“I’m not hiding anything,” I say smoothly, definitely not wanting to discuss Alexei right now. “I would like to know how you got in here. It’s not a surprise to me that you escaped your bodyguards, but last time I checked, we have security on the main floor.”
She shrugs one delicate shoulder. “Oh, please. I smiled at your security guy, and he knows we’re best friends. It’s not like he doesn’t follow me on social media.”
“Good point.” I have missed her. She’s been so busy the last week, as have I.
She leans toward me. “Is it true that you got Alexei Sokolov out of prison?”
I nod. “For now. I’m sure there’ll be another trial, and I’m awaiting the prosecution’s filing on that.”
She clasps her hands in her lap. “Rosie, I don’t know. He seems dangerous.”
I burst out laughing. I can’t help it. “Unlike Thorn Beathach?”
She rolls her eyes. “I’m not saying that Thorn is a safe kind of guy, but ...”
“But what?”
She chews on her lip. “But we’re on the same side now. Are you and Alexei on the same side?”
“Most certainly not,” I say instantly.
She leans back and studies me. “What aren’t you telling me?”
My phone buzzes on my desk, but I don’t want to leave the comfort of the sofa. “Yes, Eloise?” I call out.
“There’s a Miss Rendale here to see you,” my administrative assistant calls back, having no problem bellowing through hallways.
“Send her my way,” I yell. I look at Alana.
She shrugs. “I may have texted Ella that we’d be here.”
Ella soon fills the doorway. Well, it’s more accurate to say that Ella soon stands in the doorway. At five feet tall and probably one hundred and five pounds soaking wet, she looks more like Tinkerbell than the dangerous computer hacker we both know her to be.
“Alana,” she cries out and rushes forward, almost tackling Alana into the sofa. “It’s been forever.” After hugging Alana, Ella turns to me. “I just saw you a couple days ago, but I miss the three of us being together.”
“As do I,” I say. Before Alana and Thorn had gotten together, we’d meet often, late at night in a secret basement room of Alana’s apartment building to work on charitable programs. “I miss our late nights,” I add. How much ice cream had we eaten during those nights, anyway?
Alana’s face falls. “I do, too, but I no longer need to sneak money from my trust fund in order to pay for all of these charities. Thorn is more than happy to do so.” Even though it’s a kindness, she looks forlorn.
“We’ll figure out something the three of us can do.” Ella plops herself on the seat facing us. “I’m not sure what, though.” She glances at me. “You need any help? Rumor has it you got the Sokolov heir out of prison. You want me to put him back in?”
“Maybe,” I say, thinking of that morning and how he forced an orgasm on me. Yeah. That’s what had happened. “First, I need to figure out who set him up, and then we’ll see.”
She leans forward. “Are you serious?” Her blue eyes sparkle.
“No,” I grumble. “I’d never put an innocent person in prison.”
“All right, what’s going on?” Ella studies me.
Alana chuckles. “For a lawyer, you really don’t have a very good poker face.”
“Fine.” I relent and tell them about the events of the morning. Alana’s mouth gapes open while Ella’s shuts tight, making her lips almost white.
“We should kill him,” she finally says.
Alana snorts. “I don’t know. I’ve never seen Rosalie look this relaxed.”
I punch her in the arm, not too lightly.
