Grievous (Wanted Men #5) - Nancy Haviland Page 0,33
beautifully. No other tricks will be required until tomorrow. Thank you for your concern.”
“Uh, anyone wanna share this convo that must be downright hilarious if your friendly expressions are anything to go by?”
Yasmeen stood and looked questioningly between them.
“Sorin is once more letting me know he does not approve of you being here,” Lucian offered in English.
“Oh.” Her cheeks flushed, but her chin tilted up rather than ducking under. “Why? Because you don’t like me?” she asked Sorin.
“If you were to reach the authorities, you could cause him trouble by telling your story.”
“Ah. I see. Well, don’t worry about it, meathead.” She stepped back and sat on the bed, her hands tucking up close to her hips, her shoulder snugging up to her ears. Agitated. Defensive. Accent more apparent than ever. “I have no intention of running to the first cruiser I see. For one, your Romanian boys wouldn’t understand me, and for another, who would they give a shit about; him or me. Him. So, because I’m not one to bang my head against the bricks, I decided a couple of days out of my quiet life to cheer up a friend isn’t gonna hurt me. If I can help him, I’m happy to do it. Satisfied?” she challenged a man who had once disobeyed orders from a panel of organized crime figures and swept through a safehouse, killing eleven men, including the Don of a Sicilian crime family. By refusing to hold off until information they’d received could be confirmed, Sorin had personally saved the lives of eleven women and children who were being shuttled out of Amalfi—and straight into a trap—until the strife between two warring families could be settled.
Lucian had never been so proud to have this man by his side. Now he just wanted his most trusted gone before another coroner could pull back a sheet that showed Sorin the way Markus had been the last time Lucian had seen him.
Sorin looked away from the defensive female to exchange a look with Lucian that was as close to a shared moment of humor as they’d had since the night they’d learned Markus had been killed. Lucian dropped his eyes and killed the connection. He would sever it completely as soon as he found a replacement he could stomach having near him for more than a few minutes at a time.
“Can you see what I am seeing? Did you hear the same fight I just heard?”
“Yes. Very clearly,” Lucian said in a gentle tone, appreciating the concern being shown for his pet. “In the morning, can I trust you to bring her into town without releasing her? I am sure she would like to see something of the area other than the inside of this castle.”
“Will you not accompany us?”
“No.”
“Then I am afraid I must decline.”
Their eyes locked. “You will take her into town when she wakes in the morning, Sorin.”
“I will be walking five to fifteen feet behind you for the entirety of the day, Lucian. Just as I do every day.”
His chest tightened. What would he do if something were to happen to this man who considered it his life’s work to keep Lucian alive?
Knowing him well, rather than bark out orders, Lucian honed in and used the underlying respect Sorin had for women, developed through the love he had for his older sister. “I am merely trying to make her stay here more enjoyable. If I take her, she will do something I find impossible to resist, and I will humiliate her by performing a frowned-upon sexual act in public.” He went to her and lifted her face by cupping her chin. He spoke the truth as he traced her features. “My control where she is concerned does not exist. I do not think I would actually fuck her in the middle of the square, but…” He shrugged as if it was a possibility. And now that the imagery was there, Christ, he wanted to take her into town and fuck her in the middle of the goddamn square. The more people around to witness the public claiming, the better.
He shook his head of the idea. “But if you bring her while I am working, she might enjoy herself. She mentioned earlier that she wanted to pick up a trinket or two for her friends waiting for her at home. She called Miranda, by the way, so Vex should stop harassing you once word gets back to him that Yasmeen has made contact.”