hard as Victor’s, heaved with strength. His sizable biceps fought for release, even under the give of an extra large black t-shirt. The lines of his abs were prominent against the loose, thin fabric, tightening with each deep breath he took. Muscular thighs lived under his denim jeans like a brick, leading the way down a pair of legs just a hair longer than Victor’s.
Victor shifted, shooting his dark brown eyes across the car, catching a baby blue gaze challenging him right back.
“I assume you’ve done as I asked,” Victor said.
“I did.” Perfect teeth jetted out of the man’s plush pink lips, just enough to give a hint of their pearly white color. He reached up and ran the beds of his fingers along his shadowed jaw, licking those teeth. “I’m set to meet them at the hospital in an hour. Zoey’s being released to her old apartment in Brooklyn. She’ll have me with her, and a squad car on the street. Same as the rest of the Romanovskys. FBI has eyes on all of them. Now that Gary’s pleaded not guilty, the final push for an indictment against you is underway.”
Victor bit back a scream, taking a moment to let that information sear his heart like it had been set on fire. “You’ve given my people all the information?”
The man nodded, lips pulling. He ran a hand over the tight ponytail he’d pulled his jet-black hair into, low on his neck, slick as an actress on the red carpet. “Yep. Sent it all. Just this morning.”
“Good.” Victor nodded. “Do everything you can to remain close to Zoey until this ugliness passes. Since that simp pleaded not guilty, Jessica is going to fall all over herself to make him her primary asset. If he agrees to work with the FBI, it could be detrimental to my campaign. Do not let them pull you from Zoey, or assign her another agent. It has to be you.”
“Jessica has already run my file against every eligible agent. Twice. She won’t transfer me.”
“Good.” Victor shifted, annoyed that his company still wasn’t displaying the kind of submissive, fearful body language he preferred. He felt his blood running hot. “I don’t suppose I need to remind you what’s at stake if this doesn’t go my way?”
Hooded blue eyes blinked slowly, but that was all. No clenching of the fists, no shuffle on the feet, not even a tightening of his lips.
Victor was forced to go without, and his hot blood went into a boil, nearly melting his skin.
“No,” the man said. “You don’t need to remind me.”
“Thank you, Taj.” They held each other’s eyes across the car for several minutes, and then, Victor smiled. “I appreciate you.”
Taj had no such sentiment to give in return. Sensing his unspoken cue, he leaned across the car and opened the door.
Victor watched Taj step out, slamming the door shut behind him.
***
“I can’t believe I get to take you home today,” Zoey whispered down to Marcus. He’d been freed from his swaddle and was in the process of curling his body like a contortionist, determined to get his toes into his wide-open mouth. His golden eyes were riveted to Zoey’s smiling face when he succeeded, gnawing on his toes before returning her smile, drool dribbling down his leg as a soft giggle released. Zoey laughed with him, unable to help herself, and leaned down, wiggling her nose against his, promoting more giggles. “I can’t wait to get you home and figure out a million and one different ways to keep that beautiful sound coming out of your mouth.”
She brushed the fine black hairs on his head. The nurses had been amazed that, even three months premature, Marcus had been blessed with more hair on his head than most babies that had been carried to full term. And she couldn’t keep her hands out of it for a single second.
Across the bed from her, Jessica packed away all the baby items Zoey had collected during her time in the hospital in a hot pink duffle
Victor shifted, shooting his dark brown eyes across the car, catching a baby blue gaze challenging him right back.
“I assume you’ve done as I asked,” Victor said.
“I did.” Perfect teeth jetted out of the man’s plush pink lips, just enough to give a hint of their pearly white color. He reached up and ran the beds of his fingers along his shadowed jaw, licking those teeth. “I’m set to meet them at the hospital in an hour. Zoey’s being released to her old apartment in Brooklyn. She’ll have me with her, and a squad car on the street. Same as the rest of the Romanovskys. FBI has eyes on all of them. Now that Gary’s pleaded not guilty, the final push for an indictment against you is underway.”
Victor bit back a scream, taking a moment to let that information sear his heart like it had been set on fire. “You’ve given my people all the information?”
The man nodded, lips pulling. He ran a hand over the tight ponytail he’d pulled his jet-black hair into, low on his neck, slick as an actress on the red carpet. “Yep. Sent it all. Just this morning.”
“Good.” Victor nodded. “Do everything you can to remain close to Zoey until this ugliness passes. Since that simp pleaded not guilty, Jessica is going to fall all over herself to make him her primary asset. If he agrees to work with the FBI, it could be detrimental to my campaign. Do not let them pull you from Zoey, or assign her another agent. It has to be you.”
“Jessica has already run my file against every eligible agent. Twice. She won’t transfer me.”
“Good.” Victor shifted, annoyed that his company still wasn’t displaying the kind of submissive, fearful body language he preferred. He felt his blood running hot. “I don’t suppose I need to remind you what’s at stake if this doesn’t go my way?”
Hooded blue eyes blinked slowly, but that was all. No clenching of the fists, no shuffle on the feet, not even a tightening of his lips.
Victor was forced to go without, and his hot blood went into a boil, nearly melting his skin.
“No,” the man said. “You don’t need to remind me.”
“Thank you, Taj.” They held each other’s eyes across the car for several minutes, and then, Victor smiled. “I appreciate you.”
Taj had no such sentiment to give in return. Sensing his unspoken cue, he leaned across the car and opened the door.
Victor watched Taj step out, slamming the door shut behind him.
***
“I can’t believe I get to take you home today,” Zoey whispered down to Marcus. He’d been freed from his swaddle and was in the process of curling his body like a contortionist, determined to get his toes into his wide-open mouth. His golden eyes were riveted to Zoey’s smiling face when he succeeded, gnawing on his toes before returning her smile, drool dribbling down his leg as a soft giggle released. Zoey laughed with him, unable to help herself, and leaned down, wiggling her nose against his, promoting more giggles. “I can’t wait to get you home and figure out a million and one different ways to keep that beautiful sound coming out of your mouth.”
She brushed the fine black hairs on his head. The nurses had been amazed that, even three months premature, Marcus had been blessed with more hair on his head than most babies that had been carried to full term. And she couldn’t keep her hands out of it for a single second.
Across the bed from her, Jessica packed away all the baby items Zoey had collected during her time in the hospital in a hot pink duffle
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