Page 24 of The Dark Side

It was true that seventy percent of his products came through it, but he was diversifying. This past month, he purchased land in Naples to build a small airport.

There was a knock on the door, and Adrik stood up, meeting her. "If our contract falls through, there will be no need for this fake marriage. Perhaps it's what you want." Adrik knew it was what he wanted. He turned to the door.

Katia grabbed his arm. "That's not what I want," she lied. "We can fix this."

When she became desperate, she always resorted to the same tricks. Adrik didn't give her the time to touch him anywhere else. He stepped away, opening the door. Three females walked through, dressed in silk robes. He watched her face, noticed how cold and distant it became, and felt a small victory. The women removed their robes as they climbed into bed, wearing panties, bras, and heels.

Katia moved for the door, but Adrik gripped her bicep, forcing her to look at him.

"If I find out you were part of your brother's plot—"

"That's my daughter—"

"I'll do what I should have done when you fucked another man in our bed." He shoved her out and slammed the door.

Chapter ten

Invitation

Overaweekafterthe shootout, Jolie thought by now her PTSD would be healing, but instead, it felt like it was getting worse.

She typically parked in a parking garage, but there were too many loud sounds and dark shadows, so for the last two days, she found a spot on the side of the road, but that brought on different fears. The walk to her apartment was longer, she passed more strangers, and there were three alleys where someone could hide. She hadn't yet decided which was worse.

Despite the negative, it was a beautiful September morning. The sun was blaring, and the humid air made her sweat even in the shade of the buildings. There was no fall in Florida. There was summer and then a few weeks of spring, but otherwise, the sun was unrelenting. She had lived here her whole life and still wasn't entirely used to the blistering heat.

Jolie jogged to Crunch Fitness, two miles from her building. It helped relieve the tension in her shoulders. It would be better if she had time to do this daily, but sleep had become difficult. Closing her eyes brought on anxieties, and then sleep brought on nightmares. There was no winning.

The only thing that helped her alter her mindset was when she was thinking about Adrik.

And that's a no-go.

Upon seeing the big sign for her gym, her smile stretched. She was going to have a good, stress-free day today.

A man in a black suit stood in front of her. It took only a second to realize he was part of Adrik's crew. She bowed her head and tried to barrel through, but he moved with her. Jolie spun around to run, and another suit stood there with their hands clasped at the front. The tiny exposure of a gun handle through the buttons of his black jacket reminded her what kind of people they were.

She sunk in defeat.

"Miss Bell. My boss would like to talk to you." Their Russian accent was becoming more familiar than she ever wanted it to be.

What could Adrik want? What if he knew about the FBI agent coming to my house?

Jolie looked longingly toward the gym. If she fought or screamed, she could get away. There were too many ego maniacs hoping to save a damsel in distress. But she didn't want to risk anyone getting hurt because of her.

And she partly wanted to see Adrik again.

Jolie sighed and waved a hand. They took the invitation for what it was and directed her to a building across the street. She felt utterly underdressed as they entered the hotel lobby, with little pocket stores full of glittering accessories and clothes that were more than her salary. It was a side of Tampa she'd never seen. The elevator had a passcode, and it climbed to the roof.

Through double glass doors was an infinity pool that hung off the edge like magic. A little girl was splashing and giggling while her father swung her around. To her surprise, it was Adrik and Helina. Despite his dedication to his daughter, she didn't see him as the kind of guy to pay much attention to her.

Didn't rich people assign others to take care of their kids?

There were guards on the outline of the roof, but oddly enough, they were looking outward and not in. But perhaps there was always the chance of assassination, even from way up here.

This is so unreal.Jolie snorted.

One guard directed her to a chair, and a server quickly asked if she was hungry or thirsty. To each, she said no, landing her attention on Adrik. He caught sight of her, his blue eyes reflecting like the pool, a hypnotic scene that she couldn't break from. Slick, shiny hair dripped in front of his gaze as he looked at her like she was mouthwatering prey he was about to devour.

Helina jumped on his head, and he drowned in the water, breaking the tension, thankfully. Jolie hid her smile.