Keep Me (Rebel Hearts Heists #2) - M. Sinclair Page 0,59
a stylized skull. Something in that ring attracts my attention and I keep observing it while Kronin sketches Sloane’s face on a notepad and then takes photos of her.
When the Russian is done, there’s a knock on the door and one of Kronin’s staff enters the room. By the epaulets on her shoulders, I’d say that it’s the yacht’s chief stew.
“Yekaterina, can’t you see that I’m busy?”
The rail thin, blonde lady’s lips tighten in a flat line, showing her obvious displeasure. “Sir, I apologize. But apparently there’s been an extra delivery of the vintage champagne you’ve ordered and the delivery man will only accept cash. One hundred grand.”
“Incompetents, that’s what you all are! I’d have expected for you to be prepared for this, and not to be disturbed.”
Kronin walks back into the lounge and switches on a desktop computer that was well hidden behind a wood panel on his antique desk. Once the machine is booted, he detaches the skull from the rest of his ring, revealing a concealed USB stick, or something that looks like one of the old USB sticks I remember, that we still used a decade ago. Rather than inserting the stick on a port in the PC tower, he waits for a program to open, making the screen flash with a number sequence. At the same time, the ‘Shit Storm’ painting moves revealing a modern looking safe. Kronin enters the code into the keypad of the safe and then inserts the weird looking stick in a port in the safe’s door.
He stands in front of the open safe, taking out four bundles of cash. I’m pretty sure I also catch a glimpse of yellow inside the safe, probably gold bars.
It makes me uncomfortable how trusting he is. Well, actually I don’t think it’s trust, he could have asked us to leave. This feels more like a show and tell. I wonder what the man is up to … besides being weird as fuck.
Once he gives his chief stew the money she requires, our host turns back to us. “I’m sorry for the interruption, дорогая (darling). So, how about we do your modeling session at the hotel? I have a suite there. There’s another big high rollers poker game the night before the wedding, so I’ll be at the hotel all day getting ready. Do you want to model for me tomorrow? There no one should distract us or disturb us like here.”
As we agree to his plan, the Russian calls his bodyguard, Lagi, to escort us out of his quarters and back into the ballroom. “I’ll be right with you, to toast the happy couple, I just have a few things to attend to beforehand.”
As we return to the ballroom, the party is in full swing and most of the guests are dancing to the music of a live string quartet.
Sloane seems disappointed and I ask her what’s the matter. “I promised Blaine to have the first dance with him and we missed it. He’s dancing with Alicia now.”
I smile at my sweet girl and ask her to dance with me instead. “Will you do me the honor, Kitten?”
I love the feel of her soft body in my arms as we twirl around the room, carried by a romantic melody. Some Russian composer I can’t remember the name of.
“A penny for your thoughts?” I ask when I see that she’s uncharacteristically quiet.
“I was having a funny thought Rivs,” she whispers. “Earlier, when we left the penthouse, I felt a little bit like a Bond girl. And you know, Kronin would be really perfect as a Bond villain. When he talked about making a mold of my body, I just thought about Goldfinger. And then I thought that this is my usual luck. Rather than get a statue of my body that’s covered in gold, mine will be covered in shit.”
She giggles at her little joke and I hold her tighter in my arms, shaking my head and smiling: she’s so beautiful and perfect. So unique. I hate how much danger we’ve put her in since we crossed paths with her.
Now though? Now, we were going to focus all our attention on protecting her cute little ass.
Thirteen
Kronin’s Muse
Sloane
I stand in front of the mirror, the evening sky behind me shining through the large span of windows in the bathroom, as I run my fingers over the elegant updo I am sporting. Shaking my head I look over the comfortable and fairly modest pair of cropped pants,