"You really are in the mafia, aren't you," she says quietly.
I take a sip of my coffee, considering how much to tell her. "Bratva."
"Bratva," she repeats, testing the word on her tongue. Her gaze sweeps across the dining room, taking in the expensive furnishings. "And you're like, really high up in it, right?"
"The highest."
She brings her eyes back to me. "So, like, the king?"
"Pakhan," I correct her, a hint of a smile playing on my lips as I add, "But you can call me a king if you like."
She gives me an exasperated look, the kind that’s one breath away from an eye roll.
Then she frowns as she contemplates what that means, and I watch her gnaw the inside of her mouth.
"And that man you killed," she says finally. "The one in the alley?—"
"He wasn't a very good man."
Her eyes meet mine, and there's something sharp in them now. "But neither are you."
"Good thing I got to him first, then."
She stares at me for a long moment, then asks, “I’m I trouble, aren’t I?”
“Yes.”
The word lands between us like a thrown knife.
“Are you going to kill me?”
It’s such a calm question from someone whose pulse is sprinting.
“If I wanted you dead,” I say, “you wouldn’t be sitting at my breakfast table eating my pancakes.”
Her lips part, but she doesn’t reply. She’s trying to process everything.
I lean back in my chair and decide to redirect the conversation.
"You have the freedom of the entire lodge," I tell her, standing and collecting my phone. "Explore. Read. There's a library on the second floor with more books than you could finish in a year. The kitchen is fully stocked if you get hungry. Katya will be here if you need anything."
“Katya?”
“My housekeeper.” I button my jacket. “Myloyalhousekeeper.”
I move toward the door, then pause and look back at her. She's watching me with those big brown eyes, still trying to figure out if I'm the monster or the man.
Unfortunately for her, I am both.
"You can go anywhere you like," I add, letting a wicked grin spread across my face. "Except my den. I will be working in there today. I trust you remember where that is."
The blush returns to her cheeks immediately.
"I wouldn't dream of disturbing you," she says, but her voice wavers.
I give her a slow, deliberate smile."Enjoy your day, Holly. I'll see you at dinner."
I walk away, leaving her sitting there in the dining room, flushed and confused and thinking about me.
