Page 24 of White Rabbit
Brecklyn
Self preservation? Apparently, I had none. I put my hand in Valariy’s and let him pull me to my feet. but was was I going to do. I was in his house, surrounded by his people and I really had nowhere to go.
And, God help me, undeniable feelings of attraction and connection welled inside me whenever he was near, hell whenever I even thought of him.
He squeezed my hand. “Thank you.”
“You usually get what you want, though, don’t you?”
“True. Yes.”
Rather than head upstairs to the third floor, Valariy lead me toward the back of the house and the large solarium filled with green plants and indoor trees that ran half the length of the mansion in either direction. It was nearly as wide as it was long, providing us with an indoor park during the winter. Stringed Edison lights glowed overhead, providing a fairytale aura to the night.
“What are the Iron Claws?” I asked as we walked. There was no need to pretend I hadn’t heard the name. Either he told me or I’d find out another way.
“A stupid name,” he grumbled, “but someone said it and it stuck. You know my name—Kloboucnik. My family is theKloboucnik Clan, and we rule with an iron fist.” He tilted his head to the side. “So to speak, anyway. Claws is a bastardization of our surname.”
“And…?
“And…” He stopped, turning to face me and crossed his arms, studying my face. “We are part of the five families. Do you know what that is?”
I slowly shook my head. I might not know, but I was sure he was about to tell me.
“You know who Jovanovic worked for, don’t you?”
I took a half step backward, crossing my own arms. While his stance was easy and assessing, however, mine was protective. Anything about Rad filled me with uneasiness. “He worked for whoever lined his pockets. Are you saying that’s what you do?”
He choked out a laugh. “No. And he shouldn’t be either. He has a boss, and if that boss finds out Jovanovic has been working for anyone and not staying loyal, he’s a dead man. That’s if Petrov beats me to it.”
There was that murder threat again. It should shock me. It should terrify me. It did neither. “Petrov. I’ve heard that name.”
“If you were Jovanovic’s woman, I’m surprised you didn’t meet him.”
“He didn’t let me meet anyone. I was to clean his house, cook his meals, warm his bed and stay the fuck out of sight whenever he had anyone over. That’s why I had the two books I did. I spent hours in the closet with a flashlight while he and his buddies got drunk.”
“Jesus,” Valariy muttered under his breath. “And when he deemed you didn’t do what he wanted, he knocked you around?”
I nodded.
He took a step toward me, and I didn’t flinch, holding my ground. Valariy slowly lifted his hands and cupped my face. “I would never hurt you. But you know that. You trust that, don’t you?”
Did I?
It wasn’t self preservation that had me nodding, though. Deep down, I actually believed him. Whatever Valariy, his brothers and the Iron Claws did, I was safe in their fold. Safe from hand punching me or taking what I didn’t give freely, wasn’t compelled into.
And I wasn’tcompelledwhen I grasped his arms and went to my toes, pressing my lips to his. Valariy groaned and tugged me closer to him. His arms banded around me, holding me tight to his chest. One hand forked into my hair, decimating my updo and tilting back my head. He took charge of the kiss. His lips urged my apart and I moaned as his tongue slipped against mine. Tasting. Exploring. Dominating.
My pulse pounded, my body feeling lightheaded and aroused in a way I’d never,everexperienced. I gasp when he tore away from my lips, kissing along my jaw. Growled Ukrainian words poured from his lips while he kissed along my jaw to my neck.
“My Brecklyn. Mine,” he said as English broke through for just a moment.
“Yours,” I agreed though I wasn’t sure my acknowledgement mattered while we clung together. I released the button on his suit coat and slipped my hands inside to explore his flat belly, the ridges of his abs, the hard plates of his chest, his muscular back… I froze when I encountered his shoulder holster and the weapon hidden there.
Without losing a beat, Valariy redirected my hands to his waist, but the discovery had shocked me back to reality. Not that I was actuallyshockedper se. I knew he packed. But the reminder also recalled our conversation, the truth I hadn’t acknowledged even when I’d glimpsed evidence back at the hospital. I’d fooled myself into believing he was a mainstream billionaire. What short of billionaire always had a weapon on him, always had bodyguards when he was away from home.
Perhaps the latter but not the former.
Valariy sighed, pulling back. “Moya kokhána…”
