Page 60 of Beneath the Light of the Moon
He wasn’t obsessed with Anika, he wasannoyed.
* * *
THE BLINKING RED dot on the map on his phone indicated Levi was at one of their usual restaurants:The Stuffed Pepper.
Treating our clients well, no doubt,he thought.
Despite the anger in his chest, Mikko encouraged Levi to grow closer to Anika, to persuade her into buying one of their other properties. There were other places her hoax of a leather goods manufacturing job could occupy. He’d spew just about anything that would keep her nearby.
Either way, walking into the restaurant—the warm glow of the interior doing little to thaw his growing ire—became difficult the closer he got. Clutching his helmet with frozen hands he peered through the glass. Mikko could see Levi, his elbows casually propped on the table as he listened to Anika. And even though her back was to him, heknewher silhouette as much as he loathed to admit it.
Shaking his head clear of the thoughts, he gripped the sleek handle of the entry door and slipped in. The soft din of cutlery and the faint conversations bleeding into one another greeted him. The light was comfortable inside, bright enough to see by, but still dim to cultivate an elevated yet intimate atmosphere. Deep leather booths framed the outer edges of the eatery, people in various stages of their meals and unwinding after a day at work.
Again, his eyes found Anika’s back. Even though her dress covered her skin, he could picture it regardless. Everything about her was becoming second nature to him. He could faintly recall the ink etched there along her spine, and the way her toned muscles contracted when she walked away that night inBubblegum.
“Good evening, sir,” the hostess said, bringing his attention back to the front of the restaurant. “The usual?”
Nodding, he let her lead him to one of his favorite tables, his chilled hands finally warming after his evening ride. This place was a frequent stop of his, the food consistent and the color palette relaxing. Pendant lights accented certain tables while others were lit only by candle votives clustered in the center. Tall ferns fluttered in the furnace’s breeze, the verdant color softening the harsh edges of the rich colors throughout.
Adjusting his hold on his helmet, he desperately tried to avert his gaze from Anika’s lithe back. Instead, it landed on Levi, honing in on how he was talking to Anika, eyes sly and hands inching closer to her folded ones.
The sight should’ve pleased him, Levi taking his role seriously. It wasn’t uncommon for Mikko and his business partners to wine and dine clients, but this was more personal.
In the end, Mikko did what he did best: sat back and let the events unfold before him. Long ago he’d worked through the ranks and done the dirty work. Sometimes the stench of a bloated body rolling around in the back of his getaway vehicle still haunted him. Or the times he’d had to shower multiple times to get all the blood and viscera off his body and out of his hair.
Now, Levi and his other men handled those occurrences.
It was unwise of him to creep much closer; she couldn’t discover his curiosity before he had her pinned right where he wanted her.
But,damn,envy was one hell of a bitch.
His eyes flicked to the way she grasped the dainty stem of her wine glass, fingernails painted a deep scarlet to match her dress. One lipstick print already littered the rim, giving him a visual of the color painted on her lips without him even having to see her face. Clenching his jaw, he tore his eyes from her and Levi, determined to play his own part—a devoted eavesdropper.
To his delight, Levi didn’t even look at him as he passed, pretending Mikko was just another patron. For tonight, he was, but oh, how he yearned to see if Anika’s gaze snapped to him. A small part of him hoped his cologne wafted to her nose, inviting her into a game of his own.
It hadn’t hurt his case when he’d texted Levi beforehand, warning him to remain focused on Anika. No additional questions had been asked, his employee content to drown in her aura.
“Here you go,” the hostess stated, motioning for him to sit. With no other choice, he nodded politely and settled in for the evening. A couple rows of tables separated him from Anika, but he could still see her.
God, this is dangerous.
And he loved it.
* * *
TWO LONG HOURS went by. The moments of Anika and Levi settling into their own manicured comfortability burned into his mind.
Sipping on vodka, Mikko’s eyes tracked Levi’s playful grins and touches. The flirtatious laughter and flushed faces made Mikko’s blood boil. Sometime over the course of their dinner, Levi had waved Anika over, persuading her to sit next to him on the sameside of the booth. It annoyed Mikko, but it allowed him to look at Anika unobstructed. She was tucked into the side closest to the wall, sheltered from the outside world.
As if she needed that.
Mikko was getting the sense she could flay men alive with their own words and actions if needed.
The whole night was a double edged sword, proving to reaffirm his notions of staying home and refusing to linger in public for longer than necessary. It reminded him how alone he was, forever an outsider.
Levi was good at what he did, his stereotypical attractive appearance appealing to many women—Anika included from the look of it—and it was why Mikko had let him to weave his way into Anika’s life so they could learn more about her.
She played with the rings on her fingers, nail polish glinting in the low light. Occasionally, she tucked fallen strands of ebony hair back behind her ear, sharp eyeliner matching her observant eyes.
