Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 57121 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 286(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57121 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 286(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
“You got it, boss,” Nikolai says in a joking tone.
I turn back to him, flipping him the bird. He knows I hate when he calls me that. He’s one of the only people who doesn’t treat me like the king.
“We’ll handle this, brother,” he says, grinning. He’s been hot and cold lately, anxious, erratic, then back to his usual self like he is now. Women troubles… another reminder that I need to keep my head on straight. “We can’t let Conrad goddamn Vale control the flow of information in this city.”
“Amen,” I snarl.
I sit outside the hospital, drumming my fingers against the steering wheel. As usual, my security team remains at a distance. Watching, waiting. Perhaps even hoping for something to go wrong so they have a chance to use their skills. Our game in Washington DC isn’t like other cities. We don’t fight as often as they do. Our weapons are electronic, in the dark, dirty corners of the political elite.
When I see Lia leaving, my stomach knots. I’m forty-five, and I’ve spent my entire life not really living. I’ve been able to thrive because of this distance. I work, I train, visit the shooting range, and I work some more.
That’s why the CCTV has been so appealing. A private passion, watching her from afar. The tics in her expression, the fervor with which she cares for her patients. And yeah, I’m a hot-blooded man, a hot-blooded beast, some might say… her body too. Curvy in all the right places. Making my hands twitch as I imagine sinking them into her perfection.
She’s startled when I come up behind her and call her name. She spins, her keys poking through her fingers. When she sees it’s me, her first instinct is to smile. That does more to me than she can ever know.
“Joel called,” she murmurs. “Apparently, there’s a car sitting outside his house. The men work for some big security agency. I looked it up. You own the agency. Among other things.”
“I gave you my word,” I tell her. “He and his family will be safe until this is over. That’s why I’m here.”
I approach, aware of how quiet the parking lot is. There’s that look again. She clenches her jaw. It’s like she’s fighting some kind of internal battle. I know the feeling.
“I need to arrange the same protection for you,” I say.
“Okay, fine.”
I breathe a sigh of relief.
“But only if you tell me what’s going on,” she adds.
The relief came too soon.
“You know what’s going on,” I grunt. “You stood up to a bad man. Now, there’s a chance he has it out for you. My job is to keep you safe. That’s all you need to know.”
“You’re wrong,” she says. “Why was that poor young man hit by a car? What’s so important about the phone? Who are these bad men? And who are you, Maksim? Online, it says you own a bunch of businesses. But I’m not stupid.”
“I would never call you stupid,” I say earnestly.
“You came in with a gunshot and a fake name.”
And she cared for me. She spoke to me like a regular guy. Just like she is now, without fear, without nerves. Or, if it’s there, she’s hiding it well. Burying it deeply. That just makes me want to peel back her layers and get to know the real her… not the version I’ve watched on my computer.
“So, who are you? I’m guessing some kind of crime boss.” When I tense up, she takes a step forward, almost closing the distance between us entirely. It takes everything I have not to reach forward and sink my hands into those tempting hips. “I’m right, aren’t I?”
“I can’t tell you anything. Except that you might be in danger and I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you.”
She looks shocked by my words, tilting her head at me. “Why?” she murmurs.
I shake my head. “Just—just know that you’re protected.”
“What if I don’t give you permission?”
“I’m not going to let anybody hurt you.”
“Again, why?” she says, with more insistence this time.
“Do you want to be caught in the middle of this?” I snap. “I’m trying to keep you safe.”
“And I’m trying to go home after a long shift. Anything else?”
“Your number,” I say. “So I can call if anything goes wrong.”
“Nope. Are we done?”
For a long moment, we just look at each other. She’s got that tempting challenge in her eyes, the sass and confidence off the charts. I’m torn between impressed and furious.
“Sure,” I say, turning away. As if I don’t already have her number. I just needed a legitimate reason to have it. But if she wants to play this game, that’s fine with me too. “Have it your way.”
I walk away, smirking again, feeling as if we’re at the start of something… which is a dangerous thought for a man in my position. For me, and for her.