Page 44 of Gangster's Empire: Leeza & Havel

“I didn’t say that.”

“You may as well have,” she accused, crossing her arms over her chest. “It’s not okay anymore to assume a woman should stay home with the children while her husband works.”

“I’m not debating this with you,” he snapped, stalking around the bed.

Despite being intimidated, she held her ground. All those muscles! His thighs were the size of her waist, his biceps like tree trunks.

Stopping a foot from her, he continued, “I don’t give a shit what other women do. I only give a shit what you do, and right now, you’re going to be a good girl and go to bed. Tomorrow and every day after, you will continue to act the perfect housewife until I’m convinced you’re not trying to raise a secret army to take out your cousin.”

Her jaw dropped and it took her a moment to recover. When she did, her voice vibrated with fury. “I never wanted the Koba organization and it’s utterly ridiculous to imply that’s what I was doing.”

“I know,” he said mildly, though she could see the responding anger in his eyes. “You were trying to get daddy’s attention once you realized how truly evil he was. Only problem with that is you brought down an entire fucking organization with your reckless actions. And you wonder why I want you at home where I can keep an eye on you? Don’t be so naive.”

His words struck her like a physical blow.

Her fault.

It was all her fault.

She brought down the Koba family.

It was her fault her mother was dead.

She half fell, half sat on the bed, bowing her head so her hair curtained the anguish she knew was twisting her features. “You’re right, of course.” Her chest squeezed painfully and she pressed her hands against it. “I’m the reason they’re dead. All of them.”

He was silent. A moment later, the mattress dipped as he sat next to her. He lifted a hand, hesitating before dropping it to caress her head. “You were the spark that lit the powder keg, but it would’ve happened anyway. Jozef would’ve eventually found out who killed his parents and he would’ve gone after Dasha, which would’ve ignited a war with Krystoff, leaving us at the exact same place we’re at now.”

“If you believe that, then why do you keep blaming me?”

“I don’t blame you,” he growled, running a frustrated hand over his head. “But I don’t trust you either.”

“What kind of a relationship do we have if you can’t trust me?”

He frowned, his gaze pinning hers. “Do you trust me?”

“Yes,” she responded without hesitation. “Implicitly.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Why?”

She shrugged. “You’ve never given me a reason not to trust you. You’ve always done exactly as you’ve said you’ll do. Even when I despise the action, I understand where it’s coming from. You follow orders but you also have personal integrity that makes you thoughtful and measured when dealing with someone. You don’t lie or cheat.”

His gaze softened. “I think you see more than is actually there, sweetheart. I’ve tortured guys who definitely wouldn’t agree with your definition of integrity.”

She smiled tightly. “I bet you gave those guys a chance to give you what you wanted first, then told them exactly what you were going to do to them before doing it.”

He shook his head but looked pleased with her assessment. “You’re right and you’re wrong on that one. I’ve fucked enemies up with no conversation first. Just straight fuckery for the fun of it.”

“They did something to deserve it.” She didn’t believe for one second he would torture anyone without a good reason. “You’ve been a fair man from the day I met you and you’ve never said or done anything to disprove that.”

He took her chin and tilted her face up to the light, rubbing his thumb against her cheek. “What do you want from me?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re never this sweet with me,” he said. “What are you after? I’ve already said no to you getting a job. I’m not going to change my mind.”

She jerked her chin out of his grip and stood. “Not everything I do has to have a motive.” She tried putting space between them, but he was too quick, snatching her wrist and forcing her to stand between his spread thighs.

“I think with you there does have to be a motive.” He dragged her down onto the bed, flipping her onto her back and covering her with his body. He tapped her forehead with his finger. “This intelligent brain is always five steps ahead, which means I need to be on my toes if I want to keep up.”

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