Page 3 of Konstantin

I feel her watching me, just like I knew she would.

TESSA

He starts to disappear toward the back, and the urge to grab the nearest knife and stab it straight through his gorgeous eye is almost unbearable.

He may not know my name, but I know his. And if I play my cards right, it’s going to stay that way.

The fact that I find him remotely attractive makes me sick. How the hell can I stand the thought of him anywhere near me after what he did?

But I played it cool. I don’t think he had any clue how I truly felt about him.

And if I want things to work out, he can never find out.

“Okay, I’m back!” Mira’s bright voice startles me from behind, pulling me back into the moment. She comes around to my side, her hazel eyes full of warmth and complete obliviousness to the war waging inside me. “Sorry. I had some stuff to discuss with the manager about my shift tomorrow, and it took longer than I thought.”

Mira not only works for Konstantin at this bar, but also at his club, the one people don’t know about unless he wants them to know. I’d heard rumors, but it wasn’t until I met Mira that I actually learned the truth.

She slides onto the stool Konstantin just vacated, her presence replacing his, but the scent of his expensive cologne still lingers in the air, wrapping around me like a ghostly touch.

I force my muscles to relax, shaking off the residual tension curling in my gut. There’s no way in hell I can afford to let him get under my skin. Not when I’ve spent the last month planning for this.

“No worries,” I say smoothly, offering her a bright smile.

The guilt tugs at my chest, but I shove it down.

Mira thinks we’re friends. She has no idea she’s nothing more than a pawn in my game. A means to an end.

She was easy to follow and get close to. Young, friendly, trusting. A recipe for disaster. She doesn’t have much family except for a single mother who works hard to put a roof over her head.

At least some mothers know how to love their kids.

When I “accidentally” spilled coffee on her at that café she frequents, she had no idea it was deliberate. She never questioned why I was so eager to replace it. To sit with her and chat. I made sure she saw what she needed to see: someone struggling, desperate for a job. Someone she could help.

And she did. She handed me exactly what I needed: a way in. Now it’s up to me.

“So, do you really think he’ll be okay with me applying for a job at the club?” I ask, keeping my tone casual.

No isn’t an option. Not for me. Ihaveto get this job.

“Oh, yeah!” She easily flags down the bartender and orders a drink. “I mentioned I had a friend looking to make a lot of money, and he said it was fine.” She leans on the bar with a dreamy sigh. “Honestly, he’s a great boss.”

I nearly choke. “You’re not afraid of him?”

Mira tilts her head, eyes narrowing slightly. “Not at all. All he demands is trust and respect, and that’s easy.”

“Yeah, for some people,” I mutter.

“What?”

“Nothing.” I flash another easy grin. “I’m excited, though. I never even knew a place like that existed.”

“I know, right? It’s crazy how he moves the club’s location all the time and no one knows until they get the text that disappears once you see it.”

“And is that how he mostly recruits people? Through his otherbusinesses, like this place?”

Mira shrugs. “I don’t know everyone who works at the club, but yeah, some of them come from the bars and lounges he owns.”

I nod, taking another sip of my drink, even though my stomach is in a knot—not from fear, but from desperation. “I hope he likes me.”