Page 51 of A Dangerous Proposal

“And by ‘more,’ you mean use them as a cover to hide your money?”

Mikhail chuckled, the sound dark and low. “Ourmoney. Don’t forget who made all of this possible.” He waved his hand around the luxurious room.

Alex braced his elbows on the desk, hanging on to his temper by sheer will. “I haven’t forgotten, Mikhail. However, if we move dirty money through legitimate channels, it puts everything at risk. Your entire empire. Our father understood that.”

Mikhail’s expression remained unchanged, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes. “Risk is part of life. You’re too cautious, Alexei. You’ve been sitting behind a desk for too long.” His smile turned sly. “What do you do to get your blood pumping these days?”

Alarm sizzled along his nerve endings. His brother couldn’t mean Madison. He hadn’t even contacted her since New Year’s Eve. But still…

Forcing a cocky grin, Alex lifted his eyebrows. “I have no problem keeping my blood pumping.”

Sergei chuckled, and Mikhail glared at him. “I’m not talking about the women you fuck. Though you should be careful. One of those whores is going to get herself pregnant on purpose, and then you’ll have an unwanted bastard to deal with.”

His shoulders stiffened at the insult, but he refused to give Mikhail the satisfaction of reacting. Alex sounded almost bored when he said, “So what is it you want me to do?”

“There is a contract I need you to bid on. Or rather, you need to create a company that can bid on it. It’s a government job.” Sergei tossed a file on Alex’s desk.

Alex waited a beat before reaching for it. His brow furrowed as he scanned the papers. “This is for a landscaping contract at the new government complex.” He raised his eyes to his brother. “What am I supposed to do with this?”

Mikhail waved a hand in the air. “You have a real-estate development company. Just add landscaping to it.”

In actuality, it wasn’t a terrible idea, but…

“And what will this ‘landscape company’ be doing?”

“Landscaping.” Sergei chortled, but Alex kept his eyes on his brother.

Mikhail brushed down the lapels of his suit jacket. “There will be landscaping, but the rates will be in our favor.”

Alex’s brain raced, sifting through one scenario after another. Saying no outright wasn’t an option.

“I suppose I could buy a landscape company as a subsidiary.” That would buy some time. “Or set one up.”

He cocked his head as if he were taking the conversation seriously. “I’d need to know specifics of which part of the contract you are actually planning on fulfilling and how much is just on paper.” Alex kept his voice calm. “We need to be careful.”

He looked again at the documents. “This is a government contract, which means they will perform their due diligence. This new company will need to be squeaky clean with an established financial history, proof of accounting requirements, and oversight. Government auditors are no joke, and not all of our businesses can handle that kind of pressure. If it’s not done correctly, we could lose everything.”

Mikhail leaned back with a sigh. “You worry too much, Alexei. I trust you’ll figure it out. Sergei will get you what you need.”

Abruptly his brother rose to his feet and strode toward the door, Sergei falling into step with him. At the door, he turned. “One more thing. You need to settle down. A wife, children... It would strengthen you. Keep you focused.”

“I’ll get married when I’m ready,” Alex said, his tone sharp. He couldn’t let Mikhail think he’d won too easily.

“At the rate you’re going, you’ll be old and alone. Or dead. A family, Alexei, will give you purpose. Responsibility.”

Madison’s laugh sounded in his ear. “I’ll consider it.”

Mikhail studied him, his expression unreadable, but then it shifted, and there was something predatory in the way his gaze sharpened. “You already have someone in mind. Who?”

His brother hadn’t held on to his power by being stupid.

Alex shrugged, keeping his tone casual. “I’ll tell you when it’s time.”

“You won’t tell me now?” Mikhail’s voice was curious.

Alex smiled. “Not yet.”

Alex held his brother’s gaze. Mikhail might have all the power in the world, but Alex knew how to play the game, too.

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