Page 8 of Unbridled Fire
I inhaled a shaky breath. “The investigators will come after me. And if I don’t turn on Michael, I’ll go to prison instead.”
Leo nodded, concern lacing his features.
Sitting back, my cheeks puffed as I slowly exhaled. “Well, I guess I knew that working for Michael could eventually have consequences. I just never imagined it would actuallyhappen.”
Leo’s eyes darted between mine as the heaviness of the situation buzzed between us.
“I’ll do my best to help you,” he finally said.
“Good, because I’m not letting these bastards take me or Michael down without a fight.” Anger surged deep in my gut. “How the fuck do I fight this?”
“The best scenario would be approaching the hacker and seeing if we can turn him. If he comes to our side, we can turn the tables and have him help us prosecute the people he works for.”
My eyes narrowed. “Has your office figured out who Oskar’s hacker is?”
“No. He’s good at hiding, but my motivation to track him down has just intensified even more.”
“What if we locate him but he won’t turn?” I asked, dread filling my tone.
Leo sighed. “Then, we’ll fight fire with fire and have Alexis create a laundering scheme of her own for Oskar and his top soldiers. They’re not going to want to go to prison, and they might give up if it becomes too messy.”
My fingers fidgeted atop the table as I contemplated. “That may be true, but there’s a wildcard we’re not considering. There are rumors that Marco Nunez is in New York. Michael hasn’tbeen able to confirm it, but from what I’ve heard, Marco won’t give a shit if he burns the entire bratva down. They say he has no loyalty and no conscience.”
“Then, if we have to, we’ll take him down too.”
He spoke with such confidence that my lips curved as I studied him. “Wow. You really do want to help me. I’m...” I hesitated, searching for the right word, “...grateful, Leo, but I don’t want you to lose your job. I worry that this is going to put you in a bad position, especially with your new boss. I know I’m not someone who...” I circled my hand, “runs in your sphere, and I would understand if you decide this is too far over the line for you to be involved.”
He lasered into me with that searing gaze again, and I felt my breath hitch as I stared into his eyes. A muscle clenched in his jaw, and I had to stop myself from shivering. Was he like this in bed? Laser-focused on his lover until she fell apart from the intensity of his caresses? A wet heat surged in my core, and for the first time in years, I felt something I thought long-dead...
Desire.
As a woman who’d worked in strip clubs for years, and the sister of a teenage girl who’d died from sex trafficking, I’d always had a hard time feeling desire for men. I was inherently distrustful of them, and the handful of men I’d slept with had been in my inner circle. Those relationships had offered me comfort, but I’d never crossed the chasm to anything deeper.
With Michael, I’d felt attraction, but he was also safe because I knew his heart belonged to someone else. When we became intimate, I’d finally entered a time in my life where things were stable, and I felt I could allow some small moments of pleasure. I hadn’t wanted his heart. I’d just wanted to know what it felt like to be in a trusting sexual relationship, if only for a while.
But now, I was sitting across from the most intense man I’d ever met, and my body was shifting into overdrive. Heat spreadacross my skin, intensifying between my legs, and I licked my lips to rid them of their sudden dryness.
Leo’s gaze dropped to my lips, and my breath hitched.
“Katia?”
His deep voice rang in my ears, the tiny hairs on my skin prickling at his low rumble. Confused at my body’s reaction, I cleared my throat.
“Sorry, I spaced out there,” I said, shaking my head to clear it.
“I was just saying that I don’t mind helping you. In fact, it will keep me in the loop, and I like knowing what’s going on in your world.”
“As opposed toyourworld. I guess you would see us as separate, in a way. The justice fighter helping out the former stripper mafia accountant.”
His features fell. “I didn’t mean it disrespectfully—”
“I know,” I said, reaching over and covering his hand with mine. “I’m teasing you. Does anyone ever tease you, Leo?”
“I’m pretty serious,” he muttered. “Maybe too much so, but when you deal with serious shit like we’re discussing, it just comes naturally.”
I drew back my hand and nodded. “I know. Thisisserious. I’m going to talk to Michael today, and I also want to talk to Alexis. Maybe she can help me track Oskar’s hacker down.”
A look of warning crossed his face. “Don’t put yourself in danger, Katia. I can investigate for you when I’m not on duty. I’ll be happy to use my nights to track the hacker down. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
