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Lucas ran his teeth over his bottom lip, tugging at it. He’d watched the man do that several times in the past when he was amused or thoughtful and now it was like he was fighting something and losing. Andrei didn’t care. He longed to pull that lip into his own mouth and suck on it.
Catching the moan that rose up his throat, Andrei lurched away from Lucas, falling back into his own seat. His knuckles were turning white, he held the steering wheel so tightly. His harsh, rapid breathing was the only sound in the car. He was becoming obsessed with the man’s perfect mouth.
“Andrei, it’s okay,” Lucas said softly after a couple seconds. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lucas reach for him and he flinched. Lucas stopped and pulled his hand back, dropping it into his lap.
“It’s not fucking okay,” Andrei gritted out.
“We’ll be in and out in five minutes,” Lucas coaxed. “No one will even know we were here.”
Andrei’s eyes jerked to Lucas in confusion, his mind stumbling out of its lust-filled haze to realize that he wasn’t talking about the fact that he’d nearly kissed the man within an inch of his life. No, Lucas was still talking about getting out of the car. Hell, that seemed less dangerous now compared to the edge he’d been balanced on just seconds earlier.
He barely reacted to the soft thunk of Lucas’s car door unlocking yet again. “Come on,” Lucas pressed. “Let me show you this. I need you to help me figure out why I’m being targeted.” Andrei reluctantly dragged his gaze over to Lucas’s face to find him tentatively smiling. “Sooner we figure it out, the sooner you never have to see me again.”
That didn’t make him feel better. Andrei just shook his head, closing his eyes for a second. “You’re the most stubborn man I’ve ever met.”
“It’s one of my more endearing qualities.”
Andrei snorted, some of the tension starting to flow out of his shoulders. “I still don’t like this.”
“Five minutes and then we’re gone.” Lucas pulled the door handle, popping open the door, but he stopped it from swinging wide.
“Stay. You follow my lead,” Andrei said firmly, waiting for Lucas to nod in agreement.
Andrei exited the car and stood holding the top of the door as his eyes slowly scanned the area. Everything was ragged and worn. The darkness didn’t help much to hide the sagging homes and broken sidewalks. He knew the vacant store fronts, broken windows, and weed-choked lots. He couldn’t understand what Lucas saw in the area. They’d parked just down from an old two-story warehouse.
Removing his jacket, Andrei tossed it onto the driver’s seat, revealing the shoulder holster he was wearing. With any luck, the gun tucked under his left arm would be effective in deterring anyone from bothering them. The street was quiet. It was after ten, but no one was in sight. The sound of cars rushing from one place to another echoed through the city, but on the little block where Andrei stood, it was empty.
“Okay,” he said in a low voice before stepping away from the car and shutting the door. He continued to scan the area as Lucas stepped out and led the way across the street to the dilapidated warehouse. They paused only long enough to unlock the single door and then Andrei entered the building, using the flashlight on his phone to beat back the darkness.
The small, thin light panned over the crude tables built using saw horses and the other random building supplies. Orange water coolers dotted the area along with coils of thick extension cords. The entire place was dusty and in various levels of disrepair.
“What do you think?” Lucas asked after more than minute of silence had passed.
“I think you may have lost your mind,” Andrei said, continuing to sweep the flashlight over the building. There were signs of rust on some of the metal I-beams and chunks of the concrete floor had deep divots. “Is this really worth risking your life over? This building?”
“Yes.”
Andrei turned back to face Lucas, his interest piqued by that single word. Lucas had infused it with passion and determination. He turned off the flashlight, letting his eyes adjust to the moonlight and street light pouring in through the skylights and windows high on the second floor.
“This building, it’s the beginning. It’s ground zero for where I plan to change this entire neighborhood,” Lucas explained.
“How? I thought you were building another nightclub.”
“I am, but like I said, it’s just the beginning. I’ve bought six other buildings in this area under another holding company that hasn’t been directly linked to me. I don’t want people to know I’m moving into the area beyond this building or the fuckers will jack up the property values.”
