With This Ring

Time to make my stance. “You’ll only have my protection under my own terms. You’ll have to live in my house, where security can be thorough until this situation is sorted out. You left today against instructions. My people tried to reason with you to allow them drive you but—”

“Maxim,” she stopped me. “I cannot live like this. I have a life and responsibilities.”

“It is a temporary situation that will all be sorted out soon enough.”

“Well until then I’m not about to leech off you. We will return home, and you will provide us with the needed security there.”

“No.” I reiterated. I would not allow any negotiation on this point. “Full protection or nothing at all. Maybe you can weather the pressure of knowing you can be attacked at any time, but I saw what last night’s episode did to Britney. You want to take that risk?”

She glared at me, but I was not backing down, and since she cared enough for her friend, it wouldn’t be as easy for her not to do so.

At that moment someone stopped by our table. We both turned to see the striking blonde standing next to us. Holly Tudor. She was the youngest daughter of a multi-millionaire hedge fund manager. A diamond choker encircled her neck, and her dress, a silky champagne rose number with spaghetti straps, hugged her hips and flowed down her thighs.

“Maxim,” she called in the breathy voice I was quite familiar with.

She proceeded to rest her hand on my shoulder, and the unnecessary contact earned her an irritated expression. Her hand dropped away. We slept together on occasion when we met at different parties, but it was an unspoken agreement that it came with no strings. It was an agreement she had adhered to thus far. I turned to the ball of fire before me and understood what had threatened little Holly Tudor.

“This is?” she asked, her tone as condescending as was humanly possible.

“No one,” Freya answered and rose to her feet.

I knew just how to sit her back down. “Running away so quickly? Don’t you want you Pelmeni and barabulka, your soup, your blueberry pancakes?”

She pulled the strap of her purse off her shoulder and returned to her seat, a blindingly fake smile plastered on her face. “You’re right, but I have better things to do so I’ll take it to go.”

“That’s true,” I said and took a sip from my glass of Scotch. “How’s the job search going?”

She turned a murderous gaze on me, but the woman standing next to me looked particularly amused, as she confirmed that Freya was truly no one, at least financially.

“Maxim,” she called, in her breathy voice. “When am I seeing you? How does this weekend sound? I’ll be all yours.”

“Not this weekend, but thanks for dropping by, Holly,” I said to her.

She responded with a sultry smile while she somehow managed to make sour when she turned it on Freya. She slinked away and I didn’t bother looking back, my gaze fully on the seething woman before me.

Freya cocked her head dramatically as she watched her leave. “She looks like a prostitute. I suppose you pay her well.”

“Why, are you interested in applying for the position?” I mocked.

She turned a very shocked gaze towards me. Too taken aback to respond, she let out a snort. “Excuse me?”

I got straight to the point. “You need money, don’t you, and I’m willing to pay to fuck you.”

She leaned back into the chair, and folded her hands across her chest, her eyes were glittering with a strange expression. “How much are we talking?”

“Name your price,” I replied coolly.

“How about a million,” she responded without blinking.

“Deal,” I murmured, my gaze never leaving her.

I saw the moment when she realized just how deadly serious I was, and for a moment I saw the terror flash in her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She jumped to her feet so quickly, her hair flew around her face like a halo. She was so furious her next words shot out of her like bullets.

“Fuck you, Maxim.”

“I wish you would,” I responded. “You’re driving me out of my fucking mind.”

She gasped in shock, but she was so taken aback by my words she couldn’t find a suitable response. Giving me a confused and angry look she stormed out of the restaurant.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Freya

I couldn’t breathe.

I lurched out of the restaurant onto the sidewalk. The autumn breeze I had enjoyed earlier now seemed way too hot for survival.

Parched, I found myself walking into the nearest 7/11 and grabbing a can of coke. I paid for it and leaned against the counter for support as I downed more than half the can. When I came up for air, I felt my brain begin to restart.

What the hell just happened?