18
MAX
Once we get home, Juliana heads to bed to change. I glance at Konstantin as I shed my jacket. “We need to be ready for anything tomorrow.”
He takes a step closer. “Her father isn’t stable when his emotions are involved. I’ll be bringing a gun.”
“A gun?” I’m surprised.
Konstantin nodded. “I may not need it loaded, but it gets him to back off quickly. I don’t want him touching Juliana.”
“Gio’s reaction to when she touched her back worries me,” I note. “I’m assuming her father put those scars on her back.”
“That’s fair,” Konstantin agrees.
I thought I knew the man so well. Apparently, I didn’t know shit. A whole lot of fucking nothing. I know Juliana better than I know him. Which is nearly impossible to believe. A man I consider a friend, a man I thought was upstanding, honest, straightforward, but was ruthless in business .... he’s a tyrant.
Strictness is one thing, but he’s something else with his daughter. Suffocating. Juliana treats her dogs better. She gives them more freedom even in her purse than she gets from her father.
“Sorry. I’m struggling to avoid overthinking this.” I hold up a hand.
“There’s nothing to overthink. We need to be prepared and we cannot leave her alone with him for more than two minutes, Max.”
“I’m not disagreeing, Muscles. I’m saying that this is a delicate situation. I’m sure you’ve been in plenty of those.”
“Of course.”
“Then you know. I’ve already fucked shit up by coming on so strong.” I hiss. “He may try to use that against the two of us.”
“Because we’ve been closer to Juliana?”
“Gio might have had the right idea,” I admit. “He knows how to play the game, that’s for sure.”
“This isn’t a game. It’s Juliana.”
“What’s Juliana?” The woman of the hour comes out wearing an oversized sweatshirt and nothing else.
I just stare at her. Without makeup or frills, she’s just as gorgeous. She hugs herself and then wipes her face. “Okay, don’t stare. I know I look different.”
“How can you look perfect with and without makeup?” My mouth runs away with me.
I’ve noticed that’s a constant trend with this woman. She drives me insane. Makes my brain all foggy and makes me impulsive. Not that I’m a stranger to doing and saying what I want when I want, but with Juliana, I can’t evenplanto flirt. It just happens.
Juliana blushes but kisses my cheek. “Thank you.”
“Of course.”
She kisses Konstantin’s cheek. “Are you past last call?”
“Nope.” He rubs her back. “I’ll get you a dessert cocktail.”
He goes right to the kitchen and Juliana watches from the couch. I see a smile pull at her lips as she looks at him, then at me. “You guys make me happy, you know that?”
“I’d hope so since you keep us around,” I say. “Not kicking us out or closing the door when you change.”
She points at me. “It stays in your pants tonight, Mister.”
“I prefer ‘sir’.”