Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 107608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
“Check on me?” I snap. “I’m fine. Never mind that you totally humiliated me in front of a bunch of gun-toting mobsters yesterday. How soon do you think one of them will come calling?”
He cocks his head. “We weren’t in front of them, and you needed a lesson. First, you’re fortunate said lesson came with an orgasm. Second, don’t worry about your safety. Like I said, that’s my job. I made it clear to every one of them that if they even think of disrespecting you, I’ll cut out their tongues and shove them up their asses.”
“That’s descriptive.” I gulp and take a moment to run through my feelings. I’m still pissed. Slightly appreciative that he insisted upon respect from mobsters. The orgasm was spectacular. Yet his casual note of violence scares me. Although the feeling of safety, oddly enough, is a bit addictive. I haven’t felt safe since I was a kid, and Alexei plans to protect me. Am I grateful for that? Enough to go along with his actions?
Nope, I still want to shoot him. “I have work to do. Some of that is trying to keep you out of prison, although the more I’m around you, the more I think you should wear an orange jumpsuit until you’re too old to move.”
“Good,” he says. “Garik requires time to sleep. You are to stay here until I pick you up after work.”
My mouth gapes open. “You’re not here giving me orders.”
He shrugs and then slightly winces. “Take it any way you want, but I will pick you up at five and then we’ll go to dinner. We should talk about where you want to live.”
“I’m living in my house.” I push my chair back and stand. It feels better to face him on my feet even though he’s a good foot taller than I am. “Why did you just wince?” Is he hurt? I don’t care. Nope. Not at all. I hope he’s not hurt.
“I took another bullet last night—just to my outer arm. It’s okay.”
I blink. He took a bullet? “Seriously?” Surely Hendrix had closed off the back door to the amethyst servers, so no way could Alexei heal himself with the energy exchange again. “Have you been to a doctor? Who shot you?” Not that I wouldn’t have, given the chance after the debacle in the storage room.
“I’m fine. Didn’t even need stitches. We can discuss it at dinner. Your firm has decent security, so you’ll be fine if you stay here until I fetch you. Understand?”
He stares at me and I stare back. My knees tremble. He just waits.
“Why are you doing this? Acting like we’re going to live together?”
He leans back against the door. “Because we are.”
How is he so freaking certain? “You don’t even know me. The sex is good, and you think I’m pretty, but that’s not enough.”
His gaze heats. “I do think you’re pretty, and the sex is off the charts. But you’re highly intelligent, have a great sense of humor, and own a heart that’s all soft and kindness. I want it.”
My chin drops. “I’m not soft and kind.” I’m a freaking attorney who’s a tornado in a courtroom.
His chuckle holds genuine amusement. “You’re broke financially because you take care of seven old men who need you. Sure, they adore you, and that must be a good feeling, but you’ll let yourself lose everything to help them. That’s sweet. That’s kind. That’s all fucking mine now.”
Just when my heart goes all soft for him, he has to throw in a badass possessive term. “You should’ve stopped with ‘kind.’” Even so, I feel all warm and squishy inside. I need to get a grip around this man. He’s just too . . . much.
“I have somewhere to be, Rosalie. Tell me you get me and that you’ll stay here until I return.” That amusement still dances with the hot possessiveness in his eyes. “Don’t make me belt you to the chair.” He sounds way too interested in the thought, and there’s not a doubt in my mind that he’ll do it. I can’t even imagine my embarrassment when my paralegal wanders in at some point.
“Fine. I have plenty of work to do, anyway,” I say. “You might want to rethink your career. Mafia bosses get shot a lot.”
“I got shot protecting your Percy,” he returns easily. “Usually I wouldn’t have moved, but I couldn’t let one of your pets get killed.” With that, he winks and walks out of my office. I drop back onto my chair and quickly call Percy.
“Hi, Rosalie,” Percy answers. “I’m outside. We need more fertilizer for the shadier area in the back.”
I shake my head. “Were you with Alexei last night?”
Percy is silent for several heartbeats. “Darlin’, these phones aren’t secure. All I’ll say is that I owe Alexei big time. We can discuss the rest later.”