“You’re a woman, not a girl. And a damn sexy one at that.” He’s back to reading his paper, acting all casual. It’s kind of sexy the way he makes it so normal for me to be considered attractive.
I look at the paper once more. I don’t want to feel smug, but I do.
Chapter 19 - Kervyn
Nobody touches Penny.
What part of this are people not understanding? It’s not exactly a secret we’re engaged at this point, and it’s not like my family is not well-known in the area.
This Carmen bitch has another thing coming to her if she thinks that she can mess with Penny because Penny is a little insecure. I will spend my life building up her confidence until she mops the floor with them.
What I can’t handle, though, is Luka, Asher, and her talking all the time, so I go to the office during the day, even on days I’d typically stay home. I feel a bit like an intruder. My brother has always been social and easy to get along with, so I’m not surprised he’s been roped into what the girls are doing.
I arrive at the office and walk in, walking past the guards. The club is closed during the day, and my other offices are noisier, so I come here when I want peace. Besides, I can check in on my lone wolf brother Arseny when I’m here.
He’s handsome. He should be out and about far more than he is.
I sit at my desk and wait as Nat, one of my other bartenders, brings up some coffee. She’s on the dayshift at the moment while I work because I prefer her coffee.
I am pouring myself a steaming mug of coffee when Arseny comes in silently. I hate when he does that, but luckily, this time, I’m facing the door and see him coming.
“Sneaking around again?”
“I don’t sneak,” he mutters. “I simply like to be light on my feet.”
“If people only knew the scariest person in this family is neither myself nor Danil,” I say, smiling. “But my little brother.”
He pours himself some coffee with a smug smirk on his face. I watch him. He’s physically strong and well-chiseled like us, but he doesn’t go out as much as Luka and isn’t into strip clubs like Danil.
I go to sit in my chair and lean back. He sits in the armchair in front of my desk. “You look like you’re pondering something,” he states.
“I’m wondering what you think of Penny?” I tilt my head to the side.
“Your fiance? The queen you keep referring to?” He shrugs and sips his coffee. “She’s sweet, a kind girl. I don’t think she is suited to our lifestyle, though. A little mismatched to you.”
I frown. “Unless you’re born into our family, give me a person who is born suited to this lifestyle. Had we been born to different parents, we wouldn’t be doing what we do.”
“But we do,” he says. “You’re going to marry her regardless of what I think of her. But let’s discuss business. While Danil is lying low, I’ve been looking into who killed the guards at your house, and I have a suspicion it’s an inside job. I’m following up on some leads.”
“Thanks. Maybe that will get you out of the basement more and into the sunlight.”
“You put me in the basement because you needed someone to do your dirty work for you,” he says. “I have a whole life you know nothing about, I assure you.”
I scoff. “Your drag races are nothing to brag about.” I pause. “Except to make us money gambling.”
He smiles.
“You are right. Penny will be my wife, whether anyone likes it or not. Make sure to impress that on people. Impress upon them that she’s not to be trifled with, or else.” I finish my coffee. “I have work to do. Then I need to stop at the butchery and the farmer’s market.”
“Oh, have we reached steak level?” He chuckles.
Steak level. That’s what my brothers call the two times I went out with a woman for longer than six months. It’s when I make us juicy steaks for dinner, and if they pass that, they get a hot bath with me where I give them the rub down of their lives. No woman has passed the steak level.
He gets up and sighs. “Enjoy your dinner tonight.”
“Arseny,” I call before he leaves.
He pauses and looks at me. I pull out a photo I stole from Penny. It’s of her, dressed up for a formal night out. “See this necklace. I want you to find it.”
“It doesn’t look like it’s worth much,” my brother says quietly, looking at me. “Is it for Penny?”
“It was stolen. To her, it means the world.”
He nods and turns to the door. I watch him leave before I start to work. I don’t stop until three, and then I shut down everything to drive myself down to a decent Russian butcher that I have on the books. He has the steaks I ordered ready and packaged, and I grab them and place them in the cooler box in my car before I stop at the farmer’s market for fresh vegetables, freshly baked bread, and salad ingredients.
By the time I get home, my stomach is growling. Thankfully, there’s no sign of Luka’s car when I get home, so I take everything to the kitchen, where Mrs. Beth is packing away dishes. “I’ve got dinner for tonight,” I say. “I’ll be cooking.”
She nods. “Thank you, sir. I’ll finish up and take my leave.”
I go hunting for Penny. She’s sitting in the library and smiles when she looks at me. I want her to always look at me with that smile. Beaming radiantly at me. My little investment revenge cheered her up, so it was worth it, and I lost nothing for it.
“Penny,” I say, leaning on the arms of the armchair so I’m above her. “Please, will you join me? I would like you to sit in the kitchen and drink non-alcoholic wine while I cook you a juicy steak for dinner.”
She licks her lips and then narrows her eyes. “Do you know how to cook?”
“Just because I hire a cook doesn’t mean I don’t know how to make a decent steak.” I stand up and offer her my hand. She sets her book down and takes my hand, getting up. For a moment, we stand there, looking into each other's eyes before I step back to let her walk ahead of me.
She’s a little flustered as she hurries past, and I smile. I like having an effect on her.
