Page 82 of Mercenary Princess

Chapter 30

London, England

Sophia knew something was wrong as soon as she exited the car in Viktor’s garage. Ivan’s silence was charged, and it wasn’t the sexual tension she felt between him and Jen. This felt as if he were very angry.

Her nerves were so twisted that by the time they hit Viktor’s door, Sophia took the jamming device from Jen, not willing to wait for the formalities. She ignored Jen’s look and walked in, clicking the door shut behind her.

He had his tense back to her, staring out at the garden and its rain-soaked stone fountain. His eyes connected with hers through the glass, and she swore his shoulders pulled tighter against the confines of his tailored shirt.

“You didn’t wait for your guard to clear the room,” he pointed out, turning to her slowly.

She could tell something was wrong, could feel it in the charged room and in the too-calm way he reached down and clicked a button on a remote. The curtains glided closed as he pinned her with a look she didn’t fully understand.

“Did you see the news?” Was he upset that she’d abdicated? The thought made her frown.

“Yes. What happened?” Something about the way he was looking at her made her feel nervous, as if she were being tested.

“I’m not marrying anyone I don’t want to.” The answer was feeble, only a half-truth. Should she tell him about the video surveillance showing her here? They hadn’t been doing anything wrong. She doubted Jean Luc had anything else, but they would know as soon as they got into the vault.

Viktor’s eyes darkened as she decided what to say. She swore she saw anger and frustration flash in the blue.

He stalked toward her, his eyes changing again, eating up every inch of her body. She’d worn a simple black dress with a few surprises beneath.

She’d never seen this Viktor. She’d seen him animalistic, but not with these undertones.

“What’s wrong?”

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her until she moaned into his punishing lips. His shoulders were locked hard under her hands. His fingers dug into her ass, crushing her against him.

When he broke off the kiss, she felt dazed.

He ran a hand through his damp hair. “You wish to know what’s wrong, Sophia?” His words were clipped as if he were having trouble keeping a hold on his temper.

“Yes.” Though unease was trickling through her nerve endings.

“I just found out the woman I care about is hiding dangerous secrets, ones that could get her hurt or killed.”

At first, all she heard was that he cared about her, but that wasn’t all he’d said. She wasn’t sure what he knew, but she felt another harsh tremor of apprehension.

Swallowing, she asked, “What are you talking about?”

“Sit.” His command was dangerously low. “All the feeds in the room are disabled. I want you to tell me what you see.” He pointed to the open laptop on the coffee table.

She hadn’t even realized she’d forgotten the device in her hand. She set it down without turning it on. He was showing her something on a laptop, and it would disrupt the feeds.

“The secrets end now, Sophia.” His tone was a harsh rasp.

Her heart raced as she scanned the files displayed. Her knees seemed to weaken as she sank to the couch. The information made her stomach twist.

“Do you have someone watching Jean Luc’s safety deposit box?”

That one comment had her eyes shooting to his. How had he known someone was watching the box unless this information had been inside it? No…

He nodded as if she’d actually voiced an answer. That meant whatever she’d thought had shown on her face, which scared her.

A muscle started ticking at his stubbled jaw. He swept a hand in the direction of the laptop. “This is everything you wanted, Sophia.”

Her mouth had dropped, and she forced it up, licking suddenly dry lips. “How?” Why had he gone after Jean Luc’s secrets? To protect her? But what had he found that made him so furious?

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