Because I cared about her.

  My laugh was strangled. The truth was a tough taskmaster.

  But business and the family had to come first.

  I glared down at the mess I’d created, annoyed with myself. Throwing a damn temper tantrum wasn’t going to change what had occurred.

  After glancing at my watch, I headed from the office toward the den. I’d given my lovely guest and the sketch artist enough alone time.

  Alessandro had been tasked with discovering the hacker. If he was good as I’d been told, I’d learn something in the next twenty-four hours.

  What I’d learned over the years was that time was usually of the essence. With Sergio’s death, the black book stolen, and evidence of our supposed illegal activities surfacing, it was truer than ever now.

  I’d also made my decision on how best to handle Bristol.

  At least the Pakhan in me had determined the best course of action.

  The man had other thoughts and desires, but they would come second.

  The Bratva always came first.

  Hence the reminder I’d given myself three times during the hour Bristol had spent with the sketch artist.

  Now, my patience was wearing thin while my hunger had yet to be sated.

  “Thank you for your assistance, Jacob,” I told the gruff man as soon as I walked into the room. He was a low-level soldier, but from what I’d heard, his skills were exemplary. I’d watched him in action for a few minutes, curious how he’d coax her for information.

  Bristol had remained nervous, constantly fidgeting as she tried to remember details about the man she’d seen in Sergio’s house. I’d left only when she’d finally relaxed.

  As soon as I’d all but dismissed the sketch artist, she turned her head to stare at me. Yes, we were tethered together in a twisted manner, but the passion and limited trust from earlier had ceased the moment we’d left the bedroom.

  No longer was I her hero. I’d returned to the status of her kidnapper. That was in both our best interests. If she hated me, she’d be more likely to provide the assistance I needed without her father suspecting anything other than his daughter changing her mind.

  I would need to keep an eye on Bristol at all times. I’d dispatch different soldiers to watch over her, ensuring not only her compliance, but also her safety.

  There’d been another overdose, the two young men seen on video leaving Kazimir’s casino the night before.

  I expected Jack to give me a heads-up call any time this morning to warn me narcotics was sending a detective my way.

  Jacob began to gather his things, giving Bristol one last opportunity to look at the sketch. She nodded and he headed toward me, tearing the paper from his sketchbook.

  “This will be the only copy,” I told him, quickly glancing at the pad to ensure he hadn’t used carbon paper.

  “Yes, sir. As requested.”

  “If anyone asks, you don’t know anything. Am I clear?” Given there was a strong chance that someone inside my organization was a traitor, the search for the bastard in question would need to be handled carefully.

  And expeditiously.

  “Yes, Pakhan. I was never here.”

  “Good. You’ll find payment for your services in your bank account later today.” I glanced at the sketch, hopeful I’d recognize the bastard, but there was no sense of who he was. The face wasn’t memorable, as if it could be anyone walking down the street. Either Bristol had been right and she hadn’t been able to see the assailant very well or he was an unknown player. However, at least I had something to run through our data banks.

  He seemed relieved. “Thank you, sir. Please call me if you need anything else.”

  “I will.” I followed him from the den toward the front door, letting him out. When I was alone, I took another good look at the picture. Not a single hint of recognition.

  When I returned to the room, I noticed she’d turned on the television. I remained in the doorway, studying her as she stared at the large screen. Even the lateness of the morning hour didn’t prevent some news channels from splashing the recent overdose. Fuck. They’d even included a picture of the casino. The day was just getting better and better.

  When the next news story was the one highlighting Jax Shane’s whining about being beaten up, I walked closer, leaning over from behind and taking the remote from her hand. When I flicked it off, she shivered. Perhaps she was remembering when I’d found her inside her friend’s house.

  She remained where she was, completely tense. The mug of coffee she’d asked for earlier remained mostly untouched, now cold after the time spent with Jacob. I placed the remote on the console, immediately heading to the window overlooking the pool.

  The quiet tension between us was even more palpable than before.

  “Did you beat that man up?” she asked in a much quieter voice than I was used to.

  “Yes, I did.”

  “Why?”

  “Because he stole from my casino.”

  “Is that how you handle all your naughty guests?”

  I chuckled. “Only those with hidden agendas.”

  “I can only imagine what you do to someone who steals the resort’s towels or God forbid the fluffy robes.”

  As I turned to face her, I realized she was now as nervous, if not more, than she’d been before. “Are you suddenly realizing what I’m capable of, Bristol?”

  “No, I pretty well figured that out after reading your impressive dossier.” She lifted her head, searching my eyes. “What do you want with me, Mikhail? If I had to guess, I’d say you need me to rat on my father. To weasel my way into his operation like a good daughter, pretending to fight for the cause while you determine his fate based on how reprehensible his treachery is. How close am I?”

  “Actually, you’re very good. Perhaps you should be a fortune teller.”

  Her laugh was bitter as she dragged her eyes back and forth across mine.

  “If you’re searching for my soul, don’t bother.”

  “That’s exactly what you need me to think. That you have no soul,” she admitted. “And that your heart is pitch black.”

  “But you think otherwise.” I was curious where this was going.

  “I know so. I remember the boy who’d fought to save my life and I now know the man who is more worried about my safety than me running to the police or disappearing into the night.”

  “Interesting for a woman who’s only known me a couple of days.”

  “You seem to forget they’ve been event-filled days, Mikhail. I also know your type. You enjoy displaying your power, using violence as a tool of interrogation as well as intimidation. When you walk into a room, you want everyone to see that you ooze power and you have no issue controlling the room or anyone in it. But at the end of the day, you’re like all powerful men. You long for peace and quiet with someone you can share your life with.”

  “You give me too much credit.” I could feel the muscles in my body tensing from her accurate read.

  She shook her head and rose to her feet. I’d thought she’d be unstable, but her resolve was strong. “No, I don’t. You’re right. You could have extracted whatever information you wanted from me and forced me to disappear. No one would have been the wiser. Not really.”

  “Hardly the truth.”

  “But you didn’t.” She dared walk even closer. “Plus, I saw the way you were looking at me and not like just a possession. From day one, you wanted me to believe you were a bad man. Maybe you are to everyone else, but I have the benefit of knowing the truth. You allowed me a taste of the true man.”

  I gave her words consideration. “Don’t think too highly of me, Bristol, because you’re not going to like what I’m about to say.”

  Bristol folded her arms. “You think my father is dirty and you want me to find out if he is.”

  “I think there’s far too much of a coincidence that your father suddenly left his highly respected career in Los Angeles to move to Las Vegas. I think, in fact I know for certain your father was lured to the amusement park all those years ago not by chance or simply for a good time, but because he was important to a man named Tristen O’Shaughnessy.”

  “The Irishman. Another mafia leader.” She wasn’t asking a question, merely taking in every scrap of information. Processing.

  “A true monster who doesn’t care about the people he kills. If they get in his way, he shoves them aside. I need your help, Bristol. We’re both seeking the same thing. The truth.”

  “Yes, but our methods of discovering the truth are entirely different.”

  “Yes, black and white. Good versus evil. At some point you’ll realize those in power live inside the gray area.”

  Her eyes flickered in appreciation. “Yes, I’m beginning to see that. Perhaps I’ve been wrong about a lot of things.”

  “The report you just watched regarding the overdose?”

  “You mean the one outside your casino?”

  “The very one. We don’t allow illegal drugs on any of our properties. Is it possible for guest to conceal fentanyl or ecstasy? Yes, it is, as we don’t search everyone who walks through the door, but if anyone is caught, they are banned for life.”

  “So what are you saying?”

  “It’s apparent that someone is trying to ruin our reputation. Now, with your father creating a commission to look into organized crime, I do find the timing interesting.” I watched as her expression changed from utter disbelief to questioning everything she’d believed in.

  “While I understand what you’re saying, I can’t believe such terrible things about my father. He taught me right from wrong.” Her insistence was admirable.

  “Then help me understand.”

  “By spying on him for you.”

  I crowded her space. While the desire lingered like a wall of intense need, I would not allow her to undermine my world, my life, or my family. “By discovering the truth. You owe me, Bristol. You will do what I say, providing me with information. For that, I’m allowing you to return to your life.” I wasn’t certain she understood how difficult it would be for me simply letting her go.

  She narrowed her eyes. “With strings attached, which you told me there wouldn’t be.”

  “That was before you found yourself in the middle of my world.”

  “You mean a nightmare. How are you going to keep me safe?”

  The woman was goading me, pushing my buttons. I crowded her space, allowing her to feel the weight of the situation. “You will be protected. Just from afar.”

  “Let me guess. You’re going to have your watchdogs following me everywhere I go to ensure I’m… a good little girl.”

  “Exactly.”

  “What if I can’t find the truth?” she asked.

  “You’re intelligent enough to know when the facts are presented in black and white. You’re also tenacious.”

  “Don’t use my beliefs against me. That’s not fair.”

  “Nothing in life is fair. The sooner you learn that, the better.”

  “God, I really want to hate you.”

  “But you can’t.”

  She huffed, shaking her head. “No. What does that say about me?”

  I cupped her face, enjoying the quiet moment between us. If she only knew how strongly I felt about keeping her locked down in my house, she’d be shocked. Or perhaps once again terrified of me. When I brought her close, she jammed her fisted hands against my chest. She should know by now that I would take what I wanted.

  I brushed my lips against hers, expecting her to recoil, but there was so much electricity sparking between us that her body shifted involuntarily, her back arching. Her slight actions pushed our lips together, leaving me tingling all over, my cock at full attention. As my cockhead pushed against her lower stomach, I captured her mouth, holding still for several seconds and enjoying the taste of her.

  She shivered but parted her lips, allowing me to dart my tongue inside. The connection was undeniable, the vibrations shared between us more powerful than the night before. I took my time exploring the dark recesses of her mouth, swirling my tongue back and forth.

  While she remained still at first, trying not to engage in our moment of passion, her resolve crumbled with each passing second, her tongue shifting against mine.

  I became more forceful, crushing my mouth against hers, pinning her against the wall as the act of intimacy intensified. As I dominated her tongue, she moaned into the kiss, her slender hands pressing against my chest.

  Only she wasn’t pushing, attempting to force me away. Her fingers were fisting my shirt, pulling me even closer. Just the way she touched me drew me further into a delicious haze of longing, thirsty to taste every inch of her, and hungry to fill her mouth, pussy, and tight asshole with my cock.

  I fisted her hair, wrapping my fingers around her long strands as I allowed the kiss to continue. I couldn’t seem to get enough of her, my tongue dancing against hers in a wild ride of passion.

  This was tenderness, a closeness that I hadn’t known I craved. Perhaps she was dead right about me in that I longed for a companion, but now wasn’t the time. When I finally broke the kiss, I tugged on her hair, exposing the length of her neck. Everything about her was stunning, her skin glistening. Growling, I licked across the seam of her mouth before nipping her lower lip, moving ever so slowly to her jaw. Even the taste of her skin was delicious, adding fuel to the already raging fire in my loins.

  “Oh…” she whimpered, closing her eyes, her mouth pursing.

  “There is no room for negotiations, Bristol. None.”

  Her whimpers only added gasoline to the fire, every cell electrified. When I shifted one hand down her side, sliding it between her legs, her moans filtered into the space. Every sound she made, every ragged breath, created a wave of energy.

  “Are you threatening me?”

  “Not at all. I’m reminding you that at the end of the day, you are not only witness to a crime, but an accomplice.” Perhaps I’d given up on what Sergio had whispered to her. Of all the aspects surrounding her appearance, I could tell she was telling the truth that she didn’t know what he’d whispered. It was likely in Russian, which meant I could read the Russian dictionary for her and likely never come up with the phrase. As my father would say, it was a lost leader.

  For now.

  “That’s technically not true.”

  I laughed. “Call it what you will.” I moved away, heading to the small safe I’d positioned behind a picture. She watched me carefully as I pulled the art away, pressing my fingers against the fingerprint sensitive console. As soon as I heard the click, I opened the door, grabbing her phone.

  She seemed surprised as I handed it to her. “Is that all you need from me, information?”

  “You’re going to steer your father toward investigating the Irish. Now, if he refuses, then sadly, you’ll know that your father has been in bed with the organization for years.”

  Her mouth twisted in frustration. “I don’t know what to say any longer, Mikhail. I so want to trust you. I need to believe what I’ve been feeling when I’m with you isn’t the biggest mistake of my life, but you continuously push the buttons with such ferocity I can’t catch my breath.”

  “Your instinct will never steer you wrong, Bristol. Believe in yourself first. The rest will come with time.”

  “As cryptic and dark as the man himself.”

  She tilted her chin, her shoulders shored as if prepared for a battle. “There’s one more thing. Your mother is hosting a charity function. I’m going to be your plus one.”

  “You know inviting you will raise red flags. You can’t do that.”

  “I can do anything I want.”

  I backed away, although resisting her was next to impossible. Just being in her presence was troubling.

  “Anything else?” Her mouth remained twisted in defiance.

  Chuckling, I turned my heated gaze down the length of her legs. “Not at this time. I’ve programmed my number into your phone. If you see anything out of the ordinary or if anyone bothers you, call me.”

  “Under what name?” When I didn’t answer right away, she inched closer. “On my phone. What name should I be searching for?”

  “Master.”

  The look on her face was priceless. “You’re not my master and never will be.”

  “Time will tell.”

  “No, it won’t. That much I can promise you.” Huffing, her long lashes skimmed her cheeks, her eyes glassy.

  From desire.

  From an unsated need.

  From a rush of adrenaline.

  We were more alike than she realized, our needs dark, even dangerous. Yet I knew I couldn’t stop my actions, the yearning that would remain with me for hours, even days.

  “Do we have a deal?” I asked.

  “A return to my safe and happy life to help keep you out of prison.”

  “A return to your dull and unsatisfied life after discovering the truth.”

  She pursed her lips together as she glared at me. “Do I have a choice?”

  “We all have choices.” She was sensing the threat was implied.

  “Fine, Mikhail, but let me make you a promise. I don’t know how long it will take or how it will be possible, but one day, I will ruin you. I will be the one standing inside the courtroom on the other side of the aisle, smiling as the judge reads the guilty verdict, enjoying every moment of you sweating while he announces your lengthy sentence.”

  I did so adore a woman with spunk. “I can’t wait to have the opportunity.” Letting her go would be the hardest thing I’d done in a very long time but was absolutely necessary. “And I’ll make you a promise and you need to listen to me very clearly, Bristol. As you’ve likely already guessed, I’m a man of my word. I’m extending the courtesy of releasing you, allowing you to return to your life. There are few parameters and I have no intention of interfering with your everyday life. However, if you choose to try and run or if you betray me, I will find you and when I do, there will be a price to pay, one I’m positive you won’t like.”