I can find a better way.
Maxim picks me up when we’re finished. “You coming with us?” I ask as I climb into the passenger side.
Emiliya shakes her head. “Nah. I’m going shopping. You sure you don’t want to come?”
“No money,” I say, shrugging.
She leans into the window of the car. “What, my stingy brother won’t give you his black card?”
“Your stingy brother will happily give his mistress whatever she wants,” Maxim says, grinning at me.
“Right now, I want to go back and take a damn nap. I’m about to fall into a meat coma.”
Emiliya laughs and pats the roof. “See you at home then.”
Maxim waves and drives off. Emiliya waves back and heads down the sidewalk.
I frown into the rearview, watching her disappear into the distance. “Is she safe going around on her own?”
“There are six guards watching her right now. She’s safe enough.”
I gape at him. “Six?!”
“You didn’t see them?”
“No, not at all.”
“Hm. I’ll have to tell Father that they’re doing a good job then.” He puts a hand on my thigh. “How was lunch?”
“It was good,” I say, slightly distracted, and suddenly an idea hits me square in the face. Find another way. I turn to him and put my hands on top of his, and push it further up my thigh. It’s a cheap trick but I’m not above using what I’ve got to get my way. “I’ve been thinking more about the business.”
His eyebrows raise. “You want to talk about whores while you move my hand closer toward your pussy? It’s kinky, and I’m not against it.”
“No, asshole.” I grin and push his hand away. “I’m just saying, I’ve been thinking about the business of running girls. You do realize how hard it is, don’t you?”
His eyes narrow. “I’ve been looking into it.”
“The costs are crazy. You’ve got money for the housing, the girls, their food, and clothes, and all that stuff. You’ve got overhead for dealing with clients and diseases, which happen even if you’re careful. Then you’ve gotta bribe the cops and the politicians, and any local people that might get annoyed about random men coming and going at all hours. It’s lots of red tape and managing and work, and the profit margins are slim. Any problem can make the whole thing fall apart. I keep thinking how we might do better.”
His eyebrows knit down. My heart races and I watch him intently. Is he going to see through me? I feel like I’m being so obvious, but he doesn’t tell me to watch my tongue. Instead, he taps a finger against his lower lip thoughtfully. It’s an insanely sexy gesture, and I struggle to keep my mind on task.
“This is interesting. You probably do know more about the business than I realized. Why don’t you tell me more back home?”
“Gladly. It’s about time you starting utilizing all your resources.”
He laughs as he pulls into the parking structure beneath the building. “I’ve been utilizing you to great effect lately, little princess, and when we get inside I promise I’ll make sure you’re all used up.”
“Oh, Maxim, I love it when you talk dirty.”
He laughs and squeezes my knee, and I feel a little lightning bolt of excitement in my core.
He cares what I think. He wants to hear my thoughts and ideas.
And that right there is the most intoxicating thing of all.
Chapter 19
Siena
The air hockey table hums a low rumble. Galina slams her chipped white paddle forward and bashes the puck hard. It bounces fast off the right-side wall and I lunge for it, but I mistime its movements as it floats past me and into the goal.
“Oh, god,” Emiliya groans.
“Victorious yet again!” Galina flexes and tosses the paddle onto the table. She struts around, grinning huge. Her hair is up in a messy bun and she’s not wearing any makeup, and yet she still manages to look perfect.
Emiliya buries her face in her hands. “You’re so bad at air hockey, Siena.”
“Sorry,” I say, laughing. “What can I say? Your sister got lucky.”
“Lucky?” Galina looks affronted. “There’s no luck. I am a master air-hockeyist. I am a beast on the air hockey table. I came, I saw, and I kicked both of your asses.”
“I hate you,” Emiliya says with a sigh.
The girls laugh and I sit back, enjoying their sisterly banter. It feels good to hang out with them like this is totally normal. The rec room has a neo-seventies vibe with lots of wood paneling and bright colors, but everything’s modern and clean. A massive TV takes up one wall, and there’s a pool table on the other side of the room along with a bar and lots of seating. It looks more like an upscale lounge than a room in an apartment, but that’s the Novalov family: they can afford the best and they do.