As I sit in the car, waiting for Konstantin to arrive, my fingers glide over my phone screen, scrolling through photos of him. Images he has no idea I’ve been taking.


    Men like him, men who see themselves as kings, never notice the little birds watching from the shadows. They’re too busy basking in their own power, convinced they’re untouchable.


    But I’ve spent weeks tracking him, slipping into his world like a ghost. I know his routines. I know this bar is his preferred meeting spot for business—mostly illegal, though he’s careful, hiding behind the legitimacy of his vast enterprise.


    He shares his empire with his three brothers and cousins. I’ve been watching them too. Learning their habits. Mapping their weaknesses. When he isn’t here, he’s at his corporate job where he ys the CEO to his billions.


    I should be working too, but work isn’t an option right now. Not after my boss, Gerardo, forced me into taking time off.


    “Take a step back before you ruin your career. Or worse, get yourself killed. You’re too unstable right now.”


    Unstable. What a joke.


    Yeah, my brother got arrested. And sure, maybe I’ve been on edge about that. Maybe I took some creative liberties at work. But every single one was justified.


    The interrogation I pushed too far? It was because the prick had information about a child in danger. I nearly blew his head off. So what? He deserved it.


    I do what needs to be done. I don’t crumble under pressure.


    But maybe he’s right. Maybe I am unstable. Maybe I’ve always been. And if that’s the case, there’s no saving me now.


    It’s why I don’t waste my time on rtionships. Too much baggage. Too devoted to my job. Take your pick. Most men want a damsel—someone soft and fragile, someone they can protect.


    I am neither. I don’t need saving. From the moment my brother pulled me out of that hell, I swore I’d never be weak again. I’ll have control. Or I’ll die trying.


    This business with Konstantin is no different. It has to go exactly as nned. He’s probably already looked me up, but he’ll find exactly what I want him to, thanks to my boss.


    He knew I was going to do this anyway and wouldn’t listen to reason, so he helped me instead. Took pity on me, maybe.


    It helps that he’s known me since I was five. One of the few who tried to get my mom clean.


    He was a beat cop when he arrested her the first time and he put her into rehab, then took us in. He didn’t have to. We were nobody to him. But he cared. And ever since, he’s stuck around, maybe because he lost his own son when he was little.


    Mom did get clean. But it didn’tst. After she was arrested again when I was eleven, Gerardo tried to take me in, and his lieutenant shut it down. So I went into foster care, then back to her, but he never disappeared. He was always there for both Nate and me.


    If not for him, my brother wouldn’t have had the career he did, and neither would I. I owe him.


    I also know he thinks this n of mine will fail. But he still gave me a new identity and wiped my old one clean. If I was going to be Tessa, I needed to be her in every way.


    Konstantin can’t find out who I really am. If he does, I’m dead. He doesn’t tolerate betrayal. I’ve got folders of evidence proving what happens to those who cross him. Women, men, it doesn’t matter. You betray him, you end up on his hit list, and I need to stay off it.


    At least until Nate is free. After that, Konstantin can do whatever the hell he wants to me.


    I delete the photos of him from my phone. Not that it matters. They’re backed up on a hard drive.


    Minutes pass. Then I see him. He steps out of his ck Royce, nked by his guards.


    Showtime.


    Pushing the door open, I start toward him from across the street. The second his eyesnd on me, his lips twitch, his fingers sliding his sunsses off. When our gazes lock, I fight the reaction that ms through me.


    Attraction is a deadly thing if you’re not careful. And I’m nothing if not careful.


    He watches me approach, a smirk curving his mouth like he’s already won something. He always looks like that, like the world bends to his will and he’s never had to chase a damn thing in his life.


    I stop a few feet from him, keeping my expression nk. His eyes rake over me, slow and deliberate, like he’s assessing every detail, filing it away. He slides his sunsses into the pocket of his tailored coat.


    “Didn’t think I’d see you again, Ms. Monroe.” His voice is deep, smooth. Danger wrapped in velvet. “Guess I made quite the impression.”


    “Not the kind you wanna believe.” I cross my arms, ncing at his men before turning my gaze back to him. One dark brow lifts, but he doesn’t take his eyes off me as he gestures for his men to go inside.


    They don’t hesitate. A simplemand, and they move like shadows, slipping through the bar’s doors without a word.


    Now it’s just us, and my heart beats faster, as though he’s got a hold of it,manding it. And I hate that feeling of knowing he can control me, any part of me.


    Konstantin spreads his arms slightly, like he’s inviting me to take my best shot. “What can I do for you?”


    “I want the job.” There’s zero hesitation, no sign of weakness, and I know he appreciates that.


    His smirk deepens, and he exhales a quiet chuckle.


    “You want the job?” he repeats, like I’ve just amused him more than he expected.


    “I think I made myself clear.”


    His sharp gaze flicks over my face, lingering on my mouth before fastening with my eyes again. He takes a step closer, crowding my space.


    “You’re a bold thing, aren’t you?” He picks up a piece of my loose hair, inspecting it in hisrge, dominating hand.


    The thought of those hands all over my body invades my mind, like he’s haunting me even while standing here. But I don’t move. Don’t let him see how affected I’ve be.


    “If you want someone who’s going to beg, you should look elsewhere.”


    He tugs my chin up, those eyes piercing into my very soul. He doesn’t say anything for long, aching seconds, time bleeding until he finally does.


    “I think you’re the kind of woman who enjoys being forced to beg.”


    My core instantly tightens, my body growing warm and prickly. He chuckles like he knows exactly what he’s doing to me.


    The men I’ve slept with were boring, and there haven’t been many. At twenty-six, my experience is pitiful. Way less than his, that’s for sure.


    He watches me for a long moment, like he’s deciding how much fun he wants to have with this. Then he jerks his head toward the door.


    “Come inside. We’ll see if you’re worth my time.”


    Bastard.


    I step in as he holds the door for me, my heels clicking against the polished floor. I’m wearing another short dress, knowing how much he liked thest one.


    The bar is mostly empty, just a few staff cleaning up before the evening rush. Konstantin doesn’t stop there. He leads me straight to hisrge office, shutting the door behind us with a quiet click. Every inch of the room screams wealth and power: the ck wood desk in the center, the plush sofas arranged like they belong in a penthouse suite, the bold artwork lining the walls. Everything here is curated and intentional. Like the man himself.


    “Drink?” he offers, slipping off his coat and draping it over the chair at his desk before striding to the bar in the corner and reaching for a bottle of whiskey, the amber liquid gleaming under the low light.


    I shake my head. “I don’t drink.”


    Konstantin pauses, ss in hand, then tilts his head. “Why not?”


    For a moment, I consider brushing off the question. But something about the way he’s looking at me—curious, patient, like he actually wants the answer—makes me tell the truth.


    “My mom was an addict. I don’t want to be one.”


    A flicker of something crosses his face. Interest. Maybe even a hint of approval.


    “You think one drink would do it?”


    “I won’t take the risk.”


    His brow arches slightly, his gaze remaining on me like he’s peeling backyers, trying to see what’s underneath. I hate how the attention makes my skin heat and my stomach tighten.


    This attraction…it means nothing. Even if I end up in his bed, it won’t mean a damn thing. It’s just sex. And everyone needs that.


    Konstantin smirks again, swirling the whiskey in his ss before bringing it to his lips. “Let’s see if you’re worth the risk.”


    He’s talking about the job. But it sure as hell doesn’t feel like it.