“Yes. I will put you two in touch. It’s time you work under Misha. Be his eyes here and follow his instructions. We’ll need you to implement strong security from all angles around us from now on.”
She beamed.
Max whistled. “If Pavel isn’t in Palermo, Sicily, then we’re off to Calabria?”
“Exactly. We get him and deal with whatever comes our way.”
Max quirked his brows. “What do you mean whatever comes our way?”
“We’ll talk more as the days go on. For now, enjoy your vacation.” Kaz didn’t provide any other information, however, David appeared worried. Clearly, he knew what would be waiting in Sicily and Calabria.
“Once Pavel is dealt with, we can celebrate by going to Rome.” Kaz smiled. “And then we return to Moscow.”
Everyone looked around at each other.
“Get some rest. Enjoy those few days on the yacht and then be ready to kill a lot of people very soon.” Kaz rose.
Everyone else stood, including me. I held Harlem in my arms. Our people left.
Kaz walked over to me. “Thoughts on my plan?”
“We’ve got it.”
“We better.”
“What are you going to do, when we find Pavel?”
“Pavel is not Sasha. I trusted him more. I may not have showed it, but I cared about Pavel. Even more, I thought Pavel was one of the loyal. I’m hurt.” Kaz took Harlem. The puppy opened one eye and then went back to sleep, thoroughly enjoying Kaz’s arms. “I also must admit that I’m discouraged.”
I gave him a weak smile. “Lions don’t get discouraged.”
“They don’t?”
“Not at all. Plus, you have me. I’m your loyalty detector. It will all be fine.”
We left the conference area and walked off to the bedroom. Since Kaz held Harlem, I opened the door. He set Harlem on the edge of the bed and pulled me to him. “You know I’m not going to want you doing too much this time. Not much shooting or fighting. Definitely not any wrangling men to the floor with their ties and stabbing them in the throat.”
“Interesting. I plan to be by your side, so I guess that means you won’t be doing a lot either.”
“Hmmm. That is interesting.” He landed a kiss on my lips, then he deepened it, exploring my mouth with his tongue.
I leaned away. “I’m serious, Kaz. You don’t make any major moves without me.”
“That may not be possible.”
“It will. We’re in control.”
“We are, but. . .” Kaz lowered his hand to my stomach. “Our little one is in control too.”
“True.”
“A doctor will be on the yacht, so you won’t miss any check-ups.”
“Thank you.”
“A lot is going on. But, I have to take care of something.”
“What?”
He frowned. “I. . .really wanted to do this the right way. With more. . .finesse.”
Fear entered my heart. “Do what?”
“Before you, I thought I was a king and that I had an amazing life. Fast cars. Luxury spots. Lots of hot women.”
I frowned.
“Well, enough about my old life.” He lowered to bended knee, stuck his hand in his pocket, and pulled out a small jewelry box.
Oh shit. . .
My nerves frazzled.
He opened the box. “If a day goes by where I can’t see your face or feel you in my arms, I won’t be happy. I would kill or bomb something. Destroy the world.”
My eyes watered.
“If I go a night without you in my bed, and I can’t smell your sweet scent. I can’t feel the softness of your skin. I can’t stuff my cock into that beautiful warm pussy. I would stab. I would shoot. I would rage and scream at God.”
A nervous chuckle left me.
His expression went serious. “I’m sorry, mysh. I had better words than this. More poetic. More romantic. But I can’t remember them, so I’m just telling you what’s in my heart.”
And for the first time in that moment, I saw his hands shaking as well. He pulled the ring out of the box. “What I’m trying to ask is, if you will marry me? Understanding that there is no option to say no at all. Because, in the end I am putting this ring on your finger and—”
“Kaz.” A tear spilled from my eye. “No threats, baby.”
Nodding, he gritted his teeth. “Marry me, please.”
“Yes.”
He dropped the box, rose, and held me close to him. “Goddamn it. For a second. . .”
I wrapped my arms around him. “For a second what?”
“For a second, I was worried that you might say no.”
“How could I with the little threat at the end of the proposal?” Another tear left my eye. I wiped both away. “Oh my God. Are we really going to get married? I mean. . .”
“Don’t think about it for too long.” He left my arms and rushed to put the ring on my finger. Maybe thinking that with it on, I could never back away. “You’re mine now. Others need to know. Everyone.”
“All the right people know.”
“More should.” He gazed at the ring on my finger. “Do you like it? My sister helped me pick it out this evening. I thought she would be good with being romantic. She’s a bit extravagant. She wanted me to rent out a hot air balloon and have an orchestra shaped in letters so that you could read, Marry Me on the ground.”
I studied the platinum ring with a huge sparkling diamond. It looked like several carats, but what did I know. “I think the ring is gorgeous and the proposal was perfect. All I needed was you to ask. That’s it, Kaz.”
“Are you ready to be Mrs. Solonik?”
“I am.”
“Good, because you don’t have a choice.”
I frowned. “Kaz.”
“This all makes me nervous.”
“What does?”
“The proposal. Our baby coming. Our life.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Perhaps, I’m on edge. I need you next to me. I wouldn’t be anything without you.”
Wrapping my arms around him, I held him hard and tight, needing him to know how much I loved him. “Baby, I don’t know a lot, but I know one thing. We’re always going to be together. And when we’re together, no one can fucking stop us.”
“You’re right.” He devoured my mouth.
A knock sounded at the door.
Kaz leaned away. “Come in.”
Valentina stepped inside with a bottle of champagne and several glasses. “What did she say? The suspense is insane. It is taking too long to let me know. We had a plan.”
I chuckled. “I said yes, Valentina.”
“Dear God.” Sighing, she handed the bottle to Kaz. “Open this. We’re going to celebrate.”
“Emily can’t drink alcohol.” He checked the bottle. “Oh. It’s juice?”
“Yes. But it’s also bubbles. Celebrations require bubbles, brother.” She glanced behind her to someone outside the door. “You might as well come in, asshole.”
“Name calling?” Max stepped inside. “Was that necessary?”
Valentina murmured something in Russian.
Kaz popped the bottle open. Sudsy bubbles spilled from the bottle’s top. He took two glasses and poured them. When he was done, he handed me one and gave Max the bottle.
Valentina held her glass out.
Max poured for her and then raised the bottle in the air. “To a new beginning. And maybe a dope wedding. Let’s hope nobody dies during it. Oh yeah and a bomb ass bachelor party with lots and lots of strippers for the lion.”
I scowled at him. “Don’t get shot, Max.”
“Good point. To a respectable bachelor party and lots of lovely memories from now on.” Max cheered our glasses with the bottle. “Party. Party. Party.”
Valentina shook her head and raised her glass to us. “To my brother finally finding love and starting a family. I was worried for him, but I believe he picked the right woman.”
“Thank you, Valentina.” I tapped my glass again
st hers and Kaz’s.
Max drank from the bottle.
I laughed at him.
“Let’s see the ring, Em.” Max grabbed my hand and then whistled. “Money. Money. Money.”
“You like it?”
He shrugged. “I guess. Back in the day, I damn sure would have stolen it off a chick’s finger.”
I shrugged. “That’s a good enough measurement.”
While a smile was on his face, worry filled Max eyes. I knew he thought everything was going too fast. But what else could he do. I was in love with Kaz in the worst way. And we were having a baby. Our child deserved two parents that were willing to try and create a good family.
But even more, like Kaz had said. I didn’t want to spend a day or night without him.
To a dope ass wedding indeed.
Chapter 35
The Love Boat
Kazimir
We arrived in Venice by midnight.
Several limos waited outside the airport. Everyone from our men to security would ride in style.
I held Emily’s hand as we walked to the limo. “Are you able to move forward?”
“Yeah. What do you mean?”
“The diamond isn’t weighing you down?”
She grinned. “Even if it was, a lady never complains about anything to do with diamonds.”
We climbed in and headed away.
I gathered her into my arms. Harlem jumped on her lap.
I hit him with an alpha stare.
Harlem wagged his tail.
I shook my head. “Will Harlem be able to share your lap, once the baby comes?”
“I’m sure he will.”
I frowned at him. “He is going to have to learn how to share. I’ll have to teach him.”
“As if you know what the definition of share means.”
“Hmmm.” I kissed her, showing my mouse why there was no need to learn how to share. She was all mine, and there would be no competition. Not even from furry puppies.
The next stop was the yacht.
Venice boasted some of the best marinas in Italy, ready to welcome all to its majestic beauty. It was the perfect starting point to begin our vacation. It took us no time to arrive at the Yacht Pier of Punta Della Salute. Billionaires used it to safely shelter their multimillion dollar vessels while they visited the main attractions in the area—Piazza San Marco, Grand Canal, and the Doge’s Palace.
“Here we go.” I helped Emily out of the limo.
She rose. “Whoa.”
Harlem whimpered and stayed close to her ankles, probably nervous after the long flight. One by one, our men left their limos. Valentina got to my side. Boris, Blue, and Max stayed near Emily. Meanwhile, King David took his time as he held Baba’s hand and walked our way.
I’m glad I grabbed him in Paris. He’s the smartest decision I’ve made besides proposing to Emily. And his grandmother is a necessary bonus.
I directed my attention back to the large vessel, wondering if it was ready for a crazy crew like us. Everyone stood in front of the super yacht, gazing up at the big castle on the water. I wondered what ran through their minds. I hoped I had done the right thing by inviting them. While they were my most loyal, this trip could be dangerous. Hopefully, everyone who left would return.
The limos drove away.
I squeezed Emily’s hand. “What do you think?”
“Is this yours?”
“No. It belongs to my associate, Yevgeny Lebedev. He’s a businessman.”
Valentina smirked. “He’s a dirty Russian Tycoon.”
I led Emily forward as the rest followed. “Yevgeny’s parents were top athletes in the Soviet Union. They had a little money. When he became an adult, he set up a finance company with his inheritance. The company did well. Then, he bought a bank. That succeeded and became one of the largest banks in Russia.”
Valentina laughed. “Then, he bought up the newspapers after sticking his nose up President Smirnov’s anus.”
We continued up the walkway and boarded the yacht.
Emily glanced at my sister. “How did he stick his nose up the President’s ass?”
Valentina got on Emily side and hooked her arm with hers. “The newspaper was about to run an article on the President having an affair with a dancer half his age. Yevgeny bought the paper, fired the staff, and had the director killed.”
I cleared my throat. “That’s gossip.”
“It’s true,” Valentina demanded. “And then Smirnov gave him more power by getting Yevgeny into oil.”
“Either way,” I gestured to the yacht. “This is his lovely mansion of the sea.”
Valentina smirked. “Yevgeny is overcompensating with the size. I’m sure his penis is small.”
“I’m not concerned about his penis.”
Emily grinned. “Well, it’s nice that he let you use his boat.”
“As if Yevgeny had a choice, when it comes to my brother.” Valentina left Emily’s arm and sashayed ahead of us. “I call one of the master suites. The best one.”
“You call nothing, Valentina. We choose and pick first.”
“But I am in front of you.” Valentina ran off like a little kid.
I groaned. “I shouldn’t have invited her.”
“No. It’s good all the ones you trust are around you, even though some may be annoying.”
I groaned again.
Emily scanned the vessel as we entered the main lobby. It opened up to a circular staircase that led to all the bedrooms. “Damn. How big is this yacht?”
“Nine decks with space for fifty crew members. Besides the staff, it fits twenty-four guest cabins. There’s a mosaic 12-meter swimming pool, helipad, basketball courts, a concert hall, and even a submarine with a missile defense system.”
“Holy shit. It’s a mini-cruise ship?”
“Of course there’s a movie theater. Yevgeny thinks he’s a movie buff. His wife at the time wanted to go into music so he had a recording studio built.”
“Did she ever make any good songs?”
“No. She caught him cheating with his secretary.”
“So typical.”
“Due to the cheating, the divorce was very expensive. She was going to get the yacht, as well as matrimony and child support.”
“That sounds fair.”
“The yacht cost $436 million by itself.”
Emily stopped walking. “Jesus Christ.”
“Yevgeny was willing to give her anything, but this yacht. For him it was everything.”
“And I’m sure his wife was pissed about the cheating and didn’t want him to have it.”
“That is exactly what happened. In a smart move on his ex-wife’s part she had a court in Dubai impound the vessel at Port Rashid.”
“How did she get to do that, if this was a Russian divorce case?”
“Yevgeny was vacationing with his new lover in Dubai. The ex-wife found out and made her move.”
“So, how long was the yacht impounded?”
“For a year while they argued about it. President Smirnov couldn’t do anything about it, which is why her lawyers had contacted the Dubai court.” I let her up the stairs.
Emily gave me an odd look. “So. . . Yevgeny came to you?”
“He did. I talked to important people in Dubai. They gave him back the boat.”
“And his wife?”
“I was able to convince her that although she was distraught, the alimony combined with child support which was worth $305 million should be enough to heal her broken heart. And if she didn’t like that. . .then perhaps she could have a philosophical question of money with God.”
Still grinning, Emily shook her head. “I can’t believe you do divorce consulting on your off time.”
“I do.”
“So, the divorce is final?”
“Yes. And Yevgeny married his secretary, who divorced him about a year later and took more money.”
“Wow. More cheating?”
I nodded. “More
cheating.”
She frowned at me. “You do know that cheating is not an option in our marriage?”
“I more than understand. I imagine you wouldn’t give me a nice divorce.”
“Unless the new ceremony of divorce deals with knives.”
I covered my cock with my hand. “It does not.”
“Glad we have an understanding.” She raised my hand to her mouth and kissed it. “Let’s check this place out.”
My wife is beautiful and very dangerous.
“First, we should check out the VIP suites, before Valentina tries to take the best one.”
We continued to walk up the circular staircase.
“So, you said the yacht has its own submarine with a missile defense system?”
“It’s why I asked to borrow it for a few weeks. I like the idea of shooting a missile at anybody that comes close to my fiancé and unborn baby.”
“Oh God.”
“What? I’m possessive. You know this about me.”
We made it to the deck filled with all the suites.
Valentina’s men stood by the door at the end of the hallway. It was clear she had picked out her spot with no regard to anyone else.
“Absolutely not,” I roared and headed that way.
“Kaz.” Emily stopped me with her hand. “We’re not going to argue about this. At over four hundred million dollars, I bet both master suites look amazing.”
I frowned. “Fine. We’ll go to the other one, but it better have a big bed.”
“I’m sure it will.” She chuckled. “I bet you two aggravated the shit out of your mother.”
“She always pointed to her gray hair and claimed we had caused it.”
Just as we were about to begin opening doors and searching for our suite, the yacht’s butler, Jonathan appeared and greeted us. He went into the typical spiel and guided us to our master suite.
My shoulders relaxed for the first time that evening.
So far, nothing had happened to us from Moscow to Venice. I’d contacted the Sicilians to let them know that we were on the way. I believed Cosa Nostra had nothing to do with the dead animals. Therefore, I chose the city of Palermo in the region of Sicily as our first stop. There, Emily and I would talk to their top boss and gain support for the possible madness I would bring to Calabria.
I also notified Cosa Nostra out of respect. I didn’t want them to get their panties in a bunch like Jean-Pierre did, when I traveled to Paris. This time, there would be no more mix-ups like in France. As far as they knew, my fiancé and I was simply enjoying a vacation around their country.
Dirty Passions Page 40
