“Yes, but I think it will work in our favor this time.” I take another sip of my coffee. “I think we can use Sonya to lure him out.”
“I see,” my second says quietly, and I know he’s already caught on.
“In the meantime, see what else you can dig up about Sonya Wallace. Find out if she still has regular contact with my brother or any of the Italians he’s been seen with lately. Just to be safe.”
Once we end the call, I stare out the window at the rooftops of Prague and the green trees of late summer, the Vltava River reflecting the sun’s rays in shimmering ripples.
As I stare out at the beauty of the cityscape, my thoughts drift to Sonya. To her smile, her laughter, even to her show of fear when the plane began pitching through the turbulence. All night long I thought about the feeling of her under me, around me, the image of her face as it moved through pleasure, how it brightened and creased with the ecstasy of her orgasm as she clenched around me, coming entirely undone, raw and real.
But then she ran away at the airport.
Did she have second thoughts about returning to my hotel with me? Or was it because she’d already gotten what she wanted?
I finish my coffee, slamming the China cup down with too much force. I try to focus. I have a meeting to attend, then I will see my plan into action.
I will see Sonya again.
5
SONYA
Obnoxious pounding at the door wakes me from a deep, wine-induced sleep. I’m drooling, my hair is everywhere, and for a long moment, I have no idea where I am. Then I remember I’m in Prague in a hotel room that costs way more than I want to think about.
Knock, knock, knock.I swear I put the “Do Not Disturb” sign out last night.Bang, bang, bang. It’s getting louder and more insistent. Whoever it is isn’t going away.
When I sit up, the world tilts, the pounding taking up space inside my head as a pulse of pain. “I’ll be there in a second,” I call out. My voice croaks halfway through the sentence.
I manage to get myself out of bed, standing still as the world spins around me for a moment. I down the glass of water and the aspirin I miraculously remembered to put on the nightstand before I fell asleep. I run my fingers through my wild hair and scrub the drool residue from my cheek with the back of my hand.
“I’m coming,” I call out again. “Just hold on a second.”
I open the door with the chain still attached. Anything I was about to say is completely forgotten at the sight of Matvei Volkov, stealing any breath I had in my lungs.
Oh, shit. Shit, shit, shit. He found me. Of course he found me. Why did I think a notorious mob boss wouldn’t be able to find me? How could I be so stupid?
I stare at him as the seconds tick by, my brain still fuzzy with wine, jet lag, and a break up. I try to think of something to say.
"Matvei," I gulp. “What can I do for you?”
“You disappeared on me yesterday at the airport.”
“I lost you in the crowd and couldn’t find you again. So I left and came to my hotel.”
As far as lies go, it’s not a terrible one, but I can tell Matvei doesn’t believe me.
Instead of anger, a predatory grin curls his full lips, a grin I can still feel on the back of my neck like a physical tattoo, flirting with the memory of his electric touch. He leans forward, resting his forearm above his head against the frame, trying to get as close as he can with the chain still on the door.
“Come now, Sonya. We both know that’s a lie.”
His voice is like a purr, his blue eyes hypnotic. For a moment, I swear I can see the dangerous predator hiding behind that personable mask. It sends shivers down my spine, but it also wakes up an entirely different part of me, one that’s drawn to danger.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“You know who I am. I’m aware that my asshole half-brother can’t stop talking about how much he hates me.” His eyes wander my frame. A flush grows on my cheeks as I realize I’m dressed in a tank and baggy sweats. “And apparently, he also has an inability to appreciate beauty when he sees it.”
I swallow hard, nearly choking. “How did you know?”
It’s a ridiculous question. We both know damn well how he found me. I may not know a lot about the Russian mob, but I know enough to understand that the law doesn’t mean anything to men like Matvei and his organization. Based on the expense of his suits and his choice of travel accommodations, I’m certain he has many resources at his fingertips—many more than I can even imagine.