The Agreement

KAIA

I’d found a cozy corner to set up my new laptop, complete with a cushioned bench and an array of plush pillows. It was tucked away from the main living area, making it an ideal spot for reading or, in this case, some serious research.

Aleksandr had promised me access to his network once I signed the contract. But he’d vanished without a word, and I couldn’t afford to lose any time in my search for Irina, even if he had the world’s best hacker on the job.

The truth was, I was a bit of a control freak and couldn’t just sit idle when Irina might be in danger. Plus, I knew Cristo better than Andrey did and knew what to look for.

***

With my phone at my disposal, hacking into Aleksandr’s network was a breeze, thanks to the tools I’d already saved on it. But there was so much data to sift through, it was giving me a headache.

Everything was so meticulously organized, it felt contrived. It was as if he’d prepared it, knowing someone would eventually dig through it.

A few hours later, Feliks strolled by and asked what I wanted for lunch.

I just shook my head. “I’m not hungry,” I told him.

Ten minutes later, he was handing me a glass of what looked like a berry smoothie before vanishing again.

I sipped the smoothie absentmindedly, clicking through folder after folder, but found nothing of interest. Sure, there was a ton of information on Aleksandr’s businesses. Some of them dealt with things I wasn’t comfortable with.

I wasn’t naive enough to think Aleksandr was a saint. I knew he did bad things. It was part of the business and part of who he was. I couldn’t let myself forget that.

I was still hunched over my keyboard when Aleksandr found me.

“Find what you were looking for?” he asked.

***

His question was casual as he leaned against the door frame, watching me with his unwavering sapphire gaze. He didn’t seem the least bit surprised that I’d broken into his network. It was as if he’d expected it.

I let out a heavy sigh, tearing my gaze away from the screen to take him in instead.

It was unfair how good Aleksandr looked. He was probably old enough to be my father, but I couldn’t help but admire how well those tailored suits fit his large frame, or how he wore his arrogance like a second skin. And when he looked at me with those heavy-lidded eyes, I was drawn to him like a moth to a flame.

“~Kaia~…” Aleksandr’s voice was a low drawl, pulling me back to his question and making my cheeks flush.

I quickly looked away so he wouldn’t see my reaction, but by the slight curve of his lips, I knew I’d failed.

“What? Oh, nothing yet.” I eyed him curiously because he seemed too composed. Too in control. As if he already knew I wouldn’t find anything. “Akim was a ~Vor~ and personally chosen by your father for a place at the High Table. Yet I can’t find anything on him. Or Lipeshin at all.”

Aleksandr pushed off from the door frame, moving toward me. His expression was unreadable.

“Really? That’s interesting,” he commented, reaching for my hand and pulling me to my feet.

After sitting for so long, I wobbled a bit, and Aleksandr’s arm wrapped around my waist, steadying me and pulling me against his body. His fresh scent teased my senses, tempting me, but I wasn’t going to be so easily distracted by his physique.

“Why can’t I find anything, Aleksandr?” I asked softly.

He tilted his head to look down at me, lifting a finger to trace my lower lip and licking his own lips in response. Did he want to kiss me? And would I let him?

“Maybe you’re not looking in the right places,” he murmured.

My lips parted. What did he mean by that?

He tugged my hand then, leading me toward his office.

“Come, kotik. Mikhail is here with the contract.”

***

As soon as I stepped into Aleksandr’s office, I stopped abruptly, causing Aleksandr to bump into me. I looked up to meet the stormy gray eyes of Aleksandr’s attorney, whose presence seemed to fill the entire room.

“Kaia, this is Mikhail Levin.”

My mouth fell open in disbelief. I had been under the impression that Aleksandr was the tallest man I’d ever meet. But I was mistaken. Mikhail towered over him by at least half a foot, his shoulders broad and his thighs as thick as tree trunks. If it weren’t for the permanent frown etched on his face, he might even be considered attractive. His dark blonde hair was cropped short on the sides, longer in the front, giving him a devil-may-care look. If he wasn’t dressed in a pricey suit, I’d have pegged him for a cage fighter, not a courtroom regular.

“Mr. Levin.” I extended my hand.

“Nice to meet you, Kaia,” Mikhail said, moving to shake my hand, but a subtle head shake from Aleksandr caught my eye. I watched as Mikhail smirked and let his hand fall back to his side. “Well, I believe the terms are quite simple.”

Mikhail retrieved a folder from a briefcase resting on a nearby chair. He rifled through some papers before handing me a document. I accepted it with a hint of surprise, taken aback by how quickly he’d prepared it. But then again, Aleksandr was not one to dawdle when it came to getting what he wanted.

Feeling a bit apprehensive, I thumbed through the pages, stopping when I saw the number fifteen at the back. A fifteen-page contract? For a marriage to Aleksandr?

Aleksandr produced a Mont Blanc pen from his jacket pocket, a pen that looked like it cost more than a small country, and handed it to me.

“Just sign, kotik.”

My gaze was already focused on the document, scanning each line.

“I need a minute,” I told him, shifting to sit on an empty chair and continue reading.

Mikhail nodded as if he’d anticipated my response.

“Of course. Let me know if you have any questions,” he said. His tone was strictly professional, which I appreciated, especially since Aleksandr seemed to be giving him a wary look, allowing me to read the contract.

The contract contained standard clauses about Aleksandr and me agreeing to be married. To live together in this house for a year. To share meals. To share a bed. All conditions that Aleksandr clearly desired.

But there were also stipulations that, as his wife, I would have access to his business network and contacts. This meant I could give orders to Andrey directly, and he would report to me. A rush of excitement coursed through me at the power he was granting me, but I kept my face neutral and continued reading.

There was a clause about my allowance—

I looked up and glared at Aleksandr.

“I have my own money,” I declared. “I don’t need yours.”

Aleksandr simply shrugged.

“Yet you’ll still have it,” he responded. “I’ll invest it for you.”

I scowled at his comment but continued reading.

After rolling my eyes at a few more of the absurd terms Aleksandr had included in this sham of a contract, I grudgingly accepted them. After all, it was only for a year.

I grabbed the pen Aleksandr was still holding and signed my name on the dotted line.

I doubted Aleksandr would enforce even half of the conditions he’d outlined here, but I didn’t care. Hopefully, I’d have already gotten what I wanted from him and could just disappear.

I was good at hiding. I could do it again, and if he insisted on giving me his money, all the better for my disappearing act.

I started to hand Aleksandr his pen back, but Mikhail handed me another document, a mirror image of the first one.

“It needs to be signed in duplicate,” he explained, efficiently swapping the signed document in my hand for the unsigned one.

I flipped to the last page, saw the number fifteen, and signed on the dotted line just as I had done a minute ago.

“Done,” I muttered.

“Not quite,” Aleksandr murmured.

He took the pen back from me and signed the document I’d just been holding. Meanwhile, Mikhail dropped the other document, the one Aleksandr hadn’t bothered to sign, into his briefcase.

He snapped it shut and headed for the door, leaving the fully executed contract on the desk.

“Wait, what’s happening? You didn’t sign the other one,” I said to Aleksandr.

The door slammed shut, leaving Aleksandr and me alone.

I slowly rose from the chair just as Aleksandr moved, his hand gripping the back of my neck and pulling me against him.

“Now, kotik. You belong to ~me~,” he growled against my lips. “Strip.”