She held his warm stare. “I promise to try to do better.”
He dropped a kiss onto her forehead. “Good.” Then his eyes became a little more focused. “Now that we have that settled and I never have to worry about that again, you’ll be happy to hear that I’m hopeful the Adrik situation will be over tomorrow.”
“The lead Chloe found was that good?” she asked in surprise.
“It’s beyond good.” Porter nodded, keeping himself right up against her as if he wasn’t quite ready to let her go just yet. “We have a meeting scheduled with him in his office in the morning, and I’ll ask Sawyer to join us as well.”
While a flutter of excitement drifted through her at the thought that soon this might be all over, what he said totally stumped her. “You want me to come with you?” Doms usually kept their submissives out of danger, not bring them face-to-face with the thing that was threatening them.
“You need to do this. You must see this through.”
Kenzie didn’t know how she felt about that. It pleased her that he wasn’t keeping her out of it, but yet again it was a confusing thing. If Porter cared as much as he said he did, why would he put her in that situation? She knew that Dmitri, Aidan, or Kyler would never allow their submissives to meet with the man threatening them.
Clearly the thought showed on her expression, since Porter brushed his fingers over her cheek and said softly, “I’ll be there right beside you and no one will ever get to you—that is the only reason this is happening. But this matter involves you personally, and you have the right to be there. To see Adrik cower in fear. To see him realize that he can’t touch your store or you.”
She smiled, even though the oddest sense of discomfort slid through her. Disappointment settled deep into her soul that Porter wasn’t protecting her like she knew the other Masters would. And that was astonishing all in itself. When had Kenzie ever wanted that? But she didn’t want to think about the past anymore; she wanted to stay permanently fixed in the future. “You’re right. I do want to watch Adrik burn.”
The sound of a phone ringing made Kenzie open her eyes. Seeing that it was just eight o’clock in the morning annoyed her even more. She’d purposely taken this day off from work because of the meeting with Adrik at eleven o’clock. Sleeping in had sounded nice last night. She glanced next to her and noticed Porter wasn’t beside her, then heard the shower running in her bathroom. Reaching for the phone, she barely croaked out, “Hello.”
“Hey, it’s Ella. Did I wake you?”
Kenzie sat up, moving the hair off her face. “You did, but it’s cool. I should get up anyway.” Her breath halted in nervousness as she wondered if Ella was upset because of how Kenzie had acted at the wedding. “What’s up?”
“I wanted to call to let you know that Kyler and I are leaving for our honeymoon this evening. We’re going to Cabo.”
Instant relief—thank God she had friends that understood her. She may even have a better Dom, since apparently Porter had kept her from making an ass out of herself. “Nice. Enjoy yourselves. Make sure you take lots of pictures.”
“Will do.” Ella’s voice softened in the sweet way it always did. “We’re planning to have a party when we get home to show everyone the trip.” She paused. “Oh, that’s Kyler calling me. Okay, got to go, girl. Have fun while I’m gone and be safe; I always worry about you.”
“I’m fine, Ella, seriously. You guys have fun. Bye.” Kenzie hung up the phone, knowing she had told a white lie. Nothing about today was going to be fine. All the same, she hoped this situation with Adrik would finally be over and she could put this shit behind her. And somehow get control back into her life. Ready to make that happen, she jumped out of bed and opened the bathroom door, spotting Porter’s luscious naked body through the glass shower.
That’s when she decided to join him.
By ten to eleven, the hot shower sex she’d had with Porter was no longer on her mind and her body had gone cold, as she sat next to him in the waiting room. The office was much like the man she had met, with its glass walls, as if everyone in this space had nothing to hide and nothing could touch them.
Sawyer sat on one side of her and Porter on the other, and Kenzie focused on the receptionist behind the white desk with
PETROV ENTERPRISES
written in bold silver letters behind her. Apprehension almost choked her as she thought of the impending conversation. She had no idea how Adrik would take being cornered, but she felt safe that Porter scheduled the meeting at Adrik’s office. A public place was a good thing. Her leg started bouncing, as she wanted this conversation to start now, so that she could be forever done with Adrik Petrov.
When her leg started bouncing faster, Porter pressed his hand against her thigh, pushing her heel down against the marble floor. He said with a stern voice, “None of that.” There was hardness in his features that she wasn’t used to seeing in Porter. He tucked a finger under her chin, raising it up. “More of this.”
Next to Porter, Sawyer nodded.
She drew in a deep breath, reminding herself to be calm and be that strong woman she always had been in Club Sin. Adrik couldn’t intimidate her today. This was her chance to watch him burn, and she instantly forced herself to quit it with the nerves. She gave Porter a smile that felt tight. “I’m ready for this.”
“You are,” he said with conviction. “Don’t forget that.”
She stayed locked on his eyes, as there was something so potent about how he examined her. She liked, maybe more than anything else, that Porter never saw her as a victim. She’d seen the way some people watched her growing up, with pity in on their faces. Yet Porter never once looked at her like that, not even for a passing moment.
“Mr. Petrov will see you now.”
Kenzie turned to the brunette dressed in the black pantsuit, reeling in thoughts over Porter. How stable a man he was. How true he was to his word. How powerful and commanding he was, even now, as he faced a hardened criminal. That strength fueled hers, and she realized there was not a single person in the world she would rather be here with her than Porter.
She went to follow him and Sawyer, but Porter pushed her in front of them, making her walk in first. The point it made to Adrik was clear cut—she was not afraid of him—though her heart rate spiked in reluctance as the assistant led the way down the hallway, past office after office.
Kenzie couldn’t help but wonder if all these people knew the type of man they worked for. Were they all they criminals in some way or just so desperate for a job that they worked for someone like Adrik? With each step she took, her heart raced a little faster, and she drew in sharp breaths, controlling herself. There was an odd scent in the office, a mix of cleaner and flowers. Her nose scrunched, as she hated the smell as much as she despised facing Adrik.
When they reached the end of the hallway, there was a set of black doors and the assistant stopped, gesturing to the door. Kenzie inhaled deeply, regardless of the smell, and entered the office. She first noticed Adrik standing in front of the wall of windows by his desk, and then she noted the man who had attacked her at the bookshop.
Kenzie stiffened in the same second that Porter’s reassuring hand pressed against her back. She didn’t look to him, not wanting to seem weak in front of these men. She stared ahead, holding the goon’s glare, and he gave her a crooked smile that was as deadly as his grip had been. Forcing herself not to react, she moved with steady steps to the chairs positioned in front of Adrik’s desk, when Adrik turned and smiled at her. It wasn’t friendly.
He kept his focus firmly fixated on her, ignoring both Sawyer and Porter, gesturing to the chairs. “Please have a seat.” His Russian accent was just as she remembered it, his cold stare exactly the same. “I admit I was intrigued by your phone call.” Amusement shone in his features, yet it was a dark kind of enjoyment. The type of amusement that came from a stone-cold killer right before he took your life. His gaze lingered over Kenzie’s shoulder to Sawyer. “Porter Marshall?”
“No,” Porter cut in, as he took a seat next to Kenzie. “That’d be me.”
Adrik gave Porter a fleeting glance and then focused on Sawyer again, and Kenzie became aware that he stayed by the door, holding the same position as the other man in the room. Alone, Kenzie had felt small when she encountered these men. Porter and Sawyer commanded this space, taking over any power Adrik or the goon had once held.
After a long stare-down with Sawyer, Adrik finally took his seat, leaning back as if they were meeting on friendly terms. “No sense pissing around,” he said to Porter. “I know who you both are, a PI.” He jerked his chin at Sawyer. “SWAT.”
Fear exploded in Kenzie, hitching her breath, as she hated that she had to involve both Sawyer and Porter in this. She wished that Adrik knew nothing about them. Though Porter’s voice was cool and collected when he replied, “I’m glad you saved us the time of explaining our identities.”
Adrik snorted; he sounded bored. He leaned across his table, his brow furrowing over his black eyes. “Why have you called this meeting?”
“I have received your blueprints for the casino you’re building,” Porter replied.
Kenzie’s mouth dropped open, shock flickering right down to her bones. Porter had never told her he’d obtained the blueprints, and she had no idea what his next steps were. Before she could dig further into it, Adrik asked, “Might I inquire how you obtained such documents?”
“No” was Porter’s hard reply.
Adrik smiled, not kind but deadly. “Go on.”
Porter reached into the briefcase resting by his feet and pulled out the blueprints. “You’ll be glad to know I have saved you the trouble and I’ve had the casino redesigned.” He offered the documents to Adrik, who didn’t accept them. “Kenzie’s store and the apartment above will remain as is. The tattoo shop has been moved from the left side of the casino to the right, which puts a good distance between Kenzie’s store and the main entrance of the casino. Though as you can see, the tattoo shop fits nice and snug against her shop and then your casino can be built from there.”
Adrik’s eyes narrowed into slits; yet seemingly not bothered at all by how intimidating Adrik was, Porter continued. “If you have issues with the front of Kenzie’s store, I’m sure she will be agreeable to your contractor redoing the front so that it matches the theme of the tattoo shop.”
Kenzie had to force her mouth closed. Not only would her store be saved, but the tattoo shop would likely bring in more customers. Plus, was Porter really suggesting to Adrik that he would pay to get the front of her store revamped?
Adrik leaned back in his chair and barked a laugh. “What makes you think that I would agree to such a plan?”
Porter nodded Kenzie on, and she knew this was her part to play. She reached into Porter’s bag, grabbing out the stack of photos. Before, she had wondered what she’d say to Adrik in this moment, but she now realized she hadn’t needed to think about it. Her words came to her easily.
“What did you tell me once?” She paused, recalling his exact words. “Oh, yes…well, Mr. Petrov, let’s make this simple, shall we?” She took pride in his deep frown as she tossed the pictures onto his desk, showing him setting the coffee shop on fire.
He examined them and he couldn’t hide the way his eyes widened. She lifted her chin, feeling more powerful than she had in weeks. “You wanted me to realize what game I was playing and who I was playing it with. Thanks for the advice. I did find out who you were and exactly what you’ve
done.
Too bad for you what I found out makes you a hundred percent fucked.”
The strength in Kenzie’s voice made Porter smile. He regarded Adrik’s dark expression as the scumbag scanned the pictures on the desk. Only a couple of seconds passed before Adrik looked at the man who attacked Kenzie with a glare that could wither a weaker man. It took everything in Porter not to grab the man who hurt Kenzie and level him. Even knowing how close he was to Kenzie now sent Porter into a possessive mode he would rather enjoy unleashing, but he reminded himself why he was there. This wasn’t about revenge. This was about ensuring that Kenzie and her store were safe.
Adrik finally turned to Porter, and, oh, how his features declared retribution. “What do you think you can accomplish with these pictures?”
“Get you to realize that you’re not the only one with leverage here,” Porter replied, casually crossing his ankle over his knee. They might have intimated Kenzie. They wouldn’t do that to Porter. He’d ruin these men in this room. “You will leave Kenzie and her store alone. If you don’t, I will take these pictures to the chief of police, where you can’t weasel your way out of it.”
“You’re threatening me?” Adrik asked, incredulous.
“It’s not a threat.” Porter placed his hand on Kenzie’s thigh as he noticed her tense next to him. “It’s a realization that Kenzie will not be touched. Her store will not be touched. You might think you own all of Vegas, but I know…
we
know…for a fact that isn’t true. Not only do we know an attorney that you cannot push over, we also know a president of one of Vegas’s top casinos.” He lifted his brow, knowing the exact thing to say now. “Do you honestly believe without the support of the other casinos in Vegas that yours will be successful?”
Adrik snorted at Kenzie. “Aren’t you closely protected, little one?”
“She is beyond protected,” Sawyer said from behind Porter. “By those in Vegas who would crush the venture you are so determined to see come to life. Take this as the warning it is. I have copies of these pictures at the police station. If anything happens to Kenzie, her store, Porter, or me, a friend will take these pictures to the police chief. A chief that I know isn’t in your dirty pocket.”
Adrik’s eyes narrowed. “Ah, yes, the clean cops in Las Vegas who won’t be bought.”
“Then realize that those men are strong enough to not let you walk away from this charge.” Sawyer’s voice grew gruff. “They do not fear you. And they are not on your payroll.”
Adrik’s mouth pinched as he considered Kenzie. “You play a hard game, Ms. Hart.” His expression was cold. It was calculating, yet his features reflected a man who knew he was fucked and then some. He grabbed the blueprints, opening the large document on his desk.
Minutes passed as Adrik studied the document with an intense focus, telling Porter he was contemplating his next steps. Porter didn’t mind the pause. He took a quick look at Kenzie out of the corner of his eye, and if he didn’t know her so well, he would think she looked as strong as ever. Yet the slight nibble of her lip showed her unease now.
Adrik finally lifted his phone to his ear and said, “Put Mr. Hemming on the line.” A moment passed before he said, “It’s Adrik. We’ve got a new design for the casino. We no longer need to wait and can proceed with the build. I’ll send the new blueprints over today, and we can start tomorrow.” Then he hung up the phone.
He stayed focused on Porter as he rose and came around the side of his desk, offering his hand. “Our business is concluded here. Stay away from me, and I’ll do the same to you and yours.”
Porter hesitated in shaking Adrik’s hand, but he knew this type of man. Adrik might be as dirty as they come, but a handshake was the seal of a deal. Porter grabbed his hand, giving it a firm shake. “Glad to hear it.”
When he dropped Adrik’s hand, the shithead offered his hand to Kenzie, and Porter growled, “Not a chance in hell I’ll let you touch her.”
Adrik laughed, slowly lowering his hand. Business was business, and even though Adrik was a coldhearted bastard who ran his life making others fear him, this to him was just business.
That simple.
Kenzie rose and Porter joined her, yet said, “There is one final matter to discuss.”
“Which is?” Adrik folded his arms.
Porter narrowed his eyes on the man who had attacked Kenzie. Apparently, his glare was indicator enough, since Adrik said, “I need him.”
“He attacked her,” Porter retorted. “He needs to answer for that.”
A long pause followed before Kenzie touched Porter’s arm. “I want this over.” She glared at the man who hurt her. “He didn’t scare me then, and he doesn’t scare me now. I want to forget these men, not deal with an assault charge. Please, let’s go.”