Page 75 of Lethal Legacy

“But?” Abby prompts.

“But he’s got these three kids. Godchildren. The ones I’m caring for?”

She nods sagely. “His excuse for getting you under his roof, you mean.”

“Ha.” I flush again. “But they’resosweet, Abby. You should see them. Their dad is dead, and their mother...” I explain the essence of the conversation I overheard between Masha and Ofelia without going into too much detail. “They’re seriously damaged,” I say quietly. “But they’re also just kids. And they clearly idolize Roman. I just don’t understand why he won’t let them in.”

Abby regards me for so long that I get uncomfortable. “What?” I ask finally.

“Okay.” Putting her wineglass down, she folds her hands on the table and pins me with herI’m seriouslook. “You’ve told me all about the children and what they need. You seem very concerned about their relationship with Roman and about his interactions with them. But you haven’t said a single thing about howyoufeel. And as for him not letting people in? Well, I have to say it, Luce—doesn’t that remind you of someone?”

The heat fades from my face, and I take a mouthful of water to try to calm my suddenly jumping pulse.

“Look,” Abby says quietly. “I know there’s stuff you can’t tell me. I’ve always respected that, and I always will. But at some point, you’re going to have to trust someone. I’m not saying CEO Man is perfect.” She rolls her eyes, making me smile. “But I do think he can look after you, Lucia. And I think that you need to be looked after. At least for a while.” She covers my hand with her own. “Maybe this isn’t about Roman, and who he will and won’t let in. Maybe it’s aboutyoubeing scared to let anyone in. The kids, who you’ve clearly fallen in love with already, or CEO Man. Who, for the record, you are clearly head over heels for.”

Unwelcome tears are prickling behind my eyes. I dash them away, embarrassed that Abby should see through me so clearly.

“I don’t think he feels the same way,” I mumble. “Like I said, this isn’t about emotion for him.”

“Bullshit.”

I look up in surprise to find her staring at me without even a hint of mischief in her face. “Lucia, that man has been obsessed with you from the minute he walked into the café. He never even learned my name, but within a week, he knew everything about you there is to know.” Her mouth purses. “What little youletpeople know. Anyway.” She waves an impatient hand. “What I mean to say is that first he got you alone in his penthouse. Then he ravished you in his office under the pretext of giving you his big... tip. Then,” she goes on, and I laugh despite myself, “he hired you to live in his house and care for hischildren.Not to mention what other services were included in that little contract he made you sign.”

She shakes a finger at me when I start to protest. “You know I don’t give a shit about the details, Luce. You’re speaking to the girl who screwed a dumb social media influencer for a visa, remember? Not that it worked, but that’s beside the point.

“My point is that Roman Stevanovsky isn’t some flake trying to get laid, or a skeezy footballer looking for a paparazzi shot. He’s the real deal, Luce. He can have any woman in this city. Hell, probably any damn city in the world—but he wantsyou.So much that he’s prepared to pay what I can only imagine is a king’s ransom to have you. And not only that—” She cuts abruptly short, biting her lip, then takes a very large drink. Unusually, she’s colored up slightly.

“Not only that what, Abs?” I study her, trying to work out what she isn’t saying. “Do you know something about Roman that I don’t?”

She pulls a face. “Well, I might have been doing a little horizontal research of my own. With the hot bodyguard.”

“Dimitry?” My eyes almost pop out of my head, even though I did get a bit of a vibe about those two when I heard them bickering in the car. “Woah! Hey, I’m really happy for you, Abby. Dimitry’s a great guy. He’s so good with the children—”

“Yup,” she cuts me off. “Whatever. It’s not going anywhere. What I wanted to say is that from what I can gather, CEO Man isveryprotective about you. As in, put you in his tower, throw away the key, and probably kill anyone who gets anywhere near you without his permission kind of protective. And I don’t even think I’m joking about that last part.”

Me either.

That should scare me. All of this should.

But it doesn’t.

It makes me feel safer than I have in a long time. I don’t know how to feel about that.

“I know you’re running from something, Lucia.” Abby says it quietly, without fuss. “I think I’ve always known it.” She squeezes my hand, and I feel the tears threatening again. “All I’m saying is that everyone’s got to stop running sometime. And for what it’s worth, I think Roman would be a good place to stop.”

“But what if I—what if it’s dangerous? Not just for him. For the children. How could I do that to them, after all they’ve been through? And what if he doesn’t—”

“What if he doesn’t feel the same way?”

I nod.

“How will you ever know, Luce, unless you trust him? And as for putting him in danger—ha.” She snorts. “If anyone was ever able to take care of business, it’s Roman Stevanovsky. I wouldn’t worry about putting that hard bastard at risk.” She gives a huff of rather cynical laughter. “I’d worry about who gets in his way.”

I look at her narrowly. “Do you know something about Roman that I don’t, Abby?”

“Let’s just say that I’ve been around.” She upturns a third of the bottle into her glass. “More than you might think. And I know men. Especially dangerous men.” She raises her glass to me in an ironic salute. “You’d think I’d know enough by now to know how to stay away from them, but clearly my body missed that particular memo.” She rolls her eyes, but I don’t laugh. “Fine,” she says, eyeing me warily. “Then I guess you should know that Dimitry and Roman met in a halfway house, when Dimitry was ten and Roman was barely two years older.”

“Wait.” Every muscle in my body is on high alert. “Dimitrytold you this?”

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