“Are you done? I’m starting to lose my second wind,” he said after a heavy sigh.
“No. One more thing.” I kept my voice level and quiet. “I asked you to use your relationship with Everly to dig up dirt on McElroy. I didn’t mean for you to fuck her and dump her.”
He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Well, maybe you’ll be more explicit next time.”
“If you don’t get your shit together, there won’t be a next time. I’m starting to doubt your commitment to our cause. I can’t spend time worrying about you when there are real issues needing my attention.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means I’m done catering to your immaturity. I don’t have the time or interest.”
“Am I out? Is that what you’re saying?” Alarm flashed in his eyes.
“I’m saying I’m not sure I can trust you anymore.” I returned to the sofa and rested an ankle on top of my knee, stretching my arms across the back.
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m your brother.”
“You’re a liability. You’ve defied me at every turn. First with Claudette and Milada. Now with Rourke. I’ve turned a blind eye to your shenanigans because you’re family, but I’ve got too much at stake now. Man up, Nicky. We’re under siege. Either you’re with me, or you’re against me.”
“That’s bullshit, and you know it.” The heels of his Italian shoes thudded softly on the hardwood floor as he paced in front of the fireplace.
“Actions speak louder than words, and your actions show a decided disrespect for everything we’ve done to date.” I shrugged. “There’s no reason for us to part as enemies. I’ve had my legal team draw up papers of separation for our joint businesses.” I pushed documents across the coffee table toward him. “I think you’ll find the terms more than generous. Those are your copies. You can take them with you. Have your attorney look them over.”
“You’re fucking kidding me.” He stared at me in disbelief.
“We both know I never kid about business.” I nudged the papers forward another inch. “Don’t worry. You can still come over for Christmas dinner.”
“I don’t give a fuck about Christmas dinner.” He raked both of his hands through his hair, frazzling the ends into disarray. “You’d seriously cut me out like this?”
“I’ll do what I have to do to keep my family and business safe.”
“I’m your family.” Judging by the panic on his face, I’d hit his most vulnerable spot. More than anything, Nicky feared being penniless and alone. He sagged onto the sofa across from me, shoulders lowering in defeat. “Fine. No more shenanigans. Just don’t cut me out.”
“We have an understand?”
He nodded.
“Great.” I glanced at my watch. “I’ve got a conference call. Let me know when you’ve got something on McElroy.”
The door thudded closed behind him. I gathered the documents he’d left behind and dropped them in the shredder. They were copies of a proposal for one of my projects. Good thing he hadn’t called my bluff.
The rest of the day passed quickly. I missed lunch, too absorbed in work, forcing my thoughts to stay focused on the business I’d been neglecting. The sun had lowered in the sky when Lorissa buzzed into my office.
“Sir, Mrs. Menshikov is on the phone. She says it’s urgent.”
Rourke hadn’t called me once since we’d returned from England. After the tumultuous start to our day, I wasn’t sure what to think. I’d been expecting one of my German business partners for a conference call instead. Unease knotted my stomach. “Put her through.”
“Roman, they’re tearing the entire place apart.” Panic lifted her voice to a higher pitch.
“Who? What are you talking about?” My elbow grazed the coffee cup on the corner of the desk. The porcelain mug plummeted to the floor, shattering into a dozen pieces.
“The police are here with a warrant.” Her breath puffed against the phone.
“Hold tight. I’m on my way.”
One of the benefits of being wealthy was having a room full of lawyers at your disposal. I grabbed John Hardin, one of the senior corporate attorneys, a man whose integrity I trusted, and bundled him into the waiting car. On the drive to the penthouse, I called Spitz and asked him to meet us there.
Hardin ran a finger around the inside of his shirt collar as the car paused at the front entrance to the building. “I haven’t practiced criminal law in twenty years. I’m not sure how much help I’ll be, but I’ll do what I can.”
A scruffy-looking agent in an expensive suit and cheap shoes met us when we stepped out of the elevator. He flashed his badge, a shit-eating grin on his face. “Mr. Menshikov, I’m Agent Frankel. We’re here for evidence connected to the murder of Lavender Cunningham.”
“This is my attorney, John Hardin. You can deal with him.” I nodded to John, ignoring Frankel’s outstretched hand. “Where’s my wife?”
Rourke sat on the sofa in the living room with her arms hugging her waist. The worry on her face punched me in the gut. I’d done this to her.
I shoved past him and raced to her side. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, but this is crazy.” She buried her face in my shoulder, small and frightened in my embrace. “I’ve been out all day running errands and came back to this—this chaos. I’m so sorry, Roman. I’d never have let them in if I’d been here.”
“It’s not your fault.” I pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Don’t worry. Let them search. They won’t find anything.” The tenseness in her shoulders eased. I tipped her face up to mine. “I’m going to go talk to Hardin and see what’s going on.”
“I’m not an expert, but the warrant seems legit,” Hardin said, scanning over the document.
“Absolutely everything is in order, Mr. Menshikov.” From the very first, I hated Frankel’s smug, asinine grin.
“If you want to waste your time, go ahead. I have nothing to hide.” I shrugged nonchalantly, but my insides seethed with fury. “But you’d better damn well be sure you’ve covered all your bases, because I’ll have your job for this.”
He snickered. “I doubt that.”
Meanwhile, a pair of men carried my desktop computer into the elevator. Unfortunately for him, the entire unit had been replaced twenty-four hours earlier and harbored nothing but basic software.
“Really?” I cocked an eyebrow. “I bet the Bureau doesn’t know about your love for the ponies and whores, for that matter. What about your eight-year-old daughter? Does she know? Angelica, right?”
The color drained from his face. Spitz had used his connections to dig up the dirty laundry of every agent on Lavender’s case. Thank goodness I’d taken the time to study the information. “Are you threatening me, Mr. Menshikov?” His features pulled downward in a scowl. “Because we can take this discussion down to the station, if necessary.”
“Did you hear a threat in that, Hardin?” I asked.
“No, sir, I didn’t.” He stepped to my side. “However, your continued hounding of Mr. Menshikov is clearly harassment. If you have evidence, then you need to charge him.”
“No need to get your panties in a twist, Mr. Hardin. We’re done here.” Frankel’s flat stare met mine. “We’ll meet again soon, Mr. Menshikov. I can promise you that.”
The elevator doors closed behind Frankel and the last of his men.
Spitz burst into the room ten seconds later from the penthouse service entrance, red-faced and breathless. “Sorry I’m late.”
“About fucking time,” I growled. “Can you explain what just happened?”
“I haven’t had time to check yet, but I can assure you, this won’t happen again.”
“Find out who let them in this apartment and fire their ass. No one should ever get through the door without my approval. This is inexcusable.” Now that Frankel had left, my temper reached the boiling point. “I pay your security team big bucks. A breach like this is a fucking travesty.”
“I agree.
” His face hardened, the lines above his forehead deepening. “I’ll take care of it.”
“My daughter works for the District Attorney. Let me make some calls and see what I can find out,” John said.
“Thanks. I appreciate that.” I clapped him on the shoulder.
Rourke rose from the sofa, her blue eyes round and solemn, and crossed the room to join us, picking her way through the debris left in the wake of the search. I put an arm around her waist, tucking her into my side. She pushed away. “It’s going to take forever to clean this up.”
“Let’s go back to my hotel. Our staff can take care of it.” I expected her to object, but after a second glance around the room, she nodded.
In that moment, I vowed to take my revenge on every single person who’d brought this witch hunt into fruition. No one fucked with me, and no one ever fucked with my wife.
15
Rourke
That evening, with the patter of rain on the hotel windows, Roman and I laid side by side beneath the soft sheets of The Plaza bed. The physical pull between us refused to be ignored, and sex provided a distraction from the trauma of the day. When I closed my eyes and rested my nose below his ear, it was easy to forget the chaos of the outside world, if only for a few hours.
His leg brushed against mine, his hairy thigh sending gooseflesh along my skin. The strength had ebbed from my body, leaving me boneless and sated after our marathon of fucking. He turned on his side to face me, propping his head on an elbow, and watched me with hooded eyes. The tips of his fingers trailed from my sternum to my navel, back and forth. We didn’t speak for a long time, just stared at each other. A crack of thunder reverberated through the walls, sending me deeper into his arms.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, breaking the silence.
“Fine.”
“Have you had any morning sickness?”
“A little, but not bad. Certain smells seem to set me off. If I can make it through breakfast, I’m okay.” I lifted a hand to ward off this line of questioning. “Don’t jinx me.”
“I want to go to the doctor with you. Be sure to put your appointments on my calendar.” His hand came to a stop on my lower belly.
“If I was still your assistant, I would,” I said, baiting him.
“Are you starting trouble already?”
“Nope. Just stating a fact.”
Amusement curved his lips. “I’m never going to be able to control you, am I?”
“And yet, you keep trying.” Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t evade rolling my eyes.
“Well, I wouldn’t have you any other way.” He pressed a kiss to my belly then rested his chin on my chest, blinking up at me.
“Sometimes, I think you’re more manipulative than Nicky. Just because I can’t keep my hands off you doesn’t mean you’re going to get out of talking.” I ran my hand through his hair. Quiet moments like this meant more to me than any amount of money, but reality beckoned.
“Where do you want to start?” He began tracing figure-eights around my navel.
I sucked in a deep breath and gathered my courage. “Was Lavender part of the Russian mafia?”
Roman’s finger stopped. He shifted into a sitting position, rested his elbows on his uplifted knees, and stared past the end of the bed at the thunderous sky. “It depends on what you mean by ‘mafia.’ They’re more like hostile allies.”
An unsettling thought made my stomach twist. “Are you part of this mafia?”
“Hell no. I don’t have time for that shit. That’s Nicky’s game.” He cast a mischievous grin in my direction. “We do rub shoulders from time to time. My adoptive father was affiliated, but my allegiance lies elsewhere.”
“Right.” I nodded and tried to look away, wanting to hide an inexplicable sting of tears. I swiped at my eyes. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m not even sad.”
“You’ve got a ton of hormones raging in your body right now, and you’ve gone through quite a shock. Give yourself a break. Too much worry is bad for you and the baby.” The darkness in his eyes softened. “We’ve got a chance to build a new family.” Warmth spread through my insides as he rested his hand on my stomach. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you. You know that, right?”
“Yes.” Despite the many challenges and betrayals in his history, he remained loyal to those around him. Being alone in bed without the pressures of work or war to pull us apart, encompassed by his love, gave me hope.
He tilted his head to one side, studying my eyes. “I get why you’re concerned. I haven’t done a very good job of making you feel secure, but you’re safe with me, Rourke. I have the money and resources to protect us. I’ll build a damn fortress for us, if that’s what it takes.”
I took his hand in mine and nestled my cheek into his palm. “I promised to love you forever, Roman. I meant every word of it. Although, your actions today didn’t help your cause.”
The line of his lips curved into a smile. “Nothing matters more to me than you.”
“I need honesty and trust and for you to show a little confidence in my ability to be at your side.”
“You’re my queen, Rourke Menshikov. If you weren’t worthy, I wouldn’t have married you.” He leaned in to give me a kiss.
“And you’re my king.” I closed my eyes, savoring the softness of his lips and the gentle intrusion of his tongue. My heartbeats scattered, buoyed on a rush of desire.
From the dresser, his phone buzzed insistently. He pulled away, eyes dark with lust, and scrubbed a hand over his face. He crossed the room, naked, not bothering with his robe. “It might be Spitz. I should take it.”
“It’s okay. Go ahead.” I hoisted the bedsheet higher, tucked it beneath my armpits, and sat up, wincing at the multitude of aches in my thoroughly sexed-up body.
“It’s not okay.” He swiped the phone screen with the pad of his thumb, instantly shifting into mogul mode. “Spitz, you’d better have a good fucking reason for interrupting my evening.” I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, preparing to get dressed. He pointed a finger at me. “You. Don’t move. I’m not done with you yet.”
Heat and pleasure warmed my face. I smiled, settled back against the headboard, and let the sheet sag suggestively to reveal my breasts. He shook his head. In return, I tweaked one of my nipples, pulling and tugging it into a tight point. His cock twitched and lengthened. He dropped a hand to stroke it. I lifted an eyebrow and patted the empty mattress at my side.
“Are you sure about that?” he asked Spitz. The smile fell from his lips. He shoved a hand through his hair and began to pace. “Don’t tell me this unless you’re absolutely, one-hundred-percent certain. I want proof.”
I admired his muscular body, the width of his shoulders, and the way his torso tapered down to a rock-hard ass. Dark, wiry hair dusted his thighs and calves. His dick stood at attention, bobbing up and down with each stride. I sucked in a breath, overwhelmed by the sight of him, knowing this dangerous man belonged to me.
He ended the call and tossed the phone on the bed. “Get dressed. Spitz needs a meeting.”
“Now?” I scrambled to my feet, taking the sheet with me.
“You said you want to be included.” His palm landed on my bottom with a playful smack.
“A little notice would’ve been nice.” I shuffled through my suitcase for a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Roman plucked the sheet from around my shoulders and tossed it to the floor. I rolled my eyes at him. “Not helping, Mr. Menshikov.”
“You just don’t appreciate my talents.” His eyes darkened as they roamed over my naked figure. I stepped into a pair of panties then pushed my arms through the straps of a matching bra. He placed a hand on each of my shoulders, turned me to face the wall, and fastened the hooks in the back. His warm hands smoothed along my ribs and ended at my hips. “Dressing you is almost—but not quite—as much fun as stripping you down.”
I flashed a smile over my shoulder at him. “Spitz is waiting. Remember?”
/>
“How could I forget?”
“You know, he doesn’t have a very high opinion of me.”
“Why do you say that?” His lips tickled along the curve of my shoulder.
“He’s made a few comments here and there.” I bit my lower lip, wondering how to proceed.
His kisses stopped at my collarbone. “What did he say?” I pulled a sweater over my head and headed for the bathroom to brush my teeth. Roman’s hand wrapped around my elbow to stop my escape. “Rourke, tell me.”
“He doesn’t like me much.” Our eyes met. I glanced down to escape his penetrating gaze. “He doesn’t like me much.”
“You’re bothered by it, or you wouldn’t have brought it up.” He rested a hip on the edge of the bathroom vanity to study my reflection in the mirror. A muscle ticked beneath his cheekbone. Guilt lessened some of the animosity I felt toward Spitz. Roman had more problems than he could handle right now. He didn’t need my insecurities added to his list.
“Just forget I said anything. I don’t care if he likes me or not, as long as you do.” To soften his mood, I dropped a kiss on the end of his nose. “I probably overreacted.”
“I’ll talk to him.” His eyebrows lowered. “No one disrespects my wife. Ever. He’s a damn genius at his job, but I’ll fire him, if you want.”
“No. Don’t worry about it.” I lifted my chin and gave him a bright smile. “I’ll take care of it. If I’m going to be a war king’s wife, I’d better start acting like one.”
He watched in silence as I brushed my teeth. I rinsed my mouth and turned to face him. With a few quick twists, I coiled my frazzled hair into a bun. His gaze roamed over me. One corner of his mouth twitched, like he was holding back a smile. “What?” I glanced down at the fly of my jeans to make sure it was zipped.
The Exiled Prince Trilogy Page 43