Draft version - Russian Roulette - Family secrets

Ch. 12: I can't just bring a friend?

"If I can make it, I'll come by your office when I'm done here," Alyssa called after her. "Otherwise I'll see you at Liquid later?"

God, Alyssa had to tell Gareth where they would be meeting? Why did the ground not just open and swallow her? Tell him my address too, why don't you, she bitterly thought.

"10 o'clock as planned," Mackenzie said over her shoulder.

Not replying would have been rude. The damage was done. He knew where she would be and he would probably wait for as long as it took and she could not change that, might as well not waste each other's time.

"You're going out tonight?" Gareth asked innocently.
"Yes." Alyssa, who had not grasped the information she was giving him, kept digging the hole Mackenzie was standing in. "I'm going to meet her after our dinner with the execs."
"I see. You should bring Mackenzie to the dinner," he said. "There won't be many women, a friend may make it more enjoyable, Alyssa. I'll call and ask them to set another plate."
"But it's for the executives," Alyssa said in confusion frowning at the improper suggestion. "I can't just bring a friend?"
"If Mackenzie is going to help us, she might as well get to know people. Besides it's my dinner party, if I say it's ok, she can come."

There was no way around it.

Mackenzie heard it in his voice. He was not taking no for an answer.

How had she gotten herself mixed up with a man like Gareth? And why could she not escape him again?

"That's sweet of you Mr. Tempest, thank you, I'd love to."

He had won that round, no point in fighting anymore. Mackenzie would rather lose a battle than the war.

Gareth walked to his desk and grabbed a business card from among the several different kinds he had in little holders. He came over and gave it to her. He was standing there looking down at her, his face displaying nothing.

"It's Gareth."

He was using the voice she knew all too well, the dominant one, though it did not have the usual growl to it. But it clearly showed he was not to be argued against.

"Yes, Sir... I mean Gareth."

Fuck!

She had responded like a submissive to the voice alone.

Gareth's lips curled up in a knowing smirk.

Damn it, she was amazing at responding to him. He needed her in his bed, sooner rather than later. If she would just let her inhibitions go, they would be great together.

"Text me or send me an email with your address and I'll arrange for a car to pick you up and bring you to the restaurant."
"That's not necessary," she stammered.

He was closing in on her already, she knew what it meant.

He was controlling her life until he could control her.

Mackenzie looked at the card.

Gareth A. Tempest.

Mackenzie already knew what the A stood for. Adjenkov. The extremely wealthy and influential Russian family his mother, Zariyah, came from.

Not many normal people knew that.

She noticed it was not a Granston Holding business card. It was a personal one. With his address, fancy smancy at the harbor indeed, his private and work numbers and private email.

The boy had class, she had to give him that credit.

"Maybe not, but it's what I want."

Gareth knew she understood the underlying meaning, and though he had no intentions of forcing her at that point, he needed her to know he was still in control.

"Then by all means. Thank you, it's much appreciated." She nodded at him and smiled at Alyssa who was watching them curiously. "I'll talk with you later."

Alyssa sent her an 'Oh, you bet, we'll talk later' look.

Gareth watched her as she walked out of his office. He wanted to smile victoriously at the way she had responded to him just now, it made him instantly hard. What he would not have given to have been alone with her.

To be able to touch her again.

Mackenzie had been responsive to him that night, it was just a matter of hitting the right buttons. Which those were he needed to ascertain. He saw no other way into her panties. One way or another she would be his, that much was certain, and she knew it too. All he had to worry about was how long before it happened and how many cold showers he would need in the meantime.

"So..." Alyssa said and sat down in a chair at his desk. "I hope it's ok I hired her?"

Gareth walked over to his chair and flopped down taking a sip of his own bottle of water. "You have free range. I trust you and asked you to fix this. Is she any good?"
"She's the best. I had her checked out. Her credentials are good, and she does come highly recommended by people I know from other companies."
"Then it's fine by me. Just get me her information for my records."
Alyssa laughed. "I've sent that to you back when I hired her along with the contract with Abrams Consulting. Didn't you get it?"

He had gotten it, he had not bothered to read the attached files back then because he had been too preoccupied with finding Mackenzie. He had just read the email and Alyssa explaining that she had hired a consultant. Alyssa's judgement was enough for him. He should have read it all. Gareth was always very diligent when it came to work, dotted every I and crossed every T.

He was slipping and he could not afford that.

Damn Grychenko!

Damn Mackenzie!

***

The meeting with Alyssa had taken a little over an hour and his private phone had buzzed a few times, he was not rude enough to check while having a meeting.

When Alyssa had left, he picked up the phone hoping to see a text from her, it had just been one from his mom and a few mail notifications.

Gareth clenched the phone in his hand. If she did not text him, he would go ballistic. He already felt his blood pressure rising and the anger seethe through his rational behavior.

He tried to concentrate on work, somehow his mind kept drifting and he ended up having to grab a whiskey to calm himself. That woman was messing with his head.

He needed to calm the fuck down.

His phone buzzed. It was a text with an address in it.

Number unknown.

Finally!

Gareth instantly texted her back telling her when she should expect to be picked up and to wait outside her building. He saved her information in his phone and should probably not have called her what he did, his fingers did it before his brain entered the game.

Moments later he got a text and his display told him he had an unread message from 'Malyshka'.

Why the fuck had the Russian part of him claimed dominance in his mind and called her babygirl? He was going soft. Soft like newborn kittens, soft. Though one part of him was far from soft. He was almost afraid of himself.

'Dress code?' her text asked.
'Formal evening wear.'

He sat there a second happy that it had not been a fight with her. Gareth looked forward to being near her again.

'Wear your hair down' he texted her.

Gareth wanted to see that full mane of hers free. Hopefully he would get a chance or two to run his fingers through it during the evening.

'No. You're not the boss of me. Doesn't go with the dress anyway.'

Fuck that independent spirit of hers. He chuckled. He was going to make her forget her defiance.

Gareth picked up his work phone and clicked the number he called most.

"Tempest, my lad," the thundering voice at the other end bellowed.
"Vasili. I know it's your night off, but I could use a favor"
"Say the word."

Hi y'all.

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Love Alix