Page 66 of Devious Madness

“I know how to behave. I don’t need you to keep sayingthat. I’m not a little girl.” Really. I’ve gone twenty-four years without any assistance from him, or anyone.

And if you don’t count the mess with Nico, the guy he had to kill in the woods, and the relentless detective, I’ve done just fine.

“No. No you’re definitely not a little girl.” He agrees, but it doesn’t sound like I’ve won the argument.

The hunger is back in his eyes. His expression tightens, like he’s realized I’ve distracted him from something important, and he needs to get his head back in the game.

Without another word, he turns on his heel and stalks from the room.

“He looked pissed,” Megan says.

“No. He always looks that way after we talk.” I lift a shoulder. “For a man who insists he wants to marry me, he looks like he’s ready to murder me every time we have a conversation.”

She laughs. “Alexander gets the same look. It’s not murder they want.”

“Then what is it?”

The door opens again before Megan can answer. A blonde woman wearing a black dress with gold embellishments walks in with a bottle of whisky.

“Sorry to interrupt. Darren said to bring this up here for you.” She holds out the bottle to the small group of men staring at her.

The man Megan introduced as Ivan disentangles himself from the group and takes the bottle from her. When sheturns to leave, he grabs hold of her arm and spins her back to him.

Ivan’s stern expression turns murderous as he lifts her arm and exposes a bruise wrapping around to just above her elbow. Like someone other than him had grabbed her tightly and wouldn’t let her go.

“What is this?” His demand could shake the floor.

“It’s nothing.” She tugs her arm back. He releases her but settles a heated glare on her.

“Who did it?”

“Really. It’s nothing. I have to get back.” She spins away from him and hurries from the room.

He wants to chase her. It’s all over his face before he does the same magic trick Rurik does, and his expression goes blank. Well…not completely. He could probably part a few seas with his stare.

“What’s happening there?” I nudge Megan with my elbow.

“I don’t know. That was Vivienne; she works downstairs.”

“Are they a thing? Cause he looks like they’re a thing.”

“No, I don’t think so.” Megan climbs off the couch. “But I don’t know Ivan that well.”

“What about Vivienne?” I look over my shoulder at her with a smile.

“Not really.”

“Well, maybe we should go introduce ourselves.”

“You’re both staying here. I have lunch coming for you.” Alexander appears out of nowhere, the big brute.

“Do you guys take ninja lessons or something.” I press my hand to my chest to keep my heart from escaping.

He arches an eyebrow and gives a puzzled look to Megan.

“We were just going to talk to Vivienne,” Megan says.

“She’s working, and you’re staying put.” He hands me a cell phone. “This one is clean.”

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