Page 82 of Sinful Lord

“What did it say?” Maksim asks, his concern only outweighed by a morbid curiosity. It’s a curiosity we’ll soon share.

“For Drago…” I grumble. “Apparently, whoever took Melina left a message saying that he did what he did for my dad.”

The look of shock on Maksim’s rugged face is exactly how I imagine I looked when I heard first head the news.

“Drago is dead…” he whispers, his thick brow furrowing in confusion.

“And it sounds like someone is trying to avenge him.”

To my delight, his pistol drops even further. At this point, it’s practically pointed at the street.

I decide this is my only chance to escape.

As fast as I can move, I jump aside and reach for the gun tucked beneath my belt.

Maksim doesn’t realize what’s happening until it’s too late. Before he can lift his weapon back off the ground, I have mine trained directly at him.

“Easy there, old man,” I warn. “Drop the gun and I might just let you live.”

“You fucking bastard,” he growls, lucidity returning to his dark eyes. “Were those all lies?”

“Every single word was the truth,” I confidently fib. “But that doesn’t mean I appreciated being held hostage.”

Maksim seems to struggle with the idea of what to believe and what not to believe before finally accepting that it doesn’t really matter anymore. My gun could go off at any moment. He needs to keep that from happening.

“So why not kill me?” he asks, bending down to softly place his weapon in the snow. “If you’re so worried about Melina, why not end this and go on with your search and rescue mission alone?”

“Why would I kill my crush’s uncle?” I can’t help but tease. “That’s no way to get into her good books.”

“You really like her, huh?” Maksim’s asks, incredulously.

“I appreciate her,” I sincerely admit. “She’s a special girl. Too special to be locked up in some gilded cage for all eternity.”

“It was for her own good.”

“It was killing her. She had to go free.”

“That freedom could end up getting her killed too.”

“I won’t let that happen.”

Maksim sighs. “I just need her to be alright. We all do.”

“And I’m sure she feels the same way about you. That’s why you’re going to live to enjoy retirement.”

“You’re letting me go?”

“No,” I shake my head. “I’m the one who’s leaving. My concern isn’t here, with you. It’s with Melina. Wherever she is.”

But I know exactly where she is, and the thought of her sleeping on that tiny bed, in that skimpy little nightgown, with my saliva glistening on the inside of her thighs and the taste of my lips lingering on hers makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

I need to get back to her. I need to protect her.

Sure, Maksim could probably guard her almost as well as I could—hell, he would probably do a better job, since he’d instantly have her on a jet back home.

But I’m not ready to give up my little dove yet. She still needs to live the life of an artist, the life she deserves, and she definitely needs to be further seduced. The opportunity is there. I can sense her falling for me.

But I can also feel myself falling for her.