Page 84 of Beguiled

“Leave my brother out of this.”

“That is what you’re hiding from me. Right? Why you were terrified when I mentioned the deep dive into your background? Correct?”

My God. He was searching to see if there were any additional lies. “That’s exactly why.”

Only I was lying and had been, the very reason for accepting this job in the first place. My parents needed help and since my brother was such a decent human being, he wasn’t capable of doing what was necessary to help them. Stash studied me while I held my stare, refusing to look away. Let him try to pressure me. I would win.

My statement allowed him a smile, sending relief flooding through me. “Your weakness, Ms. Mitchell. You have a good heart and would do anything for your family.”

“Just like you would with a woman you care about.” Oops. I hadn’t intended for that tidbit to slip out.

As usual, he was the master of hiding his thoughts and feelings. “Perhaps you’re right.” He mulled over my accusation. I knew that look when I saw it. “Just who do you think is our current enemy?”

“I won’t claim to understand your darker business activities as I was just getting started. What I do believe is that Irish are not your friends. They’re only out for themselves. Someone wants you off kilter.”

“You’re certain of that.”

Sighing, I glanced out the window. “Call it a gut feeling. I know you’re probably going to tell me I’m crazy, but there was a sense of familiarity with the attack that lingers even now.” I laughed, knowing I sounded crazy.

“You could be correct, Saige. However, I won’t put you in harm’s way.”

“You as much as told the person on the phone that I was off limits, and don’t you know anything about human nature?”

“And what is that?”

“You placed a huge target on my back. At minimum, there are those who will want to see why you’re willing to do anything to protect me. If I know what’s going on and am a part of your world, I can be a fly in the ointment or spider crouching in a web, just waiting to pluck off my next meal.”

At least his eyes began to sparkle once again. “You have a way with words.”

“Creative writing throughout college.”

With his hands remaining in the same position, he swept his gaze down as far as the edge of the desk would allow while tapping his two index fingers against the bridge of his nose.

“You don’t scare easily, Ms. Mitchell.”

“Should I?”

“I would say yes given what you experienced and the fact that your conscience is on display in every aspect of your life.”

“You don’t know me very well, Mr. Chertov, although given I saved your life, I thought you of all people would realize there’s more than meets the eye with me. I can be your eyes and ears, which won’t be expected, especially since you don’t have any women in your organization carrying real power. Why is that? Because you’re all chauvinistic pigs? Are you secretly worried that women will best you and your other family members, which we will? I imagine all crime syndicates are similar in that regard. Right? We’re just mindless playthings. Right?”

When he stood, leaning over the desk, my involuntary reaction was to do the same. Now our faces were inches apart, his hot breath lightly kissing my skin, leaving tingles and goosebumps.

Meanwhile, he was calm, cool, and so collected I doubted he ever perspired.

Feeling the vibrations of our combined electricity muddled my brain, but not enough to keep me from trying to sell the deal. “I could become your greatest asset instead of your weakness.”

Five seconds ticked by. “I believe I do know you, mychastnaya tantsovshchitsa, which is why I don’t want you involved. However, the truth appears to be that you don’t know me. At all. Neither do you comprehend a single thing about myfamily. While I realize you’ve never met either Kazimir’s or Kirill’s wives, they are the strongest people I know and very much an example of the type of women you mentioned. The reason there are no women in executive positions is simple. We believe women should be protected at all costs under every circumstance and both sides of our business are highly dangerous.”

“That’s why you need me and you should have realized I can take care of myself.”

“Not against men like Sean McCarthy or any of the Armenians popping their ugly heads into the scene. And I doubt you’d want to contact your parents and explain to them you might be going to prison.”

Why did I have a feeling his true concern was all about the man he’d been stalking? My curiosity was drifting higher, but the little voice in my head told me I shouldn’t bring up the subject. At least not now.

“That won’t happen.”

“You don’t know that.”