Page 8 of A Dangerous Proposal

Liev darted a sidelong look at his father before meeting Alex’s gaze. Liev was not only his cousin, but his closest friend and the de facto head of security at Koval International. The tight skin around his cousin’s eyes let him know this wasn’t going to be a pleasant meeting.

Though Alex rarely saw the rest of his family outside of one of their homes or offices, he wasn’t worried about being seen with Sergei here. This teashop was one of the few places in Atlanta where he could still meet his brother Mikhail’svorswithout worrying about curious eyes.

Sergei poured tea from the steaming pot on the table into each of the cups, his silver hair catching the low light of the tabletop lamps. Alex took a sip and waited. He knew it wouldn’t be long, and he wouldn’t give the old man the satisfaction of asking why he was there.

His uncle’s mouth pinched in irritation as Alex brushed at the knee of his suit pants and lounged back, resting an arm along the back of the chair. It was a move engineered to annoy.

Call him childish, but Alex wanted to remind his uncle that, illegitimate or not, he was the son of the formerpakhanand not someone Sergei should feel comfortable ordering to appear.

Eyes narrowing, Sergei set his own cup into the saucer with a clatter and met Alex’s gaze. “You’ve seen the article?” he asked without preamble, his voice sharp.

Alex brought the porcelain up to his mouth to sip his tea. He knew where this was going and was already fuming. “I see a lot of articles. Is there something specific you think I should be interested in?”

Sergei’s eyes flashed, and Liev shook his head, lifting his own cup to hide his smile. Liev liked his father even less than Alex did. But it was easy for Liev to laugh. No one was pressuringhimto get married.

“The article and photos that woman you were dating gave to the press last week.”

“Dating is such an old-fashioned word.” Alex brushed his black pant leg again, picking at an imaginary thread as if he was bored.

In truth, he was furious. With himself as much as the woman who’d given the interview:“Starlet’s Secret Night: Inside My Rendezvous with the City’s Most Dangerous Man.”

He’d met the actress a few months before, and while he vaguely remembered fucking her, the stories she claimed to have, linking him to criminal activity, were complete fiction. What most concerned him was how she managed to have pictures taken of the two of them without him noticing.

That was a mistake.

Mistakes got you killed.

“I believe she has a movie premiering soon,” Alex drawled. “A thriller. It’s a PR stunt.”

“PR stunt or not, it looks bad.” Sergei audibly ground his teeth. “Not only did they dredge up all the rumors Mikhail has worked hard at burying about you, it hinted about your connection to him.”

Alex kept his expression bland despite the sudden anger coursing through him.

Mikhail had worked hard? Yeah, fuck that.

Alex had been straddling the two worlds in which he existed for most of his life—for Mikhail’s benefit.

“So? Get the story pulled. Or have her retract it.” He lifted a shoulder with an indolent shrug. “Mikhail is worrying for nothing.”

Sergei shoved a hand back through his thick hair. “He wants it to stop. These high-profile events… the women.”

Alex arched a dark brow. “He wants me to take a vow of chastity?” He pursed his lips. “I have to say that doesn’t sound like me. And itdefinitelydoesn’t sound like something I would enjoy.”

Liev pressed his lips together to hold in a laugh, but it didn’t save him the dark look his father cast his way before Sergei turned back to Alex with a steely glare.

An icy feeling of premonition skated down his spine.

Fuck.

Sergei’s expression softened for a fraction of a second before it hardened again. “No manwantsto get married, but the day comes for all of us.”

“You should save that for your anniversary toast. I’m sure my mother will love it,” Liev muttered.

Sergei ignored him. “It’s time, Alexei. You know Mikhail has wanted this for a while. It can’t be a shock to you.”

“Life is too short to be tied down,” Alex said smoothly, though he felt like the walls were closing in on him. “I’m only thirty-four.”

His brother had brought this up several times in recent years, but Alex had always successfully put him off. If he’d sent Sergei to give him the message in person, it meant he was serious.

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