I tiptoe to the door and peer out the peephole… only to see my dad.
Jace, the guard, is standing beside my father. “Irina,” he says. “Your father is here. He wants to talk with you.”
I don’t want to open the door. How did my dad find out where Nikolai’s lives? Maybe he already knew. There’s so much I don’t know about my own father.
But Jace will keep me safe. I have to hope so.
With a sigh, I open the door and my dad barges inside. Jace follows behind and gives me a nod. Nikolai must have told him to keep an eye out for my dad.
“What are you doing here?” I demand.
“I wanted to see how you were settling into your new married life.” Dad makes a show of looking around the large foyer. “Very well. You have money now. I am asking my own daughter to pay off my debts.”
“No. You tried to sell me off. And Nikolai refuses to pay you. I am not giving you any money.”
“I am your father. You will do this for me.”
“What will you give me in return?”
He gives me such a smug grin, it takes everything inside of me not to snap. “I’ll leave you alone. Clearly, you don’t want me around. I’ll never bother you again if you just give me the money I need. You are my daughter. Do this for me.”
It’s a tempting offer. I never want to see my dad again after what he did to me. But… I can’t give him anything. It sickens me to the gut.
“No,” I say. “Now get out.”
“I am your father. You will treat me with respect.”
“Get out!” I scream before I shove him in the chest, forcing him back a step.
At that very moment, Nikolai returns. “Ivan, it seems you couldn’t stay away for long.” He looks between me and my father. “Why don’t you join us for lunch?”
“What?” I ask. “No.”
Nikolai comes to stand by me and places his hand on my back. “We have a lot to talk about, Ivan. My original deal is still on the table. Work for me and your debts will be paid. Have lunch.”
“Lunch would be… fine,” my dad grits out.
“Great.” Nikolai lowers his lips to my ear. “And once your dad is gone, we’re going to have a talk.”
My stomach drops to my feet. This can’t be good.
Chapter Seven
Irina
Iglare at my dad over the dinner table as he easily munches on the sandwich I made for him. Nikolai insisted I make it, saying I need to be a good hostess, no matter who the guest is. Even if that guest is the man who tried to sell me off for his own selfish reasons.
“So, Ivan,” Nikolai says, steepling his fingers together, “you came over here to demand my wife give you money. My money, I should add. But I’m going to offer you another deal. Work for me. End this lunacy. You’re not going to win. You’re not getting any of my money. If you want to pay off your debts, then work for me like I originally offered.”
“You’ll have power over me,” my father sulks. My own father, a grown man, sulking. It takes everything inside of me not to snap at him.
“That’s the point,” Nikolai replies. “But I won’t use it to hurt you. You’ll benefit me. You have contacts of your own. Things you bring to the table. Just agree to work for me and in time, your debts will be paid off. Because I can tell you this, Ivan. If you keep on bothering my wife, I won’t be inviting you to lunch next time.” The threat is clear even though I’m not exactly sure what the threat is.
My dad slowly lowers his sandwich. “You’ll kill me, Nikolai? Is that it?”
“If you continue to be a nuisance then…”
My stomach knots even more. I’ve been deeply betrayed by my father and I want him out of my life but to have him dead? I’m not sure how to feel about that. And knowing it would be at the hand of my own husband… I’mreallynot sure what to feel about that.