“In a way it is.” He winces.
Liam snorts. “It’s a multi-billion dollar cyber and protective security agency with contracts in over fifty countries. The associate part is the law firm they run as well.”
“What the hell, Vas?” I screech at him. “When were you going to tell me I inherited a billion-dollar company?”
“Multi-billion…” Liam smirks at Vas, who glares at him like he can shoot laser beams from his eyes and melt him into a pile of goo.
“Tomas wanted me to wait,” Vas explains, his eyes still narrowed at my father. “He didn’t want to overwhelm you with too many responsibilities. BeingPakhanwas more important first. Maksim and Nikolai have been running Arctic behind the scenes for a while. Before you even married Matthias.”
“Oh.”
When he puts it that way, I can see how letting me adjust to one role before taking on another is wise. I am barely keeping up with beingPakhanand adding public CEO to my list would only make things harder for me. Especially since we are in the middle of a war.
“Well.” I beam at him and slap him on the back. Vas turns to me bewildered. “Now that we have all this settled. Let’s go torture some people and make them pay.”
“After we get answers of course,” my father, the killjoy, reminds me.
“Yeah.” I shoot him a ‘duh’ look. “Torture them…that’s what I said.”
“Torture is never highly effective for getting answers,” he educates me. “But—” he shrugs, ignoring my icy glare. “Okay.”
“And I thought our family was messed up,” Aine grunts amused. Sully laughs as we all make our way out of the house.
“Oh, kid,” he shakes his head. “You have no idea.”
eight
“Did you or did you not lie to me, Red?”
It isn’t really a question. I know she has. Libby’s intoxicated state and the fact that the sisters are both covered in the neon glitter that comes with that fucking club Neon, tell me she has. They had both been informed not to leave the penthouse without an escort and that they certainly weren’t to go clubbing. It is dangerous with Christian out there looking for her, for one, and Libby is only nineteen.
I care less about the latter than the former.
Despite my anger, my cock aches as I look down at Ava lying on our bed, belly down, her skimpy ass dress riding up her legs. I can just see the bare crest of her ass peeking out from beneath the hem.
Fuck.
How many other men at the club did she give this view to?
“It’s my bachelorette party.” She smiles sleepily, her head resting on her folded arms. It is early morning, but I am too wired to go back to sleep.
“And you were told you could have it here,” I remind her darkly. Ava blows out her lips and swats an arm at me dismissively.
“You got to go out to the strip club,” she yawns. “At least I went to a place people keep their clothes on.”
Frustration bubbles beneath the surface, and I let out a pained groan as I shut my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose. “I was at work, Ava, not out partying.”
The woman shrugs like it doesn’t matter, but I can sense the tension around her.
Is my little red jealous?
Climbing onto the bed, I grab her hips, pulling her toward me as I flip her on her back.
Her emerald eyes fly open, lust clouding them as she takes in my half-dressed state. Her top teeth sink into her lower lip as she shyly spreads her pretty legs for me, exposing her sweet, delectable pussy to my gaze. Ava has grown more confident sexually over our time together. She is still often embarrassed, a pink hue dancing up her cheeks, but I wouldn’t give that away for the world.
Her innocence in the bedroom is refreshing.
“Now,” I tsk at her. My hands trail up her outer thighs, pushing the dress until it is scrunched at her waist, and I have a full, uninterrupted view of what is mine. “Do you honestly think you deserve a reward from me?”