Page 28 of Reckless Seduction
My inner feminist is fuming, steam rolling out of her ears and everything.
Are they going to hand-feed me too?
But there is a small niggle in my brain, the one that softens at the thought of them caring for me. I’ve never had that before. Growing up, I learned to do things for myself. Sure, I was taken care of, but I was never held or loved. The small gesture, however misogynistic I think it is, warms something inside of me. Something dangerous.
“Good for you,” I huff. Impatiently waiting to eat. Sue me. I’m hungry. If they want a docile prisoner, they should have taken someone else. “But any cop who’s willing to take bribes and squirrel away misdeeds for cash isn’t a good cop.”
“Says who? You?”
“Everyone?” That doesn’t come out as confident as I hoped.
“And who is everyone, little one?” Dashkov raises an expectant brow at me. “Your politician father and his friends? Those men and women are just as corrupt as some of my police officers. More so, if you ask me, since they don’t need the money. Most of them have less regard for who they are screwing over than Monty does. Believe it or not, he was worried about your safety.”
Doubtful.
“He swore an oath to uphold the law.”
“So did your father, and those he holds in his grasp like Polly Pockets,” he points out, taking a bite of his sandwich. My mouth waters. “Monty needed the money to pay for his son’s chemotherapy. Something his insurance refused to cover. Now, I’ll admit I have some shady cops who do shady shit on my payroll, but Monty is not one of them. Sure, from time to time,he might pass along information he finds relevant. Might steer an investigation away from me, but he’ll never mistreat innocent people, nor will he plant evidence or put drugs on the street where they don’t belong.”
That’s amusing. I also find it amusing that he is painting my father as the bad guy. The villain in his story.
“What do you call what you did to Elias Ward, if not evidence planning? Those women were in containers that were too clean to have been there long. And he may not put drugs on the street himself, but he knows you do. He’s still complicit.”
Matthias smiles. It is scary. Like a predator smiling at his prey.
“We didn’t plant those women or guns. We simply relocated them.”
“Elias had another set of storage containers at the port listed under an alias,” Ava speaks up before I have the chance to begin my rebuttal. “The women had been held in those containers for nearly a week without food or water. We knew that if we wanted Elias to take the fall, we had to move those assets where they could be linked back to him.”
“Thought of that plan herself.” Seamus smiles proudly at his sister before he leans over to whisper in my ear. “You can eat now, wildcat.”
Thanks for the permission, jackass.My inner bitch bristles.
Grabbing the loaded sandwich with two hands, I take a large bite, making a show of showing it in my mouth, sneering when his eyes dance with amusement at my childish behavior. The table grows silent as everyone eats, too consumed with devouring their lunch to bother with any more conversation or banter.
The food is a culinary masterpiece for being something so simple. The mixture of herbs and spices mixed with the mayonnaise assaults my senses. The crisp smell of bacon andfreshly baked bread makes me understand the true meaning of food porn. The potato fries are freshly cut and perfectly fried, served with a side of ranch.
I can’t remember the last time I actually enjoyed eating. Dinner in my house was a formal affair, and my food was often restricted for “image” purposes.
The silence surrounding the table isn’t awkward or stifling, and once everyone finishes up their plates, a low hum of voices begins to rise. Nan, who has been sitting quietly next to Dashkov, is currently chatting up the twins’ sister in quiet conversation, while the burly Russian sips his drink, pretending not to listen to the pair.
On either side of me, the twins are shoveling food into their mouths like it is their last. My eyes fall on their father. He glances up from his plate, his gaze flitting to mine before shifting to Ava, who asked him a question too low for me to hear.
“We need to solidify a plan for the gala,” Dashkov speaks up, pushing his plate away. Within moments, the server clears it from the table. He leans back in his chair more comfortably, an ankle resting on his knee.
“We’ve already gone over the plan.” Seamus glares at him. “Several times.”
Talk about tension. None of the Kavanaughs seems particularly fond of the Bratva leader, even though he is married to their kin. I wonder idly what the story is between them. The Irish and Russians have never been allies before, and it has me wondering if Ava is the reason behind the sudden alliance. Although, it is puzzling because I’ve never heard of Liam Kavanaugh having a second daughter.
Dashkov nods his head. “Yes, we do, but we’ll need to alter them now that your twin resembles Mike Tyson with that nose of his.”
Ava snorts.
“Can’t say he didn’t deserve it,” I grumble under my breath. Ava cackles from her chair, hand bracing itself on Matthias’s shoulder. The surly Russian also seems amused. Or his lips are having a minor seizure.
It is anyone’s guess.
“Moving on from whether my son deserves his black eye and broken nose.” Liam rubs at his temples and sighs. “Matthias is right. Kiernan won’t be able to attend the gala with his broken nose convincingly as his brother. We will have to think of a better strategy than one posing as the other.”
