AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Once I was with Raymond television was overwhelming, and Raymond mainly watched sports. So I buried myself in books, my favorite books. WithhimI’d grown up reading Austen, Dickens, and Christie. I read them again and again.
Beth, the foster mother who took me in when Raymond disappeared, introduced me to newer authors and a new term I had never heard of until she explained it: cozy mysteries. They were mysteries without graphic content and I loved them. In between online school I read the days away.
After I got into hacking and breaking up rings, I allowed it to consume me. I stopped reading—even my favorite books. Any time not sifting through the internet to find them meant more girls and women who suffered.
Now as one episode rolls into two, I marvel that I’m not up on my computer working and letting this run in the background—the way I did with most music since quiet ate at me. I tell myself it’s to learn all I can about this new job I’ve blackmailed my way into. I tell myself I’m allowed to watch this because I’ve already been searching for other girls—it’s my reward. Then I stop telling myself anything and become engrossed in the show. I manage to watch several episodes before it’s time to get ready for work.
By the time the week ends I’m not any closer to my goal than when I walked through the door of the building. Presley clings to me, never allowing me out of her sight for longer than a few minutes if I’m not in my office. The only thing I’ve succeeded in is finishing the first season of the show.
At the idea of going home I’m frustrated, causing me to get off the bus early. It isn’t until a siren blares it hits me that I’m on Michigan Avenue. Christ, what was I thinking? The sidewalk is crowded, cars are backed up on the busy street. There are horns honking every few minutes, adding to the chaos. A guy barrels into me, nearly knocking me over.
“Watch it, asshole,” I yell at the guy who keeps going.
Glancing around, I realize I’m only a block up from the Hancock building—from Aleksander and Milos. I check the time, Aleksander should be leaving to go to his club soon. Without thinking I move faster.
Aleksander Levin appears crossing the wide expanse of concrete between the front door and the street. A black luxury SUV is illegally stopped in front of the building with a door open for him. He’s gorgeous in a silk suit tailored to perfection on his large, powerful frame and I hate his fucking guts.
“I’m coming for you, Aleksander.” The words fly out of my mouth.
He stops, those golden eyes roaming over me. I blink and somehow he’s close enough to touch. “Malyshka, missed me? I’ve been dreaming of you. You dreaming of me too?”
Outrage at his teasing flares within me. “Dreaming of how I’m going to celebrate destroying you.”
“Every celebration should include champagne. Dom Perignon 1995 is my favorite. The taste of it on a woman’s skin is absolutelydelicious.” His voice, deep, dark, smoky wraps around me, drawing me closer to him. My stomach twists at the way he saysdelicious. “My dreams of you have been how to kill you easily so that you never feel a thing. I will give you that courtesy. You won’t see it coming, there won’t be a moment of fear or need for you to fight.”
The words are soft, almost gentle—like his eyes. They don’t match the lethal promise in his tone. Blood rushes in my ears as my heart pounds so loud it washes out the sounds of the city around us. “I’ll take you with me to hell.”
His chuckle is rich and throaty. “Spending eternity with you…I could make it so you never knew you were in hell.”
Air is trapped in my lungs at the way those golden eyes shimmer with heat.
Suddenly a cop is standing at my side. “Anything I can do to help, Mr. Levin?”
Without taking his eyes off me. “No, thank you for asking. I’ll be waiting,malyshka.” The bastard winks at me before getting into the SUV.
Rage fires through me, at me for being stunned by his flirting—at the promise in those golden eyes, at Aleksander. He’s not afraid of me. I’m going to make him regret not being afraid of me.
This time I don’t spot the tail until I’m almost home. I keep walking until I get to my neighborhood Jewel. Going inside, I wander around the store where I manage to ditch him.
Christ, I have to get it together and stay away from Aleksander Levin until I have something on him and his family.
CHAPTER6
Aleksander
The blonde pouts when I walk away from her. I forget her by the time I scan my card to open the door of my office where Milos is waiting for me. Once the door closes behind me his eyes narrow.
“No interest in the blonde?”
I shrug as I light a cigar.
He pours a glass of vodka for each of us. “That’s unlike you. Your favorites are blondes. Want to talk about it?”
Swallowing the entire pour, I sigh. “The damn girl. Considering she appeared when I was with a woman, I don’t want to bring an innocent into the middle of this.”
For the first time in so long I barely remember the last time, I don’t share with Milos the thoughts I’ve had of the girl herself. I’d been surprised by the difference in her appearance. She looked like a real woman this time. A sliver of relief hit me that she wasn’t as young as I first thought. A few years might not seem like much, but it did make a difference—to me.
Then I did it without thinking: teased her. My preset with women was to tease, cajole, compliment, then either back off if I didn’t want her or go in for her if I did. Beautiful, clear, sky-blue eyes went wide as a flush swept over her creamy skin. My cock stirred even as I saw fear was also within her. Definitely afraid of men. She was more afraid of me as a man with a cock than as a man with a gun promising her death.
