“Ella,” I say breathlessly. “She’s leaving town for a while.”
He sighs, his hands going to his belt. “No, she isn’t. I have two men on her right now. What’s wrong?”
I gulp and force a smile. “Nothing. Honest.”
He pauses and cocks his head. His belt makes a swooshing sound as he pulls it free of his pants. “You’re a terrible liar. I wouldn’t try again.”
My mouth goes dry.
“What’s wrong?” He unzips his slacks, removes them, and places them over the back of the chair. In boxers, most men look vulnerable. Not Alexei. He looks stronger than ever. Deadly, even. “I suggest you start talking.”
I can’t. If he can discern when I’m lying, then I don’t want to say anything. Telling the truth is impossible. So I remain silent.
He sits and pulls me over, planting me on his lap facing him. I realize in that second that the bandage is absent from his arm. There’s no wound.
I look closer. “You already healed?”
“Yes. I’m still receiving extra help from charging the amethyst.”
Fascinating. I’m again reminded that Alana has never mentioned that she can heal herself when she charges the crystals at Aquarius Social. Maybe she can’t. Perhaps it’s a gift only Alexei’s lineage holds. “I see.”
His thumb presses against my chin, and he lifts my face. “I’m not going to ask again.”
I drop my gaze to his mouth. His hold tightens, and I look up in surprise.
His gaze is relentless. “If I spank you tonight, you’re not getting an orgasm afterward. Nor will you enjoy one second of it.”
My butt tightens in denial. I consider my options. I know he doesn’t bluff, but I’m also not sure of Ella’s safety if I tell the truth. As I weigh the options, he reaches for the phone he placed on the bedside table, presses a button, and draws it to his ear.
What is he doing?
“It’s Alexei. Take Ella Rendale to the safe house. Yes. Right now.” He clicks off.
Panic engulfs me. “Don’t hurt her. Please don’t hurt her.”
He deliberately places the phone back on the table. “Why would I hurt Ella?”
God. He knows. “You killed David Fairfax,” I blurt out.
“That little shit,” he mutters. “She kept a copy of the disc?”
I nod. “Ella can’t resist a puzzle. She decoded it, and if anything happens to her, the video goes straight to the police.”
His eyes go flat. Hard. “Lying is a mistake. I suggest you learn to tame that part of your personality before I do.”
Tears spring into my eyes. “If you hurt my friend, I’ll never forgive you.”
He doesn’t move. “Now that’s the truth.”
I can’t believe this. “Why did you kill David?”
“He was a bad guy, and that’s the only explanation you’re going to get. I do a lot of things for my business that will never be discussed with you, and that’s just how life is going to be. I suggest you learn to accept this reality. Either you trust and believe in me, or you don’t.” His eyes are hot coal, burning deep in the earth.
The guy never said he didn’t kill David. He just said that he was set up—which he was. He lives in a world I can barely fathom, and now I live there as well. “I’m not a killer,” I whisper, knowing this to my soul. “I can’t survive in your world.”
He brushes the hair away from my face, his large hand gentle now. “There’s only one killer in this marriage, Kotik. You will survive because I’ll make sure of it. Your protection is my utmost goal.” He kisses me gently on the nose.
“Kotik?” I ask. He called me that once before.
