Page 114 of Beneath the Light of the Moon

“Oh? I suppose my gifts aren’t even worthy of being mentioned?” She sneered at his words. “I guess it’s good to know he’s puttingmymoney to use.” His eyes hardened. “Goes to show he’d be nothing without me.”

“Daddy Alek’s ideals really have been ingrained into your pea brain, haven’t they? But that can be fixed withtraining.”

Mikko scoffed, his brain fixating on the worddaddyand how it sounded coming from her lips despite his best efforts. “This outfit is giving me other ideas.”

Rolling her eyes, she let him visually drink in his fill before talking again. “Took a page out of your book,” she taunted, “and decided to play cop for a night. You can ask Ivan how well that went for him…”

It was the first time she’d admitted to it, even slightly. Mikko pushed on. “The city is the safest it’s ever been,” he mocked. “Especially without Ivan.”

“That’s cold.” She twirled the fake handcuffs around her pointer finger while he shrugged. “But it’ll be even more safe once I putyouaway too.” Her glare was obvious, dark makeup allowing her molten eyes to flash in the light.

“And justwheredo you keep your prisoners, miss officer?”

“My basement.”

God, I’m gonna lose it.

He’d go with her willingly, let her tie him up and do whatever as long as she was there to accompany him.

With his helmet in place, he was able to trace the outline of her figure as she stood there unaware of his stare. Images flooded his mind, his fingertips grazing her warm skin, goosebumps rising to meet his touch. The scent of her soap clinging to him for days. The way she’d moan under his to—

“There you are,” Levi said, appearing from behind her, his breaths slightly short as if he’d searched everywhere for her. “I was looking…” he met Mikko’s menacing gaze beyond the tinted panel of his visor and trailed off.“Oh.”

Mikko waved his fingers coyly in hello, but his jaw was tight with annoyance. An orange jumpsuit covered Levi’s body, the word “prisoner” stamped across his chest.

Classy.

“Care to introduce me to your friend,” Levi spoke first.

“Oh? You don’t recognize your own boss, Mikko?” Anika asked. Her knowing smile made it feel like she was toying with them.

“Uh, I—” Levi stumbled as Mikko’s blood pressure skyrocketed. “Of course, I guess, it’s just, erm, been a while since I’ve seen him in his helmet,” Levi rested his hands on Anika’s shoulders, trying to turn her away from him and his monumental disaster of a conversation. “But we’re gonna head back downstairs, yeah?” The last part was aimed at her, his eyes conveying discomfort.

“Yeah, sure. You both are acting weird anyway,” she retorted.

Relenting, they both turned, cordial nods exchanged before they walked away. Mikko watched as Levi’s mouth brushed along the side of her temple, his lips mumbling something to her. A soft smile edged across her face when she looked up at him.

Red dimmed along the edges of Mikko’s vision.

As soon as they disappeared around the corner, Mikko slipped hishelmet and balaclava off over his head, the accessories suddenly too tight and claustrophobic. Running his free hand through his hair, he tried and failed to tame it.

It was time to find Cristiano since this party was boring him.

Walking down the hall, trailing after Anika and Levi, Mikko found himself scenting her perfume lingering in the air. He needed to find his friend and fast, or else he was going to do something he’d regret—or worse, that hewouldn’tregret.

Slipping past costumed bodies dancing and talking in various parlors and living rooms, Mikko wasn’t immune to the stares he was getting. Now that his helmet and balaclava had been torn off, people started realizing he was a Romanov.

Ugh.

A group of young women turned to look and kept staring unabashedly. He wasn’t in his usual polished suit, but he found that the helmet and riding gear always caught the attention of women—and men.

“Nice costume,” one of the women commented, dark hair making him think of Anika. He smiled tightly, nodding once at them, but broke eye contact.

Only one woman occupied his mind.

A woman who couldn’t even stand to be in his presence for long.

A woman who prefers that sleazy bastard Levi over me.