Page 22 of The Boss

Her eyes brightened but she looked over her shoulder at the open door. “Very nice.”

I sensed she’d been instructed what answers she could provide. “Do you know why I’m here?”

That was pushing the limit, her face reddening. “No, I… I do not know. I’m sorry. I…” As soon as she turned around, the great Mr. Nomikos walked into the room. His expression was unreadable just like before, but his eyes blasted heat from overhearing our conversation.

If you could call it that.

“Mr. Nomikos. I’m sorry. I was just talking,” Eleni blustered out.

“Don’t be angry with her. She did nothing to you. You’re the monster.” Even now as he glared at me from the stinging words I’d issued, I could feel his dark and dangerous persona as electricity crackling in the room.

“It’s fine, Eleni. You can go now,” he told her.

“Yes, sir.” She scurried out without bothering to look behind her. But she did close the door as if knowing he wanted the two of us very much alone.

He’d taken off his jacket, now standing with his hands in his pockets, his shirtsleeves rolled up past his elbows. That allowed me another look at the colorful ink on his arm that I’d been so interested in as a child. I’d bugged him about the dragon until he told me it was a good luck charm.

Now I seriously doubted that, but I found my eyes directed to the tat, struggling with intense emotion and a racing, bloodcurdling fear.

He stood stoically, studying me and it seemed there was some sort of line drawn in the sand.

While still sensually handsome, he appeared as exhausted as I felt, his two-day stubble now three. Against everything good and decent, I imagined running my fingers through the coarse hair while tangling others in his thick curls.

“We need to talk.” His voice oozed of all things I couldn’t desire. He wasn’t asking me either. He was telling me.

“We have nothing to talk about except for my release.”

His smirk was just as irritating as my longing for him to touch me. I would never, ever allow that to happen. Not under any circumstances.

So I remained where I was, trying to keep my chin up as he continued glaring at me. “Did you kill my parents?”

Whether or not he hesitated on purpose I didn’t care, but his huff and the slight look away indicated he thought my questionwas ridiculous. “Why would I want to kill the brother of my best friend and his incredible family?”

“You have friends? I’d think you’d run them off out of fear.”

When he cocked his head, I could tell he was admonishing me.

“As I said. We need to talk.”

“So talk.” I remained right where I was, doing what I could to keep from gazing at him with any amount of lust. “Are my parents dead?”

“Yes, Willow. I’m very sorry. I didn’t get to them in time.”

His comment caught me off guard. Some of the fury vanished. “What… What happened? My parents never hurt anyone. Ever.” Sobs threatened to make me seem weak. No. I refused. Not now. I just couldn’t break down in front of him.

“I do not know. That is the truth, but I believe your brother does.”

“Shane? How? Why?”

“That’s a good question. Or maybe the appropriate question to ask is who is he working for?”

“You cannot believe he’d have my parents killed. He’s not a bad man.” I heard the attitude in my tone and so did he.

He chuckled. “You mean like me?”

“I don’t know you.”

“But you do remember me.”

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