Ruthless Saint

XXXI

MISCHA MALIKOV

Smooth jazz drifted through the room, the mellow toned weaving seamlessly into the background.

        The scent of cigars mingled with the sharp tang of whiskey giving me a fucking headache and an itch to shoot something or someone.

        Men in tailored suit and sharp eyes flitted the room while some sat in tense silence, their faces half-hidden by the brim of their fedoras.

        I didn't know what I was doing here tonight but I knew I couldn't go back to any of my houses where every fucking step taunted me with her smell and laughter.

        And so I'd been sleeping on the couch in my office and the experience was anything but comfortable.

        I rolled the cigarette between my fingers and took another sip of my vodka. Fucking ridiculous.

        "Hi, Mischa."

        A quick glance up towards the bar and it revealed Katya.

        She was most likely working tonight, flitting through the crowd for a suitor that would give her a wad of cash, but it wouldn't be me.

        I've had my fair shares of picking up women from the casino over the years and besides, I was a bastard not a cheater.

        "Katya."

        "Heard about your wife."

        A cold smile pulled at my lips. Of course she did. Everyone fucking gossiped about each other around the casino, and I wasn't an exception.

        "I don't suppose you need company tonight?" She leaned forward and watched me carefully. "Maybe another wife?"

        My expression fell at the thought. "I'm good." I told her with a cool tone.

        If she knew better, she would walk away and save herself from the embarrassment because I wasn't looking for anyone unless it was a certain brunette with a love for sweet things.

        Even if she did fucking betray me. Like I said, fucking ridiculous.  

        "A night?" She was relentless.

        I shook my head. "Like I said, I'm good."

        "You sure?"

        "Ask me again and you're fired."

        She closed her mouth immediately, dropped her gaze and walked away to attend to another customer.

        "You're bad for your own business." A low voice said.

        I threw a glance over my shoulder at the person who sat beside me. It was Vetrov.

        I raised a brow in surprise. He wasn't supposed to be in Russia but apparently, lately everyone had been entering Russia without my prior knowledge.

        My men couldn't do anything fucking right and now I was bearing the consequences of their actions.

        He took a long look at me and shook his head. "What'd she do to piss you off?"

        "Fucking can't get a hint."

        "This have anything to do with Mika?"

        I shot him a dirty look. Hell, I didn't want to hear her name at all.

       I'd avoided the mansion for the past week because of that very same reason and now he was here, threatening to build down everything I've worked hard to contain.