Page 23 of Devious Truth (Vicious Sinners #3)

“ L eave us.” Ivan barks the order as soon as we step into the foyer of his penthouse.

Three men sitting in the living room just off the main entrance drop the cards they were playing onto the coffee table and get up from the couches. As they file out the front door, they mutter something to Ivan and wait for a nod from him before stepping out into the hall.

“Are you going to let me explain or have you already decided you’re going to be mad?” I stand in the foyer while he steps into the living room.

As soon as he registered the look on my face at the name Declan O’Brien, he turned away from me. He’s been coldly quiet since.

When I tried to answer, he squeezed my hand and put his own hand up to still me. I assumed he didn’t want the driver to hear our conversation, but even in the elevator up to his ivory tower, he wouldn’t let me speak.

“Do you want an answer or not?” I ask moving into the living room with him.

He stalks to the wet bar in the corner of the room, snapping up a crystal decanter and pulling off the finial. The robust sound of the whiskey pouring into his glass is the only sound in the room.

It’s unnerving how loud silence can be while you’re waiting for the executioner’s ax to fall.

He downs the contents, then refills, before he finally turns to me.

“I do, Vee. I want to know everything.” He settles into a sleek, high-backed, dark leather chair, balancing his glass on his knee.

From his pocket, he pulls out a pair of spiked brass knuckles and places it on the thick, rolled arm of the chair.

“And you’ll listen?” I can’t help but stare at the weapon resting so casually on the arm of his chair.

He nods slowly. “I want to hear everything you have to say, and once you’re in the correct position you can begin.”

“Correct position?” I swallow hard, my throat suddenly dry and tight.

“Yes.” He gestures to the spot on the carpet just in front of him.

“Come here. On your knees, legs spread and your hands resting on your thighs. Once you’re in position, I’ll listen to everything you have to say.”

A flicker of fear sparks low in my belly– but it’s tangled up with anticipation. Excitement curls around the edges of doubt and holds it at bay. I’m not sure if I can do this, but to be rewarded with his pleasure, to hear the words that spring life into my soul, I can try.

I force my legs to move, carrying myself the several steps to where he sits. His drink is still balanced on one knee, his eyes laser focused on me as I take my purse off and drop it on the table as I pass it.

Once I’m at the spot, I sink to my knees, grateful for the ivory and charcoal Tabriz area rug beneath my knees. The silky-smooth texture offers some comfort beneath his skin-burning stare.

Gently, I place my palms on my knees, having to pull up the hem of the slip dress I wore to the club. Braving his eyes, I look up through hooded lashes as I slide my knees apart and sink back onto my heels.

He gives an approving nod. “Go on.”

“What…what exactly do you want to know?” My insides are bundled so tightly, it’s taking all my bodily resources to keep in position. Whatever he asked me minutes ago is lost in the dense fog that is my brain.

“Declan O’Brien.” It’s the only hint he’s going to give.

I have no idea what he already knows, but it’s obvious he has information, or he wouldn’t be asking me.

“Declan O’Brien owns the garage Derek worked at,” I say, testing the waters.

His expression holds steady, giving me all the room I need to figure out my way to his approval.

“Derek was just a mechanic there, but he knew the O’Brien family was into illegal businesses.

Declan would have meetings in the backroom of the garage sometimes.

He’d have Derek install things like false bottoms in the trunks or fancy dashboard compartments.

Sometimes he fixed up cars that needed extra care in the detailing. ”

Ivan slides his foot between my knees, rubbing the soft leather against my skin.

“Keep going, you’re doing well.”

It takes a second to refocus my mind. When he’s touching me, it makes it hard to think. Add the stern way he’s staring at me, and I’m lost.

“Derek was never directly involved in anything. He only spoke to Declan maybe once or twice in the five years he worked for him.”

Curling my fingers into my thighs, I sink my nails into my flesh. A little bite of pain to cut through the thick arousal swimming in the air between us.

He’s doing this on purpose. Keeping me off balance between desire to be touched by him and the need to keep a clear head.

“The night you dropped the Zakuski Board and ran off, you were talking to a man before it happened. Who was it?”

I move my gaze from his, settling on his chest instead. He doesn’t tolerate it though, he snaps his fingers, drawing me back.

“Look at me, Vee. Only me. Not my chest, my shoulder. Not the floor or the wall behind me. Do you understand me?”

I swallow, my throat getting tighter as this conversation progresses. “Yes, sir.”

“Tell me about him. What happened that night and since?”

“It’s just going to make you mad. Maybe I should?—”

He leans forward, squeezing my chin between two fingers.

“You’re not in trouble. But you have to tell me everything, Vee. You’ve been through so much. I don’t want to make it worse; I want to make it better, but you have to trust me. Can you do that? Can you trust me?”

“I think so.” I whisper my confession.

His left eyebrow lifts. “I think you can do better than that; try again.”

“Yes, sir,” I say, firmly this time.

“Good. Now finish telling me everything. Don’t leave anything out. Can you do that for me?” His sincerity soothes me.

“Yes, sir.”

“Okay then, let’s continue.” He releases my chin and leans back in his chair. “Go on.”

“Kieran works for Declan. Not directly, he’s like a low level something.

I’m not sure what they call it. Anyway, he worked at the shop with Derek.

He did a lot of the management stuff, I guess?

Derek wasn’t sure exactly what he did, only that Kieran was there a lot and worked in the offices.

I hadn’t seen him since right after Derek’s funeral.

When I saw him at Obsidian, it spooked me. ”

“Why?” He moves his glass to the side table and leans forward, pressing his elbows into his thighs. “What made you afraid of him?”

“After the funeral, Declan came to our apartment. He started asking me stuff about Derek, if he brought things home from the shop that he found inside the cars he worked on. I said no, because Derek hadn’t. He wouldn’t steal, and especially not from them.”

“Was he looking for something specific?”

“An emerald ring. He said it was important to his family. Some heirloom. The emerald had been part of a ceremonial torc used by a chieftain’s wife.

He said an ancestor had stolen the emerald from the piece during the rebellion and smuggled it out of Ireland to keep the British from getting their hands on it. ”

Ivan’s mouth parts, the very tip of his tongue touching his top lip. “This ring is from before Ireland was under British rule?”

“I think technically King Henry had already declared himself the king of Ireland at this point. I wasn’t really listening to the history lesson while the head of the Irish mob was sitting in my living room.”

“Yet you have no trouble giving attitude to one of the most powerful men in the Bratva.” He tilts his head.

“It’s different with you.”

“How?” His slides his foot further between my legs until the toe of his shoe touches me. If it was his bare skin, he’d know how wet I am.

“You won’t kill me.”

He lifts his foot, pressing against my sex.

“How do you know that?”

“Because you like me.” I blurt out, unable to be coy while he continues to put pressure on my clit.

“Ah, she finally gets it.” He grins, full of arrogance and pride. “But we’ve passed the ‘like’ stage. Go on; what happened then?”

He flattens his foot to the ground again, which allows me to think more clearly.

“Anyway, I guess the ring was in a car Declan had sent in for detail. The ring disappeared, and he’s trying to find it. I told him Derek didn’t bring anything home. He never did.”

“Did he believe you?”

“No. The next day I came home to find my apartment ransacked. Everything torn up and gone through. A week later my car was stolen. It was found a few days later stripped down to the frame. Kieran showed up at my work so many times trying to get me to tell him where Derek put the ring that I lost my job.”

His jaw tightens.

“You’re getting angry.”

He cups my face. “Not at you, baby. You’re doing good. You were so brave to go through all that on your own. Keep going, what then?”

“I couldn’t find another job. The O’Briens had a lot of control.

I was already in a lot of debt because of the funeral expenses and the hospital bills.

Then I found out Derek had been trying to buy a house.

He was going to surprise me. The loan officer got a hold of me when he hadn’t heard from Derek in a few weeks.

Derek had already put seven thousand dollars in escrow for the house.

I was able to pull out of the purchase but lost the money. It had been everything in our savings.”

“So all the debt you had, it was from living off credit cards while trying to put your life back together?”

I nod a little, embarrassed by how irresponsible I’d been. “Yeah.”

“And Declan made it so you couldn’t find work.”

“Yes. So, I left town and moved here. But Kieran showed up at Obsidian, and he recognized me.” I brace myself because we’re coming to the part that makes him angry at me.

“He told you if you set him up with a poker game, he’d keep it to himself that he found you,” he supplies for me.

“You knew?”

“Alexander found out about Derek working for an O’Brien garage. I remembered the bruise on your arm, and Darren told me about you helping a guest get into a game with Santucci brothers.”

“I don’t have the ring,” I say firmly. “I don’t have it.”

“I believe you.” He nods, running his thumb along my bottom lip. “Has he tried to get in touch with you again?”

“Ivan, I know your instinct is to get involved here, but please, let me handle Kieran. If you step in, it’s going to create more trouble.”

“I won’t let you put yourself in danger.” There’s the predictable fierceness I was expecting.

“I’m not in danger. Kieran knows I don’t have the stupid ring. Bringing Declan out here for nothing would just get himself in trouble. I did the one favor for him. I’m not doing another. He’s only in town for a few more days, then he goes back.”

“I could have him banned from the club.”

“You could.” I agree. “He’s a horrible hustler. Derek used to tell me stories about how Kieran would try over and over again to hustle big money and he’d end up in debt by the time the game was done. He’s a joke. The Santuccis left me a tip that night, even though I didn’t serve their room.”

Ivan laughs, a soft and low sound. “Darren mentioned that. They gave you a cut of what they were able to win off him as a thank you for setting it up.”

“He’s not a threat.”

“He put his hands on you.” Steel slips into his voice.

“I wasn’t yours at the time,” I remind him, hoping it will soften the edges of his fury.

If Kieran goes home and tells Declan I’m here, and Ivan is protecting me, it could lead to the Volkovs having a new war on their hands.

Ivan moves his hand behind my neck, pulling me to him until his forehead rests against mine.

“You were always mine.”

He inhales deeply then presses a hard kiss to my forehead.

“Why did Alexander look into my past?” I question.

“I asked him to look at Derek, to be sure there wasn’t something there.”

“You wanted to be sure the accident was an accident and not someone trying to get him? Someone that could still be chasing me?” Does his mind ever rest from playing out every wicked scenario?

“I wanted to be certain you were safe.” He trails the tips of his fingers over my shoulder. “It’s a good thing I did.”

“You’re disappointed in me for not telling you before.” I raise my chin, ready for his judgment. Unsure of how to handle it when it comes.

“I’m not disappointed. I asked you about it, and you told me the truth.” He cradles my chin in his hand. “Do you know how beautiful you are like this? On your knees at my feet? Confessing your sins?”

I lean into his touch. Warm currents run just below my skin as he takes my mouth beneath his. It starts out soft, yielding, but soon he’s possessing me.

His hand tangles in my hair, tilting my head just as he wants it, deepening the kiss until I can’t think past the way he tastes. Spice and danger and heat. It nearly scorches me; how hot this man is.

“Take off your dress,” he orders, sinking back into his chair. The length of his erection tents his slacks.

Still somewhat dazed from his kiss, I look around. There had been men lounging in here when we arrived, are there more in other parts of the penthouse?

“No one is here. It’s just us.” He folds his left hand over his right hand, perching his elbows on the arms of the chair. “Now be my good girl and take off your dress.”

I push up to my feet and reach behind me for the low zipper. With it undone, I push the straps over my shoulders and continue sliding the material down over my hips until it falls into a silken pool at my feet.

Stepping out, I kick off my shoes with it.

“No bra?” He notes, then wags his finger at my hips. “Panties too, off.”

Hooking my thumbs into the elastic of my panties, I push them down to my ankles. After I shove them into the pile, I start to move back to my knees, but Ivan grabs my arm to still me.

“Come here.” He brings me forward a step until I’m standing between his knees.

Lightly, he trails his fingertips over the scar running from just below my belly button down to my pubic bone.

Even though it’s been three years, and I’ve used every cream under the sun, it’s still raised and dark in contrast to my skin. An ugly reminder of an even uglier time.

“It was an emergency c-section. The doctors didn’t make it look pretty. There wasn’t time.” My breath shakes.

He drags his eyes up to mine. “You’re the most beautiful woman in the world. This only proves how strong you are, how amazing you are.”

He leans forward, replacing his touch with a gentle kiss.

“Here, sit in my lap.” He spins me around by my hips and pulls me onto the lush chair with him. “Now spread your legs as wide as you can, so we can both see your pussy.”

I freeze at his word choice.

We?