Page 61 of The Dark Side
Adrik could at least follow that advice. He shut off his phone, unsure if he was being tracked or not. He fixed the collar of his shirt in the reflection of the elevator doors, flicking some black hair back into place. He cursed himself for doing something so trite. He actually felt nervous.
It’s just questions,he reminded himself, but he knew going to her bedroom always ignited a flame of hope for something more.
Adrik had kept as busy as possible this past week. He packed his schedule with the stupidest shit, hoping to avoid Jolie at all costs. And the one day he gave himself to relax and regroup, he found himself heading to her door. It was pathetic. But it didn’t seem to stop him.
Adrik dived into his daughter’s room. Helina was at her desk, writing while Jolie stood behind her. She still wore the maxi dress from this morning that amplified all her curves with insane accuracy. He could see the outline of her ‘grandma’ panties, and it did nothing to cripple his attraction.
Adrik cleared his throat and spoke in Russian.“It’s time for a break. Go find Esfir.”
“Yes!”Helina squealed, darting out the door.
Jolie crossed her arms. “We still have twenty minutes left. Where did she go?”
Adrik shut the door behind him, and he met her eyes. “You shouldn’t come to breakfast.”
Jolie leaned back on the table. “I learned that on my first day. But your father requested it. Should I ignore it?”
Adrik slipped his hands into his pockets to keep him from approaching her. Distance was his friend. “Why?”
She shrugged. It made him go over every moment of the last two weeks. There was no way his father would suspect anything. But it could be more about getting her and Katia together. “Do you plan to go dress shopping with Katia?”
“I don’t think I have a choice. I’m beginning to see why you guys walk on eggshells around him.”
The insult nearly choked him, and he nipped, “I don’t walk around on eggshells.”
She winced with a suppressed smile. “Sorry. I hit a soft spot.”
He sneered. “I can rule this family without him.”
“Okay!” she squeaked. “I’m sorry. You’re the man.” But her smile only got bigger.
Adrik realized then what she was doing. “You’re teasing me.”
She proudly smirked, her hands resting on the table. “A little payback.”
Adrik ground his teeth. It wasn’t anger he was feeling. It was something much more primal than he wanted to admit. He kept still and glared, because anything else would give away exactly what he was feeling.
Then a smile slipped on his lips. “I can see your nipples.”
With incredible speed, she slapped her arms over her chest. Her smug expression turned horrified. “You’re an ass.”
He chuckled deep in his throat. “Don’t play a game if you don’t want to be beaten.”
“Was there something you wanted?” Jolie left then, heading into her bedroom through the side door. He followed behind, quiet, observing. She dug into a drawer, pulled something out, and disappeared into the bathroom.
Adrik sat in the chair, hating how her bed was the most significant and noticeable thing in the room. “I wanted to warn you about Katia. She isn’t exactly trustworthy. Don’t believe what you hear.”
When Jolie came out again, she stood before him boldly, with her hands on her hips. It was almost a dare to look at her breasts, and he had no problem taking it. He flicked his eyes to her bosom but was disappointed that her nipples were no longer so prominent. As much as he enjoyed nipple pasties on a naked woman, it was discouraging that she took away one of her best features.
Jolie smiled, fake and forced, before she sat down. “She’s been super nice so far. And the only person that talks to me,” Jolie admitted, avoiding his gaze. She didn’t want to sound pathetic, but the truth was, living here was incredibly lonely. And this came from someone who had lived alone in a strange city for the past three months, with no friends. She felt unwanted and discarded. Mostly because Adrik had been completely avoiding her.
Jolie knew life here wouldn’t be easy, but she had never imagined it to be boring and depressing. The only purpose she had was to get up and teach Helina. After four o’clock, Jolie dived into her room and didn’t return until the following day. All her meals were brought to her. If she didn’t have something to read, she’d have gone insane by now. She felt too afraid to go for walks. She felt too intimidated to ask to go anywhere. If she needed anything from the store, she handed a list to Esfir, and the items would be delivered an hour later. She missed all the mundane chores that she used to hate, like cleaning and reorganizing. Everything was taken care of by someone else.
And on top of all of this, there was the stress of helping Agent Mally.
Jolie needed help figuring out how to get her the information she wanted. And she was afraid to try. She wasn’t used to this type of betrayal. She was a nice person, someone people trusted, and she didn’t know how to be a spy.
Jolie peeked at Adrik, but he was currently picking lint off his pants. What did a mafia ruler care about her living situation? She was quick to brighten herself up. “Helina’s so smart. She’s gonna be speaking English in no time.”