Grievous (Wanted Men #5) - Nancy Haviland Page 0,45

door in the corner that led to the kitchen. He went over and picked his phone up, shaking it of glass slivers. As he left the room, he was dialing.

As it was mid-afternoon in New York, one of his most dangerous men answered on the second ring.

“Please, tell me Pivchenko has surfaced,” Lucian unabashedly begged.

“I’m sorry,” Zlatan said with a mix of apology and frustration in his voice. “There is no sign of him yet.”

♦ ♦ ♦

Yasmeen shut down the hair dryer and let her arm fall to her lap. She was sitting on the cushioned stool in front of a vintage makeup table that took up a good chunk of square footage in the bedroom. Tired of her reflection, she was now looking at the table itself. It was fragile and beautiful with its detailed carvings and spindly legs. Just lovely.

She glanced at the door through the mirror, her interest waning. Lucian had left her about fifteen minutes ago. Where had he gone? And why was she so anxious for him to return?

He’d come in shortly after Sorin had brought her up and left her at the door, as instructed. She’d just submerged herself in the bath, and after invading her privacy by watching her for a few minutes, her bad-tempered owner had made her lay her head back and he’d meticulously gone through her hair. She’d wanted to talk to him, but she wasn’t sure who he’d been at that moment; spoiled rich guy or murdering mobster. She would like to have told him it was difficult for her to turn off her compassion when he revealed the depth of his grief. She would have said he hadn’t frightened her with his tantrum but that she’d cried because he was obviously in pain. It was too bad she’d been too unsure of what his reaction might be to be honest with him.

After he’d washed and conditioned for her, he’d had her get up. He’d dried her, lingering as he made sure to get every droplet of water with the soft towel. She hadn’t understood the gentleness in the kisses he dropped on her shoulder and the side of her neck. Feeling guilty? Embarrassed because he’d overreacted? Hoping to appease her so she’d have sex with him later? Who knew?

She blew out a loud breath and gave up, tired of her merry-go-round thoughts. After putting away the dryer, she flicked the switch to turn on the hair straightener. While it heated, she picked up a makeup brush. Would have been great to have her phone so she could listen to some music, but it had disappeared. On their way up, she’d told Sorin she was fine to walk. He’d told her she had to learn how to follow simple instructions. When she’d huffed that she only wanted to get down so she could take her phone from her bag on their way by the table where it sat in the foyer, he’d told her it had been put away.

Tipping the large pallet of every color of eyeshadow she could ever want, she began applying some makeup. Lucian’s parting instructions had been to ready herself for her morning out. She was going into town with his meathead. Maybe when she got him alone, she could pick Sorin’s brain about his boss.

She efficiently dusted a pale taupe on her lids, then lined her eyes with a fawn pencil, finishing with two perfect wings that pointed up on the outer corners. After applying minimal blush and not bothering with foundation because she’d never had a need, she lengthened her lashes with a few strokes of the mascara wand, used a pale lip stain in place of lipstick, then spread a thin layer of gloss. Rolling her lips together and quietly smacking them, she jumped a mile when Lucian spoke.

“Get that off your mouth. Your lips need no enhancing. The shape and color are what women strive for, and you are hiding them.” He came into view in the mirror behind her, holding a garment bag. He watched while she took a tissue and cleaned her mouth.

“I’d like my phone back.”

“Would you.”

“No.”

Their eyes met in the mirror.

“That’s what I meant when I said I wanted my phone back. That I didn’t. That I don’t want it so I can’t play the music that isn’t my favorite, so I can’t get out of my head that I’m sooo loving being in right now. Is there a dock around here that I wouldn’t want to