“Come on.” Lyosha fell in step with her. “I’ll take you to him.”
She hurried after him as he continued to the dining room at a fast clip. “I’m surprised you’re taking me.”
“It’s better than you running all over this place, getting into things that don’t concern you.” He shot her a dark look as he opened the swinging door connected to the dining room.
She just rolled her eyes and strode past him into what turned out to be a huge, gorgeous kitchen. Everything in it appeared new.
She didn’t get a chance to appreciate any of it before Lyosha ushered her through it to a hallway. Then another one, until he knocked on a heavy-looking wood door with intricate carvings on the outside. It was custom and beautiful.
Viktor opened the door a moment later and much to her annoyance her heart skipped a beat at the sight of him. She could see Abram behind him, leaning against a big desk. Viktor’s eyes widened at the sight of her, then he glared at Lyosha. He growled something in Russian but thankfully Lyosha answered in English.
“I told her to take one of the guest bedrooms and offered her new clothes. She said no.” He looked at her, seemingly for confirmation.
She nodded, even though a small part of her wanted to throw him under the bus. He was just doing his job and she wasn’t going to hold it against him. Even if he annoyed her with his sexist bullshit. “We need to talk,” she said to Viktor as the door opened even wider.
His brother stepped past her, giving her an unreadable look as he motioned that Lyosha should come with him.
Viktor moved back so she could enter. “I’m sorry you got dragged into this.” For a moment he looked as if he would reach for her, but he let his arms drop. His voice was as exhausted as his expression.
Which made her feel bad. She wanted to comfort him, to wrap her arms around him. But not until they hashed some things out. “I’m really not happy with you, but first…were any of your men hurt? Are you okay with the police?”
“None of my guys were injured and yes, I’m fine. They just had a lot of questions and had to deal with the bodies. It was very time-consuming.”
“I’m glad you’re okay.” She smacked his upper arm once. “But I’m not okay with you kidnapping me.”
His jaw tightened as he looked down at her. Without her heels on he actually towered over her. Instead of using his height difference against her, he sighed and went to sit on the edge of the desk. “I’m sorry, Dominique.”
The way he said her name sent a shiver of awareness through her. She fought against her reaction. She came to stand in front of him, hating how tired he looked. “Why didn’t you let me stay?”
“I just… I didn’t want you there, not with the cops and the whole parade of people I knew would be there.”
“Why not? You’re not into anything illegal, right?”
“Not anymore.”
She nodded once. “I know that.”
His lips curved up, his smile wry. “Your guys down at Red Stone tell you that?”
She lifted a shoulder. “More or less. So what’s the deal, for real? You think I can’t handle a few questions from the police?”
“I didn’t want you to have to. I didn’t want you on their radar at all.” His words were as harsh as his expression. There was no give there. Now he didn’t look tired, just angry and frustrated. “I didn’t want you linked to all that death, to me.”
“That’s stupid. I’m a big girl, I’ve dealt with a lot in my life and—”
“I know!” He shoved up from the desk but she didn’t back down. “I just didn’t want you to have to deal with anything else. There was nothing you could tell them, no need for you to be there. I just…wanted you safe.” He practically growled the last couple words, his big, sexy body vibrating with tension.
“That’s not fair.”
He blinked. “What isn’t?”
She leaned into him, wrapping her arms around him, taking him off guard if the way he jolted at her touch was any indication. “I’ve worked up a lot of anger at you the last few hours. I’m still not happy and I seriously hope there’s not a next time for this kind of thing, but if there is, just include me in whatever happens. You don’t need to protect me.”
He smoothed a hand down her spine. “I want to.”
She liked the way he held her, how secure he made her feel. “Will you tell me what happened tonight? Or who attacked your hotel?”
Sighing, he pulled back and motioned to one of the chairs. She didn’t want to move away from him so she tugged him until he sat, then she sat on his lap. He seemed surprised by it but she didn’t care. She might be annoyed with him, but she still couldn’t seem to get enough of him.