Deceitful Vows (Marital Privileges #2)

55. Zoya

55

ZOYA

“ I f you’re going to apologize again about this morning, hush.” Aleena wraps me up in a hug that warms my cold, dead insides. “I’m glad I was finally able to be there for you as you have been for me for all these years.” I roll my eyes, and she giggles. “Not the cards, although I loved that you made them yourself. The words inside them.”

“You saw them?” I can’t hide the shock in my tone. My cards were returned every year seemingly unopened.

Aleena nods. “Do you remember how we snuck chips and cookies without Mother noticing?” I match her head bob. “Hair straighteners aren’t just perfect for resealing plastic seams. They also loosen envelope glue.”

Although I love knowing how crafty she is when it comes to deceiving our mother, there’s one point I can’t gloss over.

How did she get my letters to begin with?

Before I can ask her that, the truth smacks me in the face. “Stasy?”

Her smile is brighter than the sun. “She never let Mother’s lies fully sink in. She always encouraged me to seek my own truth.” She breathes in the smell of my freshly shampooed hair. “I’m so glad I finally listened.” After another sniff, she spins to gather her suitcase before locking her wet eyes with mine. “Contact may be sporadic until the wedding. Mother?—”

“I know,” I interrupt, not needing her explanation.

Our mother hates me.

No deliberation required.

“But that won’t be an issue for too much longer. It isn’t like she’s going to move into Kazimir’s house with you.” When she grimaces, I balk. “Right?”

She groans as if nothing is concrete when it comes to our mother before she hands her bag to a driver wearing a driver’s cap.

“Bye,” I whisper when she waves at me before sliding into the back seat next to Shevi.

I watch her chauffeur-driven SUV drive away, confident this isn’t the last time we will speak. If I don’t think positively, depression may gobble me up and swallow me whole.

I refuse for my gloomy mood to rain down on Nikita’s and Aleena’s happiness. They deserve to be spoiled, and I’m grateful I get to witness it up close.

Maksim is a man of his word, and he is repaying his debt by ensuring I am included in every event he organizes for Nikita—even their private jet flight home.

He also offered me a job, so I’ll have an easy excuse for my stalking.

I stop following Aleena’s SUV’s roll through the streets of the Trudny District when dark hairs tickle my elbow a second before my best friend asks, “Are you ready?”

Nikita is so loved up right now I can’t help but sway when I spin to face her. “Yep. Just give me one minute to grab something I left in the cabana.”

When she arches a brow, I bump her with my hip, certain this is not a conversation we’re going to have within the next week, much less today.

“Enjoy the reprieve, Z. You can’t escape me when we’re thirty thousand feet in the air.”

I groan before increasing my pace. The bikini Andrik peeled off me notched me ahead of my competitors because it is designer and pricy. Some people look at labels more than the people hiding behind them.

I’m not one of those people, but I am also not leaving a two-hundred-dollar swimsuit to the racoons.

My stomach doesn’t know which way to swing when I enter the cabana Andrik and I occupied for hours two days ago. The scent of multiple arousals is still in the air, but it is also infused with Andrik’s cologne since his suit jacket is draped over one of the single sun loungers.

I snatch up my bikini before spinning on my heel. Since I am trying to be the bigger person, I don’t take a single step toward the exit.

Good things happen to good people—my best friend’s fortunate luck of late is proof of this—so I need to pull up my big girl panties and accept Andrik’s decision with dignity.

It won’t be easy, though if anyone can do it, it will be me.

My brows quirk when a crinkle sounds out of Andrik’s jacket when I snatch it up. It is the same sound as the one his jacket made on my birthday, so I veer my hand to the breast pocket without an objection filtering through my head.

My heart bleeds for a different reason when I read the terms of Andrik’s latest contract. His son is sick, and if I am reading his contract properly, he won’t get the help he needs without Andrik’s original marriage contract being upheld.

Divorce doesn’t seem like an option for his family.

I shoot my eyes up when Nikita calls my name. “Z?”

“I’m coming,” I reply while shoving Andrik’s contract back into the pocket of his suit and racing through the exit.

When she spots my race, her gorgeous face adopts an apologetic expression. “Sorry, I don’t want to rush you, but from the rumors I’ve heard, jets cost thousands of dollars a minute to operate even while idling on a tarmac.”

As my eyes pop, I mouth an apology before gesturing for her to lead the way.

Our flight was uneventful—much to Nikita’s disgust. She remained seated with me in the main part of the private jet while Maksim spent most of his time behind a desk in the bedroom.

I’d be worried the honeymoon is already over for them if Maksim hadn’t fired his flight attendant because she couldn’t dismiss my underhanded commentary that she wants to sleep with her boss.

I went a little hard on her because I’m now more guilt-riddled than devastated. I don’t feel sorry for Andrik’s wife. What Andrik is going through is the only thing weighing my shoulders down, and how I almost forced that immense pressure onto his son.

Children need to be protected, not pawned as if they’re easily replaceable.

Andrik’s family has yet to learn that, just like my mother.

I’m drawn from my thoughts by Maksim’s stern rumble. “Get. The. Fuck. Off. My. Plane.” As the woman who seems to have taken a page out of my book when it comes to the concept of wedding rings scuttles for the exit, Maksim locks his eyes with a gentleman over her shoulder. “And you can go with her.”

“Maksim, Maria was out of line but unaware of your recent nuptials.”

Maksim doesn’t buy his excuse for a second. “She may not have, but you did. Yet you sat back and watched her belittle my wife .” He says my wife with far more possessiveness than Andrik ever has, and it makes me swoon.

“You are right. I am sorry,” the male hostess says, backing down. “I apologize for any discomfort caused, Mrs. Ivanov.”

He’s out the door before Nikita can get in a second chin dip.

Since I caused the tension, it is only fair I try to dislodge it as well. “If you ever grow tired of him”—I lock eyes with Nikita before nudging my head to Maksim standing firm in the galley of his jet—“toss him my way. There’s no such thing as sloppy seconds when it comes to men.”

I feel the heat of her narrowed glare when I kiss her forehead like I’ve witnessed Maksim do numerous times the past two days.

It lowers her annoyance even better than Eskimo kisses.

“Are you not traveling with us?”

I laugh when I unearth the reason for the fret in her tone. “Gigi is going to love him.” My tone dips a smidge, but since Maksim is in her realm, her snooping isn’t as stellar as usual. “And I’ve got some matters I need to wrap up before commencing my new job on Monday.” I drift my eyes to Maksim. “Ten, right?”

He nods. “I will forward you an official job offer to your inbox later today.”

“Great. Thanks.”

I add a smile to the words that will never display my full appreciation before I gallop down the jet’s stairs.

Nikita and Maksim don’t follow suit. The pilots trace my steps across the tarmac minutes later, but I lose them when we enter the main part of the airport.

They head toward the lounge section, and I veer for the bus stop.

A step back in luxury can’t be missed when I enter the stinky bus. It smells like puke and another substance I don’t want to mention. But the company is good.

“Hey, Mara.”

Her bruises have healed so well that you’d have no clue she was assaulted only weeks ago.

“Is that seat taken?” I hook my thumb to a seat two spots up from the one I was about to plonk my backside in.

“Um. No. Yo-you can sit there.” She removes her purse from the seat next to her before gesturing for me to sit. “Di-did you move?”

Her stutter is unexpected. I thought it was because she was stammering through survival instincts. I didn’t realize it was permanent.

“No. I’m just returning from a trip.” When her eyes seek the luggage I am without since Maksim said he would have it delivered to my apartment, I sprinkle a smidge of honesty in my reply. “My bag was ruined by the luggage handlers. I haven’t had time to cash the compensation check yet.” Hating how easy it is for me to lie these days, I ask, “What about you? You’re a little on the far side of home.”

“Oh. Um. I-I… ah. I’m also going home.”

“You went on a trip too?”

I realize not everyone is as good at lying as me when she shakily nods.

After a beat, she switches her nod to a headshake. “I was meant to-to go, but I chickened out. Now I’m going home.”

“Without your luggage?”

She grimaces and then nods. “It’s a long story.”

“We have thirty minutes.” When hesitation is her first expression, I settle into my seat and breathe out a hot breath. “And I’m going to need at least twenty-nine of them to clear the murkiness from my chest.”

My conversation with Mara is so riveting that I’m hesitant to get off when the bus arrives at my stop. “I’ll store your number into my phone as soon as I get a new one.” I walk toward the bus driver before spinning back around. “And I know it isn’t any compensation, but your boss is an idiot. You’re beautiful and kind. If he can’t see that, that’s on him, not you.”

I feel good when she nods.

My mood continues its uphill climb until I enter Le Rogue via the back entrance doors.

“I’m sorry,” Lilia murmurs the instant we lock eyes. “I told him it wasn’t his choice. That this is my business. But you know what some men are like.”

She confirms what I came here to find out without me needing to speak a word.

This is Andrik’s business.

“It’s fine,” I assure her. “Nothing happening is your fault.” I’m not even sure it is mine.

My head flings to the side when a girly voice says, “I say screw him.” Mars saunters into the backstage area with far more clothing than she usually has on. “What’s he gonna do? Kill all our patrons until there’s none left?”

Lilia and I swallow in sync.

“I doubt a death threat will keep them away for long.” Mars butts shoulders with me. “We’ve been taking inquiries for private shows all weekend. You’ll make a killing in the private sector. I can hook you up with some contacts if you’re interested.”

I don’t give her offer any true thought. I didn’t realize how selfish I was being when I coerced Andrik into responding last night. This is about more than us. It is about his son.

“Thanks, but I’ve already secured new employment.” I don’t mention it is with my best friend’s husband. I don’t want to look like a loser. “I just wanted to swing by and make sure there were no hard feelings.” I spin to face Lilia. “I wouldn’t have placed you in that predicament if I had known.”

“Hard feelings? Please. ” She brushes off my worry with a wave of her hand. “You brought life back into this place and added some spice.”

“Tension. Spice. Almost the same thing.”

Lilia laughs into my hair when she pulls me in for a hug. “And I agree with Mars. Stuff him. If you want to shake your ass for some funds, I’m not going to say no. He hid you here because his enemies would never believe a man as possessive as him would let someone he cares about work at a strip club, so he can’t rip away your shelter with no real explanation. That would make him a dick.”

“Don’t bring up his dick, Lilia. Baby girl was already struggling to forget it before she went and got reacquainted with it in a poolside cabana.” Mars’s hip bump this time around almost sends me flying. “For future reference, cabana walls are useless sound barriers. Your moans are circulating the net.”

My cheeks whiten as my stomach flips.

This isn’t good. Not for me, and not for Andrik’s campaign to help his son.