Oak, Sophie - Found in Bliss [Nights in Bliss, Colorado 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) by Sophie Oak Page A

concrete of the sidewalk now. Gene’s staff didn’t clean at night.
    Someone was in his room.
    Alexei very calmly pulled the Glock from the holster at the small of his back and flicked off the safety. Luckily Holly hadn’t noticed it. He would more than likely have to explain why he walked around armed all the time. But for now he was thankful for the feel of it in his hands. He thought briefly about leaving. He could head for town and talk to whoever was manning the sheriff’s office, but this was his problem. The last thing he needed was to run into Logan Green and ask him to watch his back. The last time he’d talked to Logan Green, the man had been tortured and nearly killed by Alexei’s mob boss, buying Alexei time to save Holly. If Stefan Talbot hadn’t come along, he wasn’t sure Logan would have made it. No. He wouldn’t ask anyone to risk his life for him. If he really had people trying to take him out, he would have to consider leaving Bliss. He couldn’t risk Holly.
    In one smooth move, he opened the door and got into a firing stance, his legs strong beneath him, both hands on the gun.
    And sighed because his past was following him. And they were kissing on his bed. He now knew who had checked in while he was gone. “You could not make love on own bed?”
    Michael McMahon rolled off his partner and looked up at Alexei with a grin on his face. “We’re lucky that was you and not someone else. One of these days they’re going to fire us.”
    Jessie buttoned up her shirt. Unlike Holly, Jessie didn’t blush. She simply winked at Alexei and smoothed her straight dark brown hair. She was dressed in her normal uniform of slacks and a button down. Jessie dressed like she was one of the boys. It suited her slender, athletic build, but Alexei greatly preferred Holly’s curves. “Hey, Alexei. Surprised to see us? We were surprised you left.”
    Was he surprised to see the US Marshals in Bliss? Not really. But he’d hoped they would just let him go. “The job was over. The trials are done.”
    Michael was a former linebacker. He often told Alexei about his college days. He flexed his arms over his head, displaying a body built on broad lines. He was dressed in dark slacks and a button down, though it fit him differently than his partner/girlfriend. “Two of those cases are still on appeal. I explained that to you.”
    Appeals. Yes. There was nothing appealing about the prospect. The appeals process could take even longer than the trials. It was a criminal’s last legal out. “I don’t wish to stay in Florida motel room for years waiting to see if criminals’ lawyers will get them out. I wish to get on with life.”
    “So you traded a motel room in Florida for one in Colorado?” Jessie asked, a little smirk on her face. “That doesn’t make a lick of sense. And this place is so boring. I don’t get it. Unless, of course, there’s a girl involved.”
    He’d never mentioned her name to either of his handlers. He’d kept that to himself. He’d erased her texts and burned her letters. He wanted no mention of her to come to anyone who might leak it. Now that the trials were done, he’d felt safe enough to find her. No one would care that Alexei Markov had disappeared into the west and found his wife. He would even insist that Caleb be the one to legally marry her so there was no record of his name linked with hers.
    “Her name wouldn’t happen to be Holly Lang?” Michael asked.
    “How did you know?” Shit. He’d fucked up. He’d known he couldn’t keep it a secret, had never meant to from the locals, but he didn’t want anyone outside of Bliss to really know about her.
    Jessie looked at him sympathetically. “No one broods the way you did over anything but a woman.”
    “I don’t know. I think I brood over many things. Dead brother. Many crimes committed in name of revenge. Lots of peoples wishing to eviscerate me.” He had many things to worry about.
    “Yeah, you’re a walking mental