Page 31 of Fatal Bonds

The meeting with Lucian went well, and as I ride the elevator back up to my condo, excitement expands in my chest when I think about our plan. Thanks to Lindsey’s recon, we’ve managed to put one together in just under three weeks that I actually believe could work. The floor shifts beneath me as it reaches the penthouse, and the doors slide open.

Loosening my tie, I head down the hall toward the back of the house, and my ear catches the sound of Lindsey working before I reach the bedroom. I don’t think she’s aware of it, but she hums when she’s focused on a project, and it makes me smile as I pause outside the master bedroom for a beat to see if I can identify the tune. It sounds like one that’s popular at the clubs right now, and that makes my smile widen. Her choice of tunes ranges across so many genres, I never know what I’ll happen upon from day to day.

Unlocking the French doors, I twist the handle and let one side swing open as I step inside.

Lindsey’s Baltic-blue eyes find mine as she swivels in her seat, her tune cutting off abruptly, and her expression brightens when she sees me. “What’s got you all happy?” she asks.

I hadn’t thought about the fact that I’m still smiling before I entered, but I don’t want to let her in on how much I enjoy catching her humming because she might stop if I bring it to her attention, so I shrug. “The plan’s coming together nicely.”

The tension I used to spot around her eyes when I talked about killing Emiliano hasn’t been there since he came onto her in his office, and she just nods. “That’s great.”

“How’s your day going?” I nod toward her laptop where I’ve agreed to let her work remotely with the stipulation that she would only have internet access while I’m home and can check any emails or communications before she reads them or sends them out. It’s the best compromise I could think of, but I know Lindsey is growing restless the longer she’s kept from work.

“I’ve finished my new proposal, which I need to send out today.” She glances at the clock. “Do you have time to look it over and send it out now?”

“Sure.”

She pulls up the emails she’s written and talks me through what she wants to send, and I collect her laptop and take it to my office, where I keep the modem, Lindsey trailing behind to make sure I do everything she said. The practice has become routine at this point, and if it’s what makes her imprisonment more manageable, I don’t mind doing it. The sigh of relief she releases as I finish sending off her work tells me it’s worth it, and I check to make sure everything went through before disconnecting the modem once more.

“Are you done working for the day?” I ask.

“I want to wrap up a few things and check any emails I got. Then I should be done.” Lindsey stays where she was, and as I stand, the space narrows between us until she’s peering up at me through her thick lashes.

That electrical current that’s only grown stronger between us in the last few weeks comes to life as I study her face. The makeup she put on for her night at the club has long since worn off, and somehow, though her lashes are lighter than they were then, her lips a more natural pink, I find her even more stunning than when I first laid eyes on her. She’s a natural beauty—and since the night she let me kiss her, that’s only made it more impossible to keep my hands off her.

We seem to have come to a silent understanding in that regard—that as long as we’re sharing the same bed, we might as well take advantage of the chemistry between us. Fighting it was unbearable, and after the first night we broke that pillow barrier, she never put it back up. Thank fuck, because the more I’m around Lindsey, the more I want her. My urge to possess her grows stronger every day, and while I know I’ll need to let her go once Emiliano is dead, until then, I’m hoping I can get this insatiable craving out of my system.

“My computer?” Lindsey breathes, her eyes never leaving mine as her fingers brush across mine to curl around the edges of her laptop.

“What will you give me for it?” I tease, smirking as I step closer to her.

“A thank you?” she suggests, and I chuckle, relinquishing the device.

But as she hugs it to her chest with one arm, she rises onto her toes and wraps her free hand around the back of my neck, pressing her body against mine as she gives me a soft, lingering kiss. Dropping my hands to her hips, I pull her closer as I deepen the kiss.

“Now that’s more like it,” I growl before going back in for more.

Lindsey’s lips curve into a smile, and she sinks back onto the flats of her feet. “I really should get a bit more work done. I’m so far behind.”

A twinge of guilt tightens my stomach because my taking her prisoner is the reason she needs to catch up, and I nod, releasing her reluctantly, then I follow her back out of the office, locking the door behind me. Now that I’m home, I’ll give her more freedom to move about the house, but still, Lindsey chooses to work at the desk we set up in the master bedroom and she heads back that way. I turn toward the kitchen, ready for a drink to unwind. On a typical Friday, I would be at the Dungeon, enjoying the energy and the atmosphere, but somehow, it doesn’t feel right to stay out late when I’m keeping Lindsey locked up here. Not to mention, I find her company far more enjoyable than most of the people I would invite to join me in the VIP section.

Turning on the sound system, I take a moment to indulge in the Russian chanson before heading to the bar to pour myself a chilled vodka. Lenka, my personal chef, is busy at work in the kitchen, the scent of slow-cooking beef wafting to my nose.

“Smells wonderful,” I say, raising my glass to my lips.

Lenka beams, her narrow, weathered cheeks lifting as her eyes crinkle affectionately. “Thank you,gospodin.”

I tip my ear toward the door as I catch the soft ding announcing the elevator’s arrival at my floor, and my eyes narrow as my pulse gives a slight jump. I don’t think Lindsey would be rash enough to risk making a break for it again, but the possibility is never far from my mind. Not that she would get far if she did. My men guard all the building’s entrances and know to keep a careful eye out for her. Still, my feet carry me toward the entry.

“Hello,djadja?”

Warmth surges through my chest, and I stride more purposefully toward the foyer. “Kira, I didn’t know you were coming by today.”

My niece’s smile is wide and radiant as I set my glass of vodka down on the entry table and lift her off her feet in a bear hug. She’s nearly seventeen now and growing up before my very eyes it seems. She’s beautiful, with her mother’s long raven hair and crystal-blue eyes, but she’s taller than Leanna ever grew to be.

“I think you’ve grown a few more inches since winter break,” I observe as I set her back on her feet and hold her at an arm’s length.

Kira laughs. “It’s the boots.” She tips her heels to show me the decent-sized wedge.

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