I move closer to him, tilting my head back to get a full view of his face as I slide one palm up his chest. “And you obviously had a long day. You’re tired, but here you are, scolding me for not wearing enough clothes,” I say softly.
“Not the same thing.”
A smile touches my lips. “It is. You care, and I care, too.” I soften my gaze, hoping he can see how much I feel. “And I’m sorry that I haven’t admitted that sooner.”
He slides an arm around my waist and pulls me flush against his chest. Then he cups my cheeks, staring down at me with a stern expression. “You have a right to be frightened of everything I am and what I represent.”
I shake my head. “I waive that right, Leo. I understand now that your control comes from terror, from the fear of losing those you care about. It’s not about power plays or dominance. And from now on, I’ll respect your decisions about my security.”
He doesn’t seem convinced, but he doesn’t push.
Instead, he lowers his lips to mine and brushes a firm but fleeting kiss to the side of my mouth. He steps aside and points at the bedroom. “I don’t want you catching a cold. Go inside.”
“I will, if you kiss me again,” I whisper.
Instantly, his eyes darken with a desire I know he was trying to suppress, and when he does step forward to claim my lips again, he does so with complete abandon. It’s passionate and rough, exhilarating even, allowing me to feel the awakening of every nerve in my body…and leaving me wanting more.
I dig my nails into his shirt to keep me grounded, and he gently presses me against the cold railing as we lose ourselves in the cool glow of the moonlight.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Leonid
I round the hood of my car, my boots crunching against the gravel as I throw myself into the driver’s seat. Mikhail is already sitting in the passenger side, with a cigarette placed between his lips and an air of seriousness around him.
He plucks a silver Zippo lighter out of the breast pocket of his jacket and runs his thumb down the flint wheel. Three sparks later, the butt glows cherry red. He tosses the lighter back into his pocket and leans back into his seat.
I shift into drive, slamming my foot onto the gas. The tires spit dirt as we blast out of the estate grounds, with a few other cars driving behind us.
A few minutes later, I throw a quick glance at the rearview, checking the fleet following our lead, but the pointed stare at the side of my face starts to annoy me.
“Is there a particular reason you’re staring at me?” I don’t look at him, but from the corner of my eyes, I catch the flick of his fingers motioning to mine, which rapidly tap against the steering wheel.
“Something’s on your mind,” he points out. “I couldn’t help but notice how many times you’ve drummed your fingers against that thing.”
I scoff. “So I’m disturbing you?”
He makes a nonchalant gesture with his shoulder. “I’m just saying, you can get it off your chest.”
“I almost fucking lost her, Mikhail. During the attack on the house, at the docks…if I hadn’t gotten there on time, who knows what would have happened.”
“But you did get there on time.”
“Still, she’s in danger,” I clip out, my voice completely devoid of emotion as I stare at the winding road. “She thinks she’s masking the fear of being mixed up in all this, but she’s clearly terrified, Mikhail. And it’s getting to me.”
Mikhail takes a slow drag before he lets out a quiet exhale. “With all due respect, Leonid, I think this might all be in your head,” he says, completely unafraid of my mood. He shifts in his seat and glances my way. “We both know Elena’s not a quiet woman. She’s vocal. We’ve all seen her look you in the eye when any other person would be begging for their life. If she truly wasn’t comfortable here, if she wanted out of this life, she’d tell you. She’d insist on leaving. But she’s still here, by your side, because that’s where she wants to be.”
I lean back against the seat and run my fingers through my hair as his words sink into my mind. Before I can offer a cynical reply, the synchronized beeping of our encrypted phones cuts through the air.
Mikhail snaps his device out of his pocket at the same second I glance down at the illuminated screen on the dashboard. It’s an urgent intel report from some of our security at the harbor.
My blood runs cold.
“Vasili is mobilizing,” Mikhail mutters, and his voice loses all its previous calm as he reads the rapid stream of data. “He’s moving faster and bolder than before. His men are bypassing our security at the southern docks right now. The bastard isn’t waiting for us to raid his complex, Leonid. He’s bringing the fight to our doorstep.”
The fury that’s been simmering in my chest all afternoon instantly boils over. Vasili thinks he can catch me off guard. I’m going to show him how wrong he is.
I press the speed-dial on the console, and the line barely rings before a gravelly voice answers. “Boss?”
