Master Of Sin

by Sienna Snow

  "Look at me, baby."

  Releasing a resigned sigh, she said, "I'm not like your other women. I don't know the rules. I think it's better if we stop this before I get in too deep and end up hurt."

  Before I could respond, she opened the car door and stepped out.

  What the hell.

  I jumped out and stalked past her, blocking her path back to the warehouse. She glared up at me and began to tap her foot.

  "Get out of my way, Hagen. I don't care if you are over a foot taller than me, I will kick your ass."

  This was probably not the time to tell her that I'd like to see her try.

  "We are not stopping this. I fucked up. I was an asshole."

  "Why?"

  I hesitated, running a hand through my hair, and then decided to lay it out for her. "Because you make me feel things, want things. I have no idea how to handle it. My first instinct is to cut off my emotions. This is all new to me too."

  "Oh" Her anger softened as did the stern set of her jaw. "So what are we? Yes, I know it's been only a few weeks since we got together but I have to wrap my mind around this."

  I stepped toward her. "We are Starlight and Hagen."

  "And that means what, exactly?"

  "That we're a couple."

  "For how long?"

  Forever, I wanted to say, but that would more than likely scare her shitless. So instead, I said, "Until you decide it's over."

  She frowned. "I'm serious."

  "So am I. If anyone does the breaking up, it’ll be you. And for the record, this thing between us has been going on for over a decade. Getting in each other's pants was only the transitioning of our relationship into something more intimate."

  She remained quiet, her face a play of emotions. She wanted to believe me, but she was still uncertain.

  "Starlight, did you hear what I said?"

  "I wish you would stop calling me that. I really hate my middle name."

  "I know—that's why I like it. No one but me uses it."

  She rolled her eyes as I slid my arm around her waist and pulled her toward me.

  "Am I forgiven for being an idiot?"

  "I suppose. I don't do well with hot and cold. I know I may seem a pushover, but I'm not. Especially with those who know me well. You're either in or out."

  "I'm definitely in, but I can't guarantee I won't fuck up again. Being in a relationship is as new to me as it is to you."

  "So this thing between us is a relationship? Does that mean we're exclusive?"

  A crease formed between my brows. The thought of touching other women after having a taste of Starlight was repulsive. "Absolutely. When I said you were my woman, I meant it. Despite what the public believes, I have never had more than one lover at a time. Hell, I'm still friends with most of my exes."

  "Okay. Good to know."

  What did that mean? Maybe I shouldn't have brought up exes.

  Never in my life had I felt like I had no idea what the fuck I was doing. It was like I was a teen again trying to figure out how to date a girl, not a thirty-two-year-old man with years of experience.

  She remained quiet for a few more moments, and right as we reached the warehouse entrance she said, "Hagen, can I ask you a serious question?"

  Well, that sounded ominous.

  "Sure."

  "Why do you play into the negative image about yourself? You're nothing like what everyone believes. Is it so bad if they see the decent, caring guy?"

  I cupped her face. "The world sees what they want to see. I can't change it. Besides, my past played into my reputation. I've done most of the things people accuse me of. It's you who doesn't see the darkness in me."

  "Or it's me that you show the real man behind the facade." She pulled open the door. "Since you and Zack crashed my secret lair, let me show you how PSK operates and the bossy side of Persephone Kipos."

  "Bossy? This I have to see."

  Hagen

  * * *

  FOR THE NEXT HOUR, my mind was blown. Starlight was definitely bossy. Gone was the mousy pushover. She was a drill sergeant when it came to her business. If she asked a question, she wanted answers. If she wasn't pleased with a distribution deal, she expected a renegotiation.

  For a moment, I'd thought her bottling manager was going to shit himself when Starlight had discovered he'd changed vendors for the bottles she preferred for Firewater. The fact she used science and the argument of flavor change against the use of, in her words, "subpar bottles," to justify the extra cost of the ones she liked was ingenious.

  Even Zack was impressed to see this side of her. She ran a smaller empire than his, but it was beyond efficient.

  She knew her business inside and out. It also explained her dual degrees in business and chemistry. It was apparent Kipos International was never her dream. The only reason she was fighting so hard to save it was Adrian.

  He was the catalyst for everything Starlight did when it came to Kipos. She'd put up with Dara's oppressiveness and her manipulative antics instead of leaving town and never looking back.

  She didn't need her father's company to survive. The fortune she'd inherited from her mother would keep her comfortable for the rest of her life. Not to mention what she'd received when her maternal grandfather had sold his Indian shipping empire.

  The fact she had barely touched her fortune outside of taking some out to initially infuse into PSK Distilleries was remarkable. She could be like other wealthy heiresses—drinking, shopping, and being a complete waste of breath. She, however, chose to do something productive with her life.

  As with everything, I'd kept tabs on her financial health. If the money wasn't tied up in trust after trust, I wouldn't have put it past Dara to spend every dime of it.

  One day, I'd have to tell Starlight what I'd been doing. I only hoped she wouldn't freak. I was just trying to protect her, after all.

  Who was I kidding, she was going to lose her shit.

  "What are you thinking so hard about?" Starlight said as she came out of her lab with her backpack over one shoulder.

  "You have a remarkable operation. Not sure whether to be in awe that you had two full-time, energy-consuming jobs for the last few years or check to see if you're a robot."

  She dropped her bag on the ground a foot from my feet and smiled up at me. "I believe, Mr. Lykaios, you've seen all my parts. Am I a woman or a robot?"

  "Most definitely a woman." I gripped her waist and drew her to me, but stopped when Zack and Adrian walked in.

  Adrian gave me an irritated glare and grabbed his own backpack. "Zack says the four of us need to talk. If you're done feeling up my sister, I suggest we head to Zack's penthouse at the Aegis. It's secure, and once we're done, I can review some work in the security office before heading back to the dorms."

  Starlight pulled out of my hold. "Let me see what's eating him."

  She threaded her arm in Adrian's, and they began an animated conversation.

  Zack approached and shook his head.

  "What?"

  "Next time make sure the cameras aren't directly pointed at your car. Adrian went from raving about the new software he developed for you to wanting to kick your ass. No brother wants to see his sister grab a guy’s hands and shove it up her shirt while straddling said guy."

  "She was the one who climbed on top of me. I was only following orders." I couldn't help but grin.

  "She isn't a short-term girl, Hagen. When it comes to her, what's your plan?"

  My light mood disappeared and I clenched my teeth. I wanted to say it was none of his business, but he deserved an answer. Starlight meant something to him.

  “I may not deserve someone like her, but I’m not sure I can ever let her go.”

  “And why don’t you deserve her?”

  “Are you kidding me? My hands are dirty. No matter how much I wish to sever ties with anything to do with Draco’s business, I will always owe him. There is no getting clean from the past, and she needs a man without my baggage
.”

  “Look. This is your life, but Penny doesn’t seem the type to be scared away. I have a feeling she plans to keep you.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Penny

  * * *

  WE ARRIVED an hour later at Aegis, the largest of Zack's Vegas properties. I had only the time it took to get to the private elevators to take in the opulence of the hotel and casino. Where the Ida was clean lines with pops of color, the Aegis was richer in colors with dark shades, and the mood was decadence. This was the first mega property Zack had designed after he left the world of gambling and entered into land development.

  "I'll meet you upstairs," Zack said. "Let me find Pierce. He should be in this conversation."

  Hagen nodded, pushing the button to call the elevator. There was an uncomfortable silence in the air.

  Hagen's hand brushed my lower back as I stepped into the cab, which garnered a frown from Adrian.

  "What's wrong with you now? I thought we cleared things up at the warehouse." I glared at Adrian.

  "Nothing." He folded his arms across his body and leaned against the wall.

  "Obviously it is something and it has to do with me and Hagen. So, whatever you have left to say, get it out."

  I'd thought the discussion Adrian and I had at the warehouse had resolved his issues with catching Hagen and me fooling around in his car. I understood that no one wanted to see their sibling making out with anyone. I'd apologized, but he looked like he still wasn't over it.

  "Not now, Penny."

  At that moment, the elevator jerked as Hagen pushed the stop button on the elevator panel.

  "It's obvious you want to say something to me."

  Adrian ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "Forget it."

  His sullen expression made me realize no matter how mature he seemed, he was still so young. It had always been him and me against the world.

  "No. You've got a problem with me, so let's hear it." Hagen leaned back against the opposite wall, pulling me against him. "We can sit in here all day."

  "Fine. When I said give her a place to stay, I didn’t expect you two to live together."

  "It was her choice. I honestly had no say in it. In fact, I tried to convince her otherwise."

  "Is that true?" Adrian turned his attention to me, adding, "I'll know if you’re lying."

  "He gave me the decision of having an apartment on a different floor or sharing his with him. I chose him." I crossed my arms in the same defensive stance Adrian had. “Plus, aren’t you the one who told me to scratch my itch?”

  Adrian’s eyes grew big and his face reddened with embarrassment. “Penny, for God’s sake.”

  Hagen lifted a brow in my direction, his lips curving at the sides and making my stomach flutter.

  "Now—” Hagen’s attention moved back to Adrian, “—tell me what the real issue is. As I said, we can wait in here all day."

  "I get you’re having sex, but seriously, she's my sister, man. I don't want to see you feeling her up."

  I opened my mouth to reiterate it was my fault but Hagen squeezed my ass, telling me to stay quiet.

  "Understood. We will keep it PG when in public. Anything else?"

  "If you hurt her in any way, I will make sure the security infrastructure goes down at every company under HPZ holdings in a matter of seconds. I may not have the muscle, but I have the brains to fuck you up." The stern set of his jaw and the challenge in his gaze sent a pang to my heart.

  "As I told your sister, she is the only one with the power to end us. As far as I'm concerned, she’s keeping me."

  I turned my face to look over my shoulder at Hagen. "Is that right?"

  "Absolutely." His gaze was intense, sending butterflies into my stomach.

  Adrian interrupted us by saying, "My concern is that you two are moving too fast. What has it been, like forty-eight hours?"

  There was a hint of sarcasm in his tone that gave me the urge to smack him. I knew he was coming from a place of concern so I let it go.

  "Three weeks. But by my count, this was years in the making." Hagen continued to stare at me. "We just let circumstances push us into action."

  Before Adrian could respond, the elevator began to move, and Zack's voice came over the speaker. "Hey, assholes, move the discussion to the penthouse. Some of us need the elevator."

  Penny

  * * *

  FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER, I was settled on a couch next to Adrian in Zack's palatial living room. He lived on the top two floors of Aegis. The living room, deck, and kitchen took up all of the bottom level. No matter where one stood there was a view of the Strip.

  As with Hagen's place, the colors and decor were clean and simple. The place oozed wealth but in an understated fashion. This was a sharp contrast to the hotel under us, which was all about indulgence.

  Hagen approached, handing me a glass of wine, and sat on the other side of me. "Zack, do you want to take this or me?"

  "Go right ahead." Zack leaned against the marble bar near his kitchen and sipped his drink.

  "Have either of you read your father's will? The one that was executed right before he passed?"

  I frowned. "I have a copy of the will, and it was enacted a little after Adrian was born. There is no other will."

  A look passed between Pierce and Hagen.

  "Who gave you the copy you have?" Pierce opened a folder and set it on the table in front of Adrian and me.

  "The family attorney, Trey Ritchman. He's worked for the family since before I was born." I never liked the man. He'd always reminded me of a sleazy used-car salesman. Plus, after Dara came into the picture, he seemed way too attentive to her legal needs.

  Would he have kept another copy of the will from us?

  Yes, he would.

  "Your father had a different firm draft this one. And we’re positive Dara did not want you to know about it."

  Adrian picked up the papers and began to read. His face grew a deep shade of red, and the vein on his forehead began to pulse.

  "Adrian? What's wrong?" I touched his arm, but he didn't say anything for a few moments.

  "If there was any doubt in my mind, there isn't now. She had Papa killed."

  "What?" I tried to grab the papers from his hand, but he pulled them from my grasp and continued reading.

  "Papa essentially cut her out of his will," he continued. "The only way for her to keep anything when I turn twenty-one is—"

  "To sell Kipos." I finished his statement.

  "How did you know?" Zack asked and came to sit in the recliner across from me.

  "Because PSK's chief financial officer received an opportunity to bid on an equity share or buy out Kipos."

  "Don't you dare do it, Penny," Adrian ordered. "I will not let you spend your inheritance on a company neither of us wants."

  I released a resigned sigh. "I won't lie. I thought about it, but even with my grandfather's money, I wouldn't have enough capital for the purchase."

  "Why didn't you say anything sooner?"

  "Adrian, I'm not sure if you realize this, but your sister's motivation for pretty much everything is you." Hagen ran his fingers up and down my back.

  "Penny, I don't need you coddling me. I'm a grown man. If I have to work like the rest of the world, then I will."

  "Dammit." My temper flared. "How do I go from watching out for you since you were a baby to letting go completely? Kipos is your inheritance."

  "An inheritance I don't want," he countered, irritation radiating in waves from him. "Let her have the money. She'll spend it all within a matter of years, then she'll have to find some other way to fund her lifestyle."

  "So you're fine with Dara winning? With her taking everything."

  "No, I'm saying let her try to sell the shares. That was the plan from the beginning. The only way any sale goes through is if you agree to the purchase. According to the will, a direct blood heir of Kipos must sign and approve any major transition for the company. This includes mergers, equ
ity sales, major contracts, and buyouts."

  "That brings us to the next point of discussion," Hagen said, standing and moving to the bar for another drink. "You are now Dara’s number-one target."

  "And that means?"

  Hagen hesitated to tell me. "Earlier today, Oyabun sent word that a few of his contacts are overly interested in you, which in his terms means that Dara has put a price on your head, if you don’t agree to her plans for the company. Lucky for you and my sanity, Draco Jackson views you as a granddaughter and he put his own order out that if anyone touches you, he’ll go after them."

  I cocked my head to the side and studied him. "You're serious?"

  Dara couldn't be that insane.

  Who was I kidding? The woman had an end goal, and that was millions of dollars in her bank account. I was in her way, and she wouldn't think twice about getting me out of the picture.

  "Yes," Zack answered. "But having Draco's protection doesn’t mean you're safe."

  "So what does that mean? Am I expected to walk around with security all day and night? If that's the answer, then I say not happening. I know about the shadow Hagen has on me. That should be enough."

  Pierce shoved Hagen's shoulder as he came to stand next to him. "Told you she was smart. Your man isn't as good as you thought."

  "Then I'll assign someone else. She has a habit of walking into potentially dangerous situations. I want her safe. If she isn’t with one of us, she’ll have our team with her at all times."

  "I have a feeling she knows how to take care of herself." Pierce smirked in my direction.

  "She is right here." I stalked over and glared at the two brothers. "She doesn't need your group of big, burly men to rescue her."

  "Starlight, don't push me," Hagen warned. "You’re my priority, and nothing will stop me from keeping you protected."

  Ignoring him, I stabbed a finger into his chest. "Just so you know, whenever I traveled internationally for business, I've had a protection detail to ensure my safety. Do you honestly think I'd go into the jungles of Asia for a rare plant without security in place?"