Mafia Hitman's Daring Lover (The Karzhov Crime Family Series Book 2) by Leslie North Page A

he somehow knew she would never understand subterfuge.
    “What?” Desi asked, confused and quickly losing control of the conversation. Her headache was becoming more prominent, as was the nausea and sense of being out of control.
    “I’ll explain upstairs. Come on. We’ll talk, and then if you want to leave, I’ll take you wherever you want to go.” Grigori closed his door and walked to the front of the SUV to wait.
    “I can walk,” Desi offered, dreading the two extra blocks she would need to traverse in order to reach her car’s hiding place from the rear. You can do it. Tell the nice man “good-bye” and take off.
    Opening the SUV’s door, she attempted to do just that. She avoided his gaze, keeping the car door open instead and effectively blocking any chance he had of grabbing her. She slipped behind the Dumpster and then skirted quickly behind the cars until she found a small gap in the fence.
    She could hear him coming after her, but she didn’t waste any time looking to see how close he was. She pushed at the chain link fence in front of her and managed to get one leg and one arm through the fence before she felt him bearing down on her.
    She struggled to complete her escape, but her shirt had gotten caught on part of the fence and the only way she could continue her forward progress was to either remove the shirt or tear herself free. She could feel the tears fill her eyes as she struggled to get away, but all that did was blur her vision, keeping her from seeing him reach her position and stop to watch her struggle.
    Grigori felt like yelling, he was so frustrated with the young woman currently trying to free herself from where the chain link fencing had pierced her shirt. He probably would have blasted her if she hadn’t chosen that moment to look up at him, tears spilling from her eyes and trailing own her cheeks.
    God, he couldn’t stand it when women cried. Images of the women in the jungle came rushing back at him and he staggered back a step. No one will ever hurt her like that. Never! He didn’t stop to analyze his feelings; he just reacted to them.
    Reaching down, he unhooked the fabric of her shirt while pulling her back through the fence, being careful not to cut her on the metal. “Desi, stop fighting me. We’re going upstairs. Now.”
    Desi shook her head but put up no resistance when he simply picked her up in his arms and headed towards the rear entrance. He opened the door with the keycard, then used the same card to call the elevator.
    Desi tried to distance herself from his strength, but it was hard. His chest was warm, he smelled fantastic, and for some reason she couldn’t stop the tears that were silently running down her cheeks. She didn’t even think of trying to get away. She was suddenly very tired, and hurting, and just wanted this night to end.
    Grigori watched her with concern in his eyes. She had gone very passive in his arms, something he wouldn’t have thought she had in her. She was crying, but silently. He jostled her in his arms, and then he felt the butt of the gun sticking up from the back of her jeans.

Chapter 10
     
    “Are you armed?” he asked incredulously.
    Desi nodded absently. “Why?”
    “Do you even know how to shoot?” God, I’m glad she didn’t pull that on me while I was driving!
    Desi looked so offended for a brief moment, and then she started laughing hysterically. Her laughing caused more tears to spill from her eyes, and as the elevator opened on the fourth floor, Grigori clapped a hand over her mouth. “Shush! People are sleeping,” he whispered to her.
    Desi tried to stop her laughing, but his question had hit a nerve and she found she couldn’t stop any more than she could stop breathing.
    “What are you laughing at?” he growled, heading towards the end of the hallway.
    “You! You asked me if I could shoot.”
    “A logical question in my opinion.”
    Desi laughed once again, then calmly told him, “I was top of my class in