Page 21 of Fire and Ice

Maia rolled her eyes. "Call him."

"He's at a very important meeting right now. DNB. Do not disturb."

"Ahhrghh!" Maia threw up her hands. Jack was so exasperating.

"Is there anything else you need, Miss Pierce? I have to fly back soon," Laurie asked tentatively.

"You flew in?"

Laurie missed the lethal tone.

"Via helicopter."

"You flew in via helicopter to deliver my clothes?" Maia verified in a very, very lethal tone.

Laurie thought it best not to answer.

"Anything else, Miss Pierce?" she squeaked instead.

"Yes, Jack's head on a silver platter."

Jack chuckled at the frantic text message from his personal assistant. As expected, a big push-back from Maia and she was out for blood—his head on a silver platter to be exact.

"I take it, Maia wasn't happy about your latest gesture," Derek stated sardonically.

"No, I think she has frightened poor Laurie," Jack replied, still chuckling.

"She's not a hearts and flowers kind of girl."

"I'll say ..."

"Although she might be the guns and knives kind," Derek added.

Jack stopped chuckling and frowned. Derek cocked an eye brow and said, "What? Didn't occur to you that if you gave her a new semi-automatic, high-caliber pistol you'd get a better response?"

Jack's frown deepened.

"I've seen Maia's eyes sparkle enough times whenever Viktor sends her something new to blow up stuff with."

"Jesus Christ," Jack muttered as it dawned on him that his friend could be right. He was in uncharted territory. All the women he had ever dated loved designer labels and diamonds.

Then, as if picking up something else from Derek's statement, Jack asked, "Who, exactly, is Viktor to her? And don't tell me to ask Maia again because I know you've had enough dealings with both of them to form an opinion."

"Viktor and Maia had known each other for eighteen years. All I can say is that he was there when she needed him the most..."

"That would make her ..."

"Twelve when she met him. He was twenty-seven."

"I sure hope that it's all brotherly love," Jack murmured. He was getting a sick feeling in his stomach.

"Jack, I wouldn't worry that Viktor would stand in the way of your lascivious designs on Maia," Derek laughed. "She handles liaisons like yours very well. Look, I had doubts at first, but I thought better based on what I know about you so I'm assuming you're just having fun after staying monogamous with Isabella for almost eight months. I don't blame you for finding Maia and her situation intriguing. Am I right?"

"You could be," Jack replied blithely.

"Jack... " Derek said, frowning.

"Yes," Jack snapped to shut up his friend. What? Were they gonna talk about his feelings now? Christ! Derek could be such a girl.

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