The Agreement (Darkest Lies Trilogy Book 1) by Bethany-Kris (motivational books for men .TXT) 📕

money from all the way behind his desk, and nodded. Pleased.

“I’ll make sure your father hears about this,” he said to Roman, pointing the cigar in his hand to the stacks that waited for the boss’s hands to appreciate them properly. “Gotta say—if you kept earning like that, I’d shut my mouth and mind my business about your private matters.”

That backhanded statement nearly earned a response from Roman, if only because that was the first time Maxim had so obviously called out the reason why the younger man stood there. Never look a gift horse in the mouth, Roman knew.

He didn’t plan to start now.

“Is there anything else?” Roman asked.

Only out of respect.

Maxim shook his head, murmuring a low, “Nyet.”

A hard no for a quiet answer.

Roman didn’t want to look too deep into that, either.

That was that. With the meeting over, Dima still on his phone, and Leonid flicking through the cash again, like he couldn’t keep his hands off it, Maxim said nothing more to suggest he wanted Roman to linger.

So, he didn’t.

Roman walked out of the den without a glance back. Another month was over—he’d made it through a second tribute in a city that didn’t belong to him under the thumb of a boss that never left him feeling quite ... settled. Technically, they didn’t even need to see his face for a month, maybe more, depending on how long Maxim waited before calling the next after the wedding and whatever celebrations had been planned for that mess.

It would have been so easy for Roman to simply walk out of there, and forget about Karine and the shady shit happening within the Yazov Bratva. Forget about the plot against Maxim—who gave a fuck about Chicago? This was not his home; he hadn't even wanted to be there in the first goddamn place.

More importantly, he had no plans of staying any longer than was necessary. If he got himself tangled up in other people’s shit, more so than he already was, then he would have no choice but to see it through to the end.

He didn’t have to feed into his selfishness—or his worries. Those little bastards that had never really been much of a concern for him before wouldn’t leave him alone now.

Roman could take the easy way out of there—out of all of it, really. Simply by doing what he was there to do, and nothing more.

But he walked out of the mansion, and stepped into the cold air of an inky-black night. He could see Marky standing at the end of the driveway, leaning against his car while he smoked a cigarette, and waited for his friend.

Roman had always taken the easy way out. That was exactly why he had gotten away with so much shit for as long as he had. Maybe it was time he changed a few things in his life.

Particularly, that.

• • •

Marky threw a half-finished cigarette to the ground when he noticed Roman’s approach.

“Good to go?” he asked.

Roman only nodded.

Marky had been there when Karine turned up in the driveway earlier, and heard most of the conversation. He was the one who had reminded Roman it was time to go meet the boss, redirecting his friend’s attention back to what was important.

“Yeah, we’re good to go,” Roman said.

The two jumped into the car with Marky behind the wheel again—the only person Roman really cared to let drive him around.

“Did something happen in there? You came out looking mean, man.”

Roman shrugged. “No, it was good. Maxim’s happy. So was the accountant.”

“So, we go celebrate now?”

Actually, that was a great way to describe what Roman was about to do.

“Yeah, I think I do want to celebrate,” Roman replied.

Marky’s brow furrowed as he started the engine—maybe it was the fact Roman said he was willing to have some fun when he’d been clearly, and loudly, refusing to do exactly that since his friend arrived in town. The car sped down the driveway to the gates, only the headlights cutting through the darkness of the estate. The exterior of the mansion was as dimly lit as the inside was bright.

“Stop here,” Roman said without warning.

Marky crunched hard on the breaks, sending both unbuckled men flying forward in their seats. Roman was the only one to catch himself from smashing into the dashboard. He wasn’t really sorry about the way his friend glared over at him from behind the wheel.

“What the fuck, Roman?”

Well ...

Now or never, he figured.

“I’m getting out.”

“Here? Why—where the fuck are you going?” Marky demanded, waving out with squinting eyes at the dark.

When he turned back to Roman, the answer seemed pretty obvious when he didn’t reply and only lifted one shoulder. In fact, he thought Marky should have known this might happen from the start. He’d heard that conversation, after all.

Even if he did have motives behind it, who would turn a look like that down? A foolish man, that’s who.

Roman swung the door open as Marky grabbed his arm, jerking hard to tug him back into the seat.

“Don’t be a fucking moron,” Marky hissed at him. “You’re not seriously going to see her, are you? That could get you killed, man.”

Roman arched a single brow at his best friend, dropping his stare to where Marky’s hand was still on his arm. He didn’t even have to speak for the man to let him go with a muttered fuck, sorry.

Not willing to argue, Roman stepped out of the car. He wasn’t exactly sure where to go to find Karine, but he figured there would only be so many verandas he was capable of climbing up, right? He’d eventually find his way to her.

“Pick me up in the morning,” he called to Marky, rounding the front of the car, his form creating a long shadow in front of the headlights when he passed. “Five AM, man.”

Marky remained in the driver’s seat, fuming as he drummed his fingers to the leather of the steering wheel and shook his head.

“You’re making a big mistake,”