As soon as Rain broke away and told me about her ex, she became glass to me. Fragile. To be handled with extreme care. The fact that she was so open to begin with was promising, I guess; I think it means that she trusts me.
I’m just not sure how that works in my life. She said she likes “hanging out” with me, but what does that look like? Like Dmitri said, would Rain “fit”? Especially now? Or is this all a waste of time? I hate wasting my time. Maybe I should just stick with Priscilla. There are no pretenses with her. She grew up in the same environment I did; she knows what this world is all about. Her moral compass is as skewed as mine, maybe more.
My burner phone rings. I answer it in time to hear, “Fucking Russians.” It makes me smile, despite everything. “I take it the call to Andrei didn’t go well?”
Rust heaves a sigh. “No. It didn’t. Andrei’s siding with Vlad.”
“Shit . . . I don’t know what to do, here. Do you want me to tell Dmitri or do you?”
“No, we can’t back out now.” A long pause. And then he says very precisely, like the idea’s coming to him as he speaks, “I want you to go and meet with Aref Hamidi. He handles our shipping, but he expressed interest in becoming involved in more several years ago. He may be able to help us out.”
I frown. “Wouldn’t it be better for you to go meet with him?”
“You brought this problem to the table, so I think you should be the one to solve it. It’s a good little test.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“Why? You don’t think you can handle this?”
“No, of course I can.” I hope I sound more confident than I feel.
“This will be good for building your rapport with him. It’s a simple side deal. I’ll let Aref know you’re coming to discuss some business. Just don’t commit to anything until we talk.”
“Where?”
“He’s hosting a party at his house tonight. Bring a girl with you. It’ll look more social.”
My gaze drifts over to Rain’s window. “I can do that. You don’t think this’ll cause problems with Vlad?”
He heaves a sigh that tells me that it probably will. “Like he said, this is business. We have our deal with them, and this is outside of that. Plus, I don’t like Vlad thinking he has a monopoly. Just . . . we won’t mention it to Vlad.”
“Got it.” I can see Vlad being the kind of guy to fly off the handle. A lot of screaming and shouting. Possibly some threats.
“How’s the car?” I hear the smile in Rust’s voice, so I know his mood has already shifted. I’ve never seen him so happy to give me something as he was that day last week, when I drove off the lot in my brand-new shiny black Porsche 911.
I beam, just thinking about it. “Fucking beautiful. Thank you, Rust.”
“Well, you make me proud, son.”
I hang up wondering if Rust would still say that had I not willingly gone into business with him. Would he still be treating me like the son he never had, or instead like a nephew he checks in on once in a while? Would my name be on the deed to a million-dollar condo? Would I have all that I have?
Dialing Rain’s number, a slight bubble of nerves spikes in me as I wait. It’s an odd sensation, not one I’m used to. She answers after the third ring. Lick’s head pops up as Stanley’s yappy bark comes through in the background, making me chuckle and the tension in my back quickly slide away. “Hey. You’re still free tonight, right?”
She has a nice walk. It’s sleek and steady and catlike.
I watch Rain approach my car, her calf muscles tightening with each step, thanks to those wickedly tall red shoes.
The kind I like.
So is the snug black dress she’s wearing. Strapless, showing off the curves of her neck and shoulders. One of my favorite parts of a woman.
The entire package is impressive. I suddenly wonder how the hell I could have been distracted enough not to call her the day I met her. How it took getting attacked by her dog to notice her in the park. How I’m going to give her space, when all I want to do right now is touch her.
“Nice car,” she murmurs, her crystal-blue eyes sliding over the frame of my Porsche before she slides into the passenger seat. The back of her dress dips down even lower, highlighting her sleek curves and that sexy tattoo. The one I saw last night, when she was in her underwear . . . My heart rate spikes a little.
“New?” She stares at me, waiting for my answer.
Focus, Luke. “Yeah, I just got it last week.” I drove it off the lot and around Portland with a massive hard-on for three hours.
Pulling out of the condo parking lot, I let my hand rest on the gear stick. “You look really . . . nice.” I steal a glance at her firm thighs and smooth skin. She definitely takes care of herself.
Glass. She’s glass, I remind myself.
She dips her head in that almost embarrassed way, the way she always does when she catches me looking at her, her fingers fumbling with the gold chain of her necklace. She does that quite a bit, I’ve noticed. Must be a nervous habit. “So, where are you taking me?”
“A business associate’s party.”
“Easily five million. Maybe more,” I murmur, taking in the lit-up mansion that sits by Columbia River, handing my keys to the hired valet. Not surprising that Aref would hire someone to manage all the guests filtering through here. Rust said he likes throwing parties and people like coming to them.