Page 121 of Monstrous Urges

Milos doesn’t look remotely amused.

“Don’t let other influences in your life right now cloud your judgement, Drazen,” he mutters. “You know what I’m talking about.”

Busted. I stand from my desk and walk over to the doorway out to the veranda.

“You’re probably right, Milos. It probably was Vadik. What we don’t know is why.”

“Simple: he hates you,” Milos mutters. “He hates your family. I mean, he was the one who gave the order all those years ago, Drazen.”

“Yes, but he doesn’t know that I know that.” I turn to look at him. “And it doesn’t explain why would he choose now to try and…”

“What, take you out?” Milos growls. “Because why not? No offence.”

I shake my head. “But it wasn’t me he was trying to take out. They were after her.” I look at him sharply. “When’s this dinner?”

“Tomorrow.”

I grimace. “Fine. I’m going.”

“Drazen—”

“We can assume it was Vadik who sent those men the other night. Maybe because he knows now that I know about his involvement with what happened. Or maybe he guesses why I want to join the Table. But we don’t know any of this for sure. I’ll need to sit down with him and look him in the eye to figure that out. So yes, I’m going.”

“The invite is for both of you…” he begins.

My jaw clenches. “Well, she’s not coming. Obviously.”

Milos arches a brow. “Vadik is a dumb fuck, but he’s not stupid…if that makes sense. If you come without her, he’s going to wonder why.”

I scowl. He’s not wrong. That’s a red flag Vadik will see a mile away that I don’t trust him, and he’ll throw up walls accordingly.

“Fine,” I grunt. “She’ll come along. But a contingent of men will come with us.”

Milos nods. “I’ll go with a team?—”

“Not you.”

He looks at me curiously.

“I need someone I trust on the outside.”

“Just in case?” he smirks.

“Just in case.”

My gaze swivels sideways in the back of the Range Rover. But as it rumbles down the road from the private airfield to Vadik’s massive summer house on the Black Sea, I’m not looking at the pristine beaches or the ocean beyond.

My gaze is firmly settled on something much closer in the foreground.

Taylor.

She’s in a stunning black gown that looks painted onto her body. It’s somehow both elegant and tasteful while also being outrageously sexy and alluring.

Or maybe that’s just her. Maybe she could be wearing a garbage bag and I’d be thinking the same thing.

Either way, she looks gorgeous. Her hair is up in a high ponytail, her long red locks tumbling down to her delicate neck. She looks perfect.

Almost.