holding two glasses of champagne, and I gladly took one as he kissed me on the cheek.
“You look lovely tonight, Ms. Harrington.”
“Thank you,” I said while taking a sip of my champagne, and eyeing him up and down.
The interior of the mansion was immaculate. As soon as you walked inside, you saw a double staircase that curved to the bottom. The floor was rose and gold marble, and large, white columns separated the rooms. There were more people than I had anticipated. When Nico and Hugo had invited me to have dinner with their father, I had assumed it would just be us.
As it turned out, nearly every Russian mafia family had shown up for dinner that night.
Hugo walked into the foyer to greet me, and my mouth almost fell open. He looked sexy as hell in a tight, brown button-down shirt and black pants. Nico looked good too, in his black tie and suit, but there was something about the way Hugo’s clothes hugged his body that caught my attention.
“Ms. Harrington, we’re so glad you could come. Would you like to meet our father now?”
“Yes, please introduce me to him.”
I followed Hugo and Nico into the dining room, where two large, rectangular tables were full of people getting ready to sit down and eat. At the head of one table was Alexander Stepanov, a face I immediately recognized.
“Ms. Harrington, it’s a pleasure to meet you!” Alexander stood up and walked over to me, kissing me on both of my cheeks. I casually steadied myself on one of the dining room chairs. On the outside, I was confident, but on the inside I was in hell. It was suddenly all so overwhelming.
Maybe it was the fact that I desperately wanted to run my own business, or that Russian mafia members surrounded me, but all I could think about was closing the deal and going home.
“Likewise, Mr. Stepanov, and please, call me Michelle.” He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me in closer.
“Will do, Michelle. You are the spitting image of your mother.” I stepped back a bit and smiled at him. It always felt good to hear people compare me to her.
“Thank you. I wish my mother were here with me right now.”
“She was a lovely woman, Michelle, as are you. I can see where you get your grace and elegance, and based on what my sons have told me, where you get your cutthroat business disposition.” All three of us laughed, although I had to lower my face to the ground. It was hard to be confident in front of a man like Alexander Stepanov.
“My father taught me well,” I said.
“You’re not a bullshitter, and I respect that about you. I cannot stand time-wasters. People who just sit around and wait for things to happen. You and your father run one hell of a company.”
“We try to,” I said, wishing he’d hurry up. Nico and Hugo watched as I spoke with their father, occasionally chatting with each other. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, though. The party was getting quite loud, and I was hoping that we'd be eating soon.
“They told me that you ran the meeting this morning,” he said. I nodded and swallowed the rest of my champagne. “That’s impressive for a woman.” Usually, I’d put a man in his place for saying such a thing to me, but Russian mafia members surrounded me, so I kept quiet.
“She’s just like Chase Harrington,” Hugo said, sensing that I was uncomfortable.
“When your mother was alive, they used to come to Russia and stay right here in my mansion. We always said that one day we’d do business together, but of course, things got in the way over the years. Your father had several extramarital affairs with some Russian women, so your mother forbade him from doing business with our country. She wanted him to cut ties with me.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, although the more I thought about it, the less surprised I was that my father had cheated. If he viewed marriage as a business contract, then why wouldn’t he have a wandering eye?
“Well, we’re ready to do business now, Mr. Stepanov.”
“While you’re in Russia,” he continued, “make sure you find some time for yourself, dear. I’m sure there are plenty of Russian men who would love to show you a good time.” I looked up to see a huge, much older man sitting at the table and eyeing me as though I were a piece of meat.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said.
“If you’ll excuse me, I’d like to greet some more guests before we all sit down to dinner.” He kissed me on each cheek again before walking away.
“Well, your father is quite the man,” I said while searching for a waiter. My champagne flute was in desperate need of a refill.
“He doesn’t sugarcoat things,” Nico said while flagging one down. After the waiter filled my champagne flute up, I held out my hand and asked him to wait. I swallowed it within a few gulps and then held it out for more.
“It’s good champagne,” Hugo said with a smile on his face. It was fantastic champagne, but I was only drinking that much to calm my nerves.
All three of us walked over to a small sitting room nobody else was in and sat down on the couches. The champagne was hitting me hard, and the woman in me wanted to fool around with them again. Luckily my business side kicked in.
“So guys,” I said, “where are we with the project?”
“We’re hurrying things along,” Hugo said. “You know how these things are, though.”
“Do you know what the hold up is? I mean, you guys had all day after our meeting.”
Nico looked a bit nervous, and I started to feel a bit guilty. They seemed like good guys, and I didn’t want to be a bitch about it, but I had to keep it professional.
“The legal team is reviewing all of the paperwork, but they know the project has a tight deadline. We told everyone working on the project about the meeting, so it's moving forward.”
“We completely understand your situation,” Hugo said.
Before I could reply, my phone rang. I took one look at the caller I.D. and knew that I had to take it.
So I put one finger up and walked away, letting them know that I’d be right back.
Chapter 10
Hugo
It had been several minutes since Michelle had gone outside to take a phone call.
Even though she hadn’t said who had called her, Nico and I had an inkling that it was her father. Between the way she had pushed for a deadline at the meeting that morning and how nervous she had been acting, it was pretty clear that she was under a lot of pressure.
I walked outside and found her standing on the balcony, the one that overlooked my father’s property. She had one hand on her hip while she spoke into the phone. I stood back and waited a few moments, not wanting to alarm her. Michelle looked absolutely breathtaking under the moonlight, and I suddenly realized that I couldn’t stay away from her. No matter how hard I tried, there was a magnetic pull to her, and it would always be more than business.
“Daddy, I’m moving this along as fast as I can. I’ve been working all day long, and this isn’t a private dinner. I’m meeting with Alexander Stepanov.”
Her voice was becoming a bit hostile. Whatever her father was saying was pissing her off, that�
��s for damn sure. I had never seen her body look so angry, either. Not even when she was telling us in the meeting that she wanted the deal done as soon as possible, and called out our lawyers for saying they needed more time. Chase Harrington had no reason to worry about what his daughter was doing. For a moment, I contemplated taking the phone from her and telling him that.
After a long pause, she resumed yelling into the phone.
“Of course, he remembers who you are, but that doesn’t mean that he can just push this deal along. People have lives to live, Daddy.”
So that’s where she gets it from. It was no secret, of course. Chase Harrington was known for being a huge hard ass and virtually impossible to please. Yet there was something soft about her, too. Something that told me she didn’t always want to be so aggressive, and that she wanted another part of herself to come around. I bet that her father kept that feminine part at bay since he didn’t have any sons to run the company.
“Even if I did fool around with a Russian man, why on earth would I ever tell you about it? You’re my father!”
I suddenly wondered if someone at the hotel had spoken to the press. The night that we went back with her, it was pretty apparent that we were drunk and not there to discuss business. Plus, it was well past midnight by the time we got inside her hotel room. If a hotel staff member told the press, and Chase Harrington heard about it, it could ruin his company’s reputation. His daughter having a threesome with the Stepanov brothers would not go over well.
Michelle walked over to a chair and sat down, so I moved closer against the wall. Michelle looked so pretty under the moonlight, with her soft, delicate breasts breathing up and down. I knew she was upset, but I still found myself getting turned on. I wanted so desperately to comfort her and to tell her that she shouldn’t put up with that type of verbal abuse. But I also didn’t want to cross any boundaries.