“You speak Italian?” That has Hunter impressed.
“Enough to get by. My best friend married an Italian man, remember? I didn’t want him to get away with any secrets, plus … I thought it was a beautiful language in undergrad.”
“You still find ways to surprise us,” I say, stroking her hair away from her face. Her eyes are troubled, calculating.
“Want to explain that uncomfortable bit of information you shared with Chase and me? The implication you made?”
Valerie strokes through my hair then leans forward and runs her nose over my neck. “You smell so good, Viking. I missed you tonight.”
“You can have me by your side for the rest of it,” I barter.
She huffs and raises her voice. “He has a tell when he lies. If I tell you, you three will give it away … well maybe not Lief considering he’s always far away. I suspected it in the video. He’s lying about wanting a truce. Just like he’s lying about being in charge. Someone else is, he’s just the face of the operation.”
“He’s been ordered to start a fight with us.”
“Probably promised some power in the takeover. But I found a weakness for you guys too.” She turns and points at Hunter. “So I don’t want to hear anything about that last move I pulled.”
“The one where you pulled him on top of you, when you wrapped your legs around him, or when you told him he’d get a reward if he was nicer next time?” Hunter grunts out.
Chase glares at Valerie and I turn her head to face me, eyebrow arched. She doesn’t shrink down. “It fucking worked and it kept me safe. He was getting close to closing rank and wanted his girlfriend back. They can’t hurt me if I have him. Plus, it would have been easy to stab him in that position without anyone noticing.”
We have ruined her.
It’s the only thought in my head. She was prickly but so sweet. She balked at the idea of me knocking a man out. She ran after seeing it. Somewhere between then and now, she’s become capable of stabbing a man and thinking it through to avoid being caught.
I’m impressed, a little proud, but utterly concerned.
“Pet.” I pull the knife from her easily and turn it over to Chase. “We would never let him harm you.”
“Who said it was for harming me? And who said it was for death? I just owed him one for hurting Hunter. If I really wanted to pay him back, I’d ….” Something wicked and dark dances in her eyes. “But I have limits.”
“Valerie?” Hunter growls.
“I’m not giving you ideas, asshole.”
He shakes his head and strokes down my neck. “He’s a sub. Men in positions of power tend to be – except these three men I really like – and if I wanted to destroy him, it wouldn’t be with murder.”
I soothe her hackles by stroking her back. I know what she’s thinking. I kiss her temple. “That’s the big card to play.”
“The one that will make him cave, but doing that is a declaration of war.”
“Yes,” I agree. “It is.”
“What are you two plotting back there?” Chase asks.
Valerie reaches up to him and kisses his hand. “I’m mad at you for leaving without warning me. That wasn’t nice. I didn’t have you or Lief tonight.”
“Complaining about our time together, sweetheart?” Hunter teases.
“I don’t like your shitty fake friends. You can be a cocky asshole, but at least you’re charming and funny. He’s just … slimy. I think Roman would kick him for perverting the Italian language.”
I nuzzle her throat, dropping soft kisses that have her completely relaxed when we get to the mansion. She barely looks at it as I pull her out of the car, still wrapped around me. Valerie fits her mouth to mine, teasing my tongue with hers and giving me breathy moans as she strokes through my hair.
“Young Master Volkov’s.” The security guard says.
Valerie looks at him and he blushes immediately. He nods to me. “Boss.”
I grunt in reply and hold the now struggling Valerie in my arms. “Be good for me, viper and maybe you’ll get to bite today.”