5. Cassius

5

CASSIUS

“ C assius,” Meredith purrs, biting her bottom lip as I try to walk past her. What she’s wearing is hardly appropriate for work, but I’m far from complaining, unable to stop my eyes from darting to her chest, accentuated by the tight, corset-like top she has on. “Did you forget about me?”

“As if I could ever forget about you.” I grin at her, stopping to lean against the wall and reaching out for her. She comes to me eagerly, getting settled in my arms.

“Don’t you know what today is?” She cocks her head to the side, looking at me. Meredith is far from the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever laid eyes on, but she is discreet and doesn’t make this out to be anything more than it is. Sex.

“And what day is that?”

“Our two-week anniversary.”

What is she talking about? We’re not dating.

“Don’t get all sappy on me.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” She laughs. “What are you about to do? Because, if you’re free, I thought maybe we could go up to your office and…”

She doesn’t have to finish her sentence. I know exactly what she means. I hum, bringing her in closer, about to press my lips against hers.

“Excuse me,” a small voice interrupts.

I don’t move from my position, but Meredith looks up, eyes narrowed.

“Get out of here.”

“I just need to get to the conference room.”

The girl’s voice sounds familiar, and I glance over at her right before she squeezes past us. Is that…? No, it couldn’t be.

“Now, where were we?” Meredith whispers in my ear, but I’m already distracted by someone that feels like a ghost.

Thankfully, before she can kiss me, my phone starts to go off.

I sigh. “Sorry, I have to go and do the orientation meeting.”

Meredith crosses her arms against her chest, her lips pouting. While I do like a brat, there’s something about this that just isn’t quite attractive. Or maybe it’s because I’ve spotted something else I want more…something I shouldn’t crave. “Can’t you get somebody else to do it?”

I let go of her. Maybe it’s for the best anyway. She’s starting to get too attached, which means it’s time for me to start putting some space between us. “In case you don’t remember, I’m the boss.”

“Ugh.” She rolls her eyes. “Well, maybe after…”

“I’ll text you.” No, I won’t. “I should get going.” I don’t give her a chance to say anything else as I go to the conference room.

The truth is that there’s nothing less attractive to me than a clingy woman, which is precisely the reason none of them typically last longer than a night or two. I should have known Meredith would be no different.

I clear all thoughts of her as I get closer to the meeting room, already bored before even starting.

I always get the most boring jobs.

Damian constantly makes it clear that he doesn’t trust me to take care of important matters, because I’m too “go with the flow.” Not that I can say differently. I don’t take things as seriously as I should. But, with two older brothers, it’s not my job to take things seriously.

I stride into the meeting room, a smile playing on my lips as I take in the fresh faces of our newest employees. This is hardly the work I’d expect to be doing within the bratva, but somehow, I always find myself here—charming newcomers and onboarding them. The employees here don’t have a clue that this is just a cover-up for what we do behind the scenes.

“Welcome, everyone,” I announce, my voice smooth and engaging. “My name is Cassius Volkov, the president here, and I’ll be overseeing your orientation today.” A few nervous smiles meet my gaze.

I notice the looks from the women, the way their eyes devour me and their tongues dart out to lick their lips. I get that quite a bit. I know I’m eye candy, and I often use it to my advantage, especially when I’m looking for a partner in bed…

Some of these girls look ripe for the picking.

“Let’s go around the room and introduce ourselves, shall we?” I suggest, flashing my most disarming grin. “Tell us your name and a little bit about yourself.”

One by one, they stand and share their stories. As a young man finishes speaking, my eyes drift across the room to the next person, and that’s when I see her.

So, I was right earlier. It is Anna.

“Hi, I’m Annalise Tryst,” she says, her emerald eyes locking onto mine, hinting at recognition. Memories of tangled limbs and heated whispers consume me. That night three years ago feels like an eternity away, and yet it’s suddenly right here before me.

She’s the last woman my brother and I ever shared.

How did she end up here?

“Um, I’ve recently joined the marketing department,” Annalise continues, her voice wavering slightly. She seems nervous, and I can’t blame her—not after our last interaction.

She doesn’t look all that surprised to see me. What I don’t understand is why she’d come back here if she knew… What could she possibly want? To blackmail us? It wouldn’t be the first time someone has tried, but I didn’t get that vibe off of her.

She’s just as gorgeous as I remember. Her brown hair is pulled out of her face in a neat bun. Her cheeks are defined, and even in the ethical outfit she’s wearing—a blouse and a pencil skirt—I can remember every single one of her curves, although I’d like to get reacquainted with them. She’s covered up a lot more than Meredith, yet I want her more. Briefly, I wonder how that works, before I remember that I always want what I can’t have.

She’s the only woman who has ever lingered on my mind after a night together.

I would do another night with her…well, if I didn’t think it would upset Damian. What’s he going to do when he finds out that she’s here?

“Welcome, Annalise,” I manage to say, forcing my features into a practiced expression of neutrality. I can’t let her know that I remember her—that I’ve thought about her more times than I care to admit since that night…used my hand to the thought of her in the shower a few times even.

If she gets suspicious, she could try to leave before I get a chance to let my older brothers know, and that’s the last thing I want. If she does leave, I need to know exactly where she goes.

Once the last person speaks, I stand back up. “Thank you for the introductions,” I say, injecting a hint of authority into my voice. “Now, feel free to mingle and get to know each other better. We’re all part of the same team here.” The group disperses, leaving me with the overwhelming urge to confront Annalise, but I resist. Instead, I plaster on my best smile and pretend not to recognize her while I navigate the room, engaging in small talk and shaking hands.

Then, I stride out of the room. I have to call Nikhil. But first…

At the end of the hall is a tall, bald man with dark shades on. The employees think he’s just security, here to keep everyone safe, but he’s actually a trusted member of the bratva. Well, as trusted as he can be. We don’t really trust anyone except blood, and I’m not sure Damian even trusts that.

“Stefano.” I beckon him over, and he’s quick to obey. “There’s a girl in there, Annalise, short, brunette. When she leaves this room, you follow her. Don’t take your eyes off of her.”

Stefano simply nods his head. He doesn’t bother to ask questions, and his face doesn’t even look curious. He’s well trained, just like we expect our men to be. Damian would expect nothing less, and has killed men for lesser things than being nosy.

I slip into an empty hallway, pulling out my phone. I dial Nikhil’s phone number and after three rings, he picks up. “Cassius.” He greets me the same way every time he answers the phone.

I let out a breath, trying to figure out the best way to say this without incriminating myself, but then again, my brother has always been able to see right through me. “Nikhil, we have a guest.”

“Who?” he asks, his tone cautious. That’s like my brother, always prepared for the worst. In our line of business, any kind of news is usually the bad kind.

“Annalise Tryst,” I say. “She’s working in our company now, in the marketing department.”

There’s a pause before Nikhil responds. “Why does this sound like a surprise to you?” Nikhil isn’t like Damian. When he gets upset, he gets eerily quiet, as compared to Damian whose anger quickly becomes apparent. Damian has quite the temper, which is why he wasn’t my first call.

“Because it is,” I admit.

Another brief pause before he answers. “What is she doing here, Cassius?”

“I don’t know.” It’s not the right answer. I know that before the words are out, but there’s nothing else I can say.

“Are you serious?” Nikhil snaps, his usual composure slipping. “You were supposed to keep an eye on her, Cassius. You’re telling me that you couldn’t even do that right?”

Both Damian and Nikhil had made it exceptionally clear to me that I was to keep an eye on her and make sure nothing happened to her, but to me it seemed like if I did watch her, we’d be the ones bringing danger to her doorstep. She’d seemed completely fine, so when she moved out of the state, I didn’t bother.

Now, I wish I had.

“Things have been…complicated. I did check in on her a few times that first year, but after that…” I admit, my words hanging heavy with guilt. “But I never expected her to reappear like this.”

“Neither did I,” he mutters, frustration clear in his voice. “This is a problem, Cassius. Damian needs to know, and you’re going to be the one to tell him.” It’s clear Nikhil doesn’t want to deal with his temper any more than I do.

Yeah, that’ll be fun.

“I’ll let him know.”

“Good,” Nikhil says, his tone returning to its usual icy calm. He stays on the phone for a second as if debating whether or not he wants to say anything, but then he hangs up.

“Goodbye to you too,” I whisper sarcastically.

This isn’t going to make Damian want to trust me more. I let out a breath and pocket my phone before striding down the hallway toward Damian’s office. Even though he’s my brother, I’d be lying if I said he didn’t intimidate me. He’s more like a dad to me, considering I was raised without one, and considering our ten-year age difference.

Without knocking, I push open the door to Damian’s office just as he speaks into his phone, his voice like ice. “You know what needs to be done, Victor. Failure is not an option.”

Maybe I should have knocked. It’s too late now.

I hesitate for a moment, taking in the sight of my eldest brother behind his desk. I can see the annoyance flicker across his face when he sees me before it returns to stoic calm.

“Fine,” Damian says into the phone, his tone final. “We’ll discuss it further tonight.” He hangs up, glaring at me with a mix of irritation and curiosity. “What do you want, Cassius?”

“Annalise Tryst,” I blurt out, unable to hold back. “She’s back.”

Damian’s eyes narrow, and I feel the air in the room shift as if a storm is brewing. “Explain.”

“During the new employee introductions, she stood up and introduced herself. I didn’t recognize her at first, but then…” I trail off, swallowing hard. “She was looking at me like she knew who I was. Like she remembers.”

“Impossible,” Damian growls, his jaw clenching. “How did you let this happen? You were supposed to keep tabs on her!”

I wince at the reprimand, knowing full well that Nikhil said the same thing a few minutes ago. My failure weighs heavily on me, and I struggle to find the right words to explain. “I didn’t think she’d ever come back. Things have been complicated. I lost track of her.”

“Complicated,” he says sarcastically with a scoff. “You’re never going to grow up, are you, Cassius? You’re a failure in everything you do, and I’m always the one who has to fix your mess.”

I don’t say anything. There’s nothing for me to say. His words are harsh, but they’re nothing I’m not used to, and trying to argue with him has never done me any good. Besides, I leave the arguing between him and Nikhil.

“Who does she report to?” Damian’s question is sharp and demanding.

“Stewart,” I answer promptly, knowing that every detail matters now. “She’s under his supervision.”

Damian’s jaw clenches, and a calculating gleam flickers in his eyes as he processes the information about Annalise. He leans back in his chair. “Transfer her to your department, Cassius,” he finally commands, his voice low and firm. “And I expect you to actually keep track of her this time around, or do I need to bring Nikhil in just to keep tabs on a little girl?”

I bite my tongue to keep from saying anything. “I can do it.”

“Glad to hear you can do something simple. Get out of here.”

He doesn’t have to tell me twice. I turn around, eager to get out of the office, until his voice stops me again. “And bring her up here when you’re done. I want to speak with her personally.”

Poor girl.

I nod. Annalise’s presence in our company is a ticking time bomb, and it seems that Damian intends to defuse it himself. She doesn’t know just how deeply involved she is with us—it goes back further than just that one night.

“I’ll go and fetch her.”