Page 15 of Beguiled

After all I suspected she knew and the game I’d been playing with her, she was coming back for more. That took someone special. Or someone who needed money as she’d mentioned. My curiosity about her was growing.

I fingered the report she’d left for and had no doubt it was exactly what I’d asked for. Thorough. Accurate. Detailed.

While I adored numbers more than I did people, I had no desire to review her findings. Not just because I could count on their accuracy, but also because I suddenly had no interest in the report. None.

What I was curious about was if her story truly checked out. Not just what I’d seen on paper and had people in the Chertov employ do a deep dive, providing me every glorious detail about her upbringing in Iowa. And her illustrious rise of scholarly accolades while attending Columbia, including being on the student council. She was a true leader hiding beneath a persona that could be passed by.

What was she hiding and was it possible she was someone I should be concerned with? Over the course of the last three years since my half-brother’s rise to power as Pakhan, the number of challenges by entities considered enemies continued to rise. Even though I hadn’t grown up in the world of organized crime, my mother keeping us in the shadows well into my adult life, I understood the hierarchy of regimes.

And of the required violence to keep kingdoms in power.

However, as happened with warring countries, there were usually extensive times of peace. Plus, since the invention of high-tech computers, internet trade and banking, the traditional need for physical battles to be fought was now considered a last resort.

Or maybe I was reading the tea leaves incorrectly.

I threw my head back, staring at the ceiling while spinning the chair from right to left. Saige had a way of draining the energy from my body while keeping my mind flickering with possibilities. As if the woman had used a cattle prod or her fingers contained tiny electronic shock devices.

Something else that impressed me was that Saige wasn’t like the usual women who tried crawling all over me. I’d already heard I was considered a catch, a man who could provide everything a woman needed.

Money.

Clout.

Credit cards with high limits to keep them from being bored during the day.

And a package to crawl in bed with at night that no woman would mind spreading her legs for.

Then again, this was New York. There were thousands of such men and an equal number of powerful women who kept boy toys in closets for their entertainment. That was the way of the rich and powerful.

And nothing I wanted to have anything to do with.

My job was to keep the Chertov Corporation in the black, expanding our wealth with our legitimate operations whenever possible. I was the man who ultimately gave the go-ahead for a new project. I also ran the books for our other side, including keeping tabs on people we considered allies and little black books on those we considered our enemies.

In truth, the money from our underground operations continually brought us an equal level of wealth. However, the tide was turning and if my brilliant financial advisor provided the necessary tools, the levels could change.

An exciting prospect.

If what she provided was of the quality that I already knew she could bring, the end of year financials could bring something to celebrate. However, if she was a mole for any of at least three different crimes syndicates or an undisclosed number of corporate enemies, she would need to be dealt with in ways that wouldn’t be considered as pleasant as the filth lingering in my mind.

Women were notoriously well adept at seduction. Maybe I was reading into the situation instead of taking it for face value, but again, my observation skills had proven useful in the past couple of years.

On the plus side, there would be significant investigative time.

Damn it.

Methods of interrogation were weighing heavily on my mind. And they were completely carnal in nature. Every vision was vivid and provocative. There was nothing wrong with my imagination.

As my phone vibrated, I should pay attention to the caller. But I was still enjoying the moment.

Wanting her had become a pastime, challenging the time I spent honing my body, a personal requirement that had been a part of my regime since I was a teenager.

However, touching what didn’t belong to me was not only inappropriate, doing so could be considered dangerous. Why? Because of who and what I was.

Enforcer to the Pakhan, controller of New York. In the months since my arrival, I’d lowered crime rates within the darker side of the corporation by forty-five percent.

By only using my wit, charm, and reputation.

Laughing, I stared at my hands. There was also the understanding throughout our territories and beyond of how ruthless my methods were of keeping the peace and how far I was willing to go to do so. That had made for a boring last few months.