Ruthless Stranger by Maggie Cole

25

Maksim

Aspen stepsout of the bedroom. She's a stunning specimen of beauty and grace. Her black satin dress hugs every curve. Spaghetti straps wrap around her creamy shoulders. The front of the dress V's down, displaying enough cleavage, it's going to drive me crazy all night. When I chose the dress, I imagined her in it. She exceeds every expectation I had.

I step forward and circle my arm around her waist. "You only get more gorgeous, my krasotka."

She beams. "I was right."

"About what?"

"I have a new thing about you in a tux."

I drop my palm to her ass and survey every inch of her body. Meeting her eyes again, I trace her strap. "I think I'm going to have fun removing this dress tonight."

She moves her hand up my chest and inside my tuxedo jacket. Her fingers inch between the buttons of my shirt and through my chest hair. "Is there a dark corner at this wedding?"

I grunt. "If there is, I'll find it." I kiss her quickly. "We need to go." I help her into her coat and lead her to the elevator.

We leave the penthouse, and my bodyguard Kazmir, whom Aspen hasn't seen before, joins us in the lobby and escorts us outside. He's not there to protect me. He's there because if anything should happen to me, I need to make sure my krasotka is protected. We can't take enough precautions right now.

As soon as the door shuts, she nervously asks, "Is Adrian in trouble for my actions last night?"

Recalling the heated phone conversation between Adrian and me only creates a wave of bubbling anger in my veins. It took place after my workout. While I should be a rational man and give him a pass since he was outnumbered, it burns me Aspen ever got into a situation with any Petrov, much less Wes. In fairness, there wasn't anything he could have done without backup. But the mixed visuals of Aspen on Wes's lap and the real danger she was in then and now only made me lash out at him.

It's rare for Adrian and me to butt heads. He's the head of my security and usually my most reliable man. It's why I assigned him to protect Aspen.

Adrian may be on my payroll, but he's also not one to lie down and get attacked. If I look back at our call, it was pointless. All Adrian and I did was get into an argument. Everything he said was accurate. I should have been discussing how we are going to add the extra layers of security to Aspen. But the conversation couldn't even get there since I was so red with anger.

"No. Adrian's our cousin. He will be at the wedding." I scowl.

Aspen shifts in her seat. "I didn't know you were related."

I snort. "Some days I claim it more than others." It comes out bitter. I need to let what happened last night go. Adrian was outnumbered. He would have gotten himself, and possibly any of the women, killed if he had done anything. Yet, all I still see is my krasotka in Wes's arms.

Aspen sighs. "Things got out of hand last night. There's no way he could have stopped any of us from anything. And I wasn't very nice to him."

"It doesn't matter. His job was to protect you." As I say the words, I know it's unfair. But I can't seem to give him a pass. I need to know at all times Aspen is protected when she's not with me. While I don't want anything to happen to Aspen's friends, he wasn't being paid to protect them. He had strict orders and should have stopped Aspen and let the other women do whatever they wanted, no matter the consequences.

Aspen would be hurt if anything happened to her friends.

They all were in danger.

He's an Ivanov. It's not in Adrian's blood to let any woman be in danger.

According to Adrian, he was putting out fires all night with Aspen and her friends. But his admission only made me angrier over the phone since he wasn't told to protect them.

I would have done the same thing he did.

Aspen puts her hand on my thigh. "Maksim, don't be mad at Adrian. Especially if he's family."

I grunt. She's right. I need to get past it.

"This is a happy occasion. Let's celebrate and not feel anything but joy today," she says.

I lace my fingers through hers, my palm on the backside of her hand. "You're right. Dmitri and Anna deserve everyone to be in a good mood today."

"That's the spirit," she teases.

"See? I'm a rational man."

Her eyes twinkle. "I'll remember that in the future." She stares at me a moment then asks, "What's Anna like? I don't know much about your brothers, but at least I've met them. Do you get along with her?"

I chuckle. "Yes. Very well. Although at first, I wasn't too excited Dmitri hired her."

"Why?"

I pause, wondering how Aspen is going to react. "She's not Russian."

As expected, Aspen's eyes widen a bit. "I didn't realize you only hire Russians. Well, you did say Polish, too, I guess."

"We hire non-Russians and non-Poles. But we like to keep as much money in the Russian community as possible so they don't have to turn to the Petrovs."

Understanding crosses her expression. "Ahh. I see. So you didn't hit it off with Anna right away?"

"There wasn't anything major. And I learned within a few days how exceptional her talent is."

"What does she do?"

"She's an interior designer."

"Wow. That's awesome."

I can't help but smile. "Once I saw her skills and how bad Dmitri had it for her, I got over it. She's like the sister I never had now. You'll love her. The two of you will get along great."

Aspen strokes my cheek. "I can't wait to meet her. And I'm glad you're close."

I nod. "We are."

The car pulls up to the building. Snow falls, so we don't get out until we're directly in front of the doors. There are six men with shovels keeping the path and steps clear. I step out, reach in for my krasotka, and we hurry inside.

Sergey is the first person I see. His date is a woman named Eloise, whom he tends to see whenever she's in Chicago. I internally groan. It's not a surprise she's his date. He told me last night she was flying in this morning. I can't help wishing her flight was delayed and she wasn't here.

On the outside, Eloise is beyond beautiful. I understand my brother's attraction to her. But inside, all I see is ugliness.

She's one of the most in-demand black runway models in Chicago and also travels to New York and L.A. often for work. She has a thick, French accent and only moved to the U.S. a decade ago. Sergey's been obsessed with her since he met her a few years ago.

But I don't care for how she treats my brother. She acts annoyed with him every time we're together. Her actions tell me she thinks she's better than Sergey, which disturbs me. They aren't together, but every time she leaves town, he seems to have a harder time dating anyone else. And I wonder if he's falling into the same trap I created with Jade.

Regardless, I bite my tongue. Just like I wouldn't tolerate anyone speaking ill of a woman I date, he wouldn't, either. The last thing I'll do is let a woman come between my brothers and me. So, I put on my smile, and we all exchange greetings. I introduce the ladies. Sergey kisses Aspen on her cheek, and I do the same with Eloise.

"Dmitri here yet?" I ask.

"Boris just texted to meet them in the back room," Sergey confirms.

"Is Nora with them?" I would rather give Aspen the option to talk with Nora than subject her to Eloise.

Sergey's face lights up. He's grown just as close to Anna as I have. "She's with Anna. Should we peek in on her? Then we can rub it in Dmitri's face we've seen her in her dress."

I tug my krasotka closer to me. "Yes. Let's stop by, and I can introduce Aspen to Anna."

There are two main areas and several private rooms—one for Anna and one for Dmitri. The room the ceremony will take place in is also where dinner and dancing will be. The second area is for appetizers and cocktails. Each location is a nighttime winter wonderland. Fake trees covered in ice glow blue. Their limbs stretch over where the guests will sit and the aisle. Long icicles hang from the ceiling over candlelit tables. Luxurious, padded chairs face a small stage.

"Wow. This is incredible!" Aspen gushes and stops to take it all in.

I can't help feeling proud. "Anna designed it all."

Aspen gapes. "You're right. She is very talented."

"Dmitri said it was going to be amazing," Sergey follows, glancing around with a huge grin on his face.

"Hmm." Eloise's haughty sound is loud enough for all of us to hear then she purses her lips together.

Sergey arches an eyebrow. For the first time ever, I hear disgust in his voice where she is concerned. "You don't like it?"

She gazes around again then shrugs. Her French accent seems to thicken. "Fake trees? Eh."

Aspen blurts, "They don't look fake. I can't get over how real they seem."

I take a deep breath. "I think it turned out incredible."

"Agreed," Sergey growls, and I don't miss the tiny scowl on his face as he focuses on Eloise.

I clear my throat. "Should we go see Anna?"

"You go ahead. Eloise and I will catch up in a moment," Sergey orders.

I study my little brother's face. He's upset and pissed. The expression he holds is neutral, but I understand his look more than anyone. It's the disguise he puts on when he's raging inside. After so many nights with Zamir, he learned to cover his emotions. He may have only been twelve, but he saw the value in not reacting like a crazed lunatic.

Maybe it's because he and Boris were younger when everything first happened, but they have a naturally calmer demeanor than Dmitri and me. We have to work harder to cover up our emotions. But not Boris and Sergey. They can torture a man and not raise their voice once.

Right now, I see the same anger in his eyes as when he kills a man. I don't know if something is going on between Eloise and him, or if maybe he's finally had enough of her years of negativity, but I don't miss the smoldering disgust surrounded by his deadpan expression.

I pat him on the back. "I'll see you soon." I lead my krasotka away.

When we're out of earshot, she says, "Is she always like that?"

"Yep."

"I've never seen anything so amazing as this room. I don't understand how she can criticize it."

"That's Eloise. Normally, it's just directed at Sergey."

Aspen tilts her head. "She's disrespectful toward him?"

"In my opinion."

"Why does he put up with her? He's a grade-A stud. Girls must throw themselves at him."

I chuckle. "Takes after me, right?"

Her lips twitch. "There is no doubt you and your brothers are all Ivanovs." Her face falls. "So why is he letting her treat him badly?"

I sigh. "I can't say he's in love with her. I'm not sure if he is or not. They only date and have never been exclusive, but I think Sergey's always been holding out for more from her. But I'm not one to talk after my past. I just hope he isn't following my relationship footsteps."

She gasps dramatically. "But you have me."

I dip down and kiss her. "And I'm so glad I do. Present relationship excluded from my statement. Come on. I want you to meet Anna." I knock on the door, and Anna's friend, Harper, answers.

"Hey!" she chirps.

I bend down and kiss her on the cheek and introduce Aspen. Harper steps aside, and we move through at least a dozen women, ranging from Anna's friends to her mom, and some other ones I believe flew in from New York, where Anna is originally from.

Anna's mom is holding a veil and talking to her. Anna's back is to us. Her hair is blonde again. She had it dark for a while but recently switched it back. It's in an updo, showcasing her form-fitting, open-back dress. The expensive lace hugs her ass. I can't help but think about how much Dmitri will like it. He worships her ass as if it's a piece of art Michelangelo sculpted.

I clear my throat, and Anna spins. Her face lights up.

"Wow. You're stunning," I tell her, step forward, and kiss her on the cheek.

She takes a deep breath. "Thanks."

I turn. "This is Aspen. Aspen, Anna."

Anna smiles bigger. "It's so nice to meet you."

"You, too. You look gorgeous. And I can't believe you designed all that out there. It's amazing."

Anna blushes. "Thank you." She turns to me. "Have you seen Dmitri?"

"Not yet. We're making our way back there."

She takes Aspen's hand. "Okay. Well, you go hang with your brothers. Aspen can stay with us."

"Oh. I don't want to impose," Aspen says.

Anna snorts. "You aren't."

Nora steps next to Anna. "Maksim."

I kiss her on the cheek. Her red hair hangs in long curls. Her green eyes are bright, and her baby bump is barely showing. After I introduce her to Aspen, I say, "You look beautiful, Nora. How are you feeling?"

"Great."

Anna waves. "Bye, Maksim. Don't worry. We won't bite Aspen. Will we?"

"Nope," Nora replies. "Plus, we can hear all the juicy secrets Aspen knows about you."

Aspen laughs. "Well, guess I have to stay now."

I glance at her. She looks happy to be staying with the women. I peck her on the lips. "I'm in the other room down the hall if you need me."

"She'll be fine," Anna sings and shoos me away but not before Sergey and Eloise enter the room. She seems to look a bit nicer than when we left. Anna and Nora are just as friendly to her and tell her to stay as well.

I almost tell Sergey not to leave her so she doesn't say something nasty to Anna on her big day, but I bite my tongue. Sergey follows me out of the room.

"Everything okay between you two?" I ask.

He shrugs. "I'm not sure what I'm doing with her anymore."

I stop. My heart beats faster. "How long have you been feeling like this?"

He looks at the ceiling. "I'm not sure. But I don't get excited when she comes to town anymore. And she won't commit to me. She won't give me that. I'm good when she's here and wants to fuck, and that's about it."

"Ouch. You really believe that?" I would like to think there's something more. Even though Jade wouldn't fully commit to me, we were more than what Sergey is describing.

His face turns to steel. He meets my eye. "At some point, you have to stop pretending. And you know what? I used to care. I wanted more. She didn't. I told myself she eventually would. But she is never going to. I won't lie to myself anymore. And the thing is, I don't think I want her, either."

My stomach flips. I hate seeing my brother hurt. He deserves to be loved. Out of all my brothers, him maybe the most. I wish I could wave a magic wand and figure out how to help him be happy and find the woman who will adore him as much as he loves her. I put my arm around him and quietly say, "Sometimes you have to let someone go to open up space for the one who has the capacity to love you. And when you find her, you'll know. I won't tell you what to do. I spent eleven years waiting for Jade to love me. But you, my brother, don't need to make my mistake."

He closes his eyes briefly then says, "I think I just need a break. No Eloise. No women. No drama."

"Take one. You're allowed. If you're meant to be together, you'll figure it out."

He releases a big breath. "Let's go see Dmitri."

I pat him on the back, and we go into the room Dmitri and Boris are in.

Like Anna's room, his is full, too. The guys who were in Vegas are all here. Killian and his two brothers, Adrian, Tolik, Obrecht, and a few of our other cousins.

My blood boils at the sight of Adrian, but Aspen's words about this being a happy occasion ring in my head. From the look on Adrian's face, he's not excited I'm here, either.

He's your blood.

You would have done what he did.

It's my krasotka.

I ignore Adrian for a moment and hug Dmitri. "You ready?"

"Can't walk down the aisle soon enough."

Sergey hugs him and says, "Your bride looks amazing."

Dmitri's eyes light up. "You saw her?"

"Yep. She seems just as ready as you are."

Adrian's phone rings. I glance at him, and his face hardens. His eyebrows furrow, and he excuses himself and leaves the room.

Anna's brother, Chase, and his friend, Noah, start passing out shots of vodka.

Killian pulls out a flask. "Think I'll stick with whiskey." His brothers, Declan and Nolan, pull theirs out as well.

"To your last moments as a free man," Noah shouts.

Everyone takes their drink. I engage in small talk until Adrian comes back into the room.

"Maksim." He nods for me to step out into the hall.

I glance at my brothers, who all give me questioning looks. I follow Adrian and shut the door.

He checks to make sure we're alone. "Aspen's apartment has been broken into."

"What? Who did it?" I growl.

He raises his eyebrows.

I should know better than to ask. Wes Petrov, or any Petrov for that matter, isn't someone you cross. "I'll kill him."

"Shh," Adrian warns.

I fill my lungs with oxygen, letting it sit until I can't hold it anymore. "This is a direct attack on my krasotka and us."

Adrian crosses his arms. "It wasn't the Petrovs."

"No? Who then?"

"Her ex. The neighbor interfered, and he left with a full backpack."

"What did he take?"

Adrian shifts. "I don't know. But our guys assumed he would hang out, realize she wasn't there, then leave. When he ran out of the building, they went in to check things out and spoke with the neighbor. The surveillance pictures clearly show he had something in the bag. It wasn't full when he went in."

"Where is he now?"

"At a friend's apartment where he's staying. He hasn't come out since he left."

My inner beast riles. "Pick him up. Take him to the garage. Let me know when he's there."

"You want the guys to handle it or me?"

"No. I'll be the one dealing with him. No one touches him, except me."

Adrian nods. "All right."

"Get the backpack and whatever was in it back. Strip him down and tie him up so he's on his tip-toes."

"Done."

The clawing at my stomach starts. I go into the restroom and splash cold water on my face.

You can't kill him. Aspen will never forgive you.

I already warned her and made her promise me.

She didn't think you were talking about Peter.

He was warned.

He violated her space and stole from her.

What did he take?

What if she had been there?

I stare at my reflection, telling the monster within me to go back to hibernation. But he's been woken too many times in the last twenty-four hours. And once you wake a bear, it's hard to get him to go back to sleep.