Page 27 of Paved in Hate

“She works at Pink?”

They all turn to look at me.

“Yeah, she’s one of the dancers,” Emily says. “Aleksandr’s been trying to work up the courage to ask her out.”

“She’s beautiful. It’s intimidating,” he says in his own defense while the other guys laugh.

“Of course she’s beautiful,” Sergei says. “That’s the only kind of woman he’ll hire.”

Heis obviously my husband, and the reminder that he not only owns a strip club but personally sees to it that it’s only filled with the most beautiful of women is the reality check I need. I can’t afford to get sidetracked by trying to see something that’s not there. He’s been sweet to me, and his family seems really amazing, but the truth of the matter hasn’t changed at all. He’s involved in sex trafficking and he owns a strip club that’s probably filled with trafficked and abused women.

“Well, that’s just standard for the business,” Emily quickly says and then changes the subject and starts asking who wants turkey and who wants ham.

By the time I hear the elevator ding, we’ve already finished lunch and the kitchen’s almost cleaned up. Our guards for the afternoon nod their goodbyes as they turn to leave, stopping to have a quick word with Danil before getting into the elevator.

“Babe!” I hear Emily yell before she runs to Roman. He looks horrified at the sight of his very pregnant wife doing more than a slow, cautious walk and quickly reaches out to grab her.

“Solnishka, are you trying to give me a heart attack?”

He calls her little sun and looks at her like she’s his reason for breathing, and I’m officially done trying to make sense of the Melnikovs.

“We need to get some painting supplies,” she tells him.

“I already painted, baby. Did you change your mind?”

“Please don’t say you changed your mind,” Lev groans, but he’s smiling while he does it. “I don’t think Roman can handle another painting project.”

“No, I love the blue paint,” she reassures her husband with a pat to his chest. “But it just so happens that Katya is an amazing artist, and she’s agreed to spruce it up a bit.”

“Really?” Roman asks, looking over at me.

“I don’t know about amazing, but as long as you’re okay with it, I’d be happy to paint some stuff.”

Roman leans down and kisses Emily. “Whatever my wife wants, my wife gets.”

“She’s doing ours next,” Simona tells Danil.

He looks over at me. “Thanks. I can’t wait to see it.”

Lev picks up Jolene, giving her ass a good squeeze in the process. “What about us,malinkaya?”

Jolene smiles and leans in to kiss his lip piercing, and I swear this giant wall of muscle fucking melts at her touch. “I want to wait until we know if it should be pink walls or blue.”

He smiles and whispers something against her lips that makes her blush and give him another kiss. I turn away, feeling like I’m invading on a private moment, and when Matvey leans against the counter near where I’m standing, I ask quietly in Russian, “Where’s Vitaly?”

His dark eyes meet mine before he says, “He needed to go to the club to get some work done.” Glancing down at my feet, he adds in his gravelly voice, “You should stay off those. He’ll be upset if they start bleeding again.”

He hears the huff of air I let out, because, yeah, I’m sure Vitaly’s at the strip club worrying his fine ass off at the idea that my feet might still be achy. I bet the poor guy can barely concentrate on all the tits and ass that are being thrown in his face. I don’t even know why I’m getting pissed. It’s not like this is a real marriage. It’s an alliance, nothing more.

I walk past him and grab a pen and piece of paper so I can make a list of the supplies I’ll need, and as soon as I’m finished, Emily grabs it and gives her husband a hopeful look. He laughs and kisses her forehead.

“Looks like we’re going shopping.”

After they’ve left, Danil picks Simona up and says, “You need a nap,sladkaya.”

“But I’m not tired.”

He gives her a wink. “You will be.”

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