Page 52 of His Smile
It took him nearly one whole minute to figure out what shewas referring to. Looking down, Roman saw the two pairs of curious canine gazesstaring back up at the scene they made.
In a deep, highly agitated voice, he barked out a command towhich the two immediately scurried to follow. In seconds they both heard thedog door open and close twice, and Roman could see over her shoulder the dogsrun into the backyard.
"Any other request?" he growled sharply because hewould not stop once he started.
Leaning back with a beautiful coy smile that could havetaken down empires, Rahina spread her arms and arched her back against the coldcountertop with only a whisper that damned them both. “Fuck me.”
~*~
Mosca had yet to come to the conclusion if a really happyRoman was worse than an angry Roman.
It had only been a little over a week since he returned fromhis trip and subsequently crashed Rahina’s revenge date with Dev Gorshal, butMosca could swear every day since then Roman had laid claim to the dancerwhether it be the kitchen, the living room, the pool, and on one occasion thestairs. Mosca had found himself deleting hours of private footage from thesecurity feeds.
Resisting the urge to glance up to the rearview mirrorto view the man in question in the back, Mosca couldn't, however, delete oneparticular memory from his mind so easily. He had been looking for Hannibalwhen it happened; Mosca liked to walk the perimeter of Roman’s property withboth dogs each day as he checked emails and made various calls. He didn’t hearthe sounds from the living room in time, walking into the kitchen Mosca frozeas he spotted them on the couch. People fucking was not new to him, in thisline of work, his sense of modesty and shame had died years ago—or so hethought. It was different however seeing someone you come to, in a way, carefor. Rahina wasn’t like the desperate women he grew up around, she didn’tconstantly think about material gains or manipulate men to improve her stationin life. She was the type of woman Mosca had only read about in history books.She was the strong-willed heroine men wanted their daughters to grow up and besomeday. The time he spent with her while Roman was away somehow established afamilial relationship between them Mosca didn’t expect—so to walk in and seeher naked in Roman’s arms as the giant man whispered dark sexual threats in herear was—shocking. It felt like minutes, but Mosca knew it could only have beenseconds as he stood frozen to the spot watching Roman violently thrust into themoaning girl. Turning his eyes away from her bouncing flesh with a searingsense of shame, Mosca had caught Roman’s sharp gaze. Nothing in Mosca’s lifefelt as cold and threatening as the boss’s arctic gaze in that moment. Moscaknew with a rushing sense of clarity what the man was silently conveying as hecontinued his unrelenting surging rhythm inside the whimpering girl—she washis. He knew Roman saw the security footage of their nights together watchingTV, or the times she begged him to practice dancing with her in the livingroom, or that damn night he carried her to the bed. Roman had said nothingabout it, and still hadn’t, there was no need to, the look Roman gave him wasmore than enough.
But Mosca had made sure to put a little more distancebetween himself and Rahina, which wasn’t hard, he thought with a scowl as hepulled into the underground parking garage and parked. Rahina had still notforgiven him for giving her the cold shoulder the night of Roman’s return. Forsome reason, she had it in her head that he should have been on her sideagainst Roman. The idea was comical. Sometimes her naivete bothered him, didshe really not understand what this world was that she invited herself into?
Riding the elevator up in silence, Mosca cast a curiousglance up at the mirrored doors. Roman was staring directly back at him as ifwaiting.
Standing up straighter with a jolt of awareness, Moscainclined his head. “Sir?”
“Have you seen the promotional trailer for Moon Princessyet?”
This was the first time Roman had spoken to him aboutanything other than work since his return, Mosca felt pathetic for wanting tosigh in relief. “Yes, it looks good. I honestly want to see it.”
Roman didn't say anything, only making a non-committal noiseunder his breath. The elevator dinged, and the doors opened. Following himthrough the office, Mosca nodded towards the surprised secretary as Romanignored her and walked through to the heavy glass doors. Since they were earlythe office was empty. Dropping the duffel bag near the couch, Mosca watchedRoman slowly walk the large office.
“What have you found on Yuri Gosev?” Roman began again.
Knowing what his boss wanted, Mosca recalled all theinformation he found on the dancer. “Born in Vladivostok, has a small criminalrecord of disorderly conduct back home but no records in the states. He dateswomen, often the dancers he has danced with," Roman's back was to Mosca ashe relayed this information, but the man made no outward sign of the newshaving any effect, not that he expected it to. Mosca continued his report."However, he never dates them during the time of the performance, andthere have been no documented or unofficial complaints towards him. Fellow maledancers do not seem to like him from what I can gather from online sources andword of mouth, though they admit that Yuri is professional when working and canmake no real complaints about him other than his ego.”
“I see,” turning from the window, Roman walked over to thecouch and sat down. “Rahina only tells me that practice is wonderful and goeson about how happy she is at the company.” Pausing, Roman gave Mosca aquestioning look. “What does Davies think about him?”
Mosca grinned broadly at that, remembering the string ofprivate texts he obtained and read from Davies to another dancer colleague. “Hehates him,” Roman’s brow rose with piqued interest. “He thinks he is anegotistical asshole who tries to monopolize Rahina’s time in practice.”
Silently laughing, Roman spread his arms out along the backof the couch. “That should make the dynamic between the two in Moon Princessvery believable since they are both supposed to be fighting for my Rahina’sattention.”
The doors to the office suddenly opened, and Mosca steeledhimself for what was to come.
Both men looked up to see Alexei walk through the door.Mosca had to hand it to the accountant, the man kept any emotion he might havehad at seeing Roman brazenly lounging in his office uninvited and unannouncedchecked behind a stoic expression.
Leaning forward in his seat, Roman offered the man afriendly smile. “I heard you helped Rahina with her contract with her new dancecompany while I was away.”
Alexei said nothing, only raising one brow in silentacknowledgment.
Roman let out a silent laugh as he shook his head at theaccountant’s stubbornness. It was clear Alexei was still angry over their lastheated encounter. Standing to his full height, Roman tilted his head and gaveAlexei a patient grin.
"I also hear that you have a private gym in thisbuilding," Roman's light-hearted tone held promised mischief, that onlymade Mosca bite back a sigh. "Come," Roman's steel colored eyessharpened like an edge of a blade towards Alexei. “Let us get what is standingin the way between us settled so we may move forward.”
Alexei was so goddamn fast, Mosca found himself gripping thepadded rope of the boxing ring with a lethal grip. Alexei's private gym waslocated a couple of floors below his office. It was very simple and functional,an unmarked door opened up into a large space that held a large boxing ring inthe middle, free weights off to the side, a single treadmill, and a suspendedpunching bag.
Since Roman had planned this meeting, he had brought along achange of clothes and equipment. Circling each other in the ring, both men weresimilarly dressed, wearing no shirts, a pair of boxing shorts, and fingerlessboxing gloves.
Alexei’s face was no longer the perfect emotionless mask, itwas distorted with long kept rage, while his opponent grinned with a cutbleeding lip and swelling eye like the madman he was. Mosca watched withapprehension laced excitement as Alexei sent out another lightning fast jabbarely missing Roman’s face. It truly surprised him to know that Roman wasskilled enough in fighting to survive against the ex-underground fighter. Butthen again, it’s nearly impossible to beat crazy. The thing about crazy is thatit never submits, it just keeps getting back up, a lesson both he and Alexeiwere learning together. Roman's tactics against the fighter were ever changing.In some moments, it appeared as if he wanted the man to hit him, giving Romanthe perfect opportunity to get in a devastating blow of his own. And thoughRoman wasn't nearly as fast as Alexei, his hits shook the air around him. Withnearly eighty pounds on Alexei’s slimmer, leaner build the giant man landedheart stopping blows that made Mosca wince on more than one occasion. It hadonly been a few minutes, but Mosca was ready for this brutal showdown to justfucking end.
Breathing heavily, Alexei stumbled back favoring his sidewhere Roman punched him hard in the kidney.
"Are you happy now,brother?" Roman roared with maniacal glee, his own face dripping withblood. "Will you forgive me now?! Or shall we continue this untilyou are pissing blood?"
