harassing you, who has been?”
“I don’t know.”
He stood up and looked across the room. “I don’t like this.”
“Maybe it’s some kids playing a prank.”
He turned to me. “This stuff has gone beyond a prank.”
The conversation was over but it had put a damper on our night. Mica was distracted, and only when I climbed into bed naked did he seem like himself.
We were down to one car again, since Mica’s car was still in the shop for repairs. He used my car during the day and then came to pick me up.
I looked in the back when I got in. “Where are the dogs?”
“Sniper is babysitting Sasha for us.”
I smiled. “Oh, I bet he loves that job.”
Mica put a big hand on the back of my neck. “I thought I’d take you out for dinner.”
“That’d be nice.” I looked down at my work clothes. “Do I need to change?”
He leaned in and dropped a kiss on my mouth. “Nope, you look perfect.”
The restaurant was a cozy, dimly lit place that offered secluded seats and a fabulous menu. As I took in the romantic ambiance of the place, I wondered if Mica had brought his previous dates to this place. I could easily imagine him cuddled up in some booth with a half-clad bunny.
While we looked at the menu, I looked up at him. “What’s good here?”
His eyes met mine over his menu. “I’m not sure. I’ve never been here before.”
I hid my smile behind my menu. “Okay.”
He leaned forward. “Hey.”
I met his eyes. “What?”
“I will never take you to a place where I wined and dined someone else, okay? I respect you too much for that.”
I lifted my chin. “I wasn’t thinking about that.”
He didn’t believe me but he smiled and said, “Okay.”
We were finishing our meal when someone pulled up a chair and plopped himself down.
Mica rolled his eyes. “Detective Wallace.”
The larger man looked around our table and helped himself to some bread. “I was just walking by and I saw you sitting here.”
Mica looked less than impressed. “You must have something big to tell me if you’re stalking me now.”
“I was looking into your car situation and wondering why someone would want to destroy your property. Nine out of ten times, this comes down to an owner pulling an insurance fraud scam.”
“I already told you. I didn’t wreck my car.”
Detective Wallace chewed his bread. “No, but it warranted a closer look at your finances and I did a little digging.”
Mica’s jaw tightened. “That’s enough.”
The man ignored him while wiping his hands on his suit pants. “My question is, why does a son of one of the wealthiest oligarchs in Russia change his last name and move to Canada to play hockey for a fraction of what his family is worth?”
This conversation wasn’t making sense.
Mica leaned in and hissed, “Shut the fuck up.”
Detective Wallace carried on. “You don’t have money issues. Your issue is what to do with all that money. You’re the only heir to a billionaire. Why bother getting your Porsche fixed? Why not throw it out and buy a new one?”
Mica looked at me. His face was a mask of resignation. He looked at Detective Wallace and said, “You’re such a fucking dick.”
“Mind if I order something to go on your tab? You can afford it.” He laughed loudly and stood up. “Guess you didn’t wreck your car after all.”
Chapter 24
MICA
I wanted to kill the fat bastard. I watched Charlie’s face. She looked startled and confused by the conversation.
“We should talk,” I finally said.
She sounded scared. “Okay.”
I drained my wine, not even sure how to begin. “You know that I’m from Russia.”
“Last time I checked.”
“My father owns a copper producing company, but the family business also manages agriculture, construction, and telecom companies. My father is one of the wealthiest businessmen in Russia.”
Charlie blinked rapidly. “Seriously?”
“I left Russia against my dad’s will to come to Canada to play hockey. I changed my name and Mark Ashford helped me keep my secret. I wanted a fresh start.”
Her eyes widened. “What is your real name?”
“Aleksandr Mica Petrovsky Mikhailov.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “That’s your real name?”
“Yes.”
Her face flushed. “Are we even married?”
“Petrov is my legal Canadian last name.”
“So, we are really married,” she confirmed.
“Yes.”
Her shoulder dropped as she let out her breath. “Okay.”
“I don’t talk to my dad anymore.”
Her eyes raised to mine. “I kind of figured that part out. Is it because he didn’t want you to leave Russia?”
“Our relationship was broken long before that.”
She studied her plate. “I