Page 90 of A Dangerous Proposal

Alex felt blood pound in his ears, the simmering rage rising dangerously to the surface. “What could I possibly regret?”

Mikhail’s lips thinned. “She has a child.”

“His name is Jax, and as of two weeks ago, he is my son.”

He’d chosen his words for impact—for his brother to understand Alex stood whole-heartedly behind his decision. A sudden image of Jax’s face when he was about to do something sneaky flashed in front of his eyes, and Alex felt a deep pull of something in his chest.

Mikhail’s mouth tightened. “That’s the least of it. She’s a public personality who investigates crime. You don’t think that might be a problem?”

“It’s not an issue. I’m a businessman remember,” Alex drawled.

“You just met her.”

“The heart wants what it wants.”

“Have you seen her?” Liev chose that moment to pipe up, and Alex’s hands curled into fists.

“Liev—”

“You were there, weren’t you, cousin?” Mikhail interrupted him, the chill in his words palpable.

“I needed a witness. Liev didn’t know until he arrived that it was for a wedding,” Alex lied.

Mikhail let the silence hang, his fingers drumming rhythmically on the desk, eyes boring into Alex’s.

“I take it,” Mikhail continued, “you’re aware of her custody battle. The one with Senator Armstrong’s son-in-law.”

Alex’s red flags shot up. “I’m aware, yes. It will be over soon. Nothing to worry about.”

“What exactly do you intend to do?”

Something wasn’t right here. This shouldn’t even be on Mikhail’s radar.

“We are married. I plan to neutralize any bribes or blackmail used against Madison.”

“And if the legal way doesn’t work?”

“No one is going to take my family from me.” Alex’s voice was deathly cold.

He saw the barest hint of surprise beneath his brother’s calculating gaze. “Ah, so protective already. Touching.” His brother mocked. “Have you considered what keeping this ‘family’ might cost you?”

Alex’s alarms were ringing loudly now, but he kept his voice unconcerned. “I am perfectly capable of taking care of a bunch of country club fucks without breaking a sweat.”

Mikhail smiled. “I’m sure you are. However, I’m afraid you can’t touch them.”

The words sent a shock through Alex, his well-practiced composure barely masking a wave of anger and disbelief. “Why?”

“Armstrong is an integral part of our new business venture. In fact, you will probably work closely with him once you’ve created the new company? How’s that coming, by the way?”

The sharp turn in the conversation threw Alex for a minute. “We filed the Articles of Incorporation and are establishing a small financial footprint for them. Some small clients… shouldn’t be long.”

The explanation rolled off his tongue even while his brain was screaming.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

His brother pointed a finger at him. “Armstrong chairs the committee that approves these contracts. So, you see, Armstrong is far too valuable to jeopardize because of some personal vendetta.”

“It’s the son-in-law that I have a problem with, not the Senator.” Alex was furious, and he wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep up the façade of nonchalance.

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