I got talking and we signed two contracts: one for the art I’ll provide for his resorts and one for me to help him find buyers for his company. I might have found just the perfect buyer, he’ll be at the party. But the businessman in question is a very private person, so he accepted to meet with Casper only on my yacht.” Van Der Beck looks positively pissed off but nods as if everything were fine and dandy.
The tension at the table could be cut with the proverbial knife, so I try to defuse it by paying Kronin a compliment. It’s a remnant of my relationship with Pierce where I always tried to appease him and keep him calm and it seems to do the trick. “You’re a Jack of all trades, like we say in the US.” Kronin laughs, this time it’s a full belly laugh, his head thrown back.
“Yes, I have my fingers in many cakes, like you Americans say.”
“Pies, we say someone has a finger in many pies,” River offers and the Russian’s gaze hardens again.
“Same difference. By the way, my yacht is full of my art, I would love to show it to you, my muse.” I’m about to nod as I spot the barely there nod from Kaden, but I’m distracted by something incredibly odd.
Our food has just arrived and as our plates are placed in front of each of us, Kronin takes a box of red crayons from the inside pocket of his suit jacket and passes it to Lagi, his massive bodyguard. The massive man opens the box and begins to eat each crayon, I shit you not.
The whole table falls silent as we’re all transfixed by the odd spectacle, until Kronin explains, “Lagi is invaluable not only as a bodyguard but lately as an art materials supplier.” Huh? What the fuck does he mean? Confusion appears on everybody’s face until it turns into disgust when the Russian explains. “Lagi eats the box of crayons and that transfers to my painting materials. I call it ‘shit art’ it’s all the rage lately. People pay millions for it.”
We’re all too stunned to say anything except for River, who in his typical crazy fashion barks out a laugh. “Shit, dude! I wish I’d thought about it before. It’s fucking disgusting but oddly kind of genius!”
Nine
Spy
Sloane
“No! Absolutely not!”
So, you know how I’ve seen the guys arguing among themselves so many times that I wondered how they could ever pull off several heists without stopping mid-robbery to have a good ole fight?
Yeah, I guess when they want to be, they’re on the same fucking page. Like right now: they were discussing Kronin’s proposal that I model for whatever art he’s thinking to create—as long as it doesn’t involve shit, that is—and I chose that moment to tell them that not only should I pose for the Russian but that I have a way of getting into Van Der Beck’s suite and snooping around, if I accept his disgusting proposal.
I probably should have expected the reaction I’d gotten.
And now I’m looking at their reaction: they’re standing in a line, with matching scowls—the fact that they look so deliciously brooding and sexy that my panties are soaked is completely beside the point—powerful arms folded over ripped chests and they’re in total agreement that they don’t want my help. Royce actually growled his resounding no and while I’m positive that he would never lay a finger on me to inflict pain, he looks scary as fuck.
“Ok, when you four are done with your alpha male act, maybe you can see that I have the opportunity to gain some really good intel. So if you all calm the fuck down, maybe we could at least talk about it?”
Blaine looks positively scary with a hard light in his steely grey eyes and an unmovable determination in his low voice. “You’re not spending fucking alone time with dangerous, international criminals that are not only wanted by the FB-fucking-I but are also into some really freaky shit, Honey Bunny. And I’ll keep you safe, even if to do that I have to tie you to my bed.”
I don’t bow down. “Is that a threat or a promise, Blaine?”
Please tell me that’s a promise and that you’ll spank me if I defy you … Oh fuck, I’ve completely lost it, it’s official. These four men screwed with my head so thoroughly that all I can think about is how I’d like for all of