Pulling off my glasses, I rubbed my eyes. I needed sleep. Coding was pointless right now, but I craved something to occupy my time before my meeting started. I didn’t do well with idle hands—they needed to be either working or playing.
I shut my eyes to give them a break from the brightness of my computer screen and leaned back in my chair. Blazing blue eyes staring back haunted the murkiness of my mind. I hadn’t stopped thinking about them since last night. The two girls I had been with had been more than eager to please, but the defiance mixed with lust in the extra pair of eyes was what had set me off. I could feel the burn of her desire and the push of her resistance from across the room. Whoever she was, I sensed she wouldn’t easily give into orders from any man, but that made me want her more.
I could probably dig up all the information I needed to find her and research her background, but that wasn’t my thing. My brother loved to background-check anyone he interacted with, even his mailman. His paranoia had been warranted at one time, but the habit had never left him. I had never gotten close enough to a woman to need to dig into her past. She would serve one purpose only and be on her way. I didn’t need to know where she went to high school or the name of her first fuck. If she was old enough to have completed high school, I was good.
I opened my eyes and stared up at the ceiling of my home office. God, those eyes. I couldn’t get a good look at the rest of her body, but it had seemed toned and tight from where I lay. I was hoping she’d take the initiative and join us in bed. Everyone else at that party would have shared similar interests, but not that one. She held a confidence that most of the women I fucked didn’t have. Her spine stood rod straight, and her shoulders were set back with an air of conviction. What I wouldn’t give to see her fall to her knees in front of me…
A knock at the door interrupted my reverie.
“Come in,” I answered, my voice hoarse from how parched my pharynx had grown fantasizing of the blonde goddess from the other night. I cleared my throat, attempting to regain my composure.
“Bhai.” Zayn always referred to Shyam and I as “brother.”
I stood up to greet him, before he pulled me into a “bro-hug” complete with a pat on the back.
“You look good,” I said as I took a seat.
He managed to compact his muscular frame barely contained by his t-shirt and camo pants into the chair in front of my desk. He was a former Muay Thai fighter and was even more lethal in skill than by muscle. Though, when he was around those he was closest to, the hardness of his angular jaw and thick brows turned warm and full of light, making anyone in his presence feel safe.
He was like the third Sethi brother, except he wasn’t biologically related to us. His father had worked for our father as his right-hand man. Zayn had been raised alongside us by our mother who treated us equally and loved Zayn like he was her own child. He was older than me by a couple of years but still younger than Shyam.
Until now, he had lived in India and helped us keep our base in Punjab running in our absence. He had been pivotal to rescuing Amelia and taking down her captor, Tarun.
Perfectly content in India, Zayn had no plans to move to the states—not until I told him about my meeting with Leonid.
“You don’t look too bad for someone who just came back from Russia. What do you plan to do about Leonid?” he asked, clasping his fingers in front of his chest, ready to get to the heart of why he was sitting across from me.
That was the real question. Leonid felt that I still owed the Brotherhood for Amelia’s freedom, despite honoring the terms of the contract I had negotiated with his father.
His father, Nicholai, was his predecessor. He had been just as heinous as his son, but he respected business deals. When Amelia was kidnapped by Tarun, he had made a deal to buy her for a large sum of money. The Bratva were heavily involved with human trafficking, and he had found value in her association with my brother, as well as her exceptional computer-programming skills. Amelia had successfully killed Tarun, but Nicholai still wanted the deal to be honored. He wanted her or money.
I had cut a deal with him that involved giving him a discount for the drugs we supplied him, in addition to decreasing our supply to neighboring countries to hurt Russian competition. The Serbians and Ukrainians were less than thrilled having their supply reduced, but I was desperate to appease Nicholai to get him off Amelia’s trail. My brother couldn’t deal with the stress and left the business to me. So, for nine months I had to bend over backward kissing Nicholai’s ass to get him to drop his interest. After I paid my time, Nicholai fulfilled his promise and I restored Russian costs and supply as they were before the Amelia deal.
Unfortunately for Nicholai, Leonid didn’t agree with things going back to normal. He saw an opportunity and had his father killed without his Brothers ever knowing. Only I knew the truth, thanks to my hacking skills and Igor’s stupidity by texting his cousin to confirm details about the assassination plot.
Leonid blamed Nicholai’s death on the Serbs and their need for revenge because of their supply being cut because of the Russian deal made with us. He had essentially been a sniper from the side of his father’s throne, watching and waiting for the right moment to strike.
I fiddled with the pen on my desk. “I cancelled all future shipments.”
Zayn stilled in his chair. “You what?” He stared at me in disbelief.
“We’re not doing business with him anymore until he pays up.”
He placed his palms on my desk, as if to steady himself from what he had just heard. “You’re asking for your head on a platter. These guys don’t fuck around, Jai.”
“And neither do I.” I wasn’t about to be played for a bitch by some boy with daddy issues who held a grudge.
Zayn shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “You have some motherfucking balls.”
Hearing someone as murderous as Zayn sound hesitant of my judgment made me question my decision.
“If Leonid was so pissed about the deal you made, why did he wait five years to do anything about it?” he asked.
That was the part that stumped me. The Bratva weren’t known for patience. They acted on impulse, needing immediate gratification to satisfy their thirst for blood. “I have no fucking clue.”
Zayn pressed a finger to his temple as he brainstormed. “You think he was trying to store arms or something?”
“It’s a possibility.” I hadn’t noticed anything strange about their accounts when I did my routine checks on my business affiliates. But maybe I hadn’t looked hard enough.
“Have you told Shyam about this?” Zayn’s stare made me feel uneasy knowing exactly how he’d react to my answer.
“No,” I replied holding my breath, waiting for him to let me have it.
“You need to tell him!” he barked.
I sighed, flinging the pen I had been fiddling with across my desk. “What does it matter? He’s out of the business now.”
“But it involves his wife and the safety of their children,” he shouted. The vein on the side of his neck was bulging with how angry he was. “If Leonid finds out they have children together, though I’m sure he probably already knows, nothing would keep him from taking them!”
I would always worry about the welfare of my niece and nephew, but I was certain Leonid wouldn’t dare mess with them. “I’m in charge now, so it doesn’t make sense to involve him. Shyam would just worry too much about Amelia. And Amelia would be scared shitless. I’m handling it!” My patience with this conversation was waning. I knew what I was doing.
He stared at me like he had so many more things to say but was too stunned to speak.
“I swear, no harm will come to them. I would never let that happen.” I would lay my life down before anyone touched those children.
A frustrated exhale rushed out of him, as if he knew he had hit a dead end, too irritated to continue arg
uing with me. “Let me get more men on this to see what we can find out,” he said, taking out his phone to make some calls. Before pressing send, he pointed to me with his finger in warning. “But I’m going on record as saying I don’t like keeping this from Shyam and Amelia. They should know.”
I glared back at him, silently cautioning him to drop it before I lost my shit. I ran this operation, and I knew how to do it without any help from my brothers.
Though I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling inside. Something wasn’t adding up with Leonid’s timing and I needed to figure it out, because there was no way in hell I was going to be played for a fool.
Chapter IV
Claire
“Madame Varon!” Meena stood in front of me with her arms crossed over her chest, glaring. Uh oh. What did I do now?
“Oui?” I had entirely zoned out and probably pissed her off more by making her wait until I snapped out of my fog.
“How much longer do we need to keep doing pliés? My legs are hurting!” She wobbled her knees as if her legs were made of Jell-O.
“Oh. Um…” I had been out of it ever since last night. I addressed the rest of the girls. “Why don’t you girls take a water break and then do some cooldown stretches?” I checked the clock to find that class was nearly over.
Why did I stay up so late last night? After I ran away from the ménage à trois, I found Lana and nearly yanked her out of the penthouse. When I finally reached home, I showered to get the stain of sin off my skin and plunged myself under the safety of my quilt, hoping slumber would make me forget. Yet, I couldn’t sleep because of those damn dark eyes. I tossed and turned, trying to ignore the memory of his golden skin and carved abs. The face he made when he came, with his eyes locked with mine, made me ache so much that my swollen flesh pulsed in pain. I finally understood how “blue balls” probably felt for a man.
Threesomes were tacky, so why did I keep replaying last night in my head? Whoever he was, he was clearly a playboy, judging from the party that he had attended. He was probably one of those guys who was used to women fawning all over him. With guys like that, the physical act wasn’t what got them off. It was the attention they received that turned them on, and this guy was no different. Three women all focused on him at the same time had certainly stroked his ego. He disgusted me. His desperate need for attention sickened me, so why did my body betray me when I remembered last night?
Class had finished and the adults came forward to collect their girls. Amelia and Meena lingered behind as everyone else filed out of the studio in a burst of chatter.
“Everything okay today, Claire? You seem a little out of sorts,” Amelia asked, her face full of concern.
I managed a tired smile. Even my face muscles were exhausted. “Just had a late night.”
She nodded sympathetically, before continuing, “I was wondering if I could ask for a favor?” Meena looked up to her mother as if curious herself about what Amelia was about to propose.
“Sure,” I replied.
“I normally wouldn’t do this, but I was wondering if you’d be interested in giving Meena private classes for the next few weeks. I hate to inconvenience you, but I’m under some tight deadlines at work and won’t be able to drop her off for group classes.”
My schedule was already full because I needed the money to pay bills, so finding the time to commute to a different location was going to be too hectic.
I was about to decline, but Amelia stopped me before I could say no. “Oh, please? I would hate having one of the nannies drop her off because I’d feel like I was missing out. And Meena just adores your class. She’d never let me hear the end of it if she had to skip classes because of me.” She winked at her daughter before returning to me with an apologetic expression.
It would be completely inconvenient, but I really liked Meena. My heart squeezed as I glanced at her cute little face, smiling eagerly up at me, hoping I’d accept.
“I’ll even pay you extra!” Amelia added to sweeten the pot.
I could always use more money, too.
I caved. “Okay, I’ll do it.”
“Yay!” Meena shouted, jumping up and down, her pigtails bouncing up and down along with her.
Amelia pressed a hand to her chest, before clasping both together under her chin in gratitude. “Thank you so much. I really appreciate it! I’ll email you to set up a time and give you our address.” She took Meena’s hand. “Bye!” they said in unison as Amelia led her daughter out of the studio.
“Bye,” I responded after them, my mind already racing with how I was going to fit in Meena’s private lessons into my week. The day I didn’t have to hustle for money would be a glorious one.
•••
I knocked on the door of the luxurious penthouse belonging to the address that Amelia had emailed me last week. The Upper East Side was a far cry from my neighborhood in South Bronx. I could barely afford my apartment, even though it was basically a room with a bathroom and a hot plate for a kitchen, but it was better than living on the street, especially when the harsh winters came around.
A formidable man in a black suit, who I assumed was a butler or caretaker of sorts, answered the door. I gave him my name and told him I was here to give Meena dance lessons.
“Madame Varon!” Meena ran to me from across the entryway, already dressed in a shimmery pink leotard and fluffy tutu.
I patted her shoulder. “Bonjour, Meena.”
Amelia was right behind her. “Claire! Thank you so much for doing this. Come on in!” She motioned for me to follow her.
Leading me further into the house, she asked, “Did you find your way alright?”
“I did. It wasn’t too far from the studio.” I took in the beautifully decorated home. It was ultra-chic and modern, dressed in neutral colors with pops of black and metal accents. It still looked like a home that someone could raise children in despite looking like it could have been featured in Architectural Digest. “Your home is beautiful!”
Amelia turned her face to me over her shoulder and flashed a shy smile. “Thanks!”
I really liked her personality. She seemed to be humble and not into flaunting her wealth. I found it to be refreshing since most of my students came from well-off families. I was used to the Rolexes on every father’s wrist and diamond earrings that adorned every mother’s ears.
Meena ran ahead of us into the living area. “Daddy! Come meet my ballet teacher!”
A tall, good-looking man turned around. Holy crap! He was handsome. I saw where Meena got her dark hair from. He looked familiar, but I couldn’t place where I’d seen his face before. Maybe he’d dropped Meena off for class or something and I just couldn’t remember.
“Madame Varon,” he said, offering me his hand. His voice was strong and authoritative with a slight British accent. Whatever he did for a living, I was sure he was the guy who was in charge with how much power he exuded, even with the small kid that was attached to his hip. “I’ve heard a lot about you from my wife and daughter.”
I shook his hand. “Please, call me Claire. Nice to meet you as well, Mr. Sethi.” He had such a dominating presence, it would easily intimidate the most assertive of personalities, even mine.
I eyed the little boy in his arms, who looked like his mini-me.
“This is my son, Dylan.” Addressing the little boy, he bounced him on his hip. “Say hello, beta.” Son.
“Hi.” The little boy waved at me with his tiny hand.
“Hello, Dylan.” I smiled at him. He seemed more subdued than his big sister. Maybe it was just because he was younger than her.
Meena grabbed my hand and tugged me away from her father. “Come on, Madame Varon. Mommy said we can use the gym to dance.”
Amelia took Dylan from her husband’s arms and walked with us. “I appreciate you doing this on a Sunday. I hope we didn’t ruin any of
your plans.”
Fortunately for her, I rarely had plans on the weekend, but I would never tell her that. I would usually spend the day in the studio coming up with new routines for my classes. I had no family here and Lana was my only friend, so my social life lacked luster, minus the new trend of stripper parties and orgies that Lana made me attend. “No, it’s fine. I’m happy to be here.”
She led us to a spacious gym with every type of equipment imaginable. Mirrors covered three walls, with clear glass on the fourth that contained the door to enter so you could see inside while walking by. The polished wood floors served as the perfect platform to dance. “This room is perfect!” I said, admiring the amount of space that would be at my disposal.
Amelia nodded while setting her son down, who escaped to play with some brightly colored yoga balls in the corner. “I thought it would work well. Do you need anything else before you guys get started?”
“Is it okay to connect my phone to play music?” I asked.
“Oh, yeah. Sure. The speakers are right over there.” She pointed to far end of the gym next to stacks of hand weights.
I walked over to them before setting my bag down on the floor and removing the button-down shirt that covered my outfit. I had worn a black leotard with cap-sleeves and black tights today, with a light blue chiffon wrap around my waist and my customary ballet bun perched on top of my head.
Connecting my phone to the sound system, I pulled up the Disney-movie playlist that I knew Meena loved. I quickly swapped my outside shoes for my practice ones before we commenced. They were soft and not as rigid as pointe shoes, and perfect for chasing after my younger students.
Control: Power Series #3 Page 3
