Page 118 of Bound By Revenge

She winks, but before I can put the fear of God into her, she takes another bite of her croissant. Then, she closes her eyes, tilts her head back, and moans like she’s in the throes of ecstasy.

“For fuck’s sake,” I groan, my voice rough with frustration.

She opens her eyes, wide and innocent, but the wicked curl of her lips gives her away. “Am I getting you all hot and bothered?”

“Always,” I admit through gritted teeth.

Her delighted laughter fills the room as she sets her plate aside. Rising from her seat, she strolls toward me with the confidence of someone who knows exactly the effect she has.

A second later, she plops herself down on my lap, her plump ass pressing against me as she wraps her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist.

The mood shatters when Vladmir strides into the room with an envelope in hand.

“A courier just delivered this,” he says flatly, holding it out. “He didn’t know who hired him, and he was paid in cash.”

I glare at him, irritated by the interruption but curious enough to let it slide for now. He places the envelope in my hand and exits without so much as glancing in Kat’s direction.

I’ll have to deal with that later. Vladmir doesn’t get to upset Kat—or ignore her entirely.

“What is it?” she asks, her brow furrowing as she leans closer.

I flip the envelope over, frowning when I see her name scrawled on it in uneven handwriting. “No clue,” I say, holding it out to her. “But it’s addressed to you. Why don’t you tell me?”

She doesn’t hesitate. Sliding a finger under the seal, she rips it open and pulls out a folded letter. Her frown deepens with every word she reads.

“Well?” I ask, my curiosity getting the better of me.

“It’s from Erin,” she says quietly, her eyes scanning the page.

“Erin McGuire?” The shock in my voice is palpable.

She nods. “Yeah. She says she doesn't have time to explain everything right now, but she’s certain her father didn’t kill Maxim. She says it’s impossible—but she can’t tell me why yet.”

“Of course,” I scoff, my tone dry. “How convenient. Why would she tell you this?”

“She and I… connected at McGuire’s party,” Kat says, shrugging her delicate shoulders

“She hinted at knowing more than she could say at the time. I think she meant to tell me everything before she vanished.”

“Well, don’t trust her too quickly,” I say, leaning back in my chair. “She’s her father’s daughter. For all we know, McGuire wrote that letter himself.

“There’s more,” Kat murmurs, her voice tightening as her eyes scan the page. “Erin warns me not to trust your men. She says the only person I can trust is you.

A humorless laugh escapes me. “Of course. That’s exactly what McGuire would want you to believe. This letter isn’t worth the paper it’s written on.

She hesitates, her grip on the letter tightening. “Maybe. But maybe not. I’ve been meaning to talk to you about this. What if we’ve been too focused on McGuire? Maybe we need to take a step back and look at this from a different angle.”

I scoff. “You can’t be serious.

“Why not?” she asks, lifting her chin

I exhale sharply, dragging a hand down his face as he fights to keep his irritation in check. “Look, I appreciate that you care about finding Maxim’s killer. I do. But you’ll have to trust me on this. McGuire is our guy.”

Her eyes narrow slightly, her voice calm but edged with determination.“How can you be so sure?” Her posture straightens, her arms crossed as if bracing herself for my answer.

“Because I know him better than you do. I’ve been expecting something like this for years—it was only a matter of time.”

“That doesn’t mean you’re right,” she counters. “What if someone else?—”

---