Page 12 of Possess Me

Maybe as a way of keeping those around me I cared about safe.

A single image floated into my mind and I shoved it away. If Mikhail was also trying to get me to exorcise the demons from my past, I would indeed beat his ass.

I laughed, although Mikhail knew I refused to play games. “Fucking German. Don’t worry.”

“Just don’t underestimate him or the men he’s bringing with him. I don’t need to tell you to be careful. Now I regret not insisting you attend this meeting with at least four soldiers. Use Jeffrey as your backup. At least he’s a large guy even if he’s not Bratva.”

I chuckled as I swirled my drink, shifting my gaze to the open cockpit door. “Jeffrey is currently under the knife and you know perfectly well I can handle myself.” What bothered me was that I didn’t like sudden changes, more so when I was heading to a country where I had no backup. Sure, I could have brought employees with me. That’s what we called our soldiers now since they weren’t just sitting around protecting illegal drugs or weapons as they’d once done. Although they were highly trained, some coming to us after retiring from the military.

However, their skills in engineering, computer science, and architecture were just as useful as knowing how to use a weapon. If I’d brought a group of men, Hoffman would remain on edge.

“What the fuck are you talking about? That’s unacceptable,” Mikhail demanded. I could tell his hackles had been raised.

“Some things you can’t control, cousin. Emergency appendectomy. Don’t worry. It’s legit.”

“Christ. Then who the fuck is flying the plane?”

“Captain Zimmerman.”

Mikhail exhaled. “Never heard of him. I don’t like this. A last-minute substitution was the reason Pops was almost killed fifteen years ago. Maybe you should take some men with you. You can arrive late.”

My grin widened. “No time to regroup and unless she has a knife hidden in between her lush thighs, I don’t think I have anything to worry about.” Captain Zimmerman had lifted off the runway successfully, a feat given the short distance. I glanced out the window at the beautiful sunrise, the ocean adding a spectacular backdrop. It had been well over a year since I’d left Vegas.

Yep. Now I was convinced. I was due a little time off.

He coughed. “She?”

“You bet. One of the most beautiful women I’ve met in a very long time.”

His chuckle was telling. He knew how I was around women, although I was certainly more restrained than my cousins. “When are you coming back? Two weeks?”

“Very funny. Two of the longest days of my life.”

“Uh-huh. We shall see,” he teased. “I want a full report. Details, Viss. Just hear what they have to say.”

I shifted in my seat. “And if they make an offer?” They had the land. They needed our expertise for building a casino. Something they could get elsewhere. Another red flag.

“Tell them you’ll need to get back to them. We’ll discuss in length when you return.”

“That I can do. By the way. Did you authorize the… paint job on the jet?”

“A paint job. Yeah. Why?”

“I hope you like parrots.” As the plane lifted higher in elevation, a flash memory of a certain plane ride jammed decent thoughts from my mind. Shaking it off, I took another sip of my drink.

“What?” he choked out. “What are you talking about? Parrots?”

“Seeing is believing. We will definitely stand out. Maybe the company needs a mascot.” I couldn’t help but laugh. Someone thought they’d play a nice joke on the family since we’d been not so affectionately referred to as sticks in the mud.

He grumbled. “I’m going to kill your brother, Sasha. If I find out you had anything to do with it, I will kick your ass as an added benefit.”

Sasha was creative, more so than the rest of us and I wouldn’t put it past him to be in cahoots with the aeronautical team.

“Always the same promise with no outcome. I’ll call you after the meeting in the morning.”

“I know you don’t think this project will work.”

“No, I don’t. The location is too far away. Hell, we thought Miami was much too far. Now we’re talking another country, but my real concern is getting into bed with the Hoffman Group. I don’t trust them any more than you do.”