If the doctor cures, the sun sees it; but if he kills, the earth hides it. –Russian Proverb
THE SOUND OF FOOTSTEPS CALMED MY breathing enough for me to put the damn scalpel down and focus in on the fact that Maya would be in my office in mere seconds, and I looked like I’d just attacked a wild boar and lost.
“Nikolai?”
“Sit,” I instructed, peeling the bloody gloves from my hands. Natalia had decided against my wishes to end things, which meant Jac had to clean up the mess I’d started. The last thing we wanted was for Natalia to die on the streets or God forbid spend her last few weeks getting high and telling everyone who would listen what goes on at my offices. It was just the type of thing that would set Petrov off, and he was already a loose cannon.
Maya sat and folded her hands. “Everything okay, Doc?”
“Cute.” I clenched my teeth. “Don’t ever call me Doc.”
“Frankenstein?”
“Let’s just skip nicknames.”
“Okay, asshole.”
I let out a pitiful groan. “The schedule, I need you to find Natalia’s name and put a red mark through it. Print out the documentation, put it in the safe, then delete her files on the computer. Can you do that?”
“Wait.” Maya’s ponytail did a little flip as she shook her head. “You want a paper trail?”
“For the safe. For my own purposes that you don’t need information on. Delete the files on the computer only after you’ve printed off what I need.”
“Okay…”
“And for the love of God don’t read her file.”
“But you just said to print it—”
“Print. You hit print. You delete once the paper comes out of the feed. Must I explain everything as if you’re a toddler, or can you handle this one simple task for me?” I tried to keep my voice even. “Once the paper is destroyed, make sure that the flash drive,” I pointed to the drive in the computer, “is given to me at the end of the day for inspection.” Nothing was ever permanently destroyed, data had a way of hanging on, just like life, and I needed to make sure I snuffed it out in the only way I knew how.
Maya’s eyes filled with tears. “Right. I’ll just go do that right now.”
“When you’re finished, close up the front. I’ll meet you in the lobby, turn the lights down.”
“We’re done for tonight?”
“Yes,” I grumbled. “For tonight.”
The door clicked shut behind her. Shit. I ran my hands through my hair then kicked the metal trash can. I hadn’t meant to snap at her like that, but the more questions she asked, the more irritated I became, I couldn’t allow myself to attach emotionally. It was instinctual to guard myself, to protect what I did, to protect her. And if by being cruel I accomplished that, well.
I shrugged out of my white jacket and pulled out my phone.
Nikolai: Natalia will be at her usual spot.
Jac: I’ll take care of it.
Nikolai: I knew you would.
I shoved my phone back into my pocket and made my way toward the lobby of my office.
Maya’s back was facing me.
Her black dress hugged every delicious curve. I drank my fill—because I knew it was all I was allowed.
I could look.
But never touch.
Her father had made certain of that.
I didn’t realize I was clenching my hands until I tried to place one on her shoulder. Releasing the tension in my fingertips, I lightly tapped her shoulder. “Ready to go?”
She turned slowly, her eyes narrowing. “Listen, here.” A manicured finger tapped against the middle of my chest. “I get that you’re brilliant, that you have money, that everything in this godforsaken world has been handed to you on a freaking silver platter, but that gives you no right to treat me like I’m a child!”
She really had no clue, I had to force myself not to smile.
And then I had to force myself not to take her into my arms and kiss the scowl from her lips.
“I’ll stop treating you like a child when you stop acting like one.”
If I thought she was pissed before—she was beyond enraged now. Her eyes widened as she gave me a little shove. “You ass hole!”
I straightened my tie. “I never promised to be anything but. Now, if you’re done putting me in my place, I’d like to get to dinner. We have a reservation.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“Lie.” I checked my Rolex, “Are we going to sit and argue all night or do you want bread?”
Her eyes lit up briefly before she turned around and wrapped her arms around her body. “Like I said, I’m not really hungry.”
I walked up behind her, my chest nearly touching her back, and leaned in, my mouth brushing against her ear. “You know you could just say thank you in advance and get all this huffing over with.”
“Thank you?” Her body shuddered, but she didn’t turn around. “For what?”
“The best bread you’ll ever have in your entire life and enough wine to go with it for you to forget how much of an ass I’ve been.”
Maya’s breath hitched. She turned, her face curious.
Not going to happen. I refused to give anything away. “Or you could just force me to pay for your company, since you’re so convinced that’s what I do in my spare time.”
She rolled her eyes. “Fine but I’m ordering whatever I want.”
“I would expect nothing less from you.”
She grunted and walked toward the door. I followed her out and locked up behind me. My text alert went off.
Quickly I scanned through the message from Jac.
And then a picture popped up with the word confirmed tagged to it.
“Something wrong?” Maya asked.
I offered a practiced smile. “No, no, everything’s fine.”
My hands shook as I unlocked the doors and shoved the key into the ignition. Jac was out there doing what I should be doing—what my family had been doing for years, and I was taking a girl who was completely off limits to dinner.
Not because I owed her.
Or because I owned her.
But because I genuinely wanted to spend time with her—something I’d never before experienced.
I felt it then, the change in the wind as I hit the Audi’s accelerator and forced myself to calm down.
She was already getting underneath my skin.
And she had no idea how dangerous that simple action would be—for both of us.