Page 48 of Devious Corruption

Letting the water rush over my face and my chest, I take slow, steadying breaths. I need my bed. A good night’s sleep will push this infatuation away, and by morning my head will be clear again. I can focus on the Armenian problem.

As I step out of the shower, wrapping a towel around my waist, my phone buzzes with a message. Picking it up, I swipe the notification that opens to a text message from Stephan. He’s positioned outside Maxine’s apartment.

We have a problem. I have eyes on three men looking very interested in your girl’s window. Want me to go up?

My grip tightens on the phone so hard, I’m surprised the casing doesn’t crack.

Not unless they go into the building. I’m on my way.

Acold hand covers my mouth, waking me from a dead sleep. My eyes fly open, and I swing my arm across my body, hoping to catch whoever it is in the face with my fist.

I completely miss and end up being shoved into my pillow.

“It’s okay; it’s all right.” Lev’s face, barely visible in my darkened room, appears above me. “It’s me.”

“What are you doing?” I demand, my words getting lost in his palm.

“I need you to stay quiet, can you do that?” Is he insane? He’s in my room in the middle of the nightsuffocating me.

I nod, because that’s what you do when someone asks you such as stupid question. It’s not like I can tell him that I’m planning on kicking his ass as soon as he lets me go, he’d never let me go.

“I’m serious, Max. You have to stay quiet.” There’s a seriousness to his command that’s different than his usual Neanderthal bossiness.

Deciding it might be okay to go along with him, just this once, I nod again, this time sincere in my answer.

He peels his hand off my mouth and sits on the bed beside me.

“What’s going on?” I whisper as I sit up.

“You’re not safe here.”

“Why? What’s happened?”

The bed bounces a little when he gets up, reminding me of how large this man really is. Did I actually think I’d be able to get up and kick his ass? He’s made from concrete and marble. Or maybe just one of the two. I’m not exactly sure, but it’s the middle of the night so I can’t be blamed for my rambling thoughts.

With one finger, he pushes open the thin slats of my blinds, peering out. I’d had them opened when I went to sleep earlier. After he’d left, I opened the blinds and the window to let in fresh air. I like a crisp air when I sleep.

“Did you close those?” I push the blankets off me and swing off the bed.

“I did. Stay there.” He points to me while still looking through the small opening he’s created in the blinds.

Marion stretches out from her spot on the pillowbeside me. She jumps down onto the floor and stalks over to Lev, sitting next to his foot.

Unbelievable. This cat has lost all loyalty.

“Lev, tell me what’s going on. It’s one in the morning. Why are you in my apartment? How did you even get into my apartment?” I move to my feet.

He lets the blinds snap back into place, then turns to me. Now that my eyes have adjusted to the dark, I can see the concern pulling at his brow.

“What’s happened? Is it the boys?”

“Your brothers are fine.” He sounds like he wishes it were otherwise, though.

He goes to my closet, pushing open the folding doors. Finding the carry-on suitcase I have stashed there, he pulls it out and tosses it on my bed.

“Do you have any other bags?” He opens the suitcase on the bed.

“Why?”