Page 33 of The Boss's Temptation

My phone rings, breaking up my daydreams. I frown. I didn’t even realize it was here. Micheal must have left it for me in case I needed anything when I woke. I pick it up. When I see who’s calling, though, I shiver. It’s Pavel.

“What is it,” I mutter. I’ve never liked my uncle’s top advisor. In fact, I’ve avoided him as much as possible. He’s just insidiously snake-like. He’s also a massive creep. And he’s made his disgusting thoughts about me very clear on many different occasions.

Pavel chuckles deeply. “Is that how you greet old friends now,devochka?”

“We’re not friends,” I hiss. “And I don’t live in my uncle’s house anymore. Which means you don’t get to speak to me like this anymore.”

Pavel makes a tutting sound. “Is that so?”

“Yes,” I snap. “What do you want?”

“A great many things,” he says. The disgusting leer in his voice makes my stomach turn. “Perhaps one day we can be alone, and I’ll show you.”

“I’m hanging up.”

He laughs. “No,devochka. You are listening. Your uncle needs your help. That is why I’m calling you.”

“My help with what?”

“Information.”

I frown. “What?”

“Information. On Micheal. On the Scaliami organization.”

I laugh coldly. “Are you serious?”

“Your family needs you, Katrina,” Pavel hisses.

“Micheal is my family now, remember?” I snap. “You married me off to him.”

“Kicking and screaming, I’m sure,” he growls angrily. “Please, Katrina. I saw the way you looked at him. The way you blushed like a maid when he took you as his bride?” He chuckles. “Tell me, little one, did you blush when he took you as a woman?”

My lips curl. “Shut your disgusting mouth.”

Pavel laughs. “It’s just some information. And we need you to do this. Your uncle needs you, Katrina. You’re inside the house of the man in charge of our biggest rivals.”

I frown. “The Scaliami’s are an ally.”

“Yes, an ally with their foot on our fucking necks,” Pavel spits. “So listen to me. In your biggest suitcase, there’s a hidden flap behind the zipper. Inside, there are listening devices.”

I blanche. “No…”

“They are small. No bigger than a button…”

“I said no, Pavel,” I snap. “Goodbye.”

“Katrina,” he growls before I can hang up. The humor is gone from his voice. The way he snarls my name sounds like a warning.

“You must do this.”

“Go to hell, Pavel,” I mutter. “And I’m curious what Michael would think of his allies trying to put microphones in his house.”

Pavel growls dangerously. “If you speak of this to him, something bad will happen.”

A chill moves up my back.

“You know what I’m capable of,” Pavel hisses dangerously.

---