Page 49 of Daddy Brigadier

She’s incredibly beautiful, the way that tight black dress hugs her curves, her hair flowing down her back, and that enchanting smile she gives me. No one has ever looked at me like she does, full of burning desire and an alluring sense of obedience.

Lexi.

She embodies everything I could ask for in a woman. Beautiful. Brilliant. Brutal.

High heels come tapping against the floor, drawing near. Quickly closing the folder, I set it aside, the picture still in my fingers. I slip it into my top drawer just before she returns.

Elise reenters the room, her fingers shaking slightly as she reaches for the folder.

“Is everything alright?” I ask her, cradling my glass of Scotch.

“Yeah,” she replies, her breath catching slightly.

“We’ll find Petrov,” I promise her.

She bites her lip, resembling a frightened puppy—an expression I’ve never witnessed from her before. “Are you okay?”

She takes a deep breath, and the color returns to her face as her expression becomes stoic once more. “Did you need something, Brigadier?”

“Could I ask you for a personal favor?”

“What do you need?” She flips through the folder as if she’s searching for something. I watch her movement carefully.

“What if I’m not ready to retire?”

She hesitates. “What about your heart?”

“You know about that?”

“I’m sorry. Andrei mentioned it.” Yes, of course he did.

“Are you prepared to make Daniel Brigadier?” she asks, her voice trembling slightly.

“It’s his birthright.” My stomach churns at the memory of our earlier fight.

The silence hangs between us until Elise exhales, her expression turning cold and distant, impossible to read. “I think I can come up with a plan.”

I leap up with excitement, my hand slapping the top of my desk. The smartest woman I know must have something.

“First, you have to tell me what Petrov did to the girl.”

I inhale sharply, my heart tightening. “Not you as well.”

“Tell me,” she says, her voice firm, each breath heavy and uneven.

I settle back into my chair and clear my throat. “Petrov nearly killed her friend. Now, Lexi is out for revenge.”

Elise’s eyes relax a bit. “So, he didn’t actually harm her, then?”

“She hasn’t said, but personally, I believe he did.”

A wild, dangerous fire glimmers in her eyes. “I need to be there when you kill Petrov,” she says, her voice drops to a chilling whisper. “For stealing from us.”

I nod once, acknowledging and agreeing with her without a word.

Taking another deliberate sip of the rich Scotch, I try to suppress the urge to pry into her reaction. It might only be a figment of my imagination, but I can’t shake the feeling that beneath her fierce exterior, Elise holds a flicker of anger toward Petrov for what he did to those girls.

“I’ll update Andrei,” she says, shaking off the concern that’s still clinging to her expression. With a strained smile that barely reaches her eyes, she turns and quickly leaves the room.