Page 62 of Brutal Promise

“I’ll show you around when I’m not working. You’ll have a guard with you when I’m working.”

“And what do you do all day?”

“All in good time.” His voice is patronizing as if I’m an inquisitive child.

“It’s all on your timeline, not mine,” I voice my displeasure.

“Is that so? Well, maybe there are a few people in New York who want to meet you sooner rather than later,” he threatens.

“Speaking of them, any word on James?” I wonder if he carries secrets with him. I wonder how he and my mother met and if she knew he was connected to the Irish mafia. She never went into the city, so it’s possible she never knew the truth.

“Kirill is looking into it. His men know a few Irish. I’m sure we’ll learn something soon.”

“And, just so we’re clear, I wasn’t looking for deep pockets when we met. It was supposed to be just a hookup.”

His eyes narrow on me. “Oh, really, that’s all it was?” His disbelief confirms that I can’t fake anything around him.

“Well, it seems we’re stuck together for the foreseeable future. But the reality is that I need a job. I can’t live off of you. I want to design clothing, and I think I’d be good at it. I could work from home, even.” Maybe I overstepped. Does he even have a home?

He remains pensive.

“I have debt, Dmitry, lots of school loans. You don’t want the government looking for me.”

He gazes out the window, and his voice is cold when he says, “Your debts have been paid.”

I’m stunned. Of course, he knew I owed money. He probably knew how much, down to the penny.

“I didn’t ask for you to do that,” I say while staring out the window, unsure how to feel about it. Should I be annoyed that he is so presumptuous? Or should I be happy he fixed my problems?

“You didn’t ask. But it’s been handled. It’s all about the optics,” he says. “I can’t have the government poking into my affairs.”

Damn, I could have unintentionally exposed him and his family if I had defaulted on my loans. He handled the loans to keep his family’s ill-gotten gains off the fed’s radar. Why am I disappointed it wasn’t out of chivalry?

“Where do I figure into this?” I turn to him at last, no longer worried about what he sees in my expression.

“I’m older. It’s time to get married.” He turns to me, slipping his hand under my stubborn chin. “You’re more beautiful than you know. What man wouldn’t want to give you the world?” His words strike a chord in me.

My heart races, and my pulse quickens. The familiar slickness between my legs returns.

I’m speechless.

“Just as I thought, you like me, Izzy. If I were to slide my fingers between your legs, I’d find you wet for me.”

I’m about to turn my head away, but he drops a light kiss on my lips. My bottom lip quivers with anticipation.

Is the bed in the jet big enough for two?

22

DMITRY

Anton announces the coast is clear when we arrive at Teterboro Airport. There is still one SUV in front of us and one behind us to ensure we weren’t followed. So far, our plan to send identical cars to different airports seems to have worked.

Izzy can’t resist staring at the waiting jet as it glistens in the morning sun on the tarmac. Anton carries our suitcases onto the plane while I wait with Izzy at the bottom of the steps. When Anton shakes my hand to say goodbye, I thank him for keeping us safe and hand him a wad of bills. I won’t be needing this currency when we touch down in London.

“Close your mouth,” I whisper to Izzy as she places a foot on the step.

“I can’t believe we’re doing this.”

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