Page 80 of Beguiled

“Of course.”

We drank to the tenuous friendship. Then I stood as the business I’d hoped to conduct had been concluded. If Sean was a part of the game, I wouldn’t be there to get his ass out of a sling next time. If this was a fight between two syndicates, it was their bloodbath.

If this was the final act in a devilish game of revenge, then shit was about to get messy.

From what I knew about bad blood, skeletons with blades always appeared from the depths of hell.

There were two other scenarios that were possible. That I’d been the intended target or that Saige was. Although in my deep dive into her background, including what she hadn’t wanted me to discover, I could see no indication she was anything but what showed on paper.

With one exception.

She’d gone to the same university as Vardan. That could mean nothing but would remain in the back of my mind. I was growing weary of having Mikhail’s ghost lingering over my shoulder.

“Lav kiny ayn amenn e, inch’ anhrazhesht e hzor tghamardu hajoghut’yan hasnelu hamar.”

His words brought a full smile to my face. “A good woman is all that is needed for a powerful man to succeed.”

“You’ve heard the old saying,” Vardan said.

“Yes, I have. Something my mother taught me as a boy. A reminder that men would never be in full power if a woman wasn’t involved.”

He shook his head. “Yes, even my father is pushing for me to find a wife so my reign will be successful. An old wives’ tale that plagues both our cultures.”

Marriage. Wives. Alliances. He was being pushed toward a future he wanted no part of. Much like I’d been.

While he wasn’t much younger, it was enough that I could tell he was still trying to prove himself in whatever way possible. “WhatI do believe is that there are some old ways that worked then and will work long into the future after we’re dead and buried.”

“Then let us both wish we find the right ones to strengthen our powerful reigns.”

I’d always thought I’d wanted a father who would push me into succeeding in whatever method possible. After meeting my father, I’d wanted no advice from the man.

Now, after his death and my rise to power, I could admit I wished I’d been privy to some of his wisdom.

And why?

Because I ached to feel the strong arms of a woman standing by my side through everything life had to throw at me. As I walked out, I realized I was just a little bit jealous of Vardan and his relationship with his father.

CHAPTER 18

Saige

“Have a good night,” one of the girls in the admin pool called as she headed out.

I glanced at my watch, thrilled to see it was closing in on six-thirty in the evening. There was only one more person to leave from this floor. Then I’d have it all to myself.

With Stash leaving the office early, something he never did, I’d put together a tidy little plan to learn more about him. And about the darker side of the corporation’s business ventures. In doing so, I was hoping to learn enough to place a full emphasis on my project.

Which, given the extra time, I was bringing to a conclusion much more quickly than I’d thought.

Yes, I still had a presentation to put together, which I would do with a pizza in my hand and a glass of wine on the table. However, the discovery and numbers were all plugged in. Of course I knew what I was doing in checking through his fileswas wrong. But the man hadn’t offered any direction. Everything with him was a test, more so given our closeness. Around him, everything felt like a boomerang.

The evil, sexy man had dangled a carrot in my direction, acting as if I could enter the shadowed echelon of his world. His underworld.

I laughed and continued typing, watching the girl across the room. I’d heard she always stayed late. I only prayed she wasn’t planning on doing an all-nighter. If so, I’d need to find a creative way of kicking her ass out the door.

After I continued checking my watch every five minutes, the girl finally decided to pack up and get the hell out. We weren’t in the same area, so she didn’t even pay any attention that I remained hovering at my desk.

Once the door was closed, I dropped my head, eager to get on with this. I waited the obligatory five minutes to ensure she hadn’t forgotten anything before easing from my desk. The quiet on the floor was unnerving as hell. I reminded myself that I was a good girl and had never done anything like breaking into a man’s computer or desk before.