Page 67 of The Brigadier

“Honestly, my father mentioned the company the two parties were involved in, not the bigwigs he was meeting the next day. I bet that meeting was difficult given the dinner.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet. Do you remember the name of the company?”

“Something like Rossi Enterprises but I admit it, I was zoning out.”

“You were, huh?” At least there was a bit less of an edge to his voice.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

He had to ask that question now. Didn’t he? “Let’s just say a certain man I had no idea was coming, a man I almost didn’t recognize. He flustered me.”

Nikolay took a deep breath. “That wasn’t my intention. I hope you know that.”

“Oh, you just flirt with every girl standing alone on a balcony? Do you dare fuck them all too?” Yes, I knew I was pushing boundaries, but it remained like some elephant in the room.

“Don’t do that, Chantel. Don’t cheapen what we shared.”

I hadn’t realized I’d done that, but he was right. “I’m sorry. That night was magical to me, even after learning who you were. I’d never felt that way in my life. So amazing. So electrified.” That was the truth. There was no sense of hiding it.

“I felt the same.”

Still, there was tension between us. Would that ever dissipate? “I didn’t want to be the prim and proper daughter acting like some mafia princess whose hero came to my rescue.”

“I’m no hero, Chantel. You already know that. That night, you looked so forlorn, so out of place.”

I shrugged. “I guess that’s how I felt. Dad has never really asked me what I wanted, nor did he seem to care. I always had a feeling he was going to force me into some crazy arranged marriage with some old guy to create some financial empire. Maybe my mother refused to allow him. I don’t know.”

“That doesn’t sound like Vissarian.”

“Maybe you don’t know him as well as you think you do. He’s changed significantly the past few years. Becoming more distant. More… into himself. There were additional business meetings, more stress. He and my mother argued. It wasn’t a fun time, but I was finishing grad school and honestly, did my best to stay out of the house.”

He was thoughtful again. “Well, at this point it’s nothing for you to worry about.”

“I guess not. Any luck on the traitor inside your organization?”

“No. I could be wrong. This could be a very old enemy. There are several variables.”

“Tell me about your life,” I suggested as I patted the chair next to me.

He laughed. “All the glorious details?”

At least he came and sat next to me, turning his chair so he could face me a little better. The dim lighting was spectacular, allowing for stargazing while providing enough light to enjoy whoever you were talking to.

“Dreams. Hopes. Whatever.” I sensed no one had ever really asked him the question. I also had the distinct feeling he’d never been close with anyone.

“I was born into this life, Chantel. Just like you were. I had thoughts like any kid. I wanted to be an astronaut, and a merchant sailor at one point. I was just a kid. But as soon as the life was presented to me, I couldn’t look back. It’s not what you do when born into a Bratva situation.”

“But Vadim isn’t family.”

“No, but you’re right in that various alliances are formed, often with business transactions alone. That’s what happened. My father ended up making one with Vadim’s father. They worked together for years while Vadim and I became friends.” Nikolay studied me, obviously curious why I was delving into his past.

Maybe he didn’t understand how much I wanted to get to know everything about him. The good, the bad, and the ugly if necessary. “And you didn’t hate it?”

“No. The horror stories you might have read or seen in movies aren’t always accurate. I was lucky and so was Vadim. We grew up with fathers who cared very much about their families. We grew up. We took over.”

“What about Damien?” I asked. “Do you want him to have the same life?”