I consider his requests for a moment. “I’ll transfer my least profitable club to you. There’s a small warehouse on the edge of the city that you can have. And as for the money—I’m willing to agree to one million dollars.”
“Four million.”
“Two.”
He lifts his eyebrows. “Agreed.”
We shake hands and Dominik reclines against his high-backed wingchair. I get to my feet. “I’ll be in touch. Until then, prepare your men. I need them ready to move at a moment’s notice.”
“Understood, Mr. Bugrov.”
I give him a parting nod and leave the Barrington’s lounge. Dimiv is standing by the entrance, smoking a cigarette when I approach.
“Well?”
I grab the cigarette from between Dimiv’s fingers and bring it to my lips. “He’s in.”
44
URI
I’ve only been gone for a few hours and I actually miss her. It’s a new feeling and I have no idea how to deal with it. Maybe that’s why it annoys me so much to walk into the private hospital room I’ve paid for to find her laughing it up with Nikolai.
She certainly doesn’t look like she’s missed me. Hell, she barely seems to register that I’ve been gone at all.
“What’s so funny?” I demand irritably when I walk in and catch them mid-joke.
The laughter dies at once. Nikolai doesn’t respond aside from getting up and drifting towards the window. Alyssa just gives me a little wink. “He was sharing stories from your childhood.”
“Our childhood,” Nikolai calls over. “You don’t have exclusive rights over those stories, you know.”
“Maybe not, but I do have exclusive rights over this room. And I’d like to be alone with Alyssa now.”
“Uri!” Alyssa snaps at me. “Don’t be rude. Nikolai, it’s fine—you can stay.”
That annoys me as much as anything else. Nikolai just shrugs. “All good. I’ll leave you to Sir Sunshine here. If you need an escape from all his warm optimism, just give me a ring.”
Alyssa giggles but tries to suppress it behind a cough. The moment the door pulls shut, I turn to her. She reads my face and rolls her eyes at once. “He was kidding, Uri.” Reaching out to me, she asks, “Can you walk that grumpy face over here, please? If not, I’m coming over there.”
Sighing, I go to her bedside. She’s dressed in white sweatpants and a matching sweater. But as comfortable as she looks, it just doesn’t fit. Nice though it may be, there’s no escaping the fact that we’re stuck in a hospital room. She should be back home, in my room, in my bed, where she belongs.
As I get to her, she takes my hand. “I spoke to Lev and Polly earlier. They’re a little bummed that I have to stay here.”
“That makes three of us.”
“The next few weeks will fly by. And anyway, you and Nikolai will keep me company, right?”
“Babysitting is definitely more his speed, but Nikolai has shit to do.”
She narrows her eyes. “Will you stop being such an ass about your brother?”
“I didn’t realize you were so protective of him.”
“Well, I am,” she retorts firmly. “The same as I am with Polly and Lev. The only difference is you don’t revert to a moody, hyper-jealous teenage boy around those two. That’s reserved for Niko. It’s giving me unnecessary anxiety, Uri.”
She squeezes my hand to really lay it on thick, but I scowl and pull my fingers away from her. “I’ll go easy on him when he stops flirting with my woman.”
“Flirting?” she repeats. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“It’s typical Nikolai bullshit. He’s always wanted what I have.”
Instead of responding, Alyssa’s face spreads in a slow, subtle smile. An in-joke kind of smirk that makes my hackles rise. “The hell is so funny?” I grumble.
“The whole jealousy thing is kinda cute.” She pokes the back of my hand where it’s lying on top of her sheets. “Definitely a turn-on.”
“I’m not jealous of anyone. Least of all my brother.”
“Mhmm,” she murmurs pointedly, dancing her hands up my chest. She doesn’t sound like she believes me in the least. At this point, I don’t even believe myself.
Snarling in irritation, I grab the back of her neck and push her flat on her back. Her startled little gasp is cut off when I press my lips down onto hers, kissing her hard and heavy until she’s completely breathless.