by Katie Reus
Tempting Danger
Katie Reus
They’re enemies.
Alena Brennan’s relationship with Andre Makarov is…complicated. The casino magnate was a means to an end. Nothing more. At least that was what she tried to tell herself. Then she fell for him. Hard. But he kicked her out of his life when he discovered her lies.
Now she’s pregnant with his baby.
Andre understands why Alena wanted revenge. His father took everything from her, leaving her an orphan at a young age. But Andre still had to cut her out of his life. Now that his father is dead, she’s safe. He should just move on. But when he learns she’s carrying his child, all pretense is gone—he’ll protect Alena whether she likes it or not. She may kick up a fuss, but Andre knows the gorgeous model with a party-girl rep attracts attention…including the dangerous sort.
Tempting Danger
Copyright © 2017 Katie Reus
Cover Art by Sweet ‘N Spicy Designs
Editing: Julia Ganis
Digital Formatting by Author E.M.S.
* * *
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the author.
Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book. This purchase allows you one legal copy for your own personal reading enjoyment on your personal computer or device. You do not have the right to resell, distribute, print or transfer this book, in whole or in part, to anyone, in any format, via methods either currently known or yet to be invented, or upload this book to a file sharing program. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.
eISBN: 9781635560282
Table of Contents
About TEMPTING DANGER
Copyright
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Epilogue
Thank You for Reading!
Sneak Peek—RETRIBUTION
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Complete Booklist
Dedication
For all the readers who read Retribution and insisted that Andre and Alena get their happily ever after. This one is for you.
Prologue
Alena squeezed her sister Nika’s thigh as she slid into the seat next to her. In the luxurious dining room of Andre Makarov—son of her mortal enemy—she could barely contain the nervous energy humming through her. The time was finally here. The man who had helped murder her parents was going to die tonight. After years of wanting revenge, it was finally happening. Her sister was nervous, and Alena couldn’t blame her.
Alena also hated that she’d dragged Nika into this. But there was no going back.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw her sister drinking her wine, her hand trembling slightly.
Next to Alena, Andre, the man she was dating—and using as a means to an end—took her hand in his. For a brief moment she savored his touch, squeezed his hand gently. She almost wished he was more like his father. It would make using him a lot easier. As it was, he was a good man. Which made this so much harder to do. But there was no going back now.
Sitting in Andre’s formal dining room, surrounded by security—including Declan, the man her sister was now involved with—she was directly across from Yasha.
A monster.
It was inconceivable to her how Andre was so different from the other man, considering Yasha was his father. Andre might be a ruthless businessman but he hadn’t killed or tortured people to get where he was. No, he’d just worked hard.
Tall and blond, Yasha looked so much like his son, but his eyes were darker. And empty.
“How is your sister?” Yasha asked Andre abruptly, his voice slightly accented.
The change in Andre’s posture was immediate. He went silent, his jaw tightening as he stared at his father. His knuckles clenched so tightly around his tumbler she thought it might crack. But he didn’t squeeze her hand, clearly not wanting to hurt her. “She’s fine.”
“Please tell her I was asking about her well-being.”
“Damn it, Father,” Andre muttered.
Yasha suddenly swiveled to look at her, giving Alena all of his attention. It was jarring to be looking at him head-on like this. The man who’d raped her mother, killed her. Killed her father. Left her and Nika orphans. “He chooses his half-sister over his own father. She’s nothing more than the daughter of a whore.”
Alena stiffened. Under any other circumstances, she would have thrown her drink in his face and gotten up and left. But she needed to make sure he was dead. She’d sprayed poison on his fork. He would have a heart attack not long after his first bite. She couldn’t risk Andre kicking him out, or anybody else coming in contact with that fork. Not when she’d finally come so close.
Andre slammed his fist against the table, making all of the silverware tremble under the force. “Damn it! Can’t you just behave like a normal human being for a couple hours? Why are you even here—”
Though it was hard to do, she swallowed back her temper. “Andre.” Alena placed a soothing hand on his forearm, hoping he would remain calm. He stilled immediately and she nodded toward one of the servers. A man dressed in all black was moving out of the kitchen, two salad plates in hand.
Oh God, this was it. Finally, her parents would have justice.
Next to her, Nika made a sort of strangled sound under her breath. Alena barely heard it though. All her focus was on the monster sitting across from her.
Soon you’ll be dead. And I’m going to enjoy watching you gasp out your last breaths.
Yasha picked up his fork and looked between Andre and her, his expression calculating. “Maybe you’re just a common whore too, Alena.”
Andre stood, shoving his chair back. It clattered loudly against the beautiful custom hardwood floor. “That’s it! Get the hell out of here right now.”
Alena shook her head and held out a placating hand. “It’s okay. He’s just being protective of his son. Let’s just eat and everyone will calm down.” Ugh, were those words really coming out of her mouth? Patience, she reminded herself. Patience.
As Andre went to pick up his fallen chair, Yasha stabbed a piece of lettuce with his fork.
Adrenaline pumped through her, accelerating her heart rate. Eat it, you piece of shit. Eat it! she silently screamed. His death would appear to be an accident. Once he was gone, maybe she could finally get on with her life. Maybe then she could find some peace. She’d already killed the other three men involved in the murder of her parents—and the rape of her mother.
“Stop!” Declan shouted from beside Nika, his voice making the room go quiet.
Everyone turned to stare at him and Alena’s heart stuttered when she saw his dark, angry expression.
“Drop your fork, Yasha.” Declan’s voice was razor sharp.
Oh no. The security guy. The man her sister was sleeping with. He knew somehow. Oh my God, Nika had told him?
“You told him?” Alena turned to stare at her sister in horror. Of anyone, she would have never exp
ected Nika to betray her.
Nika shook her head, clearly trying to get her to be quiet. Oh hell. Nika hadn’t told, and now Alena had just given them away. He would never take the poison now.
“Told him what?” Yasha asked as he laid the fork down, eyeing both of them warily now.
A surge of rage and pain like she’d never known welled inside her like a tsunami. No! She wasn’t letting him get away. Not bothering to respond, she grabbed the nearest steak knife and lunged across the table at him like a woman possessed.
She was vaguely aware of glasses and plates scattering, of wine splashing all over her, but nothing mattered but plunging her knife right through his black heart. As she flew through the air, a hard arm snagged around her waist, jerking her to a halt.
Andre.
Struggling against his hold, she kicked out, sending one of her shoes flying and just missing Yasha’s head. “Let me go!” she screamed as—
Alena’s eyes snapped open at the sound of her phone’s alarm going off. Heart racing, she sat up in bed, shoving the covers off her sweat-covered body. It had nothing to do with the late August New Orleans heat. She had the air conditioning cranked up so it was a cool seventy-two inside.
But after that nightmare—which was really just a memory—she always woke up agitated. Because it always ended the same. With Yasha walking out of that room alive and well. At least he’d died later that same night. He’d wanted to kill her right then but Andre had stopped him. If he hadn’t, Alena had no doubt Yasha would have come after her eventually.
But Alena had still lost Andre, a man she’d initially only planned to use then walk away from.
Instead, she’d fallen in love with him. He didn’t even want to see her, let alone speak to her. Not that she could blame him.
Except now she was three months pregnant with his child. And he had no clue. She wasn’t even sure how to tell him. She was certain that he would hate her even more than he already did. Soon enough, however, she’d have to deal with him.
But it wouldn’t be today.
Chapter 1
One month later
Alena texted her sister as the driver of her hired car pulled into the driveway of Nika and Declan’s house. Situated in a quiet neighborhood in Coconut Grove, the two-story house was surrounded by trees and lush foliage. She’d visited once before, a month and a half ago, right after her sister’s engagement. Everything looked the same.
As she got out of the back seat, her sister flew out of the front door and raced down the walkway toward her. Nika had left her dark hair curly, falling around her shoulders. It suited her. She and Nika had the same caramel-hued skin, a mark of their mixed heritage. With those sharp cheekbones and vivid green eyes, her baby sister was stunning. She was also smart and kind. Declan was a lucky man.
“Your man better be treating you right,” she murmured as Nika practically tackle-hugged her.
Snorting, Nika squeezed tight, then froze for a second before pulling back. Her eyes widened slightly before dipping to Alena’s middle. Ah, crap. She’d worn a loose-fitting, multicolored dolman-sleeve top that did a great job of hiding her small baby bump. Clearly Nika wasn’t fooled. But her sister wouldn’t say anything in front of a random driver. Not when anything about Alena could be leaked to the entertainment media. This guy probably had no clue who she was, but still, they’d always been careful about keeping their private lives private.
As Alena’s driver shut the trunk and set her bags next to her, she swiped her credit card over his magstripe reader and included a nice tip. “Thank you.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were coming in early. Declan and I had already planned to pick you up,” Nika said, lifting Alena’s suitcase.
Since she was exhausted from the mere fact of being pregnant, she didn’t try to take the big suitcase. Instead she picked up her much smaller travel bag and followed her sister up the walkway. Bright yellow roses grew rampant across the bushes lining the front of the house. They were her sister’s favorite.
“I was able to get bumped up and didn’t want to bother you guys,” she said as Nika shut the front door behind them. “Your hair looks amazing,” she added.
“Thank God for hair product for mixed chicks,” Nika said, laughing. Snorting out an agreement, Alena started to respond just as Nika turned to her, eyebrows raised as she set the suitcase down on the wood floor of the foyer. “You’re pregnant.”
Yep. No hiding it anymore. “Four months.”
Nika blinked once as she seemed to try to find her voice. “Oh my…oh hell…oh—”
“Nika. It’s okay.”
Her sister’s eyes widened to cartoon proportions as something seemed to click. “It’s Andre’s!”
“Ah, yes. And no, he doesn’t know. I’m definitely going to tell him. But he’ll probably—definitely—want a paternity test, so I’m waiting for now.” Because Lord knew she didn’t need any extra stress in her life. Her doctor back home had been very clear on that point.
“But he’s the only person you’ve slept with in…ages.”
“I know that. And you know that. But he’s not going to trust me.” And she didn’t blame the sexy billionaire. Not one bit. He might have no love lost for his dead father but Alena had tried to stab the now dead man…and she’d used Andre to get to Yasha. What a mess.
“Right. Well come on, I think you need to be sitting. I’ll just grab these later.” She waved a hand at Alena’s suitcase and bag before linking her arm through Alena’s.
“Or more likely, you’ll just wait until Declan gets home and have him carry everything upstairs.”
Nika laughed, the sound so open and refreshing. It warmed Alena straight to her soul. For so long they’d traipsed around the world taking revenge on the men who’d ripped their family from them. Their parents had been CIA agents, two of the best. One night four men had broken into their home and killed their mom and dad. Alena had managed to get herself and Nika hidden—even though she’d only been ten herself at the time—and when they’d finally emerged, it had been a bloody massacre. Alena had shielded her sister from seeing the carnage but those images had been seared into her own brain.
And she’d never gotten over it. Never been able to move past it. Not until recently.
“You know me too well.”
As they stepped into the kitchen, a wave of nausea swept over Alena. Sometimes it happened like that. No trigger, no warning, just stupid sickness. “Bathroom?” It was all she could get out.
Nika must have read her expression because she pointed right back down the hallway. “First door on the left.”
Alena actually knew that, had been in the house before, but she wasn’t thinking straight right now. Less than two minutes later she’d emptied the meager contents of her stomach. All she’d been able to keep down was crackers anyway. After flushing the toilet then rinsing out her mouth with the little bottle of mouthwash on the counter, she splashed water on her face.
“Are you okay in there?”
Alena opened the door to find her sister standing there, her expression worried. “Yes. It’s just morning sickness and totally normal. I just happen to get it in the afternoon, not the morning. By chance do you have any ginger ale or crackers? Or both?”
“Yep. Come on.” A minute later Nika passed a can of ginger ale over to Alena where she sat at the center island. “So, you’re really pregnant. That shirt does a decent job of hiding it, but with your slender frame, you won’t be able to hide it much longer. In fact, I’m surprised it hasn’t been posted on social media yet. Or by one of those gossip rags.”
She took the drink gratefully, downing a quick sip before answering. As a model, every part of her was incessantly scrutinized. But lately she’d been lying low, and when her life was boring, no one paid attention. “It’s because I’ve been hiding out at home the past month. About four weeks ago my belly popped and there was no way to hide it without loose clothing. So I canceled every future engagement�
�my agent knows why and is keeping quiet.” She took another sip, glad it was helping settle her stomach. “I’ll need to tell Andre before it hits the media. I’m just worried about his reaction.”
Her sister’s mouth pulled into a thin line as she nodded. Nika held a lot of guilt for the way they’d treated Andre. The man was so good and decent and Alena had stomped all over his heart. Yes, she’d done it so her parents would have justice, and yes, she’d been blinded by her need for revenge, but that didn’t make her feel any better. She didn’t feel guilty for what she’d done to the other three men involved and she also didn’t care what that said about her. She could live with her actions. But she hated that she’d ruined that little bud of something real between her and Andre and that he now had a low opinion of her. God, what he must think.
“You might be surprised by his reaction,” her sister said finally.
She gave a noncommittal shrug. “Maybe.” She knew enough about Andre to realize that he wasn’t going to be happy. But there was no way she was giving up this baby. She just hoped they could find a way to be civil to each other and make a co-parenting relationship work. If he didn’t want that, then she was fine raising this child on her own. Since she’d stepped into her thirties, she’d been planning on slowing down in her career in the next five years anyway. Now was as good a time as ever. She had enough money saved and had made enough in residuals that she could afford to be a stay-at-home mom for a while. “I’ve been thinking of getting a place in Miami. I want to be closer to you anyway.”