Page 9 of The Tsar’s Obsession (Bratva Sinners #1)

Kirill

My phone buzzed on my desk, pulling me away from the spreadsheets in front of me. These numbers were not what I wanted to see. I reached for it, half engaged and already annoyed at such a late text, but then–

Mia : K?

Mia : I never got a chance to ask you. Where ddid you get my ##?

Before I indulged in her text, I was already calling Yuri. “Where is she?” I shot out with urgency, not letting him utter a greeting.

Yuri shuffled something in the background. “Sixth and Houston. She’s out with a friend.”

Sixth and Houston was all the way across town. “Meet me there.” I hung up on Yuri and texted her back, my teeth grinding nervously.

Kirill : Shouldn’t you be home, in pajamas and in bed?

It took me a whole five minutes to send that text. Five minutes of typing, deleting, retyping. Every time Mia was involved, I turned into a fucking idiot.

Mia : Oh, I’m sorry sir, am I out past my curfew?

Mia : It’s only 111:30!

My eyes widened. Sir ? This was her second spelling error, and I was pretty sure she wasn’t the type to send sloppy texts. I clued in right away.

Kirill : Are you drunk?

I chewed my lip and paced my home office for no reason except that I was so fucking excited to text her this late into the night. She had me excited. Over a text. Like I was a fucking teenager.

Mia : Did you know that there is aa icecream mussuem just down the street? I’ve nevr been, but I’m more of a gelato girl myself.

Mia : musemm

Mia : MUSEUYM

Mia : MUSEUM**** you get it.

Oh, my sweet Jesus. I was already walking out the door and grabbed a hoodie, just in case.

Kirill : Who are you with and do they need a ride home too?

I suspected it was her friend Vivian. I tried, I really tried to ease up on following her every move, but it was like an addiction. For nine years, I received regular updates about her, and I couldn’t break the habit once I’d arrived in New York.

Mia : A bit forward of a qusstion, don’t you think? Who are YOU with?

Mia : And who’s going home? As I said, itss only 11:30. Well. 11;37 to be exact

Mia : 11:38

My phone kept buzzing as I exited the garage, my hands gripping the steering wheel a little too tight. I stepped on the gas, and the city blurred past in streaks of red and white, streetlights washing over the hood of my car as I made my way across town.

The next text popped up on the screen.

Mia : 11;40

Mia : The nighte is still youngg.

I fired off another text, desperate to keep this going.

Kirill : You still haven’t answered any of my questions.

Fuck, it was a twenty-minute ride, and I slammed on the brakes at a red light, glaring at the indignant pedestrian. Seconds slithered by. The engine roared to life again, but I was attuned to my phone, waiting for her.

Kirill : Focus, Mia. Are you drunk? Who are you with and do they need a ride home too?

I double texted. Not a wall of text. I texted—then waited—then texted again to elicit a response.

I was beginning to hate myself for how weak I was around her, but this time, she texted back within an instant.

My heart fluttered out of me at the buzzing of my phone, like I was one of Pavlov’s fucking dogs.

Mia : I’ll tell you if you tell me. Who are you with?

Oh. Oh, the satisfaction of her interest spread through me like wildfire.

Kirill : You think I have company right now?

Almost there. I opened the window, the warm summer air chasing away my jitters. This was fucking phenomenal. She texted me. This was what dreams were made of.

Mia : I mean, maybe. It’s late, youre awake. But you shouldn’t be texting your realtror when youre with someone. That’s not nice. But then again, are you nice? I don’t know..

Oh, little Miss was backing herself into a corner now. I turned onto Houston, literally counting down the minutes until I’d see her.

Kirill : I’m very nice. See how I’ve been able to maintain this conversation while driving?

The car slowed to a roll as I looked for the address and–

There she was, standing outside the restaurant with someone, her smile radiant, the glow of her phone lighting up her beautiful face as she laughed with her friend. I idled on the street, pulling into a no parking zone.

Mia : Driving? Shouldn’t you be in pajamas and in bed right now?

I fired off another message while I observed her from the darkness of my car.

Kirill : You want me to text you from my bed?

She read the text right away, her smile widening and my blood pumping through me faster. She bit her finger and swayed as she typed with one hand.

Mia: That was almost a flirty text, K.

Enough. I stepped out of the car, striding toward them, and Mia caught sight of me almost immediately, her jaw dropping. Adorable. She was fucking adorable.

“K– Kirill? What the hell are you doing here?” She almost whispered, her eyes wide with shock. Her friend noticed me too and smiled knowingly, as if realizing who I was.

“Hi! I’m Viv.” Her hand was already outstretched. “Nice to meet you. Do you usually pick up your realtors in the middle of the night? ”

“Never. But I’m about to put an offer on a place, and I can’t have her disappear on me.

She should get home safe.” Oh fuck, Mia was enthralled, just the way I wanted.

Viv blended in with the background; it was just me and Mia, her eyes looking me over once she clued in that she never told me where she was.

“You’re so desperate to see me, you’re stalking me now?” Alcohol broke down all her walls. This was the perfect night, and I almost didn’t check that text.

“You could say the first part is true, but I’m not stalking you,” I lied. “We have three minutes before the gelato place down the street closes. Come on.”