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Alexei
Mine.
I’d penned the single word on the scrap of paper, leaving it on her pillow. That’s all I could think about after the incredible day and night we’d spent together, our passion knowing no bounds. She’d given herself to me three times after the dazzling experience under the waterfall. Or perhaps I’d demanded she do so, refusing to take no for an answer.
As I pulled the glass of bourbon to my lips, swirling the liquid, I couldn’t seem to get Stephanie out of my mind. While I’d sensed a change in her, testing me in order to try to determine the reason I’d seduced her, I’d been forced to face the reason wasn’t as simple as securing the details of any previous plans Gregory had for challenging my organization.
The fact was far more devious and very personal.
I didn’t want to free her from my tight confines. Closing my eyes, I powered back half the glass, hissing after I swallowed. While my hunger for her remained in the forefront of my mind, the reality of the consequences for keeping her in a gilded cage had forced me to my senses.
This wasn’t the right time to disrupt or destroy her life. The realization was twofold. First and foremost, knowing her tenacity, she would discover every angle Gregory had in his attempt to destroy the family. More important… I sighed, finishing the rest of my drink then bolting from the seat, heading toward the small bar. After pouring another half glass of Kentucky Owl, I stared at the amber liquid then pounded my fist on the surface. She was a weakness I couldn’t afford.
At least not when facing an unknown assassin.
However, my message had been clear with the single word. She now belonged to me. I’d secured that with the tattoo I’d insisted she wear. The vibrant ink of the dragon on her upper arm would be a clear warning to anyone who tried to fuck with her that she’d become important to me. Half laughing, I returned to my seat, staring out the window of the plane. I’d all but demanded she succumb to the artistry. The fact she’d accepted my decision was something else entirely.
We were connected in a way that could prove to be detrimental.
For now, I’d allow her to maintain her lifestyle, pretending that what we’d shared had been nothing more than a passionate yet caustic display of desire between two willing parties.
But both she and I knew better.
It was only a matter of time before our worlds collided and when they did, the entire city of New York could face the kind of bloodshed they hadn’t seen in years.
A heavy workload was ahead of me, including reining in certain influential powers within the government system. It was time they understood they didn’t have a choice in becoming partners with the Kozlov family.
I barely heard the pilot announcing our descent; my return to New York was necessary but had driven me into a nasty mood.
As the plane landed, I developed a plan of action, ready to shake down our well-paid informants in order to determine the identity of the assassin. That was first on the list.
I headed from the jet, finding my second in command leaning against his Grand Cherokee, his arms folded. While his eyes were shaded from the late morning sun, I could tell given his furrowed brow that he had something to share. As soon as I walked toward him, Cassian stood to his full height. The man was a powerful soldier, his six foot five, two hundred and fifty pounds of muscle frame making him impossible to ignore.
I’d hired him personally several years before not only for his brawn, but also for his ability to crack almost any electronic equipment. As I walked up, I yanked the possible assassin’s phone from my jacket, shoving it into his hand. “Find every contact, any email I should be concerned about.”
“You got it, boss. What are you looking for?” Cassian asked.
“The reason the man made the mistake of following me to St. Martin.”
His eyes opened wide. As he slipped the phone into his pocket, he yanked off his sunglasses. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Kirill was insistent that he have a meeting with you.”
“Of course. Any indication what the fuck is going on?”
He laughed then opened the door, grabbing and tossing my bag into the backseat. “You know how Kirill is. He’s a man of few words.”
Sighing, I headed around to the passenger side. “That’s what keeps him alive. Where are we meeting?”
“He said he’d meet you at your house.”
“Good enough.”
As Cassian drove, he updated me on various operations, but I was only half listening, my mind still firmly entrenched in the time I’d shared with Stephanie. The woman was up to something. That had been easy to decipher. As soon as our connection as well as the ramifications of what that would mean to her life and career had settled in, she’d become determined to secure information of her own.
I’d asked her to trust me.
I rubbed my finger across my lips, images of her naked body floating into my mind. Then I shook my head. As he turned into the driveway of my sprawling estate, I shut down my emotions and every desire. Business was far too important.
