“Oh, and what are those?” Nate’s voice wrapped around me, and I turned to find him at my back.
He pulled me into his arms. “You look pale.”
“I’m okay.” But I sagged against him. “I didn’t know you were coming.”
He whispered into my ear, “I couldn’t stay away.”
Angus looked everywhere but at Nate and me. “We’ve actually started a new online gaming operation.”
“What about the justice department?” Nate asked, still holding me close.
“They shut our first operation down in the big fiasco a few years ago—”
“Black Friday.” Nate’s words rang a bell. I’d read a news headline about online poker games going dark when the justice department pulled the plug.
“Right. But they can’t stop the games on the dark web. Bitcoin has made those games more and more profitable as time goes along, especially given that the currency has no official government oversight. Not to mention, we’re revamping our website with an eye toward a favorable Supreme Court ruling coming in the summer term this year. They’re taking up the case. We’ve hired the best intellectual property lawyers in New York to file amicus briefs and get the whole thing overturned.”
“So you’ll be the first ones out of the gate if the ruling goes your way.” Nate let out a low whistle. “Smart, kid.”
“Thanks.” Angus didn’t object to being called a kid, but something told me he wasn’t particularly fond of it.
Nate smoothed his hands down my arms, then rubbed my skin. “You’re cold. Let’s go upstairs.”
“I think I’ve seen enough.” I shot one more glance to the torture implements, then turned and let him lead me back to the staircase.
Once the morning sun hit me, the heavy mood of the basement lifted. I made a mental note to never, no matter how long I stayed in this house, go through that door again. Knowing what Nate had to do for his business—hell, to stay alive—was necessary, but I hoped that no one else, other than Dmitri, ever got shown to the dungeon.
“Angus, there’s the pool.” David pointed outside. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to train Sabrina.”
“I can help.” Angus strode up to the wide glass windows looking out onto the backyard. “I’ve been practicing with some MMA trainers. Nothing bigtime, of course. Just some basics with striking and grappling, but I have a few moves.”
Nate made a low noise in his throat, almost a growl, but then coughed into his palm to hide it. “I’d like you to help me go over some numbers, if you don’t mind. With that business degree, I’m sure you can assist me with untangling a particular accounting knot that Peter’s discovered.”
Angus glanced at me, then smiled reluctantly. “I’d be happy to help.”
“Great.” Nate clapped him on the back and steered him toward the office. “Oh, almost forgot.” Nate returned to me, slid his palms along my cheeks, and kissed the ever-loving stuffing out of me. Surprised at first, I melted into his kiss, giving him free rein of my mouth as his hands roved to my waist and pulled me against him, lifting me off the floor. After a few breathless moments, he set me down, his eyes smoldering.
“What was that?” I held onto him.
“Just so everyone knows who you belong to.” He didn’t look at Angus, but the intent was obvious. Leaning closer, he pressed a kiss to my ear. “And you’re going to get it later.”
“Promises, promises.”
He stepped back, his cocky grin firmly in place. “We’ll see what you say after tonight.”
Chapter Fifteen
Sabrina
After a morning of training that saw me on my ass more often than not, a lunch filled with accounting talk, and an afternoon of summer reading, I was tired, sore, and ready for bed. But no matter how long my day was, I couldn’t quell the excited buzz that rippled through my system. Nate had been sending me smoldering looks all day and took every opportunity to touch me, even if it was only to graze my hand with his as he walked by. Each little touch was like a shot of lighter fluid, and by the end of the day I was soaked and ready to blaze.
Snuggled in a leather chair in the corner of Nate’s office, I’d been reading the same paragraph for five minutes when he walked over.
“Let’s go up.” He held out a hand.
I took it, and he pulled me to my feet.
“Night.” Angus gave a small wave and walked into the hall. He and Nate had been crunching numbers and discussing the many illegal uses of Bitcoin for hours on end.
Peter still sat at the side of Nate’s desk, a calculator in front of him and a pencil behind his ear as he surveyed a printed sheet of ledger paper.
“We can look at it tomorrow. Fresh eyes.”
Peter squinted. “I still can’t reconcile the data, and it’s pissing me the fuck off. Someone is skimming cash. But I can’t tell where. It’s not the drugs.” He sat back. “But it has to be the drugs. There’s nowhere else the money could be coming from that makes sense.”