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“I think the best thing is for you both to move to the family compound. Without any idea of where the threat is coming from, it’s best contained there,” Milos is saying.
“With Mother there, I don’t think it’s a good idea. I’m not happy about it, but I believe the best place for us is the winter house.”
Silence for what feels like minutes.
“Grandfather did turn it into a fortress. A fortress that in the end guaranteed his and Father’s death. I don’t want you or Phoenix there. It’s bad luck.” Milos is grave. “The family compound was built for a reason. If you feel that strongly, the Swan house is on the edge, far away from Mother in the main house. It has the bulletproof glass, a safe room, and tunnel out.”
Bulletproof glass? I open the door. Milos moves and I meet freaky yellow eyes. I blink and Aleksander is in front of me. “Baby girl, I need you to pack some clothes. We’re leaving in a few minutes.”
“Is this what our life is going to be like? Hiding from people? People out to kill me? We can’t go to a house because your father and grandfather were killed there?” Fear squeezes my chest tight.
The sound of the front door closing is barely heard at the change in Aleksander. He’s nearly vibrating with rage. “That is going to depend on you. The threat is because of your work with the FBI. Their security wasn’t good enough. Men whose business you brought down are out to punish you. This apparently isn’t the first time you had men out for you. Valdez was able to stop the others, this time he doesn’t know where they’re coming from.”
No, I’ve been so careful. Valdez stopped others? The week before he contacted me asking me to work for him, I’d been in the email of a trafficker. I’d tugged at a string and spotted the trap only once it came down around me. I backed out. I was sure I was protected by firewalls and false fronts. For hours I wondered if I screwed up but when nothing happened, I crashed as the adrenaline trickled out of me. When I woke up to no strange emails or my own traps tripped, I shrugged it off.
Except Aleksander is telling me I was wrong. If it weren’t for Valdez I’d likely be dead already. Not once but several times?
“Not such a horrible thing after all that I’m a bad, bad man willing to destroy anyone who dares to even glare your way, is it?” The words are soft. Yet they are filled with darkness. There is not a single doubt in my mind he won’t simply destroy someone, he will make the person and everyone around them regret even attempting to hurt me. I don’t understand why the darkness pulls me to him, sends me into his arms, holding him tight.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper.
“I’m not. Anything that brings you closer to me, I’ll take.”
* * *
Aleksander
Phoenix is docile as I get her packed up and bundled into the car then into the Swan house. The Swan house has its name because it was the name of the family we purchased it from. They’d owned it for three generations, people in the area also called it the Swan house—although we’ve owned it for more than a decade.
I’ve rarely been here. I walked the place after we bought it because Milos ordered me to see if it really needed the two million in updates Mother swore it did. Like we were going to tell Mother no to anything. I understood the question since there was also more than a million going into turning it into a safe home for any of us. Bulletproof glass, reinforcing doors, creating a safe room and building the tunnel to the main house, then another exit out and away.
After Mother walked me through the place, I agreed with her. The place sat empty for a few years from a lack of money to update it. A new roof was only the first but most expensive thing it needed. Designed in a French Tudor with a freaking turret on one side and high ceilings, it’s not my style. I told Milos if I had my pick it wouldn’t be this place. Phoenix, however, is in awe of it. I don’t give a shit where I live, as long as she’s happy I’d live on Mars.
I walk her through the house then up to the main bedroom suite. “Holy crap, how many rooms are in this place?” She gasps.
I shrug. “It’s on the bigger side, but it’s still smaller than the main house. There are five bedrooms, seven baths, and two bedrooms and two baths in the servants’ quarters. It’s spread out over eight thousand square feet.”
“Servants’ quarters?”
“We won’t have anyone while we’re here. And they don’t live in if you don’t want them to,” I assure her.
“It’s not them living in. It’s how you’re acting like it’s no big deal to have servants.”
Christ, I’m trying to stay away from her when we’re so close to a bed and my shoulder is aching. I can’t. Tugging her close, I run a hand through her hair. “You aren’t lifting a finger so it’s not a big deal.”
“I don’t mind. I had a cleaning woman but for the rest of the house and to cook. I’m not a good cook but—”
Anger pulses through me at the thought of her without me, no one taking care of her. I remember going through her bank accounts, all the food she ordered, no one ensuring she ate healthy. Wrapping my hand around her throat, I squeeze in warning. “But nothing. You will not cook anything unless you want to. You will not worry about dishes or be on your knees cleaning for anyone.”
Fuck. Her pupils dilate. “But I want to be on my knees for you.” Without any warning she sinks down to her knees. The pose is perfection, her shoulders back as she looks up at me.
My cock jumps, fucking hell. How I don’t throw her on the bed and lose myself in her until neither of us can move, I don’t know. It’s the visceral reaction that has me taking a deep breath, careful with her. “I don’t want you on your knees unless my cock is in your mouth or inside you.”
Damn it, she flinches at my words. “If you want to, baby, then I’m honored. I just…” I shake my head, wanting her to understand. “Outside of us, you bow to no one. Not Milos or my mother, no one is above you to me. You are precious to me. You on your knees in sublimation… I’m honored you want to be on your knees for me. If it’s whatyouwant—”
I messed it up again. Blue eyes are wide, fear stamped on her face. “If you’re only doing this for me—”
“Fuck that. Have no doubt I’m a selfish sonofabitch. This might be for you, but I am getting so many benefits it doesn’t feel right. That’s why I don’t like you on your knees unless I’m giving you pleasure at the same time.” I fear myself forgetting that her pleasure is more important than my own. Especially when she wants to please me.
