“Uhm, okay. Let me see when I can…”
“No. I have given you enough time. You will come now.”
The fucker hung up before I could argue the point. What a rude start to my day. Fuck!
“Everything okay, Babe?” I heard Angel’s voice from the stairs.
“Good morning, love. Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“That’s okay. Is something wrong?”
“No. Nothing’s wrong. My client in Russia obviously calculated the time difference incorrectly. Did you sleep well?”
“Like the dead.”
“Good. Can I brew you a coffee?”
“Yes, please.”
Angel followed me to the kitchen and sat down at the counter.
“Looks like I have to go to Moscow again. Would you like to come with me?”
What the fuck are you doing, Max? Do you really want to expose Angel to the likes of Grigoriy?
The voice was right. But the cat was out of the bag as they say, and if I suddenly retracted my invitation Angel would be suspicious. Shit! On the other hand, it would be nice to show Angel around my homeland. I would have to keep her as far away from Grigoriy as possible.
“Ah, Babe. I’d love to. I’ve always wanted to visit Russia.”
“Good. Go pack.”
“What?”
“The client has to see me as soon as possible. He’s leaving for a trip soon,” I lied.
“Uh, okay. It’s a good thing I keep my passport current.”
“I’ll call the office and ask my PA to book the flights.”
“Can I have my coffee first, please?” Angel grinned.
“Sure, gorgeous. I’ll even throw in a quicky before we have to get going.”
“You spoil me so.”
“Nothing but the best for my girl.”
Once we were dressed and ready for the day, I called Vlad and told him what Grigoriy had said.
“Do you want me to go with you, Cuz?” he asked.
“No. I’ll be fine. I need you here to keep an eye on things while I’m away.”
“Okay, Max. But, I’m here if you need me. Be careful. That fucker is mean.”
“Thanks, Vlad. Talk soon.”
“Okay.”