I wrinkle my nose and take another sip. “But why the tracker? Why would they need to know where I was?”
Liev doesn’t answer right away. When I glance up, he’s gripping the edge of the marble so hard his knuckles are white.
“They wanted to take you.” He sounds like he’s chewing glass.
“Take me?” I shake my head. “Why would they?—”
Realization crashes in. The man in Chicago grabbing my waist. The two security guards in Vegas. “They thought they couldmakeme tell them,” I finish quietly.
Air saws in and out of Liev’s chest, loud in the stillness. “I’m going to kill them all.”
“Always with the homicide.” The joke falls flat, coming out barely more than a whisper.
I try to make sense of it. Would they really have tortured me? The family I spent so much time with. It doesn’t make sense.
I don’t realize I’m shaking until Liev lifts me into his arms, carries me to the sofa and settles me on his lap.
“I couldn’t have told them if I wanted to,” I whisper. “I didn’t know about the bitcoin…”
“And you never would have given up your brother,” he says gruffly, stroking my hair.
“Fuck.” I blow out a breath and burrow into the warm skin of his chest. “Let’s rethink the homicide angle.”
We sit in silence for a long minute. I feel his heart gradually slow under my cheek.
“I’ll call Mikhail and give him the password,” he says. “Then I’ll pay these assholes a visit.”
I shift to look at him. “We aren’t giving it to Mikhail.”
“It’s his money,” Liev says firmly.
“No, it’s not. It’s the Taggerts’ money. They owe Mikhail. It’s not the same thing.”
He opens his mouth to argue.
“They want the money, not me. Once they have it, I won’t be surprised if they drop the lawsuit. Even if they don’t, it’s going to get thrown out anyway.”
I shift so that my knees are on either side of his hips and settle my weight on him. “Plus, I’m sure my gangster husband can scare them enough so that they’ll leave me alone.”
I press a kiss to his lips.
“They might still want revenge.”
I lick my lips, and his gaze drops to my mouth. “I have faith in your ability to be scary.”
His forearm locks around my hips, dragging me down against him.
“I’ll make you a deal.” I swipe my tongue across his lower lip, then pull back just before he can catch me.
His eyes narrow. “You’re playing with fire,malyshka.”
“Ooh, I’m so scared. I’m shaking.” I shimmy on his lap.
He groans, bucking up against me.
“Talk fast,” he rasps, hands clamping my hips, and guiding me in a slow, torturous grind.
I suck in a breath as pleasure spears through me.
