Page 31 of Scarred Ruin

Plus, so much of my focus had turned to Mina. The thought of her suffering even a day made me crazy inside. I had reason to get up in the morning and work myself to death. That reason didn’t include a brooding Russian who was by all appearances a wonderful father while also being nothing more than a glorified thug.

“Because the people involved are really bad men.”

“No kidding.”

“No, you don’t understand what I’m saying. The man I saved was a criminal so I’m certain so were the assholes trying to kill him. In the world of certain… bad guys, they tend to own the police and handle discrepancies and turf wars all by themselves.”

Her expression of confusion was followed by a stark laugh. “Have you been binge-watching Breaking Bad again?”

I took a sip of coffee, the lid popping off and almost managing to toss the hot liquid all over me anyway. “Shit. No, I have not. Don’t you have some drafting work to do?”

“Fine. I’ll get back to work. But tell me this. Why do you have a stuffed black lab on your credenza? Thinking about getting a dog?”

While I tried to be nonchalant about glancing at the stuffed animal I’d purchased for Mina, when I noticed the pink tongue hanging out, I sank lower in my seat. “It’s for a friend of mine. A special friend.”

“You’re hiding something from me. I can tell.”

“Get to work.”

“Yes, ma’am.” She saluted, spun around on her heel as if in the military, and marched toward the door.

Meanwhile I rolled my eyes while allowing myself to laugh. Maybe I had been a little terse, but being threatened by a man, albeit a chiseled god who made the top of the list of bad boys of all time, wasn’t a mood enhancer. I shifted my attention to my computer, determined to get one project done before the end of the day.

“Oh, hi,” Julie said with complete surprise in her voice. “Can I help you with something?”

“I’m here to see Miss Dayne.”

Maxsim’s deep voice resonated in my office, his accent even more pronounced than I’d remembered. I slowly lifted my head, realizing just how much taller he was than Julie. The man was huge and I’d been right. His shoulders barely fit through a doorway.

Julie stepped away, turning so only I could see her expression of envy along with a wink. She allowed him to walk inside and at this point, it wouldn’t be polite if I kicked him out.

When the door was closed, he stood right where he was for a full twenty seconds. Studying me, his jaw clenched and there was no softness to his expression. While some might say he was all business, I knew otherwise since we already had a strange history together.

I’d told no one the identity of the man I’d saved, using temporary amnesia as the reason. Hopefully, at some point they’d stop asking me questions about the shooting. Today, his attire was less casual, although he was still wearing his signature tee shirt, pairing it with trousers and a blazer and for some reason, he appeared uncomfortable.

I’d thought that impossible.

As his eyes were pulled toward the stuffed animal, I saw immediate recognition of its significance. Without asking me if it was okay, he walked through my office and toward it. He was definitely the kind of man used to getting what he wanted. There was no asking if he could pick up the toy. He did.

“You purchased this for Mina.” A statement, not a question.

“I did. I hope it didn’t cross some invisible boundary.”

He huffed, but I noticed a slight smile appearing while he rolled his index finger around the dog’s collar. “She’ll be thrilled.”

“Take it with you. Do you have a question about the project because if not, I need to get back to work.” I hated the tension between us, but I wasn’t interested in knowing anything else about him. There was no need since I had no intention of being friends with him.

“No, I don’t have a question, but I do have a request.”

“Alright. I’ll see what I can do.”

He took his time turning toward me, the stuffed animal still in his hand. “You’re having dinner with me. Tonight.”

“I didn’t grow up in Russia, but where I’m from, that sounds like a demand and not a request.”

The smile from before widened. He had a way of acting as if anyone should follow his rules. I had no intention of doing so. “Call it what you will, moy angel-khranitel’. I’ll pick you up at six. Wear something very casual and bring a light jacket.”

With the stuffed animal in his hand, he headed toward the door. “I didn’t agree.”