Page 5 of The Tsar’s Obsession (Bratva Sinners #1)

Not Nonsense

Mia

My air-conditioned office did absolutely nothing to cool down my overheated body and mind. Kirill’s presence threw me for a serious loop. Who exactly was this man, how did he always get what he wanted, and why was I going along with it all?

He blatantly disregarded social protocol—which client waits inside a broker’s office an hour before the scheduled meeting time?

And yet, I acted as if it was normal. And I continued to accept whatever he threw my way, even after he delivered the news that I had no more clients! In what world was this acceptable?!

Just before I was about to launch into a monologue disagreeing with his terms, we were interrupted by none other than Ari.

“Good morning, New York, New York!" He turned into Frank Sinatra every morning and, like usual, waltzed in without knocking, right in the middle of my meeting with the man who threw all rules out the window.

“Oh! My apologi– oh, hello!” Ari recognized Kirill and changed his tone. “Kirill, right? Great to see you again!”

“Hello.” The difference in their demeanor was comical. Ari radiated positivity and goofiness, while Kirill was pure stealth. Cold but polite, he rose from his chair to shake Ari’s hand, towering over my already tall colleague, who was no match for Kirill’s height and size.

“I guess you liked the unit, huh? It’s a beautiful property, really one of a kind. The finishes, the building, the terrace, and the view! Worth every penny!” Ugh, Ari was relentless, unable to stop the sales pitch pouring out of his mouth.

“Hmm.” Kirill’s response shut down Ari’s enthusiasm in one second.

Sitting down once more, he turned all his attention to me, trapping all the air inside my lungs from the way he looked at me.

“I don’t know, Ari. I’d like Mia to show me something else.

” That little smirk was meant just for me—like he owned me now, a toy he could play with after singlehandedly taking away all my clients.

“Polina seemed to love it, even though she thought it would be too small for you two.” Ari finished his sentence, and my heart sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

For them two ? He was planning to live there with her ?

How could I have assumed they weren’t together?

He said he wasn’t married and the apartment was for him, but that didn’t mean they weren’t an item! Why did I even care?! I didn’t!

“It’s just for me; Polina won’t live there.” Kirill spoke directly to me, turning his head slightly in Ari’s direction. “Anyway. Mia will take great care of me. I’m sure of it. Nice seeing you, Ari.”

The tension was palpable, but Ari didn’t argue, not wanting to compromise the sale. He shut his mouth and walked out.

Wow. I was both irritated and grateful. Maybe I should have been treating Ari this way all along too. I had no idea where to go from here, so I began forming a lame excuse. “I apologize. My colleague can be quite–"

“Is he bothering you?” The words flew out of his mouth rather forcefully, startling me.

Kirill looked unhappy, pissed off even. Like all men, Kirill didn’t understand the delicate little dance women had to engage in daily.

Never make a man angry, keep your boundaries, avoid outright rejection—you can never know their reaction.

Ari wasn’t bothering me; he was exhausting me. Nonetheless, I had known him for years. He was part of my friend group, and he was a good man, if not a little too infatuated with a woman who didn’t return his feelings. I felt bad for him.

All my neutral feelings aside, Ari was a funny guy, and he made me laugh. He saw humor and positivity where others didn’t, and while I didn’t appreciate his advances, I genuinely enjoyed his sense of humor.

“No.”

“But he wants you.” This man didn’t give me a chance to collect my thoughts before delivering another wild statement. I stared at him, not sure how to confirm or deny this. Why did he care? “It’s obvious. Do you want him?” What the fuck was going on today?! How was I in freefall with this client?

“You can read him so easily, but not me?” For an unknown reason, I threw all caution to the wind and decided to indulge him in his silly conversation. If he wasn’t playing by the rules, neither would I. I wasn’t flirting with him. I wasn’t, I reassured myself.

“I can read you better than you think.” His confidence was just blasting through every uncomfortable pause between us.

I couldn’t suppress my little laugh. “Please. Enlighten me.”

“A man like Ari…can’t offer you the life you want. You’re more adventurous than that. And…it seems like you’re waiting for something, Mia. Or someone. Someone who can play with that fire in your eyes.”

Stunned, my whole body ignited at his words, and my face blazed. Who on earth was this man?! Barging into my office first thing in the morning and pressing on all the painful pressure points?

“I’m pretty sure you can say that about anyone, Kirill. No one wants a boring life. Everyone wants someone who lights their fire. Just like you.” I threw it back at him with a little more disdain than I had anticipated.

“Oh? You go then. You tell me what you see.” He challenged me, and I wasn’t about to back down. After a few seconds’ pause, where I looked him over with pleasure, I let him have it .

“You’re looking for someone, Kirill, not waiting. You’re looking for that one person who can tame that fire in your eyes. Someone who’s not afraid of it. Someone who will accept it.” I sat back in my chair with a satisfied sigh. “See? I can spit out pure nonsense, too.”

But he didn’t see my words as nonsense, and the little game he started seemed to plunge him into worry.

Those beautiful green eyes didn’t leave mine, and I felt unnerved, shaking inside from this unusual meeting and conversation. I wanted to participate in whatever was going on between us, but I was also deathly afraid of it.

“You’re not wrong; it’s not nonsense.” Kirill conceded and stared right into my soul. “Except that…I’m not looking, Mia. I already found her.”

Discombobulated. That’s how the rest of the day felt after my meeting with Kirill.

The gorgeous stranger burst into my open house, then my office, took away all my clients, questioned me about my personal life, and already had a meeting set up with me for the next day.

There was no other word for it—he discombobulated me.

Before I could run out of the office at the end of the day and go home to dwell on how I lost control of this transaction, Ari caught up with me.

“I know I’m an idiot. I’m sorry for busting in like that today.

” Surprisingly, genuine concern showed up in his eyes.

“Let me make it up to you,” he spoke quietly and walked beside me.

“Come with me to the sales event; I have a car waiting downstairs. We can stay for only an hour; we’re promised a percentage of sales. We just have to show face.”

Ari pleaded. Kirill commanded.

God damn it, I had to stop thinking about that man.

The sales night suddenly seemed like a welcome distraction.

I relented, and in a few minutes we were already weaving through New York evening traffic.

I tuned out Ari’s monologue, and my mind innocently floated back to the mysterious Russian man again.

Undeniably, his physical features were striking: tall, broad-shouldered, and damn, those green eyes—so easy to drown in.

My curiosity intensified with every passing minute.

Why did it all feel strange? Why did he have so much money?

What kind of business could he be involved in to have amassed such a fortune at such a young age?

He had a slight accent when he spoke, missing an article here and there. It was cute, like he learned the language somewhat recently. Overall, his vocabulary was rich. He must have spent hours studying or working in English.

I wanted to see him again, but as soon as that thought crossed my mind, I hit the brakes. I couldn’t, I wouldn’t , approach a working relationship this way. Did I get an intrusive thought of his hands somewhere on my body? Yes. But I shooed the image away with alarming speed.

I was a professional; I excelled in my business and my work. I wouldn’t jeopardize my career for some random man I’d just met, even if he looked like a Greek god. Or maybe a Russian god.

Instead, I delved into my working life, ignoring the fact that I resented it. The broker’s event was packed with fake, boastful, envious energy, and Ari thrived in it. He bloomed, shaking hands with everyone, his permanent smile shining in the crowd.

All the usual top agents were here, enjoying their drinks and finger food. Before I could engage in empty conversation, I picked up a glass of white wine, landing my lips on the rim like it was a life raft. I didn’t even want it, but I’d need something to get through tonight.

My phone buzzed, and without thinking about it, I was already pulling it out of my purse. A random collection of digits showed up on the screen—what number started with a plus?

+79057770101: Mia...thank you for meeting me today. For tomorrow’s showings, it’s possible to start earlier? 5pm. Looking forward to seeing you again. K.

K. A jolt of excitement pulsed through me at that little letter. How did K get my cell phone number? I guarded it like a prized possession, never sharing it with anyone except family and close friends.

Everything about Kirill was unusual, including his ability to show up in places unannounced and know too much information. I chewed my lip and wiped my sweaty palms on my thighs, thinking about what to respond while I added his number to my contacts.

Mia: Who is this?

My eyes burned through the phone screen, all my blood flowing faster through me. This was exciting, like I’d never texted before—like this was the first man I’d ever flirted with. But as soon as I thought that, I remembered that woman beside him. She was so unbothered, walking around like the owne–

Someone grabbed my hand, intertwining their fingers with mine and squeezing it. I dropped my gaze to see Ari—again—holding me tight and pulling me into him as if we were a couple, like this was all normal. This guy could not take no for an answer.

Another text buzzed, and without even sparing Ari a glance, I ripped my hand out of his, clutching my phone.

K: You know who it is. 5pm tomorrow. Get home safe.

Oh. He knew I wasn’t home…

I sidestepped Ari and meandered through the crowd, my wine and my phone right in front of my face like a shield.

Mia: And what if I’m busy?

Mingle time was over, and the speaker was about to take his place. I plopped into the nearest chair, waiting for those three little dots to appear in the text conversation. This wasn’t good. I was willingly walking into all the traps Kirill was setting up for me.

K: Not for me. I’m your only client.

Damn it! I had forgotten all about that!

Twenty minutes ticked by. Thirty. Forty. I counted the time, waiting to text Kirill back. But also, where the hell was Ari? I scanned the crowd and tiptoed around the room, but he was gone—no text, no explanation. Probably ditched me for a client. I couldn’t fault him for that.

Relieved to be out of there, I took a cab home and left my phone facedown on the nightstand for the rest of the night.

I wouldn’t text him back. I wouldn’t entertain this, no matter how many times I picked up the phone and reread the texts.