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“There’s no need to be formal. This isn’t as much about business as it is about you.”
Now he had me curious, although I had a feeling he wasn’t finished with giving advice regarding Candy. “Okay.”
“I know how losing your men affected you. You take your job seriously, but you can’t let the anger I sense in you destroy all the good work you’ve put into improving your life.”
He knew about my nightmares and continued need for revenge given the death of my parents and little sister. He’d counseled me over the years, his tutelage reducing some of the anger, but no one could ever take it away. “It’s crossed my mind more than once. I assure you that I will hunt down the men responsible for the attack.”
“I’m certain you will. I’ve always respected your work ethic, Kirill. I also value your loyalty, which is why I’m certain you’ll do the right thing in your search efforts.”
I wasn’t entirely certain what he was getting at, but the man’s penchant for revenge was almost as extreme as mine.
“I’ll do what’s necessary,” I said through clenched teeth.
“I sense you like this girl.”
The man also had a way of cutting through my carefully secured layers. “Men like me don’t have the luxury of enjoying anything but a piece of ass. No one will interfere with business. No one.”
“Dear God, boy. I’m not concerned about that in the least. You’ve never failed me and don’t give me that look. What happened at that warehouse no one expected. I don’t doubt your efforts will go as planned. They always do. As I said, this is personal. You deserve a life.”
I laughed. “I have a life, a good one.” I wasn’t certain what he was getting at. The man wasn’t known for riddles, but I had the feeling there was a dual meaning behind his words.
“You work all hours of the day and night. You need more. If this girl entices you then by all means explore the relationship. Make her your own. Just allow yourself to feel for once. That will do you some good. Take it from an old man. I know what I’m talking about.”
“I’ll take that under advisement.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that.” When he leaned forward, I took a deep breath. “It’s vital that we stop the unions. The project must succeed. However, if it’s necessary to eliminate collateral damage, then you have my blessing. Women are fine treasures, Kirill, but with a single mistake, they can be the sharp blade gutting you in the middle of the night.”
There was nothing else that needed to be said. As I walked out of the room, I continued to remind myself that I wasn’t interested in a relationship with anyone.
Ownership was an entirely different matter.
And as far as collateral damage, I’d never made a wrong decision in my life, and I wasn’t going to allow that to happen now.
* * *
Candy
Sean’s words continued spiraling through me the rest of the evening. I’d gotten myself in jams before. I’d skipped school more than once. I’d ventured out to parties with friends, climbing through my bedroom window. I’d even gotten pretty close to third base with a boy when I was in high school, but this was in a league of its own. What I wondered the entire time I was on the subway was whether it was possible to put the genie back in the bottle.
By the time I reached the sidewalk in front of my apartment building, I knew the answer.
Not a chance in hell.
I glared up at the windows to the fourth floor, cringing to the bone. There were lights on, which indicated he was home. Great. At least I didn’t need to walk by his door, but who could say whether he was staring at me from his perch, waiting to pounce like a tiger. The analogy wasn’t doing me any good. I hurried inside, taking the back stairs toward my floor, easing open the door to the stairwell then counting to five before I found the nerve to peek out quickly.
It was late enough there was no one on the floor. I breathed a sigh of relief, remaining as quiet as possible, tiptoeing my way to my door, easing the key into the first lock then the second. When I opened the door, the scent of the vanilla air freshener greeted me. When I closed and locked it behind me, another fragrance assaulted my senses.
Him.
He was here.
That’s the moment I realized the light I’d left on had been shut off, but as my eyes grew accustomed to the darkness, I was finally able to make out his hulking silhouette. He’d dragged one of my chairs closer to the window. He had been watching my arrival, waiting for me. And the bastard had broken into my apartment. Mine. I’d stood watching my detective cousin installing the lock he called impenetrable, yet here the brutal Russian was.
I was temporarily frozen to the spot, trying to think of something witty to say.
“Hello, printsessa.”
Kirill had the ability to make me swoon by saying only a few words. Tonight was no exception. Maybe a small part of me had wanted to see him, or was hoping he’d come knocking on my door, but breaking in was an example of how possessive he was.
