by BWWM Club
“Athena, I made a promise to you and I am going to keep it. So why don’t you just take the money and make sure Carla gets it too,” Isaac said. “People who work with me tend to be happy.”
“Clearly,” Athena said as she put the envelope back on the desk.
“Well, do you have something for me to sign? You know, something that makes this official?” he asked and she nodded. She handed him a folder containing the contract and smiled.
“I can leave that for your lawyers, maybe they want to look it over or something and then we can have a talk later?” she asked and he shook his head.
“No need for lawyers. You seem like a nice person,” he said as he reached for a pen. “I know there is no way you would screw me with some weird clauses, right?”
Athena shook her head. This man was surprising her by the minute.
“It basically just outlines the date of the said event and there is an agreement that you have to pay the company a percentage just for commitment’s sake,” she explained. Her jaw almost dropped as she looked at him signing the contract and then open his check book. He scribbled an amount and then tore the leaf from the book before handing it to her. “This is so much more than the company would expect.”
“Well, the contract stipulates that I should have a down payment of at least fifty per cent,” he started. “Judging by the prospectus you just gave me and the guest list I have in mind, there is a possibility that we might be spending upwards of eighty grand. So I guess this covers it, right?”
Athena looked at the check and shrugged. Her boss was going to be extremely happy and she knew a healthy commission was coming her way.
“Yeah,” she said. “This covers it.”
*****
Evgeni had just walked into his office when his assistant called him.
“Your three o’clock is here, Mr. Markovic,” she said over the intercom.
“I thought I was free for the afternoon,” he frowned.
“It’s a walk in, sir and he says that you will want to see him.”
Evgeni shook his head.
“Who is here?” he asked.
“He says his name is Isaac Cromwell,” his assistant said.
Evgeni felt the room suddenly grow cold. He took a long deep breath and then sighed.
“Send him in,” he finally said. He looked up, his heart pounding as he waited to see that old fool he had been longing to rid himself of. When the door finally opened, he didn’t bother to stand up.
“Evgeni,” Isaac said as he walked into his office and shut the door behind him. “You are truly your father’s son seated behind that desk.”
Evgeni shook his head. That was the last thing he needed to hear. That he was his father’s. Surely he was but in genes only. Definitely not personality or work ethic. He looked up at Isaac and gestured at the seats in front of his desk.
“I understand you want in on Markovic Oil,” he said and Isaac smiled.
“Straight to the chase. There is no beating around the bush with you, is there?” he asked and Evgeni shrugged.
“I will not pretend that I want you here when I don’t. So just say what brought you here already.”
“Well, it’s quite simple really. Plus you already said it,” Isaac started. “Markovic Oil.”
Evgeni forced a laugh.
“I mean, my merchandise has been getting to various parts of the world on Markovic Freight but now that you want out, I need a fallback plan. And Markovic Oil is it.”
Evgeni ran his fingers though his thick hair and shook his head. He was getting more frustrated by the second. Isaac Cromwell was not the kind of person he would have chosen for good company.
“What do you want from me, Cromwell?” he asked as he looked at Isaac. “Why don’t you just say what brought you here and then for God’s sake, leave.”
“You know very well that I just can’t leave. Not before we sort out the issue at hand,” Isaac said in an uncomfortably calm voice. “You want out of the Cromwell business and I want to make sure that I will not lose out on my income.”
“I am giving you four hundred million dollars,” Evgeni pointed out and Isaac forced out a laugh.
“I don’t want money. I want a stake in Markovic Oil.”
“You want controlling interest in Markovic Oil,” Evgeni corrected him.
“That is what I said,” he shrugged. “It’s the same bloody thing.”
Evgeni shook his head.
“Controlling interest means that you own it. And I will not let you have something I built legitimately from the ground up.” He sighed. “Just take the money and let my freight company be. That is all I ask.”
“Four hundred million dollars,” Isaac said under his breath. “That is more than what Markovic Oil is worth,” he added and Evgeni raised an eyebrow. “You think I didn’t do my homework?”
“What are you talking about?” Evgeni asked.
“I had someone do an appraisal of Markovic Oil and according to him, that Middle Eastern glory hole is worth almost half of what you are offering.” Isaac smiled at him. “Now why would you offer me double what the company is worth?”
“Because I want a clean business. I want a clean import export business without having to worry every single time a friend from the SEC gives me a call and most of the time it is just to invite me to his place for Sunday potluck. And Cromwell, that shit sucks!” He exhaled loudly. “This is more than just about money, Cromwell. I am worried about my legacy.”
“So, what kind of legacy are you trying to leave here, Markovic? A broke one?” Isaac asked and Evgeni shook his head.
“An honest one. That is what I am trying to do. Create an honest lifestyle that my kids can be proud of.”
“What do you mean proud? Your father left a great fucking legacy. Aren’t you proud of his?” Isaac asked and Evgeni shook his head.
“No, because I have been cleaning up his mess for most of my adult life.” He sighed. “That is not something I want for my kids.”
“Your kids?” Isaac asked. “Is there something I should know?”
Evgeni shook his head.
“I just think about the future, that’s all.”
Isaac looked at him for a long minute before he shook his head.
“You know, I really didn’t want to play this card but,” he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. “I met this lady the other day and she is simply stunning. I gave her a job too.” He handed the phone to Evgeni.
“What? What is this?” he asked.
“Why don’t you have a look for yourself?” Isaac said matter of factly. Evgeni grabbed the phone and looked at it and immediately, he felt rage going through his body. He was looking at Athena’s photo. “There are more pictures if you care to scroll to the left,” Isaac added as he stood up and walked over to the window. Evgeni couldn’t see it but there was a sick smile plastered on his face. A kind of victory smile.
With every photo Evgeni looked at, he got angrier. He was not just looking at pictures of Athena. If he didn’t know any better, he could have sworn they were surveillance photos. Cromwell had been following her. That fucking asshole had put a tail on Athena. He looked up and tossed the phone on the desk.
“What is this shit?” he asked angrily. “What did you do? Where is she?”
“Whoa, there tiger,” Isaac said smiling. “One question at a time.”
“Cromwell, you better answer me or so help me I will bash your face in, right the fuck now!” Evgeni’s heart was racing.
“That’s the hot Markovic blood right there,” Isaac said crossing one leg over the other. “I knew you had it in you.”
“The hot Markovic blood you are so proud of is telling me to put a bullet between your eyes right now, Cromwell! Where is Athena?” Evgeni asked again.
“Right here? In your office?” Isaac asked in a calm voice. “Don’t you know anything about that kind of business?”
Evgeni was getting restless.
“
Cromwell!” he said in a louder voice than he had originally intended. He noticed people out of his office suddenly looking through the window but he didn’t really care.
“She’s fine. You can call her if you don’t believe me,” Isaac said and Evgeni did exactly that. “She is probably at the office working on the party she is planning for me.”
Evgeni shook his head as he held his phone to his ear. At that moment, everything dawned on him. Athena had been busy with some big project lately. It was his project. Cromwell had taken it upon himself to give her a project so that he could keep her close without her getting suspicious.
“You son of a bitch!” he hissed.
“Hey, no need for name calling,” Isaac said. “It’s not like I have done anything to her. Yet,” he added just as Athena picked up.
“Athena Davis, hello.”
Evgeni breathed a sigh of relief. He was not sure whether to practice his knife throwing skills at Isaac or just talk to Athena.
“Athena,” he said in a soft voice. His heart had won the battle for now. “How are you?”
“Fine…just trying to figure out where I can get fresh tamarind in Virginia,” Athena said. “Normal work day. How are you doing? You sound a little out of breath.”
“Just…leaving the gym,” he lied.
“This early?” she asked. “And why did you have to use a commercial one anyway? Don’t you have a gym in the house?”
“It’s just an exercise bike, a treadmill and a few weights,” he said, almost smiling.
“That’s a full gym to me,” she said. He could tell she was smiling.
“I just had a bad encounter in the office and needed to work out the stress,” he said. “Listen, why don’t I come and pick you up after work?”
“Sounds great. I would love that.”
“Well, don’t leave until I get there,” he said in a warning tone but judging from the way she laughed, he knew she didn’t really heed his warning.
“Yes, sir Mr. Markovic,” she said. “See you later?”
“See you later.” Evgeni hung up and looked at Isaac.
“See, I told you. She is fine,” Isaac said. “But you should know that someone on my payroll knows her every move.”
“What the hell do you want from me, Cromwell?” Evgeni asked as he walked to where he was.
“A fair trade. Fifty one per cent of Markovic Oil and I find a new pipeline,” Isaac said cooly. Evgeni shook his head.
“You know what, take Markovic Freight. You can call it Cromwell Freight for all I care,” he said but Isaac wasn’t having it. “Then take the fucking money. Four hundred freaking million.”
“Maybe you don’t value Athena as much as you claim to,” Isaac finally said.
“You wouldn’t dare,” Evgeni said.
“Maybe your father should have told you a little more about me, boy,” Isaac said as he began walking towards the door. “I say what I mean and I definitely mean what I say.” He placed his hand on the handle and pulled the door open. “You want your girlfriend to keep on breathing, I want controlling interest of Markovic Oil,” he said again before he walked out leaving Evgeni breathing hard.
He was not sure how long he had been standing there, panting and sweating. But what he knew for sure was that he needed space. He needed to think. He needed to figure out what to do next. How to protect the woman he loved. He was pacing up and down his office for a long time before he finally sat down in his seat. He opened the bottom drawer of his desk and pulled out a burner cell. He had thrown it there the first time Viktor had given it to him because he knew that he would never need it. Not after renouncing the Markovic name and ways. Not after moving to Virginia. But now, he officially needed it. He switched it on and sighed loudly. He knew that once he took the road he was about to, then there was no turning back.
“And to think I have worked so hard not to be back here,” he thought. “But Athena…I can’t let anything happen to her. I won’t let anything happen to her.”
He called the only number programmed in the phone and waited for it to be picked.
“U menya yest’ sornyak v moyem sadu. Mne nuhzhno obrezat. Nemedlenno,” he said calmly using the exact same words he had been advised to use when he used the phone. The words he was to say were ‘I have a weed in my garden that needs pruning immediately’.
“Da. Where is your garden?” the voice on the other end asked.
“I will send you the address,” Evgeni said. “Maybe I can give you an advance for a job well done. You come highly recommended.”
“Of course, sir. You will have a manicured lawn in no time,” the voice said before hanging up.
Evgeni knew that he would be sending his banking details to him in a few minutes and maybe by the time he went to bed that evening, he would sleep better knowing that his greatest problem had been eliminated.
Chapter 9
Over the next few days, Evgeni couldn’t do anything but wait by the phone for the news of Isaac’s death but nothing ever happened. He was getting increasingly uncomfortable not knowing where he was or why he had suddenly gone underground. Could it be probably that he knew of his plot to end him? But his answer came when he got a package at his office.
“Fuck,” he thought when he looked inside. It was a bloody hand and a note.
You started this. Sign over Markovic Oil or the next bloody hand will be Athena’s.
He had not been able to rest well, ever since getting that package. All he could think about was Athena and how he was going to keep her safe. He already knew that Isaac had a tail on her so he had to make his move without raising any suspicion.
He was seated on his couch staring into space when Athena walked up to where he was.
“Hey,” she said in a soft voice. “Why are you sitting by yourself in the dark?” she asked as he looked up at her. He felt his cock twitch when he saw her wearing his shirt which left almost every arousing part of her uncovered.
“I’m fine.” He took her hand and pulled her down so that she could sit on his lap. “I’ve just had a little hard time at the office. That’s all.”
She slipped a hand behind his neck as he held her waist.
“You have been this way for a few days now,” she said. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“It isn’t anything that should concern you,” he said, forcing a smile.
“Anything I can do to help?” she asked and he shook his head.
“You are doing it right now. You are here with me,” he said.
“And that’s it?” she asked. He brought a hand up and held the back of her neck before he pulled her down to kiss her. “Oh, so that’s what you want,” she whispered when he pulled away.
“I will always want you,” Evgeni whispered back as he placed a hand on her thigh. She exhaled into his mouth as he kissed her, massaging her lips with his, running her tongue against his. She pulled away and looked down at him before she climbed off his lap. She knelt on the floor and gently pushed him back on the couch as she ran her hand down his chest. She pushed his vest up and began kissing his chest, slowly working her way down to his navel.
“Athena,” Evgeni said in a low voice as she began pulling down his sweat pants. “What are you doing?”
She never answered. She went on pulling his pants but he put his hands on hers.
“Athena,” he said in a stern low tone. “Don’t do this.”
“Why not?” she asked.
He shook his head. He had no way of telling her that all those years he had been celibate beautiful women throwing themselves at him would always get on their knees to take him into their mouths. He had never had a woman he had strong feelings for go down on him.
“You don’t have to do this,” he said as he looked into her eyes.
“I know,” she said as she began pulling his pants further. “But I want to.”
Evgeni looked at her for a long minute before he raised his hips off the couch allowing her to pull his pants down. She looke
d at his semi hard cock and smiled. She had only done this for one other man and truth be told, she was a little nervous. It had been such a long time since she last did this and Evgeni was larger than she had ever known anyone to be.
She kissed his right thigh and slowly worked his way upwards before she held his cock in her small hand. She felt him shiver when she licked the tip of his cock. She then took his sensitive head into her mouth and sucked gently as he threw his head back. She pulled away from him and looked up at him briefly before she took more of his length into her mouth again. She was slowly taking him deeper into her mouth and he was moaning.
“Good Lord, Athena. How deep can you go?” Evgeni asked in a low moan as he looked down at her. He was completely at her mercy. The way he was feeling, his cock in her mouth, that beautiful hot wet mouth was enough to make him melt. He wanted her so much, he wanted to just be inside her and explode in her hot depths. “Oh shit, Athena,” he moaned again.
She had one hand on his thigh and another one slowly stroking him, making him come closer and closer to his edge. Without wanting to, he held her head and began to slowly push himself into the very depths of her throat. He was amazed at her gag reflex. He was balls deep inside her mouth but she was not making any gagging noises. She was exciting him a little more than she wished for and she knew this well.
“Baby,” Evgeni moaned as he let go of her head. “I’m going to cum! I’m cumming right now!”
Athena knew that his words were the very warning he was giving her but she was not backing down. She could feel his cock pulsating in her mouth before he shot his warm seed into her neck forcing her to swallow wad after wad of his hot cum.
“Spasiba baby,” Evgeni said as she went on sucking on his cock. “Ya lyublyu tebya, Athena. Ya lyublyu tebya.”
Athena pulled away and dabbed the sides of her mouth with her fingers before she pulled herself up and kissed him softly.
“You are going to kill me one of these days,” he said in an exhausted whisper. She smiled and got on the couch.
“I think I love you too,” she whispered as he cradled her.