Page 68 of The Lieutenant

After thinking about his question, I allowed my grin to spread from ear to ear. “I’m going to tame a savage beast. My way. Trustme, brothers. She will learn that obeying my every command is the only way she’s going to survive.”

CHAPTER 20

Kara

“You can’t keep me here like some prisoner. I demand to be released.”

Bruno the Bouncer just glared at me like he’d been doing for the last ten minutes. He’d dragged me into a barren conference room, shoving me down into a seat then taking guard at the door.

I jumped up, getting in his face. “Talk to me. Why are you holding me here?” I had a bad feeling I was going to be arrested or worse, he was waiting for instructions as to how to handle my untimely demise. Would Havros have me killed?

How had I put myself in this position?

“Talk to me.” I made an ugly face at him and the huge man never blinked. “Was this about taking photographs?” Or about gaining entrance because of a lie?

He was like a stump in the woods. I hadn’t noticed the bulge in his jacket until now. Of course he was carrying a weapon and I didn’t doubt the fact he’d been well trained to use it.

Maybe I needed to try a different tactic. “Look. I’m sorry I entered the club under false pretenses. I simply need to gather all the information I can for an article I’m writing on the family. They know about it.”

As if that helped.

I certainly wasn’t doing myself any good at this point. Huffing, I spun around and started pacing the floor. My nerves were on edge, my mind thinking of the most horrible scenarios. Less than three minutes later, I heard a click. I didn’t need to turn around to know who’d walked into the room. The current was stronger than before, the sharp jolt of electricity creating an instant and very warm ache throughout my body.

“Hello, Kara. I’m surprised to find you here.” There was no emotion in Havros’ voice, none whatsoever. Just a matter-of-fact ‘you fucked up by coming to my club’ tone.

With no chance of escaping, I was forced to turn and face the man I’d done everything I could to drive from my crazed mind. He was standing in another suit, this time dark blue, the light gray shirt open to the middle of his chest. He had his hands in his trouser pockets, the open jacket allowing me to see the well-tailored material hugging his broad chest.

I involuntarily licked my parched lips, driving myself insane with trying to find the right words to explain my behavior. “Havros. I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Obviously not.” He walked closer, taking slow and easy strides before nodding toward the brute of a bouncer to leave us alone.The hard click of the door shutting exacerbated my increasing nerves.

I tried not to react or to seem bothered by the powerful man’s presence, but the twinkle in his eye was a clear indication he’d caught me red-handed. And he would use that to his advantage.

Taking the bull by the horns I swaggered closer, the light perspiration I’d felt since being tapped on the shoulder causing a sleek sheen under the thin material. The dress was sticking to every curve. “I wanted to see where you played.”

“Only I don’t play here. This is a place of business. My family’s business.”

“Where do you play?”

He laughed. “I thought that was already determined. Together.”

His insinuations would normally piss me off, but right now, I was more flustered than ever. “Yes, well, I’m talking about going out to nightclubs.”

“I don’t have time. I am curious what made you think you could come here without my knowledge?”

“It’s a public club.”

“Which you lied to obtain entrance to.” He held up the credentials the brute had taken from me, shifting it through his fingers like a playing card.

When I reached out to snap it from his hand, he jerked back his arm. “Not so fast, kitten. We need to get something straight between us. You disobeyed me and even worse, you ignored the terms of our contract.”

“So I’m not allowed to enter any business you own without an escort?” Yes, he’d mentioned needing his permission, but I hadn’t read that as part of the contract. Was he going to try to use my indiscretion to get out of talking to me?

You did act as if you were finished with the interview. Remember?

Oh, that. Yes, I had. Only it had been in the heat of the moment.

A moment of fear.

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