Emperor of Mayhem

s e v e n t y - s i x

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MIKHAIL
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There was a solid plan set out for this week; spend three days in New York to monitor our latest shipment so there wouldn't be any issues with the Feds, come to Greece on the fourth day for a lunch date with Clio Onasis, and the fifth day, be on my jet back to Russia. 

The New York project went according to plan. As usual, my men did a nearly neat job. Yes, we were attacked by some uncircumcised Albanians but those pesky flies were nothing but dust under my shoe so we took them down and transported the shipment without clashing with the foolish law enforcers. 

But arriving in Greece and carrying out the plan proved difficult when it was actually supposed to be; meet dear Princess Clio Onasis at one of their hotels/restaurants. But on getting there the first day, she called off the date because something more important came up.

No one, not even the round-bellied President of Russia had ever stood me up like that before. I would slit his throat and send it to his family. 

But weighing my options with this lady and understanding that I was the one at her mercy, made me bite down my rage.

The next day, we eventually met up. But we had barely finished our discussion when a supposed important call came through and she needed to go. I swore on my life that I was leaving that day and let shit happen but Riccardo was fucking persuasive. 

My dear nephew managed to cajole me into giving her one more chance.

"Is everything okay?" A soft voice pierced through the dull classical music playing from the background of the five star restaurant. 

My eyes lifted from the cell phone in my hand only to connect with the feline, dark brown eyes of the woman sitting across from me.

Clio Onasis. 

She had a curious smile on, eyes studying me as if I was a piece of art she was trying to read meaning into. But she didn't know that behind my bad boy charm and the gentleman spirit I was trying so hard to hold onto was a  dangerous man with many layers, so many varying colours you would never know which of the cards I was holding up. 

I had opened up to one woman, turned my inside out for her to see, allowed her look deep into my twisted soul, and she was enough. She would be the only woman who would ever truly know me.

So no matter how this Greek heiress that swore to have the grace of the goddesses in Greek mythology looked at me, she would never be able to truly unravel me.

To the world, I was a mystery, a dark book whose every page contained something that would make the devil run and hide.

"Nothing alarming." I forced out a smile, lifting a hand to adjust my tie because acting as a gentleman that I was not for the past two hours was starting to suffocate me, "Just some of my men that are proving to not worth the second chance I had given them." 

Letting the fake smile fall, I placed the phone aside, glancing at my watch.

I was tired of sitting here. 

She already accepted that this union might possibly not work. And she claimed she understood. To give me her final answer she kept stalling and swirling the wine in her glass.

As if she hadn't already wasted my time enough.

"I understand." She let out a sigh, flipping her golden curls behind her back, talons drumming steadily on the base of her cup, "They can be dull sometimes."