Page 66 of Devious Obsession
Kaz’s smile is the first to crack. “She’s going to run all over you just like she does me.”
I shake my head. “When you know how to talk with her, you get better results.”
“I don’t want to know the secret you seem to have with her.” Alexander shoots me a disgusted look. “That’s our little sister you’re talking about.”
“I’m talking about my future wife, who happens to be your little sister.”
“I don’t want details.” Alexander stalks to the bar in the corner of Kaz’s office and pours a drink, downs it, and pours another. “This is all Megan’s fault. She started all of this chaos when she stole that damn thumb drive,” he mutters more to himself than anyone else in the room.
Ian and Kaz share a look and a grin.
“Okay, enough catching up on family drama.” Alexander eyes me with a severity I’ve seen too many times to pretend I don’t know what it means. Business. And not the lucrative sort that makes us all a lot of money.
My back tenses. Taking Elana for myself will have consequences. I knew that and have already accepted whatever they deem reasonable. The Volkov family has been my safe haven since my mother and sisters’ murders. They gave me a home, a job, a purpose. They may not be against my relationship with Elana, but I’ve gone against them by doing it behind their backs.
“We need to discuss what happens next. With you.”
Artem lives in a three-story greystone a few miles north of Kaz’s townhouse. I’m slightly surprised by it when he pulls into the attached garage. The cabin had been so rustic, so much more his style than this elegant house.
It’s midnight, the air outside crisp with a chill. Stars sparkle in the clear, dark sky. Not an everyday occurrence for Chicago, so I take a moment to enjoy the beauty of it. Nearly every night looked this way at the cabin. I can’t help but feel like the simplicity of the last few weeks with Artem are about to vanish into the ether of chaos.
“You’ve been quiet,” I say once we’re parked in the garage and he’s turned off the car.
“You’ve been half asleep since we got in the car.” He pops his door open. I wait for him to come to my side before I open my door, to which he lifts an eyebrow. “You’re trying to provoke me.”
“By opening my own door?” I laugh then jump down.
“You know what you do to me.” He places his hand on the small of my back and leads me to the entrance to the house. After punching in a code on the security box, he pushes the door open and gestures for me to go ahead.
“What? What do I do to you?” I ask, spinning around to face him once I’m inside. The house is beautiful, simple in its décor, and has a strong sense of home. Not what I would expect from the outside, but there’s plenty of time tomorrow to inspect his interior design.
He’s been too still since we left Kaz’s place. Almost brooding. He can say it’s because I’ve been tired, and I am—it’s been a long day—but there’s more he’s not telling me. Something my brothers said once they shooed me away to the kitchen.
His eyes darken when they fall on me.
“Do I make your palm itch?” I grab his hand and run my fingers over his large palm, repeating the phrase he’s thrown at me too many times to count over the last few weeks.
He watches with the intensity of a man headed for the electric chair as I bring his hand to my mouth and place a chaste kiss on his palm. Then, because he’s too damn serious, I lick it.
“You are playing with fire, Babygirl.” He shakes his head. “Let’s get you to bed. I’ll bring your bags up later.”
“But my night gown is in them,” I tease.
“You can wear one of my shirts.” He runs the back of his hand along my cheek. Slow, like he’s trying to commit me to memory.
“Artem.” I grab his wrist when he pulls away. “What did my brothers say?”
“We talked about business.” It’s a brush-off.
I’m tired of brush-offs.
“And now you’re walking around like a black storm cloud is over your head, ready to shoot you with lightning bolts at any minute. What did they tell you?”
He lifts his brow. “Elana, it was business. Everything is fine.”
“Did they fire you?”
“This isn’t the sort of business you get fired from.” A small smile tugs at the corner of his lips. “But no, it wasn’t anything like taking me away from my duties. Now, to bed. It’s late and you promised Megan you’d be over in the morning to go for breakfast.”
