Ruthless Stranger by Maggie Cole

30

Aspen

"Time to spill it.How do you know Sergey kisses like a porn star?" I take a sip of my martini. The girls and I are having drinks then Maksim is picking us up. Boris is boxing tonight. When he asked me if I wanted to go, I already had plans with the girls. It morphed into them joining us.

Maksim seemed amused they wanted to come.

"Do women not go?"

His lips twitched. "Anna loves it. She brings her friend, Harper, a lot. Nora comes unless Boris is fighting Killian. Then she won't watch."

"So, why are you surprised my friends want to attend?"

He shrugged. "I'm not sure. Nothing should surprise me with those women though."

That was a few days ago.

"Oh no, you don't! You have a lot to tell us about Mr. Stranger Danger," Hailee says.

"What do you want to know?" I casually ask. It's been over a week since our night out at the Cat's Meow, and we haven't been together since. Besides my visit to Kora's office, I haven't seen any of them. I've been rehearsing what I'll tell my friends about Maksim all day, but it doesn't sound convincing in my head. And my friends aren't stupid.

Hailee lowers her voice even though we're inside Skylar's condo. Her tone is full of worry. "I researched the Petrovs. Apparently, Wes's dad is the Russian mafia king?"

"Yes," I admit.

"How does Maksim know him?"

I take another sip then shrug my shoulders. No matter how much I rehearsed it, my delivery sounds weak. "They're both Russian."

Kora snorts. "Aspen, you're going to have to give us more than that."

"What you just said is totally ridiculous. It's like saying anyone who is French knows all French people," Hailee adds.

I shake my head. "I'm not going to disclose Maksim's business."

"Is he part of the mafia?" Skylar asks.

"No." At least that sounded confident.

"Then why did he tell Wes they had a deal, and the Ivanovs were off-limits?"

I avoid their gazes. "I'm not going to discuss anything else. The Ivanovs are not mafia. End of story. Now, what happened in the car between you and Mr. Loverboy?"

"In the car? Nothing," Kora states.

I spin. "Then how did you kiss Sergey?"

Her lips twitch. "Let's clarify your statement. He kissed me."

I roll my eyes. "Okay. When did he kiss you? And you do know he's only thirty-three?"

"Jeez, Aspen. Get off the age thing. One, he doesn't look thirty-three. Two, he's almost thirty-four. Three, I'm thirty-eight—"

"Almost thirty-nine."

She slaps my arm. "Four, he could be twenty-one, and I'd give him a pass to do whatever he wanted with me for the night after experiencing those lips."

"Twenty-one," I screech in horror.

"If I could lock him in a cage and keep him as my cub to use and abuse me, I would."

Hailee spits out her drink.

"You need to stop spitting out your drink every time we get together," Skylar points out.

Hailee cringes. "Sorry. I didn't in Vegas."

Skylar pats her hand. "Yes, Hailee. You did a great job keeping your drink in your mouth while we were out of town."

She raises her hand in the air. "Score!"

"Can we take the focus off Hailee's spit and concentrate on how Kora ended up swapping spit with an Ivanov?"

"I wasn't the only one sampling the Russian goodies."

I turn to Hailee and Skylar. "One of you kissed Sergey, too?"

"Eew. No. We aren't into sloppy seconds," Skylar says, as if I insulted her.

"That's the truth," Hailee mutters and takes a drink.

I groan. "Then who..."

Skylar smirks.

"Oh, no. Please tell me you didn't get it on with Adrian."

Skylar licks her lips. "No, we didn't have sex. But why do you have a problem with him?"

"He's my bodyguard. I can't go pee without him standing outside the door."

"Now you're exaggerating."

"No, I'm not. I can't even come here."

Skylar glances behind her. "He's here?"

"Yes. Outside the door."

"Right now?"

"Did you not hear me confirm?"

She rises and paces the room. "Why didn't you tell me he's here?"

"What part of my bodyguard memo did you miss?"

"So anytime we're with you, he's going to be by your side?"

"Unless Maksim is with me, then he might or might not be. Why does it matter?"

She starts to walk to the door then comes back. "It doesn't."

"You're such a bullshitter," Kora says.

"Why are you freaking out right now?" Hailee asks.

"I'm not."

We all stare at her.

"I'll be right back." She disappears into her bedroom.

"What did she do with him?" I ask.

Hailee winces. "She kind of threw herself on him when we got into the car."

"What?"

"We were pretty intoxicated..." Kora adds.

"No kidding. Really?" I ask sarcastically.

Kora and Hailee exchange a look.

"What?"

Kora bites back a laugh. "She sort of straddled him and grabbed his face..."

I groan. "She didn't."

"She tried to remove his shirt," Hailee informs me.

"If I weren't into my cub, I'd have to give Adrian a shot. Skylar almost had his entire shirt unbuttoned. You could wash your clothes on his pecs and abs."

"They are pretty amazing," Hailee admits. "He had to practically carry her up here."

I put my hand over my mouth.

"Did she tell you what he said when he dropped her off?" Kora asks.

"No. What did she say?" Hailee replies.

Kora takes a really deep breath. "He said he would never be second to a Petrov, and she made her choice loud and clear."

"Ouch!" I say.

"Yikes," Hailee replies.

"Then he shut the door and left."

"Poor Skylar!" I rise and walk into her bedroom. The others follow.

Skylar stands at her window with her hand over her face.

I put my hand on her shoulder. "Hey, you okay? I heard what happened."

"This is so embarrassing."

"Did you think you wouldn't see him again?" Kora asks.

Skylar spins. "No. But I didn't expect to see him tonight. And I didn't want to go into the VIP room. You three convinced me and pulled me away from my conversation with him." She points to us.

"The night's still really fuzzy for me. I'm sorry," I offer.

She shakes her head. "It doesn't matter. I'm going to have to deal with it." She walks to her mirror, smooths down her hair, then turns. "Do I look okay?"

"Yes. You look smoking hot, like you always do."

"Agreed," Kora says.

"Eat your heart out, Adrian!" Hailee chirps.

My phone rings. "It's Maksim." I hit the button. "Hi!"

"I'm early. Are you ladies ready?"

"Yes."

"What is Skylar's unit number?"

"We'll meet you downstairs. Don't come up."

His voice drops. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes. We'll be right down. Adrian is here, so stay in the car."

"I'm already in the lobby."

"Stay put. We'll be down in a minute."

"Okay."

I hang up. "Maksim is in the lobby."

Skylar puts on a brave face. "I might as well face the music."

I hug her. "We were all drinking. I'm sure it wasn't as bad as you think."

"Mmmm...no, it was," Hailee says.

Skylar groans and leaves her bedroom. We follow her, and she opens the door. "Hi, Adrian."

There's a slight pause, and his eyes drift down her body and back to her eyes. His expression hardens. "Skylar."

We all step outside. Adrian glances at the rest of us. "Ladies. Are you going to behave tonight?"

"Yes, Dad," Kora jokes.

"Sorry about the other night," Hailee starts.

Adrian puts up his hand. "Let's not. Are you ready?"

"Jeez, Adrian. Way to forgive and forget," I mutter.

He scowls. "You don't forget incidents with Petrovs. You should know that if you're going to be involved with someone in my family."

I straighten. "Point taken. Let's go." I wish that night never happened. If I could go back and redo it, I would. Adrian has been cool to me ever since the incident. I don't blame him.

He escorts us down the hall, staying by my side but slightly behind me. We get in the elevator, and he gets in last and stands in front of the door.

Kora drags her finger in the air from the top of his shoulders down to his ass. "Solid," she mouths.

Skylar blushes.

I slap her upper arm.

"Ouch."

Adrian turns and raises his eyebrows.

"Sorry, neck cramp," Kora says.

He faces the door again as it opens.

We get out, and Maksim is waiting. He pulls me into his arms, gives me a quick kiss, then leads me out to the car.

Adrian sits in the front. The rest of us get in the back. When we get to Maksim's gym, the driver parks in front of the door. Adrian and Bogden both get out.

"Go straight inside, ladies. This isn't a good neighborhood," Maksim orders.

I glance outside. Bars cover the windows. Some are boarded up. There are no street lights, except for one several storefronts ahead of us. Men in hoodies hang out on the corner.

Adrian, Bogden, and Maksim form a wall around us. When we get to the door, a man with the beefiest neck I've ever seen opens the door.

"Boss." His deep voice ricochets in the air. His Russian accent is thicker than Maksim's or any Ivanovs.

I wouldn't want to meet him in an alley.

"Leo." Maksim pats his back and motions for us to go inside.

The door opens to a stairwell. We move up the steps. The smell of sweat and the sound of grunts and punching bags fill the air. We get to the top. An open space full of different kinds of punching and kicking bags and a ring with a black-and-white rope in the middle creates the gym. The dark mat in the ring has something written in Russian on it. Two small offices are in the back. Men glisten with sweat, working out with trainers. Foreign words echo throughout the gym. I assume it's Russian and Polish since Boris's opponent tonight is from Poland.

"What does that say?" Skylar points to the ring.

"No past, no future," Adrian replies.

She looks at him and quietly asks, "What does it mean?"

His eyes roam over her body, as they always do. He meets her gaze.

"Without our past, we cannot have our future. It shapes us and determines what we will and will not tolerate going forward. We can never forget the past lessons, or they will be repeated in our future," Dmitri's voice booms.

I spin.

He and Anna are standing behind us.

"Hi! How was your honeymoon?"

They both beam.

"It was perfect," Anna replies.

I introduce my friends to them then ask, "You come to all the fights?"

She nods. "I love them. Boris is an animal. But you probably figured that?" She arches an eyebrow.

Is she referring to him or his boxing skills?

I keep my eyes locked on hers. "Yes. He gives off that vibe."

Nora arrives with her three brothers, Killian, Declan, and Nolan. I met them at the wedding. They give Anna and me a hug and kiss on the cheek then Killian says, "Maksim, did you tape Boris's ankle yet?"

"No. I just got here."

Killian helps Nora out of her coat. "I'm going to hang this up then give Boris my unsolicited advice."

Dmitri grunts. "Good luck with that."

"Time to inform him how the Irish would take him down," Declan asserts.

"I'll go with you," Adrian offers, and he leaves with Nora's brothers.

Maksim says, "Let me take your coats. I'll put them in the office. We're on this side of the ring. Grab a front-row seat."

He helps me out of mine, and the others hand theirs to him. He leaves with Dmitri.

Anna says, "Have you been to a fight before?"

"No, this is all of our first time."

"Sometimes the sweat and blood fly over the ring. If you're squeamish, you might want to go several rows back," Nora suggests.

"We usually end up standing next to the chairs the entire time, to be honest," Anna says.

"I have to use the restroom. Can you point me where I go?" Kora asks.

"I'll show you," Sergey's voice replies.

She spins and purses her lips. "Lead the way."

Skylar, Hailee, and I exchange a look.

"Do they know each other?" Anna asks.

"Not well. We...ummm... We all went out, and Maksim showed up with Sergey to pick us up."

Anna raises her eyebrows. "Was this the night of my rehearsal dinner? At the Cat's Meow?"

She knows about it?

Of course she does. Maksim told me Anna and Dmitri have no secrets. My actions put their entire family in danger.

My face heats up. "Yes."

"We didn't know who they were." Hailee comes to my defense.

"I didn't want to go into the room. They made me." Skylar sounds like she's joking, but I know it's still upsetting her about what happened between her and Adrian.

Anna and Nora exchange a glance. I can't tell if they feel sorry for me or are upset.

Nora studies my face. "Why were you in a VIP room with a Petrov or any man if you're with Maksim?"

"Nora—"

"It's a fair question, Anna."

Anna sighs then gives me a sympathetic look.

Skylar puts her hand on her hip. "Before you judge Aspen, you should get your facts straight. Maksim dumped her."

"Skylar!" I reprimand. The burning in my face grows hotter.

"No. They don't have a right to judge you. He broke up with you and went to the rehearsal dinner without you. We took Aspen out. And yes, we went to the Cat's Meow. Aspen didn't ask to go, but we weren't going to let her sit home and sulk. And we drank a lot. Way too much, okay? We all did stupid shit we regret. But we didn't know they were Petrovs or even what that meant. And none of us did anything with those men besides get manhandled on their laps, which wasn't fun, by the way."

"Shh. Keep your voice down," Nora orders and gazes over her shoulder.

"Why? Is the Petrov name a secret around here?" Skylar comes back at her.

"She said to keep your voice down," Adrian growls.

Skylar freezes then her expression changes.

Oh, shit. Now she's pissed.

Her eyes turn to slits, and she spins. She points in Adrian's face. "You don't get to tell me what to do."

"Don't make a scene."

"Leave me alone, Adrian. You've made it clear what you think of me, so keep your opinion to yourself." Skylar turns back to us, her eyes full of fire.

Adrian grabs her arm, spins her back to him, and in a low voice, says, "I need to talk to you."

"Let her go, Adrian," I say.

He snorts. "I'm off the clock. Stay out of it, Aspen." He maneuvers Skylar several feet away into one of the offices and shuts the door. He pulls the shade down.

"He acts like I boss him around or something," I mumble.

Hailee steps closer and puts her arm around me. "It wasn't Aspen's fault. And she didn't cheat on Maksim. She wouldn't do that. We aren't familiar with crime families and who they are. It was an innocent mistake. So, unless you're perfect, stop accusing her of things."

"I'm not accusing her," Nora says.

"No? Sounds like it."

Nora sighs. She closes her eyes. When she opens them, they are glassy. "I'm sorry. I get worked up over the Petrovs. I'm also pregnant, so raging hormones don't help."

"I think this is a big misunderstanding," Anna says. "If I insinuated anything, I apologize."

"Me, too," Nora replies.

I release a big breath. "It's okay. I understand why you would be upset. And I'm sorry for all the issues it's caused."

Anna stands straighter. "It'll be okay."

"How do you know?" I ask it before I think, forgetting Hailee doesn't know what I do.

Anna smiles. Her eyes are full of confidence, but I also see an immense amount of pride and love. "Our men are Ivanovs. They won't allow it not to be."

Nora nods. "Anna's right."

"Guess I need an Ivanov, then," Hailee mutters.

I turn to her and laugh.

"The O'Malleys can hold their own and aren't too bad looking, either. I've got several options for you if you prefer some Irish blood. My brother, Killian, is single. Plus, he checked you out." Nora winks.

Guess I wasn't paying attention.

Hailee's face turns crimson.

"Are you single? I'm sure he'll ask me."

"She is," I practically sing.

"Good to know. Come on, ladies. I need a chair before this starts. My feet hurt, and once it starts, I know my butt isn't going to be in the seat."

We sit down and talk until the guys come back out. Maksim puts his arm around me. I tilt my head, and he kisses me. He teases, "Did you miss me?"

I respond by giving him another kiss.

Boris and his opponent come out, and the fight starts. As I watch Boris in the ring, surrounded by Ivanovs and O'Malleys, I realize Anna is right. Boris is a beast in the ring, but there's no doubt every man surrounding me is just as fierce. And maybe it's arrogant, but I also believe, no matter what happens, none of them will allow anything to happen to any of us.