Chapter 15

Viktor

As soon as Emma had gone off to bed, I pushed up from the couch and went back into the old bastard’s office to see what more I could dig up.

Thus far, Emma’s help had been invaluable. But I needed her on other things now. If what I suspected was true, I didn’t want her to be the one to stumble on it first.

Charles had broken her heart in front of me today. And despite how we’d met, and despite the fact that I hadn’t believed I could possibly hate her uncle more, the look in her eyes when she’d realized his theft from her, had done it.

I took her pain personally. That hadn’t happened since my brother was alive. It wasn’t ideal, this kind of softness toward a woman who was supposed to be just an asset. I suspected it came from how much I wanted her.

The desire wasn’t ideal either. I didn’t want to take advantage of my power over her. I didn’t want to be that guy. But God, when she looked at me with those big, bright eyes, and I saw the invitation in their warm depths, I wanted so much to have her.

Perhaps I should seduce her…

Pushing that thought to the back of my mind, I sent a text to Alexei about the thumb drive and Charles’s laptop.

I want both of them analyzed and a report sent back to me. How soon can you pick up?

It took him a few minutes to reply. Twenty minutes.

I packed up the laptop and the real estate and legal papers I had found, and slipped the thumb drive into my shirt pocket. The distraction of business only lasted a few moments, and before long my thoughts were on Emma once more.

Seduce her. Completely sate myself with her. Make certain her allegiance is totally mine, in both mind and body.

I smiled as I put the wine bottle back into the chiller and waited for my tech guy to make an appearance. Was it manipulative? Perhaps a little, but I doubted she would complain. After all, if I spoiled her silly, and made good on my word as well, what would she have to complain about?

***

Alexei met me outside in his car and drove me around the block while we talked. The puppy was with him, snoozing on the sedan’s back seat. She looked up briefly as I entered, cocking her head, then thumped her tail a few times and settled back down. She was so worn out that I knew my lieutenant, who had once fought his way out of a three-on-one gunfight, had been playing with her all day.

I set the briefcase with the laptop and papers down in the footwell. “Any news?” I said as I noticed the hesitant way Alexei glanced at me.

“Just rumors. Igor and his men keep expanding their Santa Monica operations. They’re stockpiling money. Between that, the incidents we already know about and his gloating about knowing something about your brother’s killer, I’m not sure we can afford to ignore the situation.”

“What about the men we had watching him?”

“That’s what worries me more.” He ran a hand back over his hair and then settled it back on the wheel. “They’ve got nothing on him. His men are busy, but Igor’s not in any of his usual haunts, nor his home, nor his office. The man is like a ghost.”

I frowned. This didn’t sit well with me. Igor and his men weren’t exactly known for their subtlety. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have him strolling in to taunt me whenever he had anything resembling a good idea. I pondered the situation, “He’s got help.”

Alexei remained silent.

“And who’s keeping an eye on him, now that you’re focusing on this?” I asked.

“Yevgeny, my second.” He saw the concerned look on my face and added “He’s always been reliable.”

“Don’t worry, Alexei, I’m not questioning your choice. Igor may have help in covering his ass.” I tapped a finger against my lips. “This does not smell right.”

“I agree.” He pulled off into a parking lot and we sat in a space with the rain starting to tap on the roof again. “I need to have a conversation with Yevgeny. If we cannot locate Igor, I want to know what his men are doing.”

“Understood.” He licked his lips nervously. “What about the doctor and her son?”

“Things have changed quickly.” I gave him the basics, running through what we had found out about Charles thus far. “She has learned some unpleasant things about her uncle that have made her much more sympathetic toward our cause. But it is a process. Part of the reason I am bringing you in on this, is that I want to vet how much we tell her about what we find.”

His eyebrows went up. “Any particular reason?”

“Charles is… he has shown his tendency to use assassins to handle his problems before. When Emma’s parents died in their car crash, he was already poised to make a play for their entire estate. Almost like he knew that accident was going to happen.”

Alexei paled. “You don’t think?”

“I do,” I said flatly. “I do, and I think that such knowledge will be shattering for her. But also necessary for her to learn. I simply wish for the chance to choose the time and place.”

He nodded. “Of course.”

“Good. Now drop me off at the garage. I have some visits to make before my charges wake up.”

***

I got back within two hours and the doorman let me in with a nod. I didn’t waste any time going upstairs to check on Emma.

Yevgeny had been drunk when I had found him, taking full advantage of an evening off that I hadn’t recalled Alexei or I giving him. By itself, it wouldn’t have bothered me as much. But when he had failed to locate Igor no matter what he tried, drunk on duty wasn’t forgivable.

My knuckles were a bit bruised now, and my arm tired from holding him up against a wall while I had smacked the drunkenness and laziness out of him. He had blubbered and begged. but in the end, he had gotten the message, and I had gotten a basic rundown on Igor’s men’s activities.

Stockpiling money, stockpiling weapons. Selling drugs outside of Santa Monica. Pushing his luck with me in the middle of my club. Igor was preparing for moving against us in some way, and he was ridiculously confident that he would succeed.

Why such confidence? I wondered as I rode the elevator up with Emma’s keycard two-fingered in my hand. He must have a pretty big ace in the hole to be acting this way. And then there was Yevgeny’s total inability to locate him.

Concerning.

I walked out of the elevator, swiped my way into the penthouse—and froze. My brows knitted together, I could immediately sense that something was wrong.

Did they wake up and flee after all?

No. Emma’s shoes and Nick’s rain boots were still by the door. But then why were the hairs on the back of my neck prickling?

I reached under my coat and drew out one of my pistols, eyes narrowing. I stepped out of my shoes and moved silently across the main room, swiveling my head for evidence of anything out of place. Everything was as I had left it two hours ago.

I glanced around. Time to check all the rooms.

Nick was sleeping soundly in his room, still in the grip of his food coma. I smiled and shut the door—and then heard a whimper coming from the master bedroom.

My eyes widened and I was down the hall in a flash, opening her door as quietly as I could. My head was full of enemies, of possibilities. But what I got when I opened the door was an eyeful of Emma squirming on the bed, eyes closed with sleep.

I blinked and pulled the door closed behind me, holstering my weapon and moving to her side. Nightmare?

She thrashed softly under the sheet, rain-streaked streetlight splashing across her curving silhouette, lips parted, her whole body trembled. The strain on her face told me she should have awakened by now, screaming or not. The low, sobbing moan that escaped her turned me on and worried me at the same time.

“Emma.” I called to her softly but urgently, reaching for her shoulder to give her a shake. But just as my hand touched her, she opened her eyes with a gasp.

She blinked up at me, a feverish look on her face from the dream that was slowly replaced by confusion.

“You cried out in your sleep. I came to check on you.” I gave her no apology, and didn’t cut my eyes away from the sight of her tangled in the sheets.

“I…” she murmured, still struggling with whatever had caught her in nightmares. “Thank you.”

Her gaze flitted away from mine and she looked down at herself, then reached to untangle the blanket. The tight fabric clung to her fetchingly, and it was fun to watch her wiggle free. It made me want to talk her into removing another layer or two of cloth for me.

“What is it?” she asked, a little defensively.

“Just enjoying the view,” I said coolly. “Do you need a hand?”

“I’m fine,” she mumbled, unwrapping the end of the twisted sheet from around her leg. Her nightgown rode up her thigh and my eyes followed the fabric. Her legs were spectacular.

I licked my lips. “If you’re sure.”

She gave me that limpid-eyed look again, and my breath caught. The tension between us was so thick I could taste it.

“I- I should…” she murmured. “I should try to get back to sleep.”

I smiled patiently. “Of course. I’d offer to join you but I don’t take advantage of women in my care.”

She swallowed hard. “That’s good to know,” she said finally, but the hungry look in her eyes didn’t fade one bit.

And anyone would have noticed the disappointment in her voice.

I walked away frustrated, my cock throbbing in protest at staying confined in my pants, but I also walked away smiling.

Seducing her was going to be easy.

In her heart, she was already mine.

***

My erection wouldn’t go away, it distracted me with thoughts of going back there and fucking Emma’s brains out as I tried to finish my thorough search of the penthouse. Every time I bent or reached or twisted, the silk of my boxer briefs would slide against my sensitive flesh and send a fresh jolt through me that left me aching with need.

I found some odd goodies along the way. A stash of DVDs, unlabeled, probably some kind of exotic porn. Two firearms, stashed away in secret drawers, one in the living room and one in the kitchen. I reminded myself to search the master bedroom thoroughly once Emma got up.

Emma. She would be so easy to seduce if I went back into that bedroom right now. But what would it say about me if I did? I didn’t want to leave her wrestling with the situation, or feeling like she had to submit because I had the power of life and death over her.

No, I wanted her all in. I wanted her to feel like it was at least half her idea. I wanted her to delight in the act as much as I would.

That would take some patience, and some creativity. But I already knew it would be worth it.

At the moment, though, my patience was running thin. I finally sighed and set down the book I had been flipping through in search of stashed paper or money, shrugged out of my suitcoat and holsters, and left them behind while I headed for the bathroom.

The sight of Emma writhing on that bed, trembling and straining against the cocoon of blankets, lingered in my mind as I disrobed and stepped into the icy shower spray.

The cold water stung my skin and made a shiver run down my back, my skin felt like it was jumping from the harsh contact. But my blood still ran hot in my veins, the flush to my skin didn’t cool even as all those cold needles of discomfort slapped into me. Every drop that hit my cock seemed to stiffen me further, pushing me slowly toward a tantalizing edge.

I swore under my breath, grabbing myself in one fist even as I gave up and twisted the knob to warm the water. My hips tightened and jolted forward, shoving my shaft through my grip as I groaned.

I struggled toward relief under the spray, shuddering with desire and pleasure but getting no closer to ecstasy. I didn’t want my hand in a goddamn shower, I wanted the woman struggling to sleep just a few doors down from the bathroom.

I wanted her to squirm under me and beg for more while I thrust into her hot, slick, inviting flesh. I wanted to feel her clench around me when she came. I wanted to hear her gasp my name, moan it, beg me for more. But instead, here I was, alone in my shower.

My toes curled and I groaned through my teeth, leaning heavily on the wall with my other hand while I pumped away. My loins tightened, my heart was pounding. My legs shook, my breath came in harsh pants that seemed to carry no oxygen.

Emma, clinging to me. Emma, wrapping her legs around me, sliding her hands over me, pleading with me not to stop—

I came so hard I had to grit my teeth against a roar. Every jolt of ecstasy made my body jolt as well, panting, shaking, my hoarse breaths almost like little shouts by themselves. Then, finally sated, I leaned my head against the tile wall and struggled to catch my breath.

I think I’m in trouble here.

I had never been so stuck on a woman that only the thought of fucking her would let my body find relief. That wasn’t how it was supposed to go. She was supposed to be the smitten one, while I kept in complete control. But she wasn’t the one needing relief in the shower to go about her night.

Get ahold of yourself,I told myself, but deep down I knew there was no forcing it. All I could do was try to manage my emotions—and my desire—as best I could until my planned seduction was done. After that, the only control I would need to exercise would be entirely in bed.