“Mr. Maksimov…”
“Adam.”
“You…you can’t just…”
“Aye, love. I can.” I put my hand on the door. “Two women alone in this house.” I shake my head. “For fucking weeks… with the contract open.” I slowly inhale again. “I’ll be back tonight.”
“I haven’t agreed toanyof this…”
My lips stretch. “I know.” I open the door. The wall of heat hits me again, but I barely feel it. “We’ll figure that part out later. The part we’re not figuring out later is whether anyone gets through that gate while ye sleep. That’s not a fucking option.”
I look at her one more time: standing in the foyer in her dress, bare feet on the wood, brown eyes huge, her full lips parted, her gorgeous, tired face trying to find the words to argue with me and failing.
“Tonight, lass.”
I tuck a wild curl behind her ear, then step out on the porch, waiting for the door to click shut behind me.
Then I get in my car and let my hand close around the steering wheel hard enough that the leather creaks.
Fucking weeks.
I start the engine.
I have fucking calls to make.
Five
Lisa
Jasmine walks in, talking on her phone, kicking off her shoes in the foyer like she’s been doing since she was ten years old, and something on the other end of the line makes her laugh.
“…told you, babe, I have to go. My mom’s gonna kill me if I’m late again. Yes.Yes.I love you.Bye.Bye.Anthony.Bye.”
She hangs up and comes into the kitchen, dropping her bag on the table and going straight for the fridge.
“There’snothingto eat, Mama. I’m starving. What are we having? Please tell me you cooked. Did you cook? You didn’t cook.”
I open my mouth, close it.
Tell her, Lisa. Just tell her.
“Sit down, baby.”
She turns from the fridge with a string cheese in her hand, already peeling it, and asks absentmindedly, “What?”
My girl. So pretty. So precious. So… fucking perfect. And mine. All mine. I will die before I let any of these damn bastards hurt her in any way, shape, or form.
“Sit. Down.”
My tone catches her attention and Jas’ sits. She sets the cheese on the table, looks at me, and waits.
“Something happened.”
She takes my hand, her green eyes widening. “Are you okay?”
“I’m okay, baby. Nobody’s hurt.”
“Mama, you’re scaring me.”
