Dangerous Liaisons (Crimson Legion MC #1)

2. CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER TWO

X avier looked up from his phone as the loud roar of an approaching motorcycle caught his attention. He watched Hunter roll into the club parking lot and pull up beside him. “Hey, Brother.”

Hunter slid his helmet off and ran a hand through his hair. “Is everyone here?”

“They’re ready to meet, but I won’t lie. They’re uneasy about this offer.”

“If we want out of this mess we’re in with Martinez, it may be the only option we have.” Hunter looked around with uneasy eyes. “The past few years haven’t been easy. With the economy and the outside interference of rival clubs, we’re not bringing in enough money without dipping into other means.”

“I’m not interested in other means, Brother. I can’t go back to prison.”

His president studied him with an understanding gaze. “I understand. When I took over this club, I promised you that wouldn’t happen again. I promised all our guys that I’d make us clean money that kept us straight, and I’m going to do that.”

“I know you’ll try.”

Hunter sighed and looked around at the bikes littering the lot. “The last thing I want is to jump into bed with another cartel, but she’s offering us something real, a chance to make good money on the right side of the lines. Once we get back on our feet, we can walk away from this shit with a clean slate.”

“What she promises and what might happen are two different things.”

“What other choice do we have?”

Xavier brushed his beard with a quick hand. He studied his friend. “What’s Ava think?”

“My wife doesn’t give her opinions on the club, Zay, you know that. With all the shit we’ve seen, the only thing she wants is me to come home in one piece at night.”

“She’s a smart woman. Probably better than you deserve. ”

“She knows,” Hunter chuckled. “Come on, let’s grab a beer and gather the troops.”

With a nod, Xavier followed his president into the clubhouse, still uneasy, but he knew deep down he would follow whatever direction the man told him to go. The offer from Isabella Romanov bothered him. She bothered him. He couldn’t have imagined the reaction he had upon seeing her, the woman beautiful and dangerous at the same time. Until she proved good on her word, the last thing he was going to do was trust her.

From where she stood outside the armored G-Class SUV, she didn’t need to look at her friend to know she was unhappy. Kira had been shifting on her feet for the past twenty minutes, her head on a swivel to the point it made her nauseous.

Pressing her lips together in irritation, she directed her attention to the tablet in her hands. She readjusted the reading glasses on her nose and continued to read for several minutes, pausing only at the sound of tapping on the window.

Cutting off the tablet, she took her time packing away her glasses before sliding back on the heels she previously discarded on the floor. Against her better judgment, she had dressed in a black blazer vest with a matching pinstripe skirt. It was one of her favorite outfits. One of the first things Nikolai had taught her when they married was the importance of presentation. To be taken seriously, one had to scream confidence and money, two things most people sadly lacked.

Kira opened the back passenger door, and the sound of a rumbling motorcycle filled the air as she slid out of the vehicle.

“There is only one.”

She squinted her eyes against the glare of the sun, pausing as someone thrust sunglasses into her line of sight. Nodding gratefully, she slid on the shades and focused on the lone motorcycle speeding up to the property.

“It appears to be the bigger man, the one who starred too much.”

It was disappointing to not see the president of the MC, but the vice president was just as good. She needed this partnership to work, and if that meant attempting to charm the grumpy biker, she would do it.

Xavier parked his Harley, his tall frame rising off the bike with practiced ease. Wearing a look that expressed anything but happiness, he had left his hair down and trimmed his beard. His clothes were black, the kutte displaying black and white lettering.

“While I appreciate your time, Mr. Wilson, I was expecting someone else.”

“I wasn’t expecting to be here, so we’re all disappointed,” he grumbled. “Hunter said any decision I make he would support. You’re stuck with me.”

“Well, by all means,” she motioned toward the winery, “I promised you a tour.”

Kira cleared her throat. “I will escort-”

“We’ll be fine,” Isabella interrupted her. “You can wait outside with Viktor.” She ignored the heated glare the woman sent her way and lifted the keys she held. “Shall we?”

“I do not think-”

“You will wait outside with the driver,” she stated before switching to Russian.

“Da,” Kira glared. She flashed Xavier a smile that appeared more like a wild animal flashing its teeth. “I understand.”

Isabella motioned for him to proceed toward the building. Shooting Kira one more guarded look, he moved forward. She kept up with his long strides, venturing past him to unlock the glass double doors and allowing him to enter before she did. She shut the door, but seeing Kira’s stern look, it remained unlocked.

“She’s very protective of you.”

“I pay her to be,” Isabella quipped as she flipped on a few lights.

She watched him survey in the large space, the right side leading to the winery. The bar had seen better days and had remained vacant for some time now. “The bar is around twenty-two hundred square feet. As you can see, it will require a total overhaul. I can cover the reconstruction costs, but I will have to approve the final layout.” She looked around at the covered furniture and dusty items scattered throughout the room. “The winery is eighty-seven hundred square feet and has been operational for over a year. Follow me, please.”

Xavier grunted but did as she requested, walking through another set of doors that led into the winery, where endless rows of oak barrels lined the walls just beyond the tasting room.

She watched him survey the area and folded her arms across her chest in wait. “Do you have questions?”

“For the head of a Russian cartel, you sure sound like a realtor at the moment.”

“I wear many hats.”

“You know I can tell when you’re being sarcastic, right?”

“I’m not being sarcastic. I’m being direct. I’m also aware of when you’re being arrogant and rude.”

“The club won’t work with you unless we’re all on board, and right now, I’m not convinced.”

“I’m offering you a very lucrative deal, one you won’t find anywhere else, especially with Diego Martinez. Working for him, at any point, you’re disposable. We can be friends, Mr. Wilson, or we can be enemies. Your choice.”

“My name is Xavier. Mr. Wilson is my father.”

“I would very much like to meet him. I can’t help but wonder if his manners are better than yours.”

He cracked a smile, and in response, she managed one of her own. The expression faded as quickly as it appeared. Rubbing his beard, he glanced around the winery. “We would want the right to lease to own.”

“That can be negotiated.”

“When Hunter isn’t around, you deal with me and only me.”

Isabella cocked an eyebrow. “Do you expect Mr. Collins to be predisposed a lot during our intended meetings? I would hate to feel as if I’m not as important as your other business associates.”

“We agree to this deal, and you’ll get a percentage of profits without lifting a finger along with everything else you want. You shouldn’t have a problem feeling important.”

“Sometimes a woman likes to be reminded.” She wasn’t trying to sweet-talk him, but at this point, staying on his good side would ensure she indeed got everything she wanted.

“I doubt you have that problem, Mrs. Romanov. There aren’t many willing to not tell you what you want to hear. ”

“I don’t pay people to do that, if that’s what you’re insinuating.”

“I didn’t. You’re the one that said it.”

“If we’re going to be trading verbal insults, you can at least call me by my first name.” She dropped her arms to her sides. “You have a few more hours to give me a decision. Am I to assume you want to discuss it with your president?”

He shook his head and extended his hand. “There’s no need. We have a deal.”

She glanced at his hand, but after a minute, she slid her hand into his. She ignored the warmth that traveled up her arm and how his hand engulfed hers because of its size.

Clearing her throat, she pulled free from his firm grip. “We have a deal.”

Xavier reclined in his chair, the leather creaking under his weight as he awaited Hunter's arrival. He’d had a busy morning negotiating with Isabella Romanov, and the deal was more significant than he’d expected.

His best friend strode in, his presence commanding as always. “How’d it go?”

“We reached an agreement. She’s on board with the lease-to-own arrangement.”

Sitting in his chair, Hunter leaned forward, his interest piqued. “Good. But I want to know—how did it go? Did you get a sense of her motivations?”

“She’s sharp, Brother. This isn’t just a business deal for her; she has her own ambitions.”

“Sounds like she’s the partner we need to make this work,” Hunter remarked, but there was a note of caution in his voice. “We need to be careful. Women like her don’t come without complications.”

“What complications?”

“The kind that could cause distractions, ones that could jeopardize our goals.”

Xavier nodded, but a part of him bristled at the implication. “I can handle it.”

“I trust you, but don’t let your guard down. According to my contacts, she’s capable of doing anything in order to get what she wants. Her husband was the head of the cartel before he was murdered, and his brother made sure she took his seat. She’s smart, she’s got unlimited men at his disposal, and a man behind her that wants to stay in power, no matter what that takes.”

“I’ll keep it strictly business.”

Hunter tapped on the desk and rocked back in his chair. “Now, what’s our timeline for getting this project off the ground? We need to move quickly. Once Martinez gets wind of what we’re doing, he’s going to sabotage what we’re building.”

Xavier launched into the details, outlining the next steps for the bar. As he spoke, he felt the weight of their goals resting heavily on his shoulders. He glanced out the window. A fleeting thought nagged at him: with Isabella in the mix, everything was bound to get more complicated—if he wanted it to or not.