DAMSEL MEETS DANGER

WORLD APART

Ivy was slapping some balm on her lips to finish up her dressing for the day, when she heard the knock on her door.

Her fingers paused on her lips, and then her mind tried to figure out who could be knocking.

Anna usually knocked once and came in. Whoever it was outside was clearly waiting for a response from her.

She turned around, walked straight to the door, and opened it.

Vladimir's breath caught when he saw her, face first.

The fire from being enraged last night wasn't present anymore, so he could see her green eyes clearly.

Pretty eyes that matched perfectly with her gorgeous face.

It wasn't enough to just look at her face, as he found his eyes strolling downwards.

The bulb in his throat rocked when he saw the cowl, handless top she was wearing. And then further down was a silk skirt short enough to reveal perfect legs.

She looked absolutely ravishing, and for a second there, she stole his breath away.

“Hey,” she cleared her throat, breaking through his evaluation.

Vladimir swallowed hard, and with great difficulty, brought his eyes from those stupefying legs of hers that had made it difficult for oxygen to reach his brain, back to her face.

“I received your note,” he said.

“And?” She lifted an inquisitive brow.

“It wasn't much of an apology. In fact, it really wasn't an apology,” he said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Ivy's first instinct was to blast hot, flip the middle finger at him, and tell him to go to hell.

She bit back that instinct so admirably well, she had to pause to pat herself on the back.

As her gaze returned to Vladimir's piercing eyes, she bobbed her head. “I see your perspective.”

He waited for more. Surely she wasn't about to leave it at that.

On a second thought, it occurred to him she was very strange, which meant he would be a fool to expect normalcy from her.

“Right,” he nodded in surrender this one time. “I brought you this.” He stretched the package to her.

“What's that?” Her eyes squinted scrutinizingly.

“Take it, and you'll see.”

She made a reluctant sound at the back of her throat, but proceeded to grab a hold of the package anyway.

In the process of it being transferred into her hands, their fingers brushed slightly.

Ivy felt a spark that had her snatching her hand away together with the package.

“Are you okay?” Concern dimmed Vladimir's eyes.

“I'm fine,” she replied quickly. “Is there anything else?”

Vladimir stifled a sigh, forbidding himself from showing her that her sharp tongue had a stinging effect.

She had practically dismissed him even without saying the words plainly.

“Yes there is,” he blurted before thinking.

“Okay?”

He pinched himself on the inside for not just turning around and leaving. Now he had to make up something so as not to appear completely stupid.

Miraculously, as he was opening his mouth in hopes to expel something reasonable, Hedeon approached from behind.

“Boss?”

His head whipped behind, as relief flowed through him.

In the moment, he could kiss Hedeon for coming in just in time.

“Is there a problem, Hedeon?” He asked as his butcher stopped beside him.

Hedeon did little to acknowledge Ivy's presence. He simply shot her a quick glance before facing the person he was there to talk to.

“Representatives from the Kaya’s are coming in tonight.”

It was all he needed to say for Vladimir to understand the urgency of the situation.

“Kaya's,” Ivy thought, swearing she had heard that name before.

“If you need anything, communicate with Anna and she'll let me know. When I return, let's have a conversation,” Vladimir said with a hint of finality.

Ivy took the hint. “Okay.” She shut the door even before he could turn around to leave.

“Hmmm.” Hedeon stepped in line beside Vladimir.

“Say what's on your mind,” he ordered, as he dragged his attention from the door that had practically been shut in his face, and walked away.

“She's rude,” Hedeon wasted no time in spelling out.

“She is?”

“Come on, boss. She clearly is. Look at how she just behaved. Not even factoring how she looks at us.”

“How does she look at us, Hedeon?”

“Through her nose,” he answered in a heartbeat. “Like we're savages who stink and are beneath her.”

Vladimir found himself smiling at that description. “I don't mind being a savage. Do you?”

“No, but she has no right to look at us that way. Does she not know the history of her own family?”

“That's your answer, Hedeon. She clearly doesn't know.”

The front door parted for him, and he stepped out into the driveway.

A car stopped in front of him immediately, and a man quickly appeared to open the door.

“You're going with Maksim?” He questioned Hedeon.

“Yes boss.”

“Good.”

Vladimir slid into the car, and the door closed after him.

“How did I not know the Kaya's are coming into town?” He questioned without turning his head to the side.

Andrei looked to his side from the screen he was holding. “The Gambino's. One of Hector's granddaughters is apparently being prepped up for Can.”

Vladimir inhaled sharply, his eyes darkening. “What happens to our negotiation with them if the Gambino's have their way?”

“It depends on you, boss. I'm guessing our hunting is not for peace sake?”

“Antonio paraded my sky with his band of miscreants without a second thought. I was going to let it go, but then I slept on it and thought, why the hell would I let it go? So no, Andrei. We're not going to hunt for peace. Thank goodness the Kaya's are coming in today. Let them see for themselves that if they choose to form a connection with those filthy dogs, they will make an enemy out of me.”

“Vlad, I get you're upset, but think about our arms deal with them. Are we forfeiting that?”

A sinister smile covered his eyes. One that Andrei recognised all too well, because it always came before something truly diabolical.

“Çelik’s.”

Just one word was enough to inform Andrei they were taking things to hell.