Ivan took a seat opposite him and crossed his leg before sipping his drink. “Petrov tells me you will be moving into his old penthouse in the building where Gia and I live.”
Returning his attention to Ivan, Dimitri kept his face carefully blank. He counted Ivan among his closest friends, but this was business, and while it might be cordial, Dimitri never made the mistake of letting friendship interfere. Especially where Rya was concerned.
“We are. Will this be a problem?”
After a few tense moments, Ivan shook his head. “No. You are doing everything you can to ensure Rya’s safety; Petrov has informed me that she is under his protection. While I do not think Rya will ever be truly safe, she will be as safe as any of our women are. It is the price we pay for the life we lead. Besides, it will be nice for Gia to be able to walk down the hall if she wants company.”
“Does Gia know about your association with the Dubini family? Or about my Bratva?”
With a sigh Ivan nodded. “I told her about you and she figured it out about Petrov on her own.”
“How?”
“Gia has her own business in Moscow restoring homes. When she had some issues with some workers not wanting to deal with an American, Petrov stepped in, or should I say some of his enforcers did. I’m not sure what exactly happened, but that night when I came home, Gia had already done some research. I answered her questions as much as I could, but she did not understand why I couldn’t talk about it and it caused problems between us. Finally, Vera and Petrov spoke with her. I don’t know what they said, but it calmed Gia down enough that she was no longer sleeping in the guest room.”
Dimitri laughed. “You let her get away with that?”
Snorting, Ivan raised his glass at Dimitri. “Just wait. You will find out how stubborn these American women can be. And independent. Have you considered what Rya will do while she is in Russia?”
“Yes. She will stay at home and I will take care of her.”
Ivan laughed. “Have you told her this?”
“What? Why would she not want to enjoy herself?”
Ivan tossed back a slug of his vodka, then laughed again. “Let me know when you tell her this. I want to be there to watch the fireworks.”
“Are you saying she will not want to?”
“I’m saying that you should ask her instead of tell her. Learn from my mistakes.”
Every woman Dimitri had been with would have been thrilled at the idea of staying home and being taken care of. He couldn’t imagine why Rya wouldn’t enjoy it but he had to admit that he’d never been with a woman like Rya before. Maybe Ivan was right. “I will consider it.”
“Are you going to keep Maks on as her security?”
“Yes.”
Ivan whistled. “And how does your brother feel about losing his favorite assassin?”
“He was the one who suggested it.”
“Interesting.” Running his finger around the rim of his glass, Ivan looked down into his drink with pursed lips. “Do you trust him with Rya?”
It took him a second to realize Ivan was talking about Maks, not Alex. “Of course. He would die to keep her safe.”
“That is not what I mean. Maks has quite a…reputation with women.”
Dimitri laughed. “Maks is also fond of his dick staying attached to his body instead of cut off and fed to my dogs. Besides, Rya is loyal. She would not betray me.”
“Do you plan on bringing Rya to our club?”
“Yes.”
“Do you plan on sharing her?”
“Maybe, but that is between Rya and myself. Why do you ask?”
“I am curious if she would play well with Gia. While Gia and I have had other women join us and Gia has enjoyed it, none of them have clicked.”
“What do you mean clicked? And I do not want you touching Rya.”
Ivan shook his head. “I would not touch your woman. First, because I only want my Gia, and second, because my lovely fiancée would superglue my cock to my leg in my sleep if I did.”
Both men laughed and Dimitri finished his drink. “What do you suggest?”
“Is your girl too injured to play tonight? I saw the bruising on her neck and she moved a little stiff.”
The thought of Rya’s injuries killed Dimitri’s good mood. “She has some bruised ribs and throat, as well as a mild concussion, but other than that she is fine.”
“Did she really kill that assassin?”
“Yes.”
Ivan raised his glass in a small salute before taking a sip. “She is either very skilled or very lucky.”
“I think a little of both. I’m sure Petrov told you about her background.”
The corners of Ivan’s lips curved upward. “He might have. But just because a woman is raised by killers does not make her a killer.”