Page 2 of The Boss's Revenge

As I watched her, she got herself a drink and sat at the edge of a busy table. I took a fortifying sip of my drink and made my way downstairs.

“Fourth night in a row?I’ll have to let Konstantin know that his club has lost its appeal. Not that I’m not flattered to see you here, but why have you abandoned Pravda?” I slid into the seat opposite her, a current of electricity sparking to life once we were close to each other. Her eyes bored into mine a moment.

One second to see an unguarded response, and then she shrugged. “Kon is getting married, didn’t you hear?” She smirked at me, her eyes lingering on the scar she’d given me. “Oh right, of course, you did. You were there that night, after all.”

Annoyance and lust battled inside me as I pasted on a smirk that was sure to rile her. “Right, that night where you nicked me with your little nail file? I remember.”

If I’d expected Kira to rise to the bait, I’d be disappointed. She raised an eyebrow. “You know, it suits you. It gives you a toughness you were so desperately lacking. I could do the other side, if you wanted, with my little nail file,” she said, biting out the vicious words, one by one.

“If you did, it would be the last thing you did,” I warned her. “But I respect your bloodthirsty appetite. After all, it’s better to die than do nothing.” It was a phrase I used often when Iwas tumbling headlong into disaster of some kind and tried to comfort myself.

A slight smile brushed her lips. “I like that. I’m stealing it.”

“So, if you’re not here to hit on me, then why are you here?” I wondered after a long moment. I honestly couldn’t figure it out. There were plenty of clubs in the city that Konstantin Ivanov’s former fiancé could be treated like a queen at, but instead, she came here, to one of his former enemies. It didn’t make any sense, well, not to me. I had no doubt that Kira knew exactly what she was doing, and why, but she didn’t seem inclined to share her reasoning.

She shrugged. “Is that the only reason I might come here? You don’t have much confidence in the draw of your club? Fair enough though. If I hit on you, can I keep coming?” she said, shifting forward with a business-like demeanor. Her words shocked me, though I was able to maintain my cool façade. What was she playing at?

“Oh, I can promise you that if you went home with me, you’d keep coming, alright,cara mia,” I taunted her, sure that we were playing games only to mask her true intentions.

She smiled faintly back, and her eyes darted over my shoulder to the door behind.

“Waiting for someone? If you’re in trouble…” I trailed off, not exactly sure where I’d been going with that line of thinking.

“If I’m in trouble, what? You’ll save me?” Kira’s eyes peered into mine, taking my measure in a way no man had ever been able to. “Are you the kind of man who saves a woman like me?”

Still, her eyes burrowed inside me, weighing my worth. I felt pinned in place by the look.

I was a popular guy with the ladies, having all the wealth and power, but little responsibility. I’d become passionate about growing my clubs and protecting the family name, but that was about all. No woman had ever stirred a passionate response inme, and I knew why. I was a contrary son of a bitch, and I didn’t like the easy way in anything. I’d built my clubs up in competitive areas, because I wanted to be the best of the best, and I didn’t care about how much work it took to take and keep that top spot. With women, there was little thrill in bedding someone who’d followed me around all night, batting her eyes from across the bar, and smiling invitingly as soon as they heard my name.

Kira didn’t bat her eyes, and I was seriously wondering if she knew how to smile. She stared at me with her unflappable composure.

“What kind of woman are you?” I wondered, her words finally dawning.

Her mouth quirked with grim humor. “A hunted one. A helpless one.”

Those words sent confusion skittering across my face. She could see my disbelief. “I’d never describe you as helpless,” I argued.

She looked down. “You’d be surprised.”

There was something unpleasant and defeated in that tone of voice that tugged at my jaded heart. Kira helpless? I’d seen more helpless lionesses than her.

“As I said, if you’re in trouble… ask me for help,” I told her flatly.

She looked up, her eyes drifting over my shoulder. Another humorless smile coated her lips. “I think you’re going to regret that, baby Luciano, but what’s done is done.” Her words were swiftly delivered and were the last thing of reason that happened that night.

The gunshots rang loudly in the enclosed space, bringing the little bubble around Kira and I crashing down.

I could see my security guys jumping to attention all around the club. Alberto peered down from the VIP balcony, his piece inhis hand. Was it a raid? A drug deal gone wrong? Before I could think it over, I was moving. My body hit Kira’s and I dragged her beneath me, between the table and the bench seat she’d been sitting in.

“What are you doing?” she hissed at me.

I pressed her down, covering as much of her body with my own as I could.

“Protecting you. Someone’s shooting up the place, in case you didn’t realize,” I hissed back. She turned her face, bringing us eye to eye, only inches apart.

“And you don’t think I can handle myself?”

“I don’t want you to. You’re in my club, that makes you my responsibility.” I didn’t tell her how she’d intrigued me since the second I first saw her, or how I’d replayed that night she’d cut my face again and again. I didn’t tell her that I came to the same club every single night for a glimpse of her when I had ten more venues to check in on. I couldn’t seem to say any of that.

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