Page 11 of Devious Truth (Vicious Sinners #3)

L ev’s confirmation that his sister and her assistants left Vivienne’s apartment ten minutes ago hits my phone as I pull up to the building.

“We’ll be down in ten,” I inform my driver.

The bolt on the front door of the building is busted, and the glass with the crack in it hasn’t been changed since I was here last. If she’s going to insist on living here, I’m going to have to set up a meeting with the landlord. A fucking lock isn’t too much to ask.

I answer my phone as I step onto the stairs. There isn’t enough money in the world to make me get into that rickety elevator.

“We found the location of another pleasure house; this one’s on the riverbank. South of where we’re scouting for a new casino resort.” Kaz informs me. “Alexander wants to meet tomorrow to discuss options. Are you going to be around?”

“I can be. Late afternoon.”

“Works even better for me.” A feminine giggle comes through from his end of the line.

“I thought you were taking Elana to her mother’s grave today?” I pause at the top of the stairs. Kaz fucks around a lot, but not when it comes to our little sister. “Did something happen?”

“She ditched me.” He covers the phone and says something to his guest before coming back to the line. “When I came home to pick her up, she said she’d already been to the cemetery, and had plans for the rest of the day. Didn’t even let me take her to lunch.”

“Did you at least ask her about school? Her apartment?”

“I didn’t get a chance. She just breezed out of the house. When Artem gets back, I’m going to ask him where he dropped her.”

“She’s not going to like you prying.”

“I don’t like all this secrecy bullshit. Something’s going on with her, and like it or not, she’s a Volkov. We need to know what’s happening with her.” Kaz’s voice hardens.

Of the three of us, Kaz is not only the closest in age to our little sister, but closest in relationship as well.

They’ve always had the most fun together.

Alexander had to play big brother bordering on father figure thanks to our bastard of a father shirking his responsibilities after getting Elana’s mother pregnant.

And I’ve had my nose in schoolbooks and business ledgers since I could read. She’s always leaned on Kaz the most.

“All right, you handle her, then.” As I step up to Vivienne’s door it slowly opens.

My chest clamps down on my heart, trying to keep it inside my ribcage at the sight before me.

“I have to go.” I end the call as Kaz tries to reply.

I can’t hear him. All I can do is see the gorgeous woman before me. Time has paused, keeping me locked in this moment. Her beauty isn’t loud and flashy. It’s a whisper that still manages to silence everything around her.

Uncertainty flashes in her eyes when I remain silent, and she runs her hand delicately over her hip then over her stomach.

“Is it too much? It’s too much, right?”

“No.” I swallow, wetting my throat. “It’s beautiful. You’re—beautiful.”

When Lev suggested letting his sister and her makeup crew spearhead getting an appropriate dress over to Vivienne’s place, I had no idea it would be such a good idea.

I’d given Nicolette my credit card, thinking she’d pick out a simple dress, but what stands before me is a hundred times better than anything I could have imagined.

The dress hugs her body perfectly. Thanks to having her size in her employee file for her uniform, giving Nicolette her exact measurements had been easy. All of our uniforms are tailored to fit the girls like a glove, but this dress surpasses what our own tailors have done.

“Thank you.” A hint of a blush colors her cheeks.

She presses her hand to her stomach, drawing in a deep breath, and closes her eyes. Silently, I count to five with her—although I don’t think she realizes her lips move when she does this. When she opens them again, the flush is gone, and her shoulders are more relaxed.

A sparkle shines from the diamonds dripping down from her earlobes. She hasn’t secured one of them well enough and it’s slipping from her ear.

“Here.” Pushing the earring back in place, I find the latch at the back and secure it. “Don’t want to lose that.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” She grabs at her ear as soon as I step away. “I thought I had it latched right.”

“It’s fine.” I grab her hand and give it a light squeeze. “If you lose it, I’ll buy you another.”

“Please don’t. I was going to talk to you later, but since you’ve opened the window…the other things you bought, I can’t accept them. Even this dress…it’s too much.”

“Rule number one.” I lift a finger. “Don’t ever try to return a gift I send.”

“Rule number one?” Her eyebrows lift. “You’re giving me rules?”

“Of course. You wanted to keep this boss and employee tonight.” It’s meant to be a tease, but I miss my mark.

She straightens up and gives a curt nod. “Yes, that’s best.”

“Good. Then we understand each other. I’m the boss.”

Her lips part like she’s about to argue, but all she manages is, “Well, I mean…I suppose…”

“It’s going to be cold tonight; you’ll need a jacket.” I gently push past her into her apartment.

“The only one that goes well with this is a stole.” She picks up the black silk chiffon stole pooled next to a black clutch sitting on the end table by the door.

“It’s not enough, but it’s a short walk to the car.” I pull the material from her hands and drape it around her shoulders, inhaling the soft scent of her perfume.

“We should probably go, right?” She picks up her keys and the clutch.

I take the keys from her and look around the living room as I shut the door. “That cat’s not in here, is it?”

“No. Max took her home a little while ago.” Vivienne rubs the side of her neck as I lock the deadbolt.

I pocket her keys. Two men brush past us as we make our way to the stairs. I gently nudge Vivienne to go ahead of me, placing myself between her and them.

We’re already down one floor when the banging begins. Vivienne stops and looks up through the iron railings.

“Keep going.” I urge her while also looking up toward the floor we just left.

More banging.

“Yo! Max, open the door already!” More banging.

Flipping my jacket back, I put my hand on my gun.

“It’s all right.” Vivienne tugs on my free hand. “It’s just Max’s brother. It’s okay.”

“Does he always bang on the door like that?”

“It’s not a great relationship, but he won’t hurt her.” Her gaze lands on my gun and she frowns. “You can’t just point a gun at everyone.”

“Of course I can,” I say, sweeping my jacket over my holster.

“Well, you shouldn’t.”

“Men who hurt women don’t deserve anything less than a bullet.” I give a pointed look at her arm.

The bruise has faded away by now, but the memory of it is etched in my mind. And when I find out who put it there, they’re going to pay for it.

“You’d shoot someone to protect Max?” She tilts her head, looking confused. “Why? You don’t even know her.”

“She’s important to you.” I nudge my chin to get her moving again. “That’s all I need to know.”

After a slight pause, she starts down the stairs again. Her heels, a pair of black, strappy things, look impossible to walk in, but she manages gracefully.

The slit in her dress can drag a man from hell and bring him straight to heaven. It ends at her hip, showing every inch of her leg when she takes a step down.

“What?” Her eyes widen when she catches me staring again.

There’s no hope for me tonight. Whatever intention I’d had of minding my manners tonight to show her that a dangerous man like me can be a perfect gentleman has been destroyed.

This woman has no idea how beautiful she is, which only makes me want to devour her more. Innocence is fuel for monsters like me.

A bout of yelling comes from the apartment on the first floor as I usher her out of the building. “We need to discuss your living situation.”

She rolls her eyes as she climbs into the car, gathering the material of her dress so it doesn’t get caught in the door.

“Where would you like me to live?” She questions when I’m settled beside her, and Yosef has pulled away from the curb.

“With me.” I roll my shoulders back.

“You’re insane. Do you know that? And I’m not joking; I mean you may be legally insane. There are tests for that sort of thing now.”

Her fingers rub together in her lap, and her toes tap against the mat on the floor. Reaching across the space between us, I wrap my hand around hers and squeeze.

“It’s just us, Vivienne. You don’t need to be nervous.” It’s not entirely the truth.

If she could see the thoughts running through my mind. All of the things I want to do to her, with her, she’d probably jump out of the car, moving or not.

“I’m not nervous.”

I raise an eyebrow and lean in toward her. “You’re lying. You fidget when you’re nervous.”

I give a pointed look to her feet, still wiggling.

She freezes, then pulls her hand from mine and looks out the window. Silence invades the car, and since she’s not threatening to jump out at the next red light, I let her have her little reprieve.

There won’t be one later.

From the clutch sitting in her lap, her phone vibrates. She takes the phone out, typing in her passcode to unlock the screen—which I memorize—then opens her notifications.

The air in the car thickens in a matter of seconds from her reading the message. It’s rude to read other people’s phones, but I’ve already decided to give up on any pretense of manners tonight. But when I look over, she has the phone screen side down on her lap and she’s staring out the window.

“Vivienne? What’s wrong?”

Her body’s gone stiff, like she’s just received horrible news.

She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath before she slips the phone back into her purse. The message goes unanswered.

“It’s nothing.”

“Should I check for myself?” I’m not above stealing her phone.

With a steady breath, she grips the clutch tighter and swings her eyes to me.

“My mother-in-law died.”