Page 56 of Ruined Vows
I no longer count how often I find myself thinking about him. Hell, I hate myself when I glance at my phone fifty times a day to see if I missed one of his texts! But it doesn’t stop there. I often wonder what he does with his time when he’s not with me.
I’m beginning to think I was too generous with ten dates, and it would have been safer if I had picked a lower number. Much lower.
14
VUKAN
BUSINESS AND BLOODLINES
My estate’s private war room is quiet. The lighting is soft, and God knows, I need a calming vibe. I don’t have to worry about leaks because nothing said in this space ever leaves it.
David leans against the far wall with his arms crossed. He might be silent, but he is always thinking. He’s unusually pensive today. He has a way of mixing serious business with entertaining retorts, which is another reason I love him so much.
Perhaps it’s another reason why Bianca is perfect for me. She seamlessly fits into my life and my world. But that’s neither here nor there. Because right now, I need to focus on the tasks at hand.
Dragan lounges in a chair with his boots kicked up on the table, like this is his second home. And it is. He’s always here. He needs to find a good woman who gives him a reason to go home.
I know how it is, because being alone for years, we become accustomed to our own voice, and at times, the noise. With no one at home, it’s easy to fill our lives with our work, and switching gears becomes too challenging to navigate.
Even now, I love the range and the sounds of guns firing, which make me feel alive. Bachelors like us become entrenched in routines that wouldn’t exist if we had someone to love, or someone to go home to.
It’s the reason my mansion is filled with precious works of art and sculptures. It’s pretty to look at, but it won’t keep me warm on a cold night. Not unless I burn the paintings, that is.
Luka taps away at his phone, probably shifting six figures between accounts with one hand and ordering a case of the best whiskey with the other.
Filip opens a soda and leans back on the expensive sofa.
Emilia? She doesn’t sit. She stands beside the floor-to-ceiling windows, dressed in a charcoal designer pantsuit, her gaze fixed on the wind as she watches the rain clouds blow around.
These are my loyalists, and even they look uneasy. This tells me I’m not going to like their reports.
“I trust each of you,” I say, voice low but heavy. “If there’s doubt, say it now.”
David looks up first. “No doubt. Just warning. Radovan’s pushing harder. The ones who used to bow to Miloš are pretty quiet now. But I don’t trust it.”
“He’s testing us, waiting to see what we’ll do,” Luka says. “He wants to see who will follow him if he makes a move.”
I’m not surprised. I knew Radovan hated me. He was my brother’s most loyal soldier.
Dragan grunts. “Let me take him out. One shot. Bam!” he says as he mocks the pulling of a trigger.
“The body doesn’t have to surface,” Filip chuckles. “I second that.”
I lift a hand. “Not yet.”
Emilia finally speaks. “You know he’s not afraid of you anymore. That’s the problem. He thinks your focus is… divided.” She turns to face us, placing her hands on her hips.
We all know what that means.
Bianca.
I’m not surprised. He’s brought it to my attention.
“She’s not a distraction,” I say evenly. They don’t need to know I’m obsessed with her.
“No,” Emilia replies. “She’s leverage. That makes her a liability in the wrong hands.”
David steps forward. “Then keep her close, in plain sight. Make it clear she’s not your weakness. She’s your weapon.”
