Page 18 of Mountain Daddy

Then I hit himagain.

This time in the ribs. He doubles over, wheezing.

“Nikolai, stop!” Lilly's voice cuts through the red haze in my brain, but I'm too far gone.

I walk over, drive my knee into his stomach the minute he rises. He crumples to his knees like wet paper.

“You want to know what she is?” I grab a fistful of his hair and force him to look at Lilly. “A woman doing her job. And if you ever look at her again, if you ever speak to her again, if you even think about her again, I will bury you so deep they'll need fucking archaeologists to find your bones.”

Viktor nods frantically, blood and saliva dripping from his mouth.

I release him and he falls back onto the floor. Then I turn to face the crowd of shocked onlookers.

“Anyone else have something to say?”

Silence.

I smooth back my hair and walk to Lilly. She's standing frozen by the table, tray still clutched in her hands, eyes wide with shock.

“We need to talk,” I tell her.

She shakes her head. “I can't. I'm working. I'll get fired if?—”

“Twenty-fifth floor. One hour.”

“No.” Her voice is stronger now, more certain. “I'm not doing this again. Whatever this is, whatever you think happened between us?—”

“What happened,” I interrupt, “is that you came apart in my arms three times and begged me for more.”

Her cheeks flush pink, but she doesn't back down. “That was one night. It doesn't mean anything.”

“It means enough.”

“I have to get back to work,” she says, but she hasn't moved. Hasn't stepped away from me.

“One hour,” I repeat. “Or I'll come find you.”

It's not a threat.

It's a promise.

She stares at me for a long moment, and I can see the war playing out behind her eyes.

Fear battling desire.

Logic fighting instinct.

Finally, she nods. Just once. Barely perceptible.

But it's enough.

“Good girl,” I murmur, and watch her pupils dilate at the praise.

6

NIKOLAI

Islam back the scotch.

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