into the car with her. Feeling just a dash of compassion at the sight of Bruno’s red eyes, she handed him a bottle of water and a cloth napkin from the wet bar beside her. He grunted in acknowledgement.
She sat without speaking to either of them, though aware of the appreciative gleam in the dark-haired man’s eyes when he examined her shapely legs. Mia had to force herself not to curl them under her to try to hide.
The trip didn’t last long, and she was prepared to face her father when the car stopped and the nameless goon opened the door. Instead of his brownstone apartment, they had stopped in front of a palatial house. Casting a confused gaze around the property, she saw it was completely enclosed with high metal fencing topped with sharp spikes. “What’s going on?”
“The boss asked to see you.” Bruno had no accent.
“Where are we? This isn’t my father’s house.” Unless it was? Perhaps he had moved in the past two years?
The brunette frowned. “Your father? Who is your father?”
It was her turn to frown. “Vadim Kasilli.”
He shrugged. “Don’t know him.”
A frisson of apprehension raced down her spine. “You don’t work for my father?”
“No,” said Bruno.
She swallowed, regretting accompanying them. “Who is the boss then?”
“Shane O’Mara,” said the one with dark hair.
The name was vaguely familiar, but she didn’t know why. “What does he want with me?”
Holding out his arm in a mockery of chivalry, the brunette grinned. “Why don’t we go find out, miss?”
She hesitated for a second, intuition screaming at her to get away, but where could she go? The property was encircled with that fence, and it was probably electrified too. If the one goon had a gun, they almost certainly both did. The idea of willingly strolling into the manor was no better than trying to make a run for it though.
Apparently, they grew exasperated with her, because Bruno grasped her arm to drag her forward. Annoyed by his manhandling, she dug in her heels and tried to wrench away. “Let go of me, you barbarian. I can walk.”
The gun prodded her lower back. “Then do so, miss, before Mr. O’Mara grows too impatient.”
The fear in the goon’s voice fed her own. Mia forced her feet to move as she walked between the two thugs. The beauty of the marble steps didn’t impress her any more than the ornate ivory columns. She was too busy dreading her meeting with the mysterious Mr. O’Mara to be impressed by the architecture of his palatial home.
The entryway and halls passed in a blur of elegant wallpaper and gleaming marble floors her flats tapped against briskly as the goons hurried her along. When they finally reached the end of a long hallway, her heart was racing from a combination of fear and exertion, since she’d had to take two steps for their one.
“Knock, Wallace.”
Knowing the brunette’s name didn’t put her at ease. She clenched her hands into fists as he knocked before opening the door. Mia glared at Bruno when he herded her inside roughly.
She was several steps into the room before she stopped walking. The hardwood floor under her feet formed a star-like pattern, and the black walls were striking. So were the black-and-white nude photographs on canvas adorning the walls. Finally, she could find no further distraction from the man seated at the desk in the center of the room.
Swallowing thickly, Mia examined the man who had sent for her. He was a handsome devil, with thick black hair, a light tan, and green eyes the shade of sea foam. Those eyes were regarding her intently, and she abruptly recognized him. He was an occasional visitor to Lovelle’s , always with a beautiful woman in tow. Usually tall, blonde, and leggy. Everything petite Mia wasn’t. She couldn’t fathom why he had sent for her.
He pushed back from his desk to stand, and she caught her breath at his broad-shouldered build. As he stalked closer to her with the air of a hunting panther, she
She sat without speaking to either of them, though aware of the appreciative gleam in the dark-haired man’s eyes when he examined her shapely legs. Mia had to force herself not to curl them under her to try to hide.
The trip didn’t last long, and she was prepared to face her father when the car stopped and the nameless goon opened the door. Instead of his brownstone apartment, they had stopped in front of a palatial house. Casting a confused gaze around the property, she saw it was completely enclosed with high metal fencing topped with sharp spikes. “What’s going on?”
“The boss asked to see you.” Bruno had no accent.
“Where are we? This isn’t my father’s house.” Unless it was? Perhaps he had moved in the past two years?
The brunette frowned. “Your father? Who is your father?”
It was her turn to frown. “Vadim Kasilli.”
He shrugged. “Don’t know him.”
A frisson of apprehension raced down her spine. “You don’t work for my father?”
“No,” said Bruno.
She swallowed, regretting accompanying them. “Who is the boss then?”
“Shane O’Mara,” said the one with dark hair.
The name was vaguely familiar, but she didn’t know why. “What does he want with me?”
Holding out his arm in a mockery of chivalry, the brunette grinned. “Why don’t we go find out, miss?”
She hesitated for a second, intuition screaming at her to get away, but where could she go? The property was encircled with that fence, and it was probably electrified too. If the one goon had a gun, they almost certainly both did. The idea of willingly strolling into the manor was no better than trying to make a run for it though.
Apparently, they grew exasperated with her, because Bruno grasped her arm to drag her forward. Annoyed by his manhandling, she dug in her heels and tried to wrench away. “Let go of me, you barbarian. I can walk.”
The gun prodded her lower back. “Then do so, miss, before Mr. O’Mara grows too impatient.”
The fear in the goon’s voice fed her own. Mia forced her feet to move as she walked between the two thugs. The beauty of the marble steps didn’t impress her any more than the ornate ivory columns. She was too busy dreading her meeting with the mysterious Mr. O’Mara to be impressed by the architecture of his palatial home.
The entryway and halls passed in a blur of elegant wallpaper and gleaming marble floors her flats tapped against briskly as the goons hurried her along. When they finally reached the end of a long hallway, her heart was racing from a combination of fear and exertion, since she’d had to take two steps for their one.
“Knock, Wallace.”
Knowing the brunette’s name didn’t put her at ease. She clenched her hands into fists as he knocked before opening the door. Mia glared at Bruno when he herded her inside roughly.
She was several steps into the room before she stopped walking. The hardwood floor under her feet formed a star-like pattern, and the black walls were striking. So were the black-and-white nude photographs on canvas adorning the walls. Finally, she could find no further distraction from the man seated at the desk in the center of the room.
Swallowing thickly, Mia examined the man who had sent for her. He was a handsome devil, with thick black hair, a light tan, and green eyes the shade of sea foam. Those eyes were regarding her intently, and she abruptly recognized him. He was an occasional visitor to Lovelle’s , always with a beautiful woman in tow. Usually tall, blonde, and leggy. Everything petite Mia wasn’t. She couldn’t fathom why he had sent for her.
He pushed back from his desk to stand, and she caught her breath at his broad-shouldered build. As he stalked closer to her with the air of a hunting panther, she
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