Page 27 of Hate to Love You
“And you,” I say, turning finally to Igor. “You will go collect your wife, take her home, and then go make our collections. After that, I don’t care what you do. You can get back to screwing hookers, knocking off grannies or drowning kittens, or whatever it is you do.”
Igor chuckles.
“Are we…still going to The Studio tonight?” He asks, eagerly. “I got a great girl for you. She will swallow your dick.”
Is he for real right now?
But the truth is, I am looking forward to going to The Studio. And after that dream about The Brunette, I feel like I need it. But Igor and Polina’s bullshit pissed me off today, and I want him nervous enough to button his lip.
“Fuck off,” I say, catching his eyes.
“Yes, Boss,” he says, nodding and quickly exiting my office.
He nearly trips on Kristinah, on the way out, who is standing at the door, with a priority mail envelope in hand.
“Um,” she says sheepishly, sliding the cardboard envelope across the desk. “Sorry to interrupt, Sir. But this came for you. I signed for it, but it was marked as urgent.”
“It’s fine,” I say, waving her off but looking back to my family. “They were just leaving anyway.”
Anastasia looks at me, and then at Cal, but then turns and silently follows the boys, and Kristinah, out of my office.
No one lingers. They never do.
Except for Cal.
Hmm. That can’t be good.
“What is it?” I ask.
“There is something I left out of your report this morning,” Cal says, deliberately dropping the use of formalities once the members of my family have left. “But I couldn’t risk anyone else seeing it.”
I snort indignantly.
“Who else would see it?”
Cal doesn’t respond, but instead, his eyes follow Kristinah as she walks across the vacant floor and sits on the edge of the other administrative assistant’s desk.
I sigh heavily.
“What do you know,” I say quietly, rubbing my eyes.
“I caught her reviewing the files on your desk one morning before you arrived,” Cal says, still not taking his eyes off of Kristinah. “...And several times since.”
Fuck. And I was just starting to not entirely hate Kristinah.
“Well,” I say, motioning with my hands. “She’s certainly been naughty, but curiosity isn’t necessarily a crime, Cal. At least it isn’t in my book.”
“No,” Cal says softly. “But I’m assuming that her passing along information about your Walston Street deal to the McCleary’s would be.”
My blood boils, and I find myself glaring at Kristinah, who takes a sip of her coffee, before throwing her head back in a mirthful laugh…unaware of the conversation taking place in this office.
“You’re certain?” I ask, but I already know the answer.
“She’s the only one who had access to that information,” Cal says. “We’ve deliberately kept that very discreet. And there’s no reason for it to even be on Cillian’s radar. However, my sources tell me that she’s connected by blood to one of his enforcers, and she’s one of the only ones who could’ve seen all the financial paperwork and—”
“Alright,” I snap irritably, raising my hand in the air. “Just handle it.”
Cal nods once, and then heads out of my office.