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Arielle

“ A toast to the soon-to-be couple. May their happiness be as endless as the supply of liquor tonight!” the redhead sitting next to Julia exclaimed, raising her glass to what would be the hundredth toast of the night.

“Cheers!” The rest of us chorused, clinking our glasses and downing the contents. The waiter arrived just in time for a refill. The supply was really endless.

“Oh! I have a special request!” Julia suddenly exclaimed, drawing my attention from the waiter to her.

“As the bride, I’d love to make a little pre-wedding request.” She said beaming.

“Oh, come on. He’s already perfect. One more quality added to him, and there’ll be nothing left in the universe's stash for the rest of us.” The redhead groaned, and I couldn’t help but laugh. She was fast becoming my favorite person for the night.

“This one is not about me. This is for Arielle.” Julia continued, her hazel eyes seeking me out in the low-lit lounge as all eyes turned to me.

The laughter was immediately wiped from my face. Nothing good ever comes out of making me the center of attention.

“To my dear friend Ari, that she finally lets go of the rod perpetually stuck up her ass, loosens up a bit, and lets herself be swept off her feet by a nice gentleman.” She announced, lifting her glass.

“You’ll have better luck with a flying pig or a unicorn than this one.” Raven snickered, earning her a smack in the head from me.

“What? In our five years in college, I never saw you speak to a man longer than five minutes.” She protested, clutching her head.

My reply was cut short by the buzzing sound in my purse. My phone only vibrates that way when a particular person is on the line.

“Sorry girls, I have to take this one.” I excused myself from the gathering, making my way to the powder room.

Once I made sure the locks were secured and the stalls were empty, I clicked on the receiver. “Good evening, Father.”

“Good evening, Cara. Fun night?” His eternally stoic voice filtered through the speaker, and I felt my back straighten.

Father had that effect on all of us. When we were kids, the sound of his walking stick on the floorboards had us tucked in our beds at nighttime, and his voice was all the persuasion you needed to eat your vegetables.

“It’s going fine,” I replied, waiting for him to get to the point. He wasn’t the type to call for chitchats and catch-up.

“I need you home. Do you think you can make it in the next forty-five minutes or less?”

“Is everything alright?”

“Everything is fine, Cara. Just be home in forty minutes, and we’ll be fine.” With that, the line went dead, and I stood in the bathroom staring at my phone, beads of sweat coating my forehead.

One thing I was very certain of, a summon home was never one of celebration. Either something was incredibly wrong, or you were about to be given a new shiny identity.

I thought of ways to break the news to Julia. We were roommates the whole of college and the duration of her relationship with Hayden. She made me promise to be present for the whole weekend, and now, I couldn’t even stay for the shower.

A tired sigh escaped my lips as I made my way back to the lounge. The sooner I ripped off the band-aid, the sooner I’d be on my way home.

“Hey, can I speak to you for a bit?” I whispered to Julia, who followed me without questions. “So, I’ve got to run. I just got a call from my father. There’s an emergency at home, and he really needs me there.”

Her face fell at my words, and I could feel a twinge in my heart. “You said you’d stay the weekend.”

“I know Julia. I planned to, but I can’t turn down a family emergency,” I replied, giving her my best puppy look.

I was almost bouncing on my feet. I wished I could stay, but Father is very particular about time, and as it was, I was already moving on borrowed time.

“Yeah, I understand, but if you sort this emergency before tomorrow, show up for the wedding okay?” she said, pulling me into a tight hug.

“I promise.” I lied through my teeth, returning her hug before bolting from the lounge.

If I filmed my ride home for an audition for the Fast and Furious . I’m positive I would’ve landed myself a role as a stunt double.

I rushed past the entrance, sending a quick hello to the butler, and made for the imperial staircase. It was my favorite part of the house growing up, and I always got into trouble from sliding down the rails.

“Good evening, Father.” I greeted him as I stepped into his study.

He was sitting behind his desk in his pajamas, his reading glasses perched on his crooked nose as he observed the files spread out in front of him with a scowl.

“Sit.” He ordered, not taking his eyes off the files. I gently lowered myself into the chair in front of him, my heart picking up an unstable rhythm.

“I have a job for you.” He divulged, finally tearing his eyes from the files. “This is a very important project, Cara. The subject is the most dangerous you’ll ever work on, but the threat he poses is far greater than the risk,” he added, pushing the files to me.

“The files contain all you need to know about him.” He paused for a while before finally adding, “If you do a great job, Cara, this might just be your last.”

My eyes doubled in surprise, and I pulled the files closer to get a proper look at the subject. “Mikhail Ivanov. He’s a Russian Don?” I asked, my surprise slowly changing to fear.

“Yes.”

“This is a job for the feds. How am I supposed to take down a Russian Don? He’s not some mobster but a Don. How could I possibly…?”

“Cara!” His voice killed off every protest in me. He was the only one who still called me by my birth name and not my work name. It was a very small gesture, but it always made me feel good, like he still held on to my original identity and didn’t want me to forget.

“You know how this works. We work with the feds from the sidelines, and they only give us these jobs when the criminal has infiltrated the system. This is very important, and a lot is at stake.” His eyes were blazing in a way I had never seen before. This must be a huge deal. “What do you need me to do?”

“We’re obviously no match for him in combat, so we’ll be relying on your expertise. Get close to him, get him to warm up to you, and report all you find. I’ve instructed Vivian and James to provide you with every assistance you’ll need.”

“Is there something I should be looking out for?” I queried, glancing through his file.

“Nothing in particular, just enough evidence to bring him in.”

“Alright,” I said, getting on my feet. “I’ll do my best. Goodnight, Father.”

“Cara.” He called out as my fingers wrapped around the door handle. “Don’t mess this up.”

“When have I ever failed you?”

“I know. That’s why I gave this to you. Goodnight, kid.” A small smile appeared on his lips, and he almost looked like the man who adopted me from the orphanage twenty years ago, save for the grey hair and tired eyes.

“Get some rest. I’ll take care of it,” I assured and headed out of the house.

***

“Deep breaths, Cara. We’ll find a way around this, I promise,” Vivian said, gently rubbing my shoulders.

I came straight to her house after my brief meeting with our father. Vivian was the only kid I was able to form a close relationship with in the house, and we’ve been like sisters since then.

“How am I supposed to do this? Have you even looked at his file?” I asked, throwing Mikhail’s file at her.

“How am I supposed to get close to him? He’s barely at social gatherings, and no one knows where he is or where he will be till he appears there. And did I mention he has no social media? Just some news about him on gossip tabloids, and they’re all about the woman practically throwing themselves at his feet and all the businesses he has overtaken.”

“He’s quite handsome,” Vivian commented, holding up a picture attached to the file.

I snatched it from her and threw it across the room. “Focus Viv. He’s also a hardened criminal and a Russian Don. Seriously, have you even looked at the whole thing?”

“Woah. Ammunition, drug trafficking, underground illegal business—is that? Is that child trafficking?” her eyes practically bulged out of their sockets as she took in everything on the file.

“Do you see my point?”

“Woah. This fucker has to go down.” She said, taking me by surprise. Vivian rarely swore.

“I agree. The question is how?”

“I know someone who can get entry into any club in New York. We just have to confirm which one he’s in.” Vivian said, grabbing her phone from the nightstand.

“It says on the file that he’s barely out in social gatherings.” I pointed out.

“He didn’t become the ruthless Mafia Don he is by staying indoors. He’s probably very private,” she replied, tapping away at her phone.

I could see the wheels in her head practically smoking. While she was the most introverted person I knew and hated social interactions, Vivian had always been very intuitive and good with picking patterns and details others would ignore.

It’s why Father had her become a certified psychologist and away from the limelight, unlike the rest of us. It’s also why she was the first person I called on whenever I needed help to put together a flawless plan.

“So, I just got a reply from my source,” she said, putting her phone away. “Mikhail is currently at The Rave, a club of his here in Manhattan. The problem is, it’s extremely exclusive with a narrow client list.”

“We better get dressed then. We have a party to attend,” I said, making my way to her wardrobe.

“Did you skip on the part where I said the club was strictly exclusive?”

“Father made sure there’s very little limit to where I can enter; perks of being a spy,” I shrugged, grabbing a short dress from the wardrobe.

“And you say you’re not his favorite,” she sighed, dragging herself to her vanity.

“If by favorite you mean the most dispensable, then you’re right.”

Vivian picked a short black dress and the tallest Louboutin heels I had ever seen, and we were dressed and ready to go.

The ride to the club was fast and consisted of me taking deep breaths and considering my best options and all the ways things could go wrong.

It was an exercise I loved to perform so I could be prepared for the worst-case scenario. In my line of work, surprises were the worst and could cost you your life. The car finally came to a stop after twenty minutes, and I took a deep breath before opening the door and getting transported to New York’s exciting nightlife.

The club was a sleek blend of modern architecture and marble walls with glass panels reflecting the light from the street. Two bouncers flanked the entrance, their imposing frames keeping imposters away and determining who gained entrance into the building.

We were able to cut through the little queue in front using my membership card and were quickly ushered into the bustling interior filled with patrons and entertainers alike.

“Remind me again,” Vivian said, grabbing my elbow as we walked into the club. “How do you intend to pull this off? I don’t see him here.”

“Don’t be obvious, but you see those glass walls up there?” I replied, leaning into her. “That’s the VIP section, and I bet you a million bucks Mikhail is in there.”

“That’s a bold claim,” she said, scrunching up her nose.

“That’s why I’m the one with the spy job. You see, when the glass get double-tinted, it means something very important is happening behind them, but they still want to have access to the entertainment down here. Pick a man.”

“Huh?” Her eyes snapped at me.

“I said pick a man. I can’t cause a scene by myself. He has to look dangerous but stupid, like a rockstar who peaked in high school.”

“That one,” she gestured with her eyes. “With the skinny jeans and leather jacket with tattoos peeking through his shirt.

“Perfect. You enjoy yourself and wish me luck.” I blew her a kiss and shooed her away.

I tossed my hair around a bit, lowering the neckline of my red dress and puckering my lips. I was ready for action.

“Hey, handsome.” My voice dropped to a low, sultry tone.

He turned to me, his eyes widening as they landed on me. I’ve always heard I had the best cat eyes and a body to go with it. I was pretty used to men acting like dogs around me.

“Hey, gorgeous.” His eyes touched every part of me, and if I hadn’t been on duty, I would’ve punched the lights out of him.

I traced my hand gently around the outline of his leather jacket. “So, here’s the deal. I’ll go up there.” I said, pointing at the stage, “And I’ll dance for a bit, then you’ll come join me. We’ll dance a little, and I’m going to pull away, but you’ll try to drag me out of the club with you. And when you’re done, you’ll walk away with five thousand. How does that sound to you?”

“Got a boyfriend? you want to make jealous?” he asked, his eyes not leaving my boobs.

“Do we have a deal?”

“I’ll be right behind you.”

A sultry smile stretched my red-painted lips. “Perfect.”

I climbed to the stage, feeling all eyes burning into me as I moved my body to the rhythm of the music. If I didn’t already have a job, I was certain I’d be in Julliard or somewhere, making the most of my time. I danced for a bit, letting my hands roam around my body as I moved to every beat. Soon, I felt a warm body press into me, and I leaned into him, grinding slowly against him.

Leather jacket knew how to dance, and he hit every beat with me. I counted to fifty to make our chemistry a bit convincing before trying to pull away, and he yanked me back into him with so much force I almost lost my footing.

“Let go of me.” I seethe, my eyes burning with all the hatred I could muster.

“Think you can wind up on me like that and leave without giving me a little something, huh?” His voice was loud and angry, and I was certain he’d leave a bruise with the way he gripped my wrist.

We were gathering a little crowd at this point, and I knew all we needed was a little more angst to push me in the right direction. So, I raised my voice, “I don’t owe you anything, you piece of shit!”

Leather jacket’s grip on me tightened, and he tried to pull me off the stage with him.

“Let me go!” I screamed, scratching at his arms.

Security arrived soon, and they tried to pry his arms off me while he gripped me tightly, accusing me of being a tease.

He was doing a fine job. He had me convinced for a moment he was actually trying to drag me out of the club for himself.

“What is going on here?” A cold voice reached my ears before I could see the owner, sending goosebumps through me.

“Good evening, Don.” One of the security men said, and I bit back the smug smile forming on my lips before turning.

My stomach did the flippy thing. Before me stood Mikhail Ivanov, all 6’3” of him poured into a perfectly tailored suit. He looked nothing like the picture I was given. Sure, he was handsome in the picture, but it did little justice to his chiseled features and dark eyes.

“Let go of her,” he ordered in a calm but menacing voice, and leather jacket dropped my hand like it was on fire.