The moment the doors slid shut, Yulia began to cry softy.
“Hey,” I said, crouching down in front of her. She flung her arms around me and held on tightly so I lifted her up with me.
“I’ll show you to the waiting lounge,” Taylor said to me.
I followed, confused about what was going on.
Chapter 26
Yuri
Alex was waiting for me in the office, and the moment I returned, he noted my mood. Naturally, being Alex he didn’t say a word until I was seated and scrolling through the coroner’s report I had just received.
“What’s going on with you, huh?”
I rubbed the back of my neck. What should I tell him? April was here, so all I wanted was to bring her into this office and fuck her. “Nothing,” I muttered. “Just want to get this business over with as soon as possible.”
Actually, I didn’t even know why I had brought her here. This space was all mine. I built this. Not my father, nor my brother had any input. I inherited the construction branch of our family business and I built this out of that corrupt money laundering shell. A job that would cost a half million would be booked at two million and everybody was happy. The banks, the contractors, the buyers, the sellers. The one who lucked out was the Tax man.
I guess if I were to be honest, I brought her here because I’d already gotten her response to the brusqueness of the yard, but this was the side that the whole world saw. Was she impressed? She sure didn’t make an effort. Yeah, I surprised myself. Looks like I wasn’t above trying to impress April Winters.
Her large T-shirt and messy hair had contrasted deeply with the environment, but to me she seemed perfect, a sight to awaken a blind man. I’d wanted to linger, and even move closer to speak to her. I had deliberately kept out of her way to test myself. To see if I could keep away, but who was I kidding? I had missed her like crazy this morning. It had pissed her off, that was for sure, but I was unapologetic. Much more of her and I would become an unstable fool over her.
Taylor came in. “Where should Miss Winters remain while Yulia has her session?” he asked.
I refused to meet Alex’s eyes. “Bring her in here,” I said and returned to my documents.
Alex rose to his feet, a quiet laughter bubbling out of his throat.
I shut my eyes, annoyed with him and myself.
“Who exactly fucked who?” he mocked.
In my current mood, I reacted badly. I flung the first thing my hand connected with at him. It was a heavy pen holder, but just as I had expected, he swerved without breaking a sweat, but it went straight for Taylor. Missing his right eye by a mere inch, it slammed into his forehead, and took the poor kid down.
I shot up in alarm. Shit. “Are you okay?”
With one hand, Alex pulled him up.
In spite of the blood dripping from his busted head, Taylor forced a painful smile onto his face. “I’m fine, Sir,” he said, as he limped away.
Alex shot me a cold look. With a despairing shake of his sarcastic head, he exited my office.
I collapsed down into my chair, loosened my tie even further from my neck, and ran my hand through my hair. What a fuck-up!
A short while later, Taylor returned, a bandage over his cut and carrying a tray of beverages. “Miss Winters insists on waiting downstairs in the lobby,” he said.
I lost it. “Get her the fuck in here right now!” I roared.
He hurried away from the room as quickly as he could. I pushed away the files before me on the desk and glued my eyes to the door. I knew I was acting unhinged, but I couldn’t help myself. Where April was concerned I was like a bear with a sore butt.
When it opened a short while later, Taylor knew better than to come in. April walked in and the door was shut after her. She stared directly at me without fear or caution.
“Why did you want to wait downstairs?” I asked.
She shrugged her shoulders in response.
“Answer me when I fucking talk to you,” I growled.
I watched her face darken. “Is there a good reason why you’re speaking to me like this?” she asked quietly.
I sighed, defeated before I even began. “Sit,” I said, waving my hand towards the chair in front of my desk.
“Thanks but I’d rather wait downstairs.”
I glared at her and she did the same. Then she turned around to walk out of my office.
I was out of the seat and across the room in long furious strides before she had a chance to even reach the doorknob.
I gripped her arm and pinned her against the door.