AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Begrudgingly, Constantine sniffed in agreement before shutting the door.
I drew a deep breath as Constantine rounded the front of the truck and slid behind the driver’s seat. We sped down the road, racing away from the scene of the crime. It was easy to admit my husband looked good behind the wheel. In all honesty, he looked good in any car, but in the overly exhausted haze I was in, a mad thought to see him in cowboy attire, strong and ready to work the land, had my lips twisting into a smile.
The sharp braking of the vehicle ripped me from my fantasy, and I realized we were already back at the Russian’s fortress. Pulling through the gates of the gothic masterpiece in the wealthy neighborhood of LA, I didn’t feel any of the same resignations I’d had the first time we came here.
“What are you smiling about?” Constantine asked gruffly, creeping the truck under the gate and down the sprawling driveway.
“Something private,” I teased, enjoying the well-earned intimacy of being with him.
“Tell me.” Throwing the truck into park, Constantine turned in his seat, offering me his full attention.
The hunger in his eyes had my inner muscles tightening. “Fine, I’ll tell you. There is something about this truck that makes me think you’d make a good ranch hand.”
He scoffed. “That is a hard no.”
“You rode in, guns ablaze, to rescue me in a pickup truck, no less.” I shrugged. “If that’s not Wild-Wild-West then I don’t know what is.”
“And if I used an Aston Martin, you’d call me James Bond.” There was the smallest twitch on his lips.
“All right, I take it back.” I ran my tongue over the cut on my own, noting his gaze heat as he tracked the motion. “You might have used a truck, but now that you mention it, you are a lot closer to a double O spy than a country bumpkin.”
“Oh, yeah?” he murmured, distracted by how I angled my body. I knew it was a stolen moment, but I was seizing as many as I could.
“Yeah, and it’s not just the clean-cut appearance. Your sharp looks aside, it’s your stealth and mercenary-like ways. You’re more than a sea smuggler in how you fight and kill. It’s almost like you’re a secret agent or something much more mysterious.” It was all said for fun, but as I spelled out the obvious, Constantine sucked in a harsh breath. Those eyes darted back and forth as he searched my face. What had I said? Clearly something about that little attempt at flirting had set him off.
A knock on the window had us separating.
“Break it up, love birds, we have shit to do,” Viktor shouted at us with a laugh. He moved toward the front door.
Reluctantly, I unbuckled my seatbelt and exited the vehicle, Constantine doing the same.
“Talia!” Sophie cried, bursting out of the house. “You’re okay! Oh, hell no, you’re not!”
No sooner had I moved around the side of the truck than the pixie-like woman grabbed the front of my shirt and pulled me down. Her slender fingers probed my face.
There was a soft growl, and Constantine appeared behind me, pulling me back.
“She’s fine, Con!” I gasped, not wanting to piss off our newest allies with a display of masculine possessiveness.
“I’ve got first aid kits in the kitchen,” Sophia squeaked, completely oblivious to Constantine’s rigid mass. Or maybe she was used to domineering men given Viktor was her brother.
“Go fetch it, zaika,” Viktor commanded, the threat behind his words obvious.
“Oh, knock it off, you two.” Sophia held out her hand to me. “Come on, Talia. Let’s get you cleaned up.”
I pressed my fingers into Constantine’s arm, letting him know it was okay. Ever so slowly, he released me. I turned slightly and pressed a kiss onto his cheek. “Thank you, Constantine.”
“For what?” he rasped.
“Coming for me.” With that I pulled away.
But he wasn’t done. He grabbed my shoulders hard and pulled me close. “I’ll always come for what is mine. That includes you, princess.”
And then he kissed me. It was quick and brutal. Fire surged through my body, and my core pulsed with need.
When Constantine pulled back, he said, “I’ll be along shortly. The Russian and I have a little matter of an alliance to solidify. There are a few details we need to work out.”
I left, feeling a renewed strength. A brush of warmth settled over my body, separate from the inferno of sexual desire blazing in my veins. All my aches and physical strains calmed at my husband’s possessive tone. I would be all right, no matter what happened.
