Chapter 5

She tastesof honey and innocence. It’s addicting. This woman has done nothing but plague my mind for months.

I’d convinced myself once I tasted her, I’d be able to let her go. Walk away.

But now, as my cock thickens in my pants, as my hand sinks further into her hair, and my insides turn to hot lava, I know it’s not enough.

Only the fact that she knows Jimmy Agosti keeps me from picking her up and carrying her to her room.

I rip my mouth away from hers, gritting my teeth at the immediate loss of warmth.

“How do you know Jimmy?” I fist my hand tighter at her nape, pulling her hair at the roots until she winces. This is an important question. If she has a history with him, there’s going to be problems. She could be part of whatever the fuck happened in our VIP garage.

“Viktor.” My name leaves her mouth on a harsh whisper. “Let go.”

“Tell me. No more lies. No more hiding. Tell me how you know him.” I press the length of my body against her, pushing her against the wall. Her eyes widen. The flush from our kiss drains from her cheeks.

“Please.” She closes her eyes, and a single tear slips from beneath her dark eyelashes. “I can’t.”

“What can’t you tell me?” I wipe away the tear. The little trail it’s left on her cheek pisses me off. She’s afraid, and that really pisses me off. “Where is your TV and the little china cabinet thing you had in the corner, and the table with the glass top?”

Her eyes flick to mine with surprise. There isn’t much I miss when it comes to her. I could list all of the little things she had in the cabinet, too, if it will make her talk.

“You can’t just barge into my life like this.” There’s a tremor in her voice. She’s close to breaking. There’s fear in her eyes, but something else, too. Something that’s weighing her down, crushing her, and she’s at her breaking point. All she needs to do is say the word, and I’ll take all of it off her, but she needs to speak.

“How do you know him?” I question again, keeping my voice hard. I won’t soften, not until she tells me.

Her hands are on my waist, trying to push me away from her, but it won’t work. I’m not going anywhere until I have my answers.

“I don’t want to tell you. I don’t want you here. I don’t want you involved.” She pushes harder. I should punish her for her lies, but I sense there’s fear bubbling beneath her defiance.

“The break-in at Kraze’s garage. Was that him? Did you help him?” I hate the accusation, more so that I’m not sure if she was involved or not.

Jimmy Agosti used to run one of his uncle’s crews, lifting luxury cars for resale and parts. If Marlena was meeting with him today, it could mean bad things. For both of us.

“I didn’t have anything to do with it.” She swallows, breaking her gaze with mine and looking past my shoulder. “I don’t know if it was him.”

“But you think it could be?”

She pauses. Closes her eyes. And nods. “I don’t know for sure.”

“Are you involved with him?”

“No,” she says fast. And hard.

“But you know him.” I ease my hand out of her hair, taking a step back from her. It’s only a few inches, but enough for her to breathe easier. Enough for her to find some safety.

She lets out a harsh breath, putting her hand to her forehead.

There’s trouble here.

“What is it?” My patience, what little I possess, is gone.

“Nothing.” She shoves me in the chest and scoots away from the wall. “Just leave, Viktor. Please. I don’t need this today. Just go!”

She rushes away, through the kitchen and down the short hallway to the single bedroom. Once inside, she slams the door and the small sound of the lock turning echoes in my ears.

She ran.

She locked herself in her bedroom.

A grin crosses my lips.

She actually thinks she’s safe from me in there.

I double-check the apartment door is locked, then take my time heading to the room. Enough secrets.

Whatever she’s hiding will only serve to hurt her.

“I’ll give you one chance. Open the door, moy sladkiy voin. If you don’t, I’ll kick it down.” I won’t have any problem doing so; much like the rest of the place, the door is made only slightly stronger than a cardboard box.

“Why won’t you just go away!” she yells through the door, just from the other side. If I kick it down now, I’ll harm her.

“Because I know you’re in trouble and I won’t let you stay that way. I won’t let harm come to you.” She needs help here; I can sense it. I won’t stand idle while she’s hurting.

Moments tick by in silence, and I calculate how to get through the door without injuring her. One way or another, the barrier will come down.

Finally, the lock clicks and soft footsteps fall away from the door on the other side.

I turn the knob and throw the door open.

I take slow steps toward her. She matches my steps backward, until I make a sharp turn toward the closet. Flinging open the door, I find half of what was there only weeks ago.

“Where are all your clothes?”

“Viktor.” She sounds tired.

I look at her over my shoulder. “Tell me where your things are.”

She swallows.

My phone goes off in my pocket.

She scratches the back of her neck, then stretches her back until she’s standing as tall and straight as a soldier standing in line.

“The TV broke. I’m getting a new one.”

She’s lying again. Her eyes won’t meet mine completely. She looks just below my gaze, trying to make it look as though she’s confident in her deceit.

The signs are easy when you know what to look for, and living in the life I’ve been handed, I’ve had plenty of opportunity to learn what dishonesty looks like.

My phone goes off again.

Dammit.

I’m late.

“And the computer?” I’ll let her play her game, see how far she can take it before she’s snared.

“Same.” She raises her chin.

“And your clothes?” How far down can she dig?

She shrugs. “I did some spring cleaning early. Got rid of things I don’t wear.”

“That’s what you’re going with? All right.” I close the closet door and pull out my phone.

Several messages from Sergei. I respond that I’m on my way then put the phone away.

“I don’t owe you any explanations.” Her brows lower. I’m sure she’s uncertain that I’ve believed her.

If I didn’t have to get back across town to meet Sergei, I’d have the truth from her much sooner. Then I’d take all afternoon rewarding her for being a good girl.

Instead, we’re going to play her game.

And I fucking hate games.

“I have a meeting.” I pause for a beat, letting the relief cross her face. She thinks she’s getting away with not answering me about Jimmy.

Cute.

I would much rather stay with her and carry her through her misunderstanding of how things work with us. It’s going to be so sweet to watch her spin herself into a web of lies and try to unscramble them in order to get out. I’ll be there, ready and waiting when she falls to her knees, begging to tell the truth if only I will show mercy.

Fuck, just the image of it makes my cock unbearably hard.

“But I’ll be by tonight. You can tell me all about your friend Jimmy.” I head to the living room to get my coat. If the people we’re meeting weren’t only in town this afternoon, I’d push it back. It’s tempting enough to do it anyway. Sergei can handle the Yugorskov brothers on his own.

“Tonight?” She follows me through the kitchen.

“Yeah. Tonight.” I shove my arms through my sleeves and fix the collar on my leather jacket.

My phone goes off again and I answer it in Russian. “What, Sergei? I’m on my way.”

“Good. They will be here soon, and they are bringing Ivan,” he snaps.

Great. They’ve tied in one of my mother’s relatives. He’s a cousin or an uncle, so far removed we aren’t positive anymore, but he’s from back home. Any insult he finds here, he drags back with him. I need to get there.

“I said I’m on my way,” I say again with more heat. I hang up just as he rages on.

“Seven,” I say to Marlena.

She rolls her shoulders. “I have plans.”

“Plans? What plans?” I’m not in the mood for any more games today; I’ve let her get away with enough. If she says she’s going on a fucking date, I’m going to change my plans for the rest of the day.

“Just out with some friends.”

“Andrei’s taking Izzy out tonight.” I had to use a connection to get them a table at a restaurant he wanted to surprise her with. If Marlena would stop being so dishonest, I’d get us a table at an even better restaurant.

“I have other friends.” She cocks an eyebrow. “From work. Friends from work.”

I stare at her a long moment. She’s not quite holding my gaze, but she hasn’t started rubbing her neck.

“I’ll come by after then.”

“I’ll be out late.”

“Are you avoiding me or avoiding telling me about Jimmy?”

“Both?” She smiles.

“I’ll let you have your night with your friends tonight, but I’ll be here in the morning. We’ll have breakfast and you can spill all your secrets then.”

Her smile fades.

“Let me have….” Her jaw tightens and she draws in a slow breath. “Goodbye, Viktor.” She yanks the door open for me.

I’ve kept Sergei waiting long enough. He’s going to be crabby as hell by the time I get there.

I grab her by the waist and pull her to me, kissing her again.

“Remember when I said you were wrong when you said there is no us?” I ask.

“Yeah?” She focuses on my mouth.

“There is very much an us, moy sladkiy voin.”

“You can’t just say that and make it so.” She rolls her eyes.

“I can. And I did.”

“It doesn’t work that way.”

I kiss her again, a short peck to her mouth.

“I’ll see you in the morning.” There’s no point arguing with her right now. She’ll only get herself in trouble, and she’s had a hard start to the day.

“Whatever.” She sighs, probably thinking she’s finally getting rid of me.

“Lock the door when I go.” I step into the hall. She waves a little and shuts the door as I turn for the stairs. I wait for the thick metal bolt to lock in place before I go, shaking my head as I jog down the stairs.

She’s thinking I’ve let the situation go, that I won’t push her.

She’s going to be surprised when I return.

I don’t let things go that easily.