Page 21 of All In


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Icome awake and look around the room. For a moment, I’m not sure where I am, but then the soft snore behind me makes me turn. Aleksei looks so relaxed as he lies there sleeping. I slide out from under his arm and look around the room. I finally settle on the shirt he was wearing yesterday. It’s dirty and sweaty, but it smells like him, and that’s what I need right now.

I move toward the large floor-to-ceiling multi-slide patio doors and pull back the sheer curtains. I look out at the swimming pool and notice a hot tub at the other end. I then make my way to the bathroom, where I relieve myself and then explore in there. Half the drawers are empty.

When I get out to the main living area, I notice it’s sparsely decorated and clean. No woman has lived here before me. I go through drawers in the kitchen before moving on to other parts of the house. The two-car garage contains his G-Wagon. The other spot is open. When I find another garage, this one a single, I discover boxes that haven’t been unpacked. Upon further inspection, I notice Cyrillic lettering, and it takes me a moment to realize these are his father’s things. I know Aleksei’s father was killed when he was thirteen.

“You exploring, lisichka?” Aleksei’s voice breaks the silence.

“Sorry.” I’m not really, but I tell him anyway.

“You’re not, but that’s okay.” He chuckles. “This is your home. Explore all you want.”

“Why don’t you have these decorating your house?” I ask as I look into the first box and find pictures. It’s a young Aleksei with a man, who must be his father, and a woman. “Your mother?” I pull out a photo. She is young and has dark brown hair with an olive complexion.

“No. My dad’s girlfriend.” His voice is gruff as he takes the picture from me.

I watch him closely. His expression changes like the memories are coming to him.

“Did you not like her?”

“I liked her a lot. It wasn’t until recently that I even remembered her. She loved my father very much. Taught me to cook Italian dishes and other things. Lena would have probably been my stepmother if my father wasn’t killed.” He shares, and I watch as he pulls out another picture of just his father and her together. “I don’t know what happened to her after his death. She disappeared. That’s probably why I blocked her out.”

He puts the pictures back and then takes my hand and leads me to the kitchen, where he shows me how well he can cook by making me breakfast. He then takes me upstairs to show me his office.

“You can work from here all you want. Security will be outside if you need them.”

I don’t understand what he’s saying until he pulls his cell phone from his pocket and messages someone.

“You have to go to work?”

“I do. There are issues at the casino.”

“Okay.”

I lean up and kiss him before I sit down at his computer and log in to the user account he set up for me. I turn around and see the monitors lighting up with views of his office and the security floor, where his and Grayson’s offices are.

Acouple weeks later, I’m sitting at the desk, looking at the screen. I knew Mikhail killed Jimmy, but only because I watched the video of him coming and going from that warehouse. I was able to find a camera with sound and heard them discussing the information they’d gotten from Jimmy so far. I understand so much more now. I can’t believe Jimmy killed Mikhail’s parents. Raped his mother. He also hired the men who killed Aleksei’s father.

I want to know more, so I link my laptop up to the computer so I can use my software, and I start digging. I find so much information that I’m still sifting through it all when Aleksei finally comes home.

He cooks us dinner, and we cuddle on the sofa, talking about his day. All the sliders are open, allowing the cool breeze to blow through the rooms. When I finally fall asleep in his arms after he makes love to me, I’m feeling content.

That feeling doesn’t last after I’ve been here for another week. I’m bored and tired. I’ve got information I need to research and go check out, but Aleksei won’t let me leave the house. He says I’m safer here, but it drives me crazy. Today I’m just staring at the monitors, watching as this woman leans over Aleksei’s desk, showing her cleavage.

That’s it!

I stand up and go to our room, where Alek had a whole wardrobe delivered for me. I look around and decide on what to wear. I slip into the sexy outfit to remind Aleksei why he wanted me, and then I top it all with a trench coat.

Now I just need to get my security to take me to Aleksei.

Alek

Ilook down and read the message from the guards posted at my house. I argue with them that they should’ve kept her at home. But they tell me they couldn’t stop her without bodily holding her back.

I’ve contacted the Irish. MacEvoy will give her a pass if she’ll work for him a couple of times. I don’t like it, but he gave me no other options.

I haven’t been able to reach Barone to notify him. Andrei said he would try to get a hold of him as well. I’ve also been trying to find a way to locate Lena. I wish I could remember her last name.

My eye is drawn to the monitors as Lyric appears. I follow her movement as she walks to the elevator with direct access to the management and security floor. She’s in heels, and her hair is partially up, pinned on the sides with loose curls hanging down her back. She is in a long trench coat, and I can make out her legs.

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