Chapter 2 - Ivan

From the moment I saw Adley sitting at the bar, I knew. I knew she had to be mine, and there was little that mattered outside of that fact. I'd watched her sit there, chatting with the bartender and feeling sorry for herself. At first, I'd thought I'd be content with just that, finishing up my drink and smirking at how her tight leggings showed off the curves of her ass.

She wore boots, and the thin flannel over her tank was clearly there to make her look a bit more put together. It wasn't working, really. Adley still looked casual, stripped clean of hair products, makeup, or silly frills.

However, when she'd informed the bartender about her tolerance, I'd noticed the frown. Adley's brows had been pinched together, the darker blonde slashes framing her soft blue eyes. That face, the way her full, plump lips were turned down at the corners and her honey-blonde hair hung in her eyes. It had knocked me right on my ass.

And the bones still fucking hurt.

I just couldn't understand why I needed her so fucking badly. It was like a damn magnetic pull; I was iron and useless to fight it.

The fuck, Ivan? This isn't like you.

Chastizing myself wasn't stopping me, though. I knew this was beyond the norm for anything remotely related to any of the Unholy Trinity. I was a self-described gruff asshole who did not have time for bullshit. And yet, I couldn't stop myself from going up to her and asking what was wrong.

Who the fuck was I now?

Sarcastic, brash, and tactless-I'd been called worse. I didn't care about anything that wasn't paying me, a typical Vadim. They were blessed with the only bit of loyalty I could manage outside my brothers.

And yeah, I'd been called on for my alliances as an independent contractor, and I knew I could be charming enough to get any girl in my bed. But none of that shit went further than skin deep. I wasn't looking to settle down and get married.

But here I was, asking this gorgeous fucking tart to be my damn wife.

And it wasn't just the blonde waves plaited into a thick braid—perfect for tangling around my fist—that draped down to her lower back or the way her cerulean eyes looked up at me with a combination of fear, annoyance, and intrigue. Hell, it wasn't just those pouty, dusky pink lips of hers that would look so damn pretty wrapped around my cock, either.

It was something else that I couldn't name, which was downright fucked in its own right.

But I had to have her. I just…did. And I had a feeling that she was more interested than she was letting on, too. Adley had stuck around for much longer than someone else might, which told me a lot about her.

"So, Adley, what'll it be?"

Her eyes flared wide before she stepped even further away from me. As she stood, I got a better look at her slim figure and ran my eyes down her body. Adley was thin but shapely, the light tan of her skin a gentle warmth against the black of her tank and pants. She wore two necklaces stacked on top of each other, which were likely real gold—and the most expensive things she owned.

Any other time, I would have considered swiping them, but as it was, I was much more interested in the breasts that were perfectly encompassed by the stretch of her top.

I didn't think she was wearing a bra, not that I minded in the slightest. No, this choice gave me an excellent idea of what was hiding behind the thin fabric of her shirt, those tiny straps begging me to pull them down. She wasn't small-chested, but Adley wasn't sporting massive tits, either.

The delicate swells that caught my attention were perfection—gorgeous curves that could fill my hands.

"Up here, buddy."

Chuckling, I watched as her expression changed into fury and outrage, and it really shouldn't have been as attractive as it was. God, I love it when she pouts .

"You are out of your damn mind." She shook her head at me, scoffing.

Then, Adley turned away, going for the door as quickly as she could, her flannel trailing behind her as the rushing air caught in it. Still, just before she stormed out, I snagged her arm, stopping Adley in her tracks.

"Wait, just a second, sweetness."

Yanking her arm out of my hold, she glared at me. "What?"

I reached into my pocket, pulled out my wallet, and went for the business card I usually left my cleanup clients with. The sleek, black card only showed my name and a QR code that would take the scanner to my most recent burner phone number.

"Here. When you want to get in touch with me."

She scoffed again, that fire in her blue eyes beyond alluring. God, will you be a little brat when you come home with me? Please say yes.

Glaring, Adley folded her arms over her chest. "And what makes you think that's going to happen."

"I don't think, sweetheart. I know."

Making to leave without the card, I slipped it into her back pocket, which I was surprised didn't result in me getting slapped. Still, Adley ground her molars as she shook her head. After that, she just pulled herself away and bolted for the door.

I watched as she left, admiring the curves of her fantastic ass as she stormed out and silently thanked the leggings for doing such a good job of keeping it on full display.

As the silence around me grew, I sat back at the bar. I needed another drink before I went home—if just to clear my head so that I could think around the blood rushing to my erection.

"Bartender, one more please."

He nodded at me, snagging the bottle of Grey Goose and refilling my glass. I laughed to myself. Adley had pegged me as Russian, and while that wasn't impossible, it was still interesting, considering I tried to tamp down on my accent most of the time.

Very interesting.

I knocked back the shot. I knew Adley would be calling. She truly did not have many options, and I was content enough to wait for her. Still…breaking that news to the boys was going to be a thing. Abram would never let me hear the end of it, and speech or not, Vlad would come up with quite a few choice phrases on his phone.

I sighed. Duty was calling, and I still had an Irishman to trail, so I paid the tab and headed for my car. As the music played, I pulled up the map on my phone. I had quite the drive before I got to the meeting location, and I had a feeling I'd be spending it digging up all the dirt I could on one Adley MacCormack.