He's Good at Being Bad

d through the high windo

thing in the room looked like it belonged in a magazine-muted cream walls, carved oak shelves, a dressing table too

lept. Not eve

ct she had entered, the gleam in Nikolai's eyes when he had

oke throug

dn't a

r opene

heels clicked across the polished floors with

folded clothes on the velvet bench. "I ru

for a babysitt

ied evenly. "But

s. Eat. Keep your mouth shut unless spoken to. Mr. Val

without waiti

blouse. A pencil skirt. Low heels. Not exactly

rwell, and what looked like a small private library just to get there. Every hallway gleamed.

phone. Sunlight caught in the silver strands near his temples. His voice w

en he saw her and ge

at st

ctual," he

ot a c

u're not fr

cut the performance. What do you a

ed himself a drink-something dar

uth. I need a part

y m

. No record. No debts. No one to t

aid flatly. "So

act

didn't pay half a million dollars to j

d of smirk that did

an I thought," he

. But she wanted something-answers, power, leverage. Anything to feel less

uth," she said. "Wha

w and controlled. His pres

ks and bloodshed. A war of empires. Business. Legacy. Enemies in the dark

ink I'm...

es locking onto h

ood we

ed even closer, close enough she could see the flecks of steel in his irises-"c

nocent," sh

e it. That's

st of the morning

ol that felt like it belonged in a palace. But beyond that? Doors were locked

oasted lamb. Imported olives. Sparkling wat

et being fattened than

unset when El

a red velvet dress onto the bed. "He

it belonged on a runway. She touched the fabric-it was s

n't show up?

"Then you'll learn what k

l was more lik

rge it looked like a storm frozen in crystal. Candles fl

ed in another black suit, a cufflink shaped

ently. She didn't s

d out a chair f

Duck. Something French she couldn't

Nikolai said bet

dn't a

ns you still hav

d finally. "You may have bou

moment, something unre

of a soul, Reina?" he asked quiet

allowe

o it to som

world eats sof

able, and stopped behind her.

you stron

your strengt

rmured. "Bu

ter midnight. The dress was back on its hanger. Her ma

who Nikolai Va

now what he

ne thing: she

'd be the kind that

was soft. Let him

ment, hunger, betrayal, an

survive

uldn't jus

ld outp

ned-she'd make sure he regret