AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I’d sighed into the phone. “If I were to consider this, is there a way where you can guarantee her safety?”
“No, and why are you asking stupid questions? I thought you were smarter than that, Drakos.”
The minutia of the conversation replayed through my mind again and again, chasing sleep away. I wasn’t invincible, and my body ached for rest. But there was a livewire pulsing through me, kept charged by recent events.
Talia shifted, rolling into me. Her fingers grazed over my skin, and she mumbled something sleepily against my chest.
“I love you too, gypsy queen,” I whispered, dropping a kiss on her hair.I love you so much that I’ll let you soar.
It was time to go to war, and my very own avenging angel was ready to take flight at my side. It could wait until tomorrow, though, because I was going to steal another day with her.
~*~
Jakob’s cool gray eyesran over Talia’s body. It wasn’t a sexual look; no, that would’ve been better. Rather, it was a predatorial one. Tension rippled through my shoulders as I watched him.
The lobby was empty since night had fallen long ago. The security teams were all dispatched, and average corporate clients didn’t meet with the firm after hours. Players in the underworld, however, did. I’d had my day with Talia; it was everything a honeymoon should be. But now, in the dark of night, it was time to prepare for battle.
“I’ve invited my friend to this meeting because she has some useful information, and she thinks you’ve been looking at my father’s ghostly empire all wrong.” Talia clasped her hands in front of her.
I stiffened, casting Talia a sideways glance. “Who?”
“Sophia.” She blinked up at me, a soft smile playing on her lips.
“I’m not sure if I want the Bratva involved in this execution,” I stated, cutting my hand through the air. Disbelief that she’d arranged this without consulting me skated through my mind. “You should have asked me.”
We’d already grown too thick with them, using their services and involving them in close family matters. While I was fond of Viktor’s easygoing brutality—especially with Adrian finally taking care of his inner demons—Viktor was still in a sense a stranger. Time would bind us deeper.
It wasn’t time that bound Talia to you.I rolled my eyes at the mental observation. Talia had earned her right to a place in my empire, but I wasn’t sleeping with Viktor.
“I did ask you.” Talia’s brow shot up in challenge, bringing me back into the present.
“When?” I clipped.
“Right before you fell asleep for a five-hour nap,” she sassed.
I pressed my lips tight. That was right after I’d blown my load deep in her womb. A memory of a conversation ghosted through my mind.She did bring it up. And I’d agreed.“I remember,” I ground out. “But we have to be careful of how many people we plan to use.”
“If you’re planning to put a bounty on my head, the more allies we havehuntingme, the better my odds are at being safe,” Talia spelled it out, rolling her eyes. “Honestly, Constantine, we had this conversation already.”
“What’s this about a bounty?” Jakob narrowed his eyes.
“We need to make it look real to my father that Constantine and I are on the outs,” Talia explained.
“I said I hate this plan.” I pinned her with a hard look.
“We’ll see what the team thinks. And I know your position, but I think it’s the only way,” Talia insisted. That note of submission in her voice was sweet. Endearing. I was spared a further response when a veritable gale pushed through the front doors.
“Drakos, Mrs. Drakos! A pleasant evening to you both,” Viktor called out.
“Why are Russians so fucking loud?” Jakob muttered under his breath.
I resisted the need to smirk and turned to my new friend. “Good evening, Viktor, Miss Markovich. Have you met Jakob Webber, founder and CEO of Spyder Security?”
There was something odd about the sister’s behavior. Her eyes were sparkling, and as she walked next to Talia, they embraced and had a hushed exchange that ended in a soft laugh. Meanwhile, the men were shaking hands and exchanging social pleasantries. Out of everyone in the room, I felt my focus zero onto the women. It was irrational, but I was jealous Talia had a secret that I wasn’t allowed to be in on.
“Well, shall we get to work?” Sophia announced, bumping her hip into Talia’s.
“First, I would like for you to explain exactly why you are here,” Jakob demanded, raising a brow at the Bratva princess.
