Page 69 of Break Me

When I slowly smiled, allowing my gaze to fall, she finally realized she was fighting a fire while her appearance was too sweet. Too adorable. A warm blush swept across her jaw and it was all I could do not to carry her inside, lock the door, and ravage her on the couch.

Common decency didn’t stop me. Emily’s little voice did.

“Who’s dat, Mommy?”

Halle managed to smile. “No one, baby girl. No one at all.”

“Now, why do you want to be like that? I thought we had a really good time together on our… date.”

Her little nose wrinkled and she snorted, another adorable if not nervous twitch she’d done before. “It’s hard to look back and say I had a good time since it ended with gunshots and the police.”

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. May I come in?”

“No, you may not. This is my time with my daughter, a cherished night off and I already have enough monsters in my life.”

“Ouch. I did bring a peace offering.”

When I held up the wine, she shook her head. “You can’t ply me with alcohol. Now, what we shared is over, so please leave.”

“That’s not going to happen. We need to talk.”

She threw a quick look over her shoulder, which prompted me to do the same. Emily had a coloring book and a huge box of crayons on the table in front of her. From what I could tell, it seemed she was wearing an identical pair of pajamas. I wasn’t a sentimental guy in the least, yet it struck me how peaceful the moment seemed, how beautiful the connection the two shared.

Before I’d interrupted their moment together.

“Are you terrified I’ll tell the police you’re a killer?”

“You had an opportunity to do so, but you chose not to.”

She rolled her eyes and brushed nonexistent hair from her face. Another act of nervousness. Why was it that I enjoyed making her anxious? “I found it interesting that the police didn’t bother entering the hotel. Now, I had to wonder why they wouldn’t at least desire to have a basic conversation with the only other witness. Did you have anything to do with that?”

How was I supposed to answer that without her second guessing me? Although if I had to guess, I’d say she was intent on hating me, so what did I have to lose by telling the truth? “You’d been through enough and I was the one the assailants were after.”

For a few seconds, her tough demeanor defaulted, her eyes reflecting fear. She leaned in towards me. “What about the pictures? Did you arrange for someone to photograph us together, to take advantage of my mistake in trusting you even for a little while? Perhaps a sexy little trophy you keep of all your conquests? I can just see a bulletin board now filled with pictures of all the women you’ve fucked. Do you have any idea how difficult enjoying a few moments for myself has been in my life? Do you know how difficult it is being a single mother andnot being able to provide what your baby girl needs no matter how hard you work or how many hours you put in?”

Goddamn it, I had no idea what to say to her. I could sit in front of a room full of wary investors and sell them a fucking volcano in the middle of the glaciers, yet I was dumbfounded too often around her.

“No, of course not,” she said, sighing as if she’d come to a final conclusion about her feelings for me. “You’re a rich, sexy guy. You can say and do and have anyone you want. But not me. Just leave me alone and I promise you that I have no intention of sharing with anyone what happened last night. I’ve already gotten enough grief for being stupid enough to go on a date with you. So do me a favor, stay far away.”

“I would never take advantage of our time together, Halle. I don’t want or need trophies. I’m not who you think I am. Never would I ever sanction intimate photographs.”

She was exasperated, her chest heaving. “Then who the hell did?” Wincing, she bit her lower lip. “Then who did? And why?”

“That’s something I intend on finding out. I would never intentionally place you or your family in harm’s way.”

“But that’s happened. Right?”

Why did I have the feeling she wasn’t telling me something? “Were you threatened?”

A quick flash on her face indicated I was right. I obviously puffed up in defense given she smiled, placing her hand on my chest.

“Just a breather on the other end of the line. Back off, big boy. I can protect myself. However, it’s obvious you need a little help in the protection department.” She tossed an arrogant nod aroundme to the men sitting in the SUV parked behind my vehicle. She was an absolute firecracker.

“A requirement of my brother.”

“Your brother the Pakhan? The big powerful Russian running this city with an iron fist?” I’d heard the categorization of our family by one of the networks. As always, their reporting of my family and our accomplishments were a bit outlandish.

“Yes, he’s the Pakhan.”