“Maybe they wanted to, but Aaron left town. There wasn’t much to do after that.”
“Convenient.”
“I don’t know where Aaron is or what he’s doing. Last I heard, he’s bopping around the globe on his trust fund. His family might think I’m behind some scheme to keep him away or whatever, but it’s not true.”
“Hang on a sec,” Hannah says as I reach for the door handle.
I don’t want to talk about this anymore, but I quickly realize it’s not me that has her attention. She’s staring at Liev as he walks toward the car.
I can understand her hesitation. He looks scary as hell. But also, hot. Really,reallyhot in a grey sweater, jeans, and a pea coat.
Yes. Please.
“It’s okay, I say, pushing the door open. “I know him.”
“You know him?” Hannah looks at me with wide eyes before going back to Liev as he grows closer. “That tattoo on his neck means…”
“From work,” I interrupt quickly. But now my gaze takes in the three bars above the crown that covers the side of his neck, and for the first time, I wonder what it means.
A strange expression crosses her face, but I say a quick goodbye.
Liev glances at the car before his lips lift in a smile and discreetly flips me off with his hand in front of his thigh.
A warm rush of something rushes through me, and I grin before raising my own middle finger. I’m sure Hannah will have questions about this odd greeting, but I feel giddy, and it’s so unusual I don’t care what she thinks.
It suddenly occurs to me that there is no reason for him to be here unless…
“Is everything okay?”
“Can I come up?”
Well,thatdoesn’t exactly relieve my anxiety.
“Sure.”
With a little wave at Hannah, I punch my code into the front door, and do my best not to inhale his cologne when he reaches over my head to hold the door open, letting me enter first.
9
LIEV
I spot her before she sees me.
The car pulls beneath the portico, headlights flaring briefly against concrete, and my attention locks on her pretty face visible through the windshield as I walk to her side of the car.
The woman in the driver’s seat watches me with a nervous expression. I give her a polite nod before my attention zeroes in on Sera.
I wait until she’s shut the car door to speak. “Can I come up?”
She hesitates, then nods. “Sure.”
Waving goodbye to her friend, I follow her through the lobby ignoring the curious woman behind the desk.
“What’s going on?” She turns from punching the elevator call button and jumps a little to find me so close behind her.
Too close to be casual but I can’t seem to help myself.
“We’ll talk upstairs.” I look pointedly at the security cameras mounted in the ceiling.
