Page 25

CHAPTER 25

H avros

Paris. The city of love.

Sitting beside Kara, I couldn’t stop thinking about the night before. I rubbed my finger across my lips, laughing inwardly at the way she’d pushed ice cream into my face. It was a silly gesture, but so like her. I’d almost yanked out the carton, slathering her entire body with the creamy mixture, insisting I lick off every drop.

Perhaps I’d resort to that later.

She’d remained quiet during the plane ride, perusing a magazine my personal flight attendant had provided, thoroughly unimpressed by the fact we’d arrived in Paris on a private jet. Somehow, I doubted that was her usual method of travel, but all things money and power had no effect on her.

Her indifference was another reason I couldn’t seem to get enough of her. She’d awakened a beast who refused to be put back to sleep.

As expected, our stocks had dropped, our two board members likely feeling the squeeze. It was only a matter of time before a meeting was called. I’d need to be back in Greece by then.

“You just had to rent an Italian sports car while we’re here. Didn’t you?” Kara asked out of the blue.

“A Maserati is the only way to travel.”

“You do know the vehicle has one of the worst and most expensive repair costs of any other car. Don’t you?”

She had a way of slicing a heated gaze toward me that pushed my cock to full attention. “Well worth it.”

“I’m glad you regularly give to charity, or I’d consider you gluttonous.”

“I’m still gluttonous, my kitten.”

“I wish you’d stop calling me that.” Her sigh was exaggerated.

I pulled down the street where our hotel was located just as my phone chimed. Dimitrios. “Hello, brother. Any news?”

“I was checking to ensure you arrived safely,” he answered.

“No issues. Now, you’re checking on me. I’m not certain whether to be flattered or irritated.”

“Call it practical. Losing you right now would not be good for the family.”

“Such an outpouring of love. I’m flattered.”

He laughed. “Don’t be. It’s just business. I wanted to let you know that you don’t need to worry about gutting Marco.”

“Why?”

“Because someone already did it for you. The only good news about his body being found washed up on shore is that the authorities are calling it a drug deal gone bad.”

Well, shit. The fuckers were ceremoniously removing anyone that could lead us to their identity. “Drugs. Marco is many things, but not a drug addict.”

“He was stoked up on heroin. From what my buddy at the department told me, enough to kill an elephant. If the knife wounds hadn’t killed him, the overdose would have.”

I whistled and pulled under the awning in front of the hotel. “Have you checked our supplies to make certain we don’t have any missing?”

He grumbled. “Good point. I’ll have the men do that today. Keep your eyes and ears open and don’t get yourself on the front page of any Paris newspaper. Your anonymity will provide cover.”

“Let them come after me.” I cut the engine, immediately stepping out. With the flight taking less than four hours, we had time to enjoy the city. That’s also something I’d never allowed myself to do. Then again, I’d never had the desire to do so alone.

“No chivalry. You made points already this week.”

“Not likely enough. I’m still going to hell. The meeting?”

“Set up for tomorrow at eleven. Just go in gingerly. Feel them out. I trust you with however you handle it. The picture you sent?”

“Yeah?”

He half laughed. “The club’s guest doesn’t exist, at least according to Interpol.”

“I guess they don’t know everything.”

“No, but he was carrying a weapon. The picture needed to be enlarged, but our mystery guest unbuttoned his jacket and the angle at which Kara snapped his image showed a gun in a holster. The model is a Smith and Wesson MP40. Sound familiar?”

“It’s the weapon that killed Leandro.” My anger was only increasing.

“Exactly. There’s no chance that’s a coincidence.”

I gritted my teeth and opened the small trunk, allowing the valet to grab our bags and place them on a cart. Kara didn’t wait for me to open her door, adjusting her sunglasses as she stepped out into the beautiful sunlight. She turned around and at that moment, I thought her breathtaking. Just the way the light breeze was whipping through her long curls kept me stunned.

“None,” I hissed and Kara caught my terse reply, trying her best to act like she hadn’t. “He needs to be found.”

“And you know he’s long gone. He was the lookout, no doubt searching for you.”

“No doubt. Sadly, he almost got what he wanted,” I told him. “What do you think about offering a deal to the Sicilians?”

“A deal,” he repeated, but seconds later, my brother caught what I was insinuating. “Offer up Bernardi on a silver platter with the knowledge about his son.”

“Yes. Why not? We don’t need to do all the dirty work if they buy the information.” It was a decent plan, although carrying it through would need to be handled carefully.

“It’s only talk from a man who betrayed Bernardi. He has nothing to lose by telling you a lie. In other words, that’s not much to go on. Coppola might think it a ploy.”

“It’s at least enough for Lorenzo to handle the rest of the investigation himself. Plus, we understand grief all too well and what it can do to men of power. With my input, he could easily be swayed into taking action.”

He laughed. “You have a good point. Not a bad idea although risky. But getting an audience with Don Coppola won’t be easy.”

“With risk comes rewards. Besides, I think I have my way in. Just leave it to me.”

“Count on you to be the most conniving of the three of us.”

“Another compliment. I think you’ve met your quota for the year. We’ve arrived at the hotel. We’ll talk later.”

“All kidding aside. Be careful. It seems Bernardi is constantly one step ahead of us. If he catches wind we’re conspiring with a crime syndicate from his own country, he will seek an even stronger level of revenge,” Dimitrios offered. “And the Sicilians aren’t to be trusted.”

“Careful is my middle name, and now, I’m convinced the bastard is behind our recent troubles. Let’s see if I can toss a decent lure in the water.”

“Let’s just say the chatter has shoved me in that direction as well.”

“We will see what happens.” I ended the call and shoved the phone into my suit jacket before tossing the keys into the valet’s hands.

She was staring at the Eiffel Tower, which was only a couple of blocks away from the hotel.

She sighed, removing her sunglasses to get a better look. The smile on her face forced my balls to tighten. “I’ve never been here before. It was the one city I placed on my bucket list.”

I crowded her space, basking in her enjoyment, not mine. “There are crime syndicates in France.”

“They’re not nearly as dangerous as the ones on my list.” She shifted into a wry expression, looking up at me on purpose.

“A fascinating response. Let’s get checked in.” Why did I have a feeling she had used our family as a means of obtaining a meeting with the Sicilians? She was clever.

A bellman had already taken over, ready to roll the cart inside. She’d packed light, her main concern keeping her laptop with her.

As soon as I wrapped my arm around her waist, her body stiffened. Thankfully, she didn’t try to pull away.

“This is lovely, but very modern.”

She was right. The lobby was wide open, the marble floors and stark furniture representative of what could be found in the rooms. The hotel suited me both in location and with its stunning views. I headed to the check-in.

“Mr. Nomikos. We’ve been expecting you and your guest. Welcome. I have your suite ready.” The girl also had the paperwork ready. All I had to do was sign. She slid the envelope of room cards across the desk, barely darting a look in Kara’s direction.

“ Merci , Anna. Have the packages arrived I requested?”

“Yes, sir. They’re in your room. The bar is stocked with your requests as well.”

“Excellent. Good work.”

The girl’s sigh obviously annoyed Kara because she slipped her arm under mine, possessively clamping her fingers.

“Yes, sir.” Anna blushed, which caused Kara to provide the same deep exhale as before.

As we walked away, I chuckled just loudly enough Kara jerked her arm away. “I was certain you were going to tell her she was a good girl.”

“Were you jealous?” I asked playfully.

“Of her? I could wipe the floor with her.”

“Then what?”

“Everyone knows you. It’s as if you’re a star.”

“In this part of the world, I am.”

I pressed the elevator button before turning toward her, rubbing the tip of my finger from one side of her jaw to the other. I adored her reaction to me even though she fought it every time. Her lower lip instantly quivered and if I had to guess, I’d say her nipples were rock hard, though sadly they remained hidden under her suit jacket. I’d been surprised at her choice as she was as determined to keep toeing the same line of time spent professionally versus personally as I was.

Good for her.

After the bellman stepped inside to secure his place, holding open the door for us to enter, I lowered my head and whispered in her ear, “You’re the only one I’ll ever call a good girl, my kitten.”

At least this time I was rewarded with a single, albeit very soft moan.

She did her best to stay several inches away, but with the cart taking up so much real estate, she found herself crowded against my body.

My overtly aroused body.

“A single room? Really?” she asked. God, I adored her demanding tone. My mind went off on a half dozen tangents thinking what I wanted to do to tame her.

I had brought handcuffs.

“A suite, kitten. You’ll have your own room.”

“Ah. Nice touch. I hope there’s a lock on the door.”

As soon as we exited the elevator, I handed the bellman one of the key cards, taking my time to walk with her down the hallway. “Maybe you can relax while on this trip.”

“Do you want me to be honest?” she asked almost demurely.

“Always.”

“You’re so hot and cold that I can’t get a handle on if you hate me or like me. It’s making my head spin. Relaxing is the last thing I can do around you.” She ventured ahead, determined not to go into any detail.

I hung back for another few seconds. She was right. I could turn off my emotions in a heartbeat. That was not the way you built any relationship, no matter how they began. Hmmm… Is that what I was doing, building something beyond being friends with benefits with her? Or in our case, enemies to lovers?

Maybe it was time to lighten up. With no handle on the meetings or on Bernardi right now, perhaps I could afford to enjoy the time spent. It was the city where romances were forged and rekindled, after all.

I found her inside the living room, the bedrooms located on either side. Given we were on the top floor, the direct line view of the Eiffel Tower was exquisite. I’d asked for this room specifically.

“Which bedroom is the lady’s?” the bellman asked.

“The one on the right. The two red bags belong to the lady.” Red luggage. The bold color was perfect for the kitten with claws.

“Very good, sir.”

Kara turned briefly, her brow furrowed. It was as if she believed I would force her to sleep in my bed. Not yet anyway. Other than the time we’d spend in her hotel room, I’d never had a woman spend the night in my space or had allowed myself to stay the entire night. That had made the sexual experience too personal, something I didn’t want.

Hmmm… I craved doing just that with Kara. I watched as he went to both rooms, dropping off our things.

“Sir, your key,” the bellman said, his French accent heavy.

I handed him a tip and without further conversation, he left with the empty cart.

She moved to the window, pressing one hand against the glass. “This is… incredible. Just amazing. I don’t know what I thought the tower would be like, but it’s gorgeous. However, the balcony looks terrifying.”

I laughed as I approached. “Trust me. You’ll be perfectly safe. The glass is even bulletproof.”

“Oh, that makes me feel more comfortable. I think I’ll stay inside.”

“My guess is that you’ll change your mind when it gets dark.”

Kara pulled her hand away and turned to face me. “You found out something from your brother that didn’t make you very happy. That was your brother on the phone. Right?”

“Be careful eavesdropping, my sweet. You might hear some things you shouldn’t.”

“It’s a requirement in my job. Talk to me.”

I debated telling her anything. But at this point, her help might be of great assistance. “The photograph of one of the men you took was identified as a possible Cosa Nostra soldier by the weapon he carried.”

“A Smith and Wesson. Right?”

I’d be damned. Either she’d known that or had done extensive research. “Very good. It would seem he might have been the lookout to his colleagues.”

She clenched her jaw. “I swear the driver of the service I used was the face of the man hanging out the window shooting at us.”

I shook my head. “That means they know who you are.”

“Or that I am the target after all.”

“Possible. We’ll need to be very careful about our surroundings.” Where had we been seen together? The first night at the café or heading into the scuba store? It didn’t really matter unless it was one of my men who’d betrayed us.

“What now? Are you spending the afternoon prepping for the meeting? Am I to be locked away in the room, only opening the door for room service?”

I sauntered toward her, taking my time. “No prepping needed and I have no intention of keeping you prisoner. Right now, you’re going to go and change into something much more comfortable. After that, we’ll enjoy the city.”

The perplexed look on her face made me laugh. “Really? No handcuffs keeping me chained to the bed?”

“Oh, I have handcuffs. However, I actually do take time off occasionally.”

“Shocking.” She placed her hand on her heart, starting to head to the bedroom I’d selected for her. When she stopped, I was curious as to what she had to say. “You do continue to surprise me, Havros. Thank you. But you need to change as well.”

I laughed. “I do have more relaxed clothes.”

“I was beginning to wonder.”

I waited where I was before deciding to head to the bar. I’d managed to pour myself a drink of my favorite whiskey when she returned.

“Why did you do that?” she asked.

“Do what?”

“The beautiful clothes. The robe. The lingerie. Why?”

“Because I wanted to and because we’re going out to dinner tonight.”

She frowned, her eyes penetrating mine. “Don’t make me like you, Havros. I don’t want my heart broken.”

Why was it that those words affected me more than almost anything else she’d said to me? “I don’t plan on it.”

Her nod was meant as being thankful I had no intentions of carrying through with my claim of ownership.

But she was wrong.

Very wrong.