Ruthless Stranger by Maggie Cole

2

Maksim Ivanov

There'sa jolt as the plane lands, and the guys holler in celebration. My brother, Dmitri, is getting married. We chose Vegas for his bachelor party.

There are ten of us—my brothers, Boris and Sergey, and Dmitri's fiancée's brother, Chase. Our friends Killian, Steven, Noah, Xander, and Jamison round out our crew. It's around four in the afternoon, Vegas time. The drinks started when we got on the plane in Chicago, and the party atmosphere is only going to get more intense once we hit the Strip.

My phone vibrates, and I pull it out of my pocket. I internally groan. Jade, a woman I've had a long-term, on-again, off-again, who-knows-what-the-hell-we-are relationship with, texts me.

Jade: Let's get together soon.

She always does this.

I ignore her text. The last time we were together, I told her I'm over playing her games. For years, I've tried to be more with her, but she won't commit. During our last conversation, I put it on the line. I gave her an ultimatum, and she chose to end things. That was a few months ago. I haven't heard from her since.

It wasn't the first time I told her I wanted more from her. She always turns me down then comes strolling back into my life. But this time, I told her there would be no more chances. We'd done it too many times. Together. Not together. Back again. It's gotten exhausting, and I can't take it anymore.

To ease the blow, I've thrown myself into my work, accelerating the timeline on real estate projects my brothers and I have gotten involved in. In my younger days, I would have gone out on the town and found a woman to help me get over my battered ego and heart. But I've stayed away from all women, not wanting any of the drama that comes with dating or sometimes even just casual sex.

Living in Chicago, there's always plenty of opportunities to find someone new. Even though I'll be forty-six in a few months, the ability to have a different woman in my bed every night doesn't get any harder. When I was younger, I assumed it would be.

I was wrong. It seems the older I get, the more attractive I am to women. I thought when I was younger that time would make women run from me. But the older I get, the more attention they give me. Some of them even ask me out. Many of them stare at me, as if they can't help themselves. It's as if I could have any woman in the city—except Jade.

Ignore her. Do not fall back into her game.

I put my phone back in my pocket and grab my bag from the overhead bin. The other guys are all in front of me, and I duck so my head doesn't hit the ceiling and follow them onto the tarmac. Two black cars wait to take us to the Bellagio. My brothers and Killian go in one car. The other guys go in the second.

"Everything okay?" Dmitri asks when I sit next to him.

"Yes. Hand me a vodka."

Sergey already has the bottle and pours me a glass.

I take a swig, and the burn of the vodka travels down my throat and into my stomach. I grimace. "This is cheap vodka."

Killian grunts. "Did you not tell the company the Russians were coming when you ordered the cars?" He's full-bred Irish. His grandparents migrated to the U.S. when his parents were children. The O'Malley clan followed, and they soon were running Chicago. There's a mix of O'Malleys who take part in their crime family and those who have steered clear of it. Killian's immediate family has tried to avoid it but at times have gotten pulled in.

Killian's sister, Nora, and Boris are together and having a baby in a few months. For years, they had a secret affair and kept it from Killian. My brothers and I knew. We kept warning Boris to stay away from Nora for different reasons, but one of the biggest was his friendship with Killian. The two both box and have been joined at the hip since we were kids. And Nora was expected to marry an Irishman. When she and Boris finally admitted to Killian they were together and pregnant, I had to stop him from killing Boris—or at least trying. If the two released their wrath on each other, I'm not sure who would win. So I went with Boris when he went to tell Killian.

Plus, we had reasons Killian needed to get over it. There were threats against the O'Malleys and Ivanovs, and we needed to eliminate them together.

"Funny. I'm switching to scotch when we get to the hotel anyway." I set the glass in the holder.

The drive from the private airport to the Strip isn't long. We pull up to the Bellagio. The valet takes our bags, and the ten of us walk into the hotel.

Gold-plated tray ceilings match the colors on the floor and reception desk. An oversized gold horse is situated in the middle of the lobby, along with blue couches. Guests stand in a long line, waiting to check in. Others sit on the couches with cocktails in their hands, wearing lanyards and name tags you get when you go to a convention. Thick red ropes create an area for VIP check-in, but it, too, is crowded.

An employee stands near the entryway. She's young, probably in her mid-twenties, and could walk the runway.

So Vegas cliche.

She smiles big and holds a clipboard and pen. She looks up and addresses me. "Sir, are you VIP?"

"Yes."

"Can I get your names for your rooms? It will help expedite you past this line."

"I can do better than that." I remove the booking reservation from my pocket and hand it to her. Everyone is on it.

She glances at it. "This is great. Why don't you go to the bar or pool and we will text you when your rooms are ready? There is a large convention here, and I'm afraid everyone showed up at the same time. Can I use the number on this reservation?"

"Sure."

"I'm ready for drinks in the sun," Killian claims.

"You just want to check out the women," Dmitri says.

"You're still single for a few more weeks," Sergey smirks.

Dmitri slaps him on the head. "Don't get any stupid ideas."

Everyone except Killian, Sergey, and me are married or in relationships.

"You can still look."

Dmitri snorts. "Not interested."

We head to the pool and go straight to the bar. The sun is hot, and the pool water sparkles. Guests fill almost all the loungers. Some people are swimming. Pop music blares from the speakers. I order a scotch, ready to have something besides vodka.

We push several tables together and sit down. My phone vibrates again, and I sigh.

"What's wrong?" Dmitri asks.

I glance at my phone. "Jade."

Dmitri arches an eyebrow. "She hasn't been around lately. You off again?"

"No. We're done."

"But she wants to get together?"

I swipe my screen to read the message.

Jade: Are you ignoring me?

I set my phone on the table. "Yep. Same old Jade."

Dmitri gives me a disapproving look. "Are you really done this time?"

"Yep."

"Sorry, brother, I know you like her, but you can do better. I've always thought she's kind of a bitch," Sergey interjects.

I point at him and defensively say, "Watch your mouth."

He scoffs. "You're going to take her back, aren't you?"

"No. But you don't need to be disrespectful toward her." We may not be together, but I'm still not going to let anyone degrade her. Jade does have a hard exterior, but she hasn't had it easy. If anyone knows what a rough upbringing is like, it's my brothers and me. So I do give her more leeway than I probably should.

"Has it been nine or ten years you've been on and off with her?" Dmitri asks.

I groan. "Eleven. And it sounds so bad out loud, doesn't it?"

Dmitri holds his hands up. "I'm not judging, but maybe it's time to stop the insanity."

"The insanity?"

"You know. Doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results?"

I take a big drink of scotch and let it sit in my mouth for a few seconds before swallowing. "That's why I'm not returning her message."

Dmitri nods. "Good. Don't. Time to find someone new."

I don't respond. I'm not sure I'll ever find anyone besides Jade who grabs my attention the way she does. She's been the one I've wanted for so long. We've taken our breaks, but I never stopped craving her when we were on them. And no one else ever seemed to fill the spot in my heart I have for her.

But something has shifted in the last few months. There's a peace surrounding my feelings for her I haven't felt before. It's not always present, but every now and then, it hits me. I'll always care for and respect her, but I've finally come to accept we aren't going to be together. Something in me snapped when she let me go this time. All the years of waiting for her to love me back came to a head.

I can't make her love me. I've tried. She doesn't. I wonder if she's capable of loving anyone or if it's just me. Either way, I can't continue the toxic cycle we're in. There's enough destruction in my life, and I don't need it in my relationship with my woman, too.

My phone buzzes again, but this time, it's the front desk.

"Time to check in," I tell the guys.

We all rise to leave.

"I'll get the tab," I say.

They leave, and I wait to pay. Four women sit at a table off to the side. I try not to eavesdrop, but it's impossible. They've been drinking and are excitedly talking.

"So, you would be okay getting back on the stallion if a sexy stranger blindfolded you, you couldn't see his face or know his name, and there weren't any relationship consequences after?" one of the women asks.

A sexy voice fills my ears. It takes everything I have not to look at her. She laughs. "Yes. And he would be bossy and order me around all night. But that will never happen, so I guess I'm keeping my chastity belt on."

Another woman groans. "Remove the chastity belt. I command you!"

"Yeah, seriously. After everything Peter put you through, it's time."

"Ugh. Did you have to mention his name? I was having fun," the angel says.

The bartender hands me the bill, and I give him my credit card instead of cash so I can listen longer.

"Sorry. Forgot it was a jerk-free weekend. So, are you still against being a cougar?"

"You make me sound sixty. I'm still under forty," she reminds her friends.

"Yeah. And there are lots of hot men under forty."

"Please. If I'm removing the chastity belt, give me a man who knows what he's doing."

Her friend snorts. "There are plenty of men who are younger and know exactly what to do. You should reconsider."

"This is my fantasy, remember? Don't be pushing your bottle feeders on me."

I chuckle inside.

The bartender hands me the receipt and my card back. "Thanks."

"You, too." I sign, turn, and intentionally walk past the four women. I can't stop myself, and when I get to the door, I spin to see what the woman looks like. She's easy to spot since she's sitting next to a woman with magenta hair.

I don't have any expectations, but the blood pumps harder in my veins. She's naturally exotic and exquisite. I could be wrong, but I assume she's part Native American and part European. Her eyes match her thick, straight, dark hair. It flows past her shoulders. Long lashes, heart-shaped lips, and a perfectly straight nose adorn her oval face.

Her eyes lock on mine, and I freeze. Her cheeks blush, and her lips slowly twitch, but a man steps through the door and bumps into me, forcing my gaze from hers. It knocks me out of my trance.

"Sorry," he says.

"My fault." I tear my eyes away from her and go into the hotel. I check in to my suite, take a shower, and am still thinking about her after I'm dressed.

My phone rings, and my gut drops. I answer it. "Jade, we aren't doing this anymore."

"What are you doing tonight?" Her no-nonsense voice comes barreling through the line.

I close my eyes and sit on the bed. "Did you hear what I just said?"

"Maksim—"

My heart pounds harder. "We've both been clear about what we want. I'm not doing this anymore."

Her voice softens. "I miss you."

Don't fall for it again.

She always does this to me.

"Have you changed your mind? Are you ready to stop playing games?" I ask but already know the answer.

"Why does it have to be your way or no way?"

Here we go again.

"I'm done with your guilt trip. It won't work this time," I angrily spout.

"Guilt trip? That isn't really fair, now is it?"

"Yeah, I think it's spot-on about what you do."

"Maksim, I'm on my way over. Let's talk."

Jade's idea of talking is keeping me in bed until the next morning.

How many times have we had this exact conversation?

The outcome is never going to change. Enough is enough.

"Jade, I'm in Vegas. Even if I wasn't, you aren't welcome to pop in anymore. I already removed you from security."

She draws in a deep breath.

I stare at the ceiling. I'm lying, but it's something I need to address when I return to Chicago.

This is the right thing to do.

Pain fills her voice. "So that's it? You're going to push me out of your life, as everyone else has done to me?"

My heart drops. I hate when she goes into victim mode, but I also despise hurting her. I want to tell her it's her fault for pushing everyone away, but I refrain. "I'm sorry, Jade. I hope you find whatever it is that will make you happy. Let's not have this conversation again. I need to go. Goodbye." I hang up before she can say anything more or make me feel worse.

It needed to be done.

It's the same thing I told her the last time I saw her.

Part of me feels proud I stood my ground with her, but the other side wants to call her back and see if she's okay.

Don't do it.

I leave the room and meet my brothers in the casino. The guys are all around the bar. Boris is glued to the screens, reviewing the bets he made on the games. The rest of the guys are at a table watching the screens, too.

"Scotch?" Dmitri asks.

"Double."

He nods to the bartender and holds up two fingers. "You talked to Jade, didn't you?"

I grunt.

He studies my face. "Don't let her ruin your night."

"I'm not."

"Is this the first time you've talked to her since you broke it off?"

"Yep."

The bartender puts my scotch down, and I take a big swig.

Dmitri pats my back and points around the room. "Maybe you should take advantage of the atmosphere. Lots of beautiful women here."

"Not—" My mouth goes dry. I can't see her face. All I see are her crossed legs and the back of her body. But it's her. I know it's her. Plus, her magenta-haired friend is at the table.

Suddenly, the word interested can't seem to come out of my mouth.

Maybe I should take advantage of the atmosphere and information I learned while waiting to pay the bar bill earlier.

She wants a wild night with no drama. I've had no desire to touch anyone besides Jade. But the urge to give this woman, a total stranger, exactly what she wants ignites in my belly. It smolders within me for the next several hours until I can no longer hold myself back. I nurse several scotches. When I see her friend with the magenta hair get up to go to the bathroom with another one of her friends, I make my move and approach them.

I've never done anything like this. But it's Vegas, I tell myself. And what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. It's a perfect situation. No one gets hurt. Both of us have a fun night. We go our separate ways.

Like all the years I thought Jade would change her mind, I'm once again wrong. But this time, there are more consequences to my actions.