Page 81 of Fire and Ice

Rick blinked a couple of times and took in his surroundings. He determined that he was in a warehouse given the industrial-looking walls and ceilings of the room he was taken to. In front of him stood a tall, blonde man.

Sergei Reznikov in the flesh.

"Welcome Mr. Redmond. I trust my men treated you cordially."

"They did. May I?" Rick said as he gestured to his laptop. The Russian nodded and he fired up his computer. The sooner he got this deal done the better.

"Account number?"

Sergei rattled out the numbers while eyeing his own computer. Rick observed fifteen suitcases stacked up behind Reznikov. That was $22.5 million right there, and God knows if that was only for tonight's take.

A cell phone rang somewhere. Reznikov's henchman walked in swiftly and handed the Russian the phone. Sergei's face was blank as he listened to the caller.

"Are you sure?" the Russian asked softly but menace laced his voice. "Take care of it."

Sergei handed the phone back to his man and walked behind Rick. Rick went on alert.

He heard a gun cocked behind him and a cold muzzle nudged behind his skull.

Fuck!

"Would you explain to me, Mr. Redmond, how two DEA agents were found not too far from the address we gave you?"

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

"We took care of them of course."

"I have no idea," Rick replied in a steady voice while feigning surprise. "Are you sure you have no spies in your network. Where is Colt?"

"Colt was the one who took down those agents. I employ very reliable men, and Colt is one of my best."

"Look, I don't know what's going on," Rick hedged as he turned and looked Reznikov right in the eye. "Someone obviously tipped off the DEA. Maybe one of your other clients, because it damn well wasn't me."

Reznikov lowered his gun and Rick nearly exhaled in relief. Instead he regulated his nerves even if his instincts were screaming for him to get the hell out of there. He barely noticed the Russian nod to someone behind him before he felt a blunt blow to the back of his head before everything went dark.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Lee pushed Maia gently into the door frame of her hotel room, his lips descending purposefully, lightly brushing against hers before pulling back.

"Sorry, I can't help it," Lee said, a corner of his mouth tilting up in a half-grin.

They had had a heart-to-heart talk over a few drinks at the hotel bistro. Lee admitted to being a mess during the first few months after Maia had left him but he had channeled all his anger and heartbreak into his music and his band had actually become very successful after that. He had tried to get into a committed relationship three years before but that had fizzled out in nine months.

"See, you probably would have gotten tired of me the same way," Maia said.

Lee reached his hand up and stroke her face with the back of his fingers. "Princess, somehow I doubt that. What I felt for Yvonne was nothing compared to what I felt for you. I wanted to marry you to keep you."

Maia felt her face flush uncomfortably before lowering her eyes. "I'm not the marrying kind, Lee."

He sighed. "I should hate you. You give me pieces of you when I want it all. All I've ever wanted to do was take care of you, be with you, but I feel like you're holding on to a part of you that you wouldn't let anyone see. Has someone hurt you, Maia?"

Maia did not answer him, instead keeping the topic on his band and their rise to fame and how they became popular in Baltimore. She decided not to encourage interest from Lee. Reznikov obviously knew she was in town; besides Lee and she had made a spectacular scene at the gala before spending time together at the lounge. There was no question she was on radar now. There was no further reason for her to play with his feelings.

"I'm really glad that we were able to clear the air. You were kinda unfinished business for me," Maia told him.

Lee winced and said, "Are we, Princess? Are we really finished?"

Maia immediately thought of Jack. How he had, in a week, managed to infiltrate her defenses more than any other man had ever done.

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