Page 37 of Devil's Retribution

His smile faded. “It seems there is no hiding the truth from you.”

“Not with my job description. Uncle Charles fooled me because I never wanted to look too deeply into his past or his motives, but I refuse to be fooled again.”

“I understand.” There was a note of respect in his voice. “I will not deceive you. Charles was dead the moment he chose to have my brother murdered. His running has merely delayed the inevitable.”

While I knew my uncle ran in fear of his life, that didn’t excuse him throwing me and Nick under the bus in the process. Did I hate my uncle enough to help his killers? I didn’t have much choice if we wanted to survive. But the idea of taking back what was mine from Uncle Charles by spilling his blood repulsed me. I hated him, I wanted my money back, and I wanted vindication. But not death.

Could I accept an inheritance soaked in my uncle’s blood?

I was certain that he’d do the same to me, it seems. But that didn’t make it right.

“I’ll need some time to think about this,” I admitted, though in the end there was little to think of. My destiny was in Viktor’s hands. The relief I felt when he nodded assent was mixed with fresh desire.

I didn’t want to think too hard about what that said about me.

Chapter 15

Viktor

As soon as Emma had gone off to bed, I pushed up from the couch and went back into the old bastard’s office to see what more I could dig up.

Thus far, Emma’s help had been invaluable. But I needed her on other things now. If what I suspected was true, I didn’t want her to be the one to stumble on it first.

Charles had broken her heart in front of me today. And despite how we’d met, and despite the fact that I hadn’t believed I could possibly hate her uncle more, the look in her eyes when she’d realized his theft from her, had done it.

I took her pain personally. That hadn’t happened since my brother was alive. It wasn’t ideal, this kind of softness toward a woman who was supposed to be just an asset. I suspected it came from how much I wanted her.

The desire wasn’t ideal either. I didn’t want to take advantage of my power over her. I didn’t want to be that guy. But God, when she looked at me with those big, bright eyes, and I saw the invitation in their warm depths, I wanted so much to have her.

Perhaps I should seduce her…

Pushing that thought to the back of my mind, I sent a text to Alexei about the thumb drive and Charles’s laptop.

I want both of them analyzed and a report sent back to me. How soon can you pick up?

It took him a few minutes to reply. Twenty minutes.

I packed up the laptop and the real estate and legal papers I had found, and slipped the thumb drive into my shirt pocket. The distraction of business only lasted a few moments, and before long my thoughts were on Emma once more.

Seduce her. Completely sate myself with her. Make certain her allegiance is totally mine, in both mind and body.

I smiled as I put the wine bottle back into the chiller and waited for my tech guy to make an appearance. Was it manipulative? Perhaps a little, but I doubted she would complain. After all, if I spoiled her silly, and made good on my word as well, what would she have to complain about?

***

Alexei met me outside in his car and drove me around the block while we talked. The puppy was with him, snoozing on the sedan’s back seat. She looked up briefly as I entered, cocking her head, then thumped her tail a few times and settled back down. She was so worn out that I knew my lieutenant, who had once fought his way out of a three-on-one gunfight, had been playing with her all day.

I set the briefcase with the laptop and papers down in the footwell. “Any news?” I said as I noticed the hesitant way Alexei glanced at me.

“Just rumors. Igor and his men keep expanding their Santa Monica operations. They’re stockpiling money. Between that, the incidents we already know about and his gloating about knowing something about your brother’s killer, I’m not sure we can afford to ignore the situation.”

“What about the men we had watching him?”

“That’s what worries me more.” He ran a hand back over his hair and then settled it back on the wheel. “They’ve got nothing on him. His men are busy, but Igor’s not in any of his usual haunts, nor his home, nor his office. The man is like a ghost.”

I frowned. This didn’t sit well with me. Igor and his men weren’t exactly known for their subtlety. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have him strolling in to taunt me whenever he had anything resembling a good idea. I pondered the situation, “He’s got help.”

Alexei remained silent.