[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
I understand that, Natasha. Andreas placed a hand on her
knee. It was a comforting gesture he hoped like hell she wouldn t
misconstrue. It isn t me you ve got to convince. It s the members of
the board of trustees.
Are you kidding me? Those guys have NO mercy! she
shouted. They ll have him killed. Andreas, how did this get so far?
How could this possibly happen when your family has so much
influence over the coven?
Andreas winced at her question. Even though he knew it was
coming, he couldn t quite prepare for it. Natasha, you know my
father has supreme confidence in your abilities as the family s head of
security. Andreas did his best to convince Natasha of that fact. But
Aristotle belittled his own son at will, so he doubted she d take the
bait. He has to answer to the rest of the vampire community.
Honestly, they are worried about the situation getting out of hand.
They want to use Ivan as an example.
The situation. What situation are you referring to? Natasha
demanded, her tone sounded angrier by the minute.
The situation. With the. Russians. Andreas yanked the
words out. It was like pulling teeth.
Russians! What kind of racist bullshit is that? Natasha
fumed at him. This has nothing to do with race.
Andreas bit down on the inside of his cheeks and drew blood.
Anything to buy him time. He needed to get Natasha to see reason.
Think about it for a minute. The sexual harassment suit is against
two bouncers of Russian descent. There are multiple witnesses ready
to testify that they purposefully goaded those women outside the club.
And what about the incident with Ivan s girlfriend? From what I hear,
she nearly died. Andreas spoke softly, trying his best to explain the
precarious situation with the utmost sensitivity considering Natasha s
personal connection to the case. The board of trustees won t believe
it s a coincidence that these two unfortunate events involve recently-
turned vampires from your country.
So they re using my people as a scapegoat? Why now?
Natasha glared back at him with a mixture of both skepticism and
seething hostility.
It wouldn t be the first time a particular group of individuals
was singled out amongst us, Andreas retorted. Think back to the
15th century, when the Romanians fought against the Ottoman
Empire. That battle wasn t over land. It was nothing more than a
cover up to conceal one vampire s blood-thirsty rampage.
I ve never thought of it that way. Natasha cocked her head
to the side as if considering the possibility.
Then she lifted her hand to her mouth, her lips forming into a
perfect O. Andreas saw recognition weave its way through her
subconscious. But this time, there s more to it than just putting an
end to one madman s killing spree. Natasha, it may come down to
them implicating you, specifically. They feel the Russians are under
your jurisdiction. It s possible they will blame you for what
transpired.
That doesn t make any sense. I had nothing to do with either
of those incidents. Andreas, you ve got to speak to the board on my
behalf. I have served you well all these years. A single tear rolled
down her battle-hardened cheek.
Andreas wanted to wrap her up in his warm embrace and take
away the hurt reflected in her eyes. But he knew she would take it the
wrong way. Instead, he squeezed her shoulder in support. They plan
to meet next week to discuss Ivan s fate. Don t worry. My father and I
have your back. I m just asking that we be very diligent in the future.
It is imperative that we adhere to the employee code of conduct that s
already in place. No exceptions.
Natasha straightened her shoulders and shook her head from
left to right. No exceptions. I couldn t agree with you more. I admit
that in the past, I have been more lenient than is acceptable. That type
of blatant abuse won t be tolerated in the future.
Good. I m glad we came to consensus on this matter.
Andreas heaved a sigh of relief. He stood up and grabbed his tuxedo
jacket before he escorted Natasha out of the house to the waiting
limousine. Let s just hope those old geezers take it easy on us next
week.
Chapter Eight
A Soiree at the MET
Eva s strapless, black-sequined gown shimmered like
diamonds against the backdrop as a swarm of paparazzi gathered
around. Their flashbulbs clouding her vision. She held on to Oliver s
arm as they made their way up the red carpet toward the main
entrance of the museum.
You look absolutely ravishing, my dear. Oliver used the
crook of his finger to force her to look up at him. Eva lowered her
lashes and bit down on her bottom lip. Compliments weren t her cup
of tea. She didn t like to attend high-class soirees like this either. But
they were just a part of the job. Still, Eva had gone above and beyond
this time. If she was perfectly honest, she d admit there was only one
pair of eyes she wanted to attract at tonight s gala. Those eyes
belonged to the elusive Mr. Andreas Kristopolous.
It s a good thing you re my BFF. Otherwise, I d swear you
just tried to hit on me! Eva let an innocent giggle slip out. Sure she
cleaned up well. But in her opinion, nothing close to the vivacious
vixen Oliver claimed she d blossomed into.
Her floor-length, fitted gown clung to her like a second skin. It
emphasized voluptuous curves and a provocative little slit up the side
that left nothing to the imagination. A mass of dark brown hair was
swept into an up-do, as soft ringlets cascaded down her bare
shoulders. With only a hint of make-up to add color to her cheeks,
Eva s natural beauty made her truly luminous.
Eventually they reached the west wing of the museum where
the event was being held, and Oliver handed their engraved invitation
to the man at the door. He took several minutes to flip through the
guest list before he eventually granted them admittance. Once inside
the exhibition hall, Eva found the room bustling with people, each one
a member of New York s exclusive social elite. While some were
here for philanthropic reasons, the majority merely vied for the cover
of the latest celebrity tabloid. Scantily-clad bimbos sipped champagne
and eyed one another with disdain. Eva began to work the crowd a
little. After all, snacking on caviar and Dom Perignon while she
rubbed elbows with the rich and famous was par for the course.
Oliver, would you mind getting us a couple of drinks? I m
going to mingle a bit. She told him. Then sauntered away with a
mischievous little smirk on her face.
Are you positive that s a good idea? Please promise me you
won t do anything outrageous. Oliver pressed his palms together as
he pleaded for her cooperation.
Cross my heart. Eva traced the sign of the cross over her
chest. I m a Catholic school girl, remember? I can do no wrong.
Yes, I remember. But you seem to forget that I attended
Catholic schools as well, Oliver quipped sanctimoniously. And the
young ladies I knew were better known for their risqué behavior than
anything else.
There s a time and place for everything, Eva replied. She
prowled across the dance floor like a cat ready to pounce.
Her objective for the evening. To seek out Andreas
Kristopolous and ensnare him with her powers of seduction. The only
way to earn his trust was to give into their mutual attraction. And trust
was all she needed to crack this case wide open.
Eva heard the crinkling of taffeta and lace and turned as a tall [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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I understand that, Natasha. Andreas placed a hand on her
knee. It was a comforting gesture he hoped like hell she wouldn t
misconstrue. It isn t me you ve got to convince. It s the members of
the board of trustees.
Are you kidding me? Those guys have NO mercy! she
shouted. They ll have him killed. Andreas, how did this get so far?
How could this possibly happen when your family has so much
influence over the coven?
Andreas winced at her question. Even though he knew it was
coming, he couldn t quite prepare for it. Natasha, you know my
father has supreme confidence in your abilities as the family s head of
security. Andreas did his best to convince Natasha of that fact. But
Aristotle belittled his own son at will, so he doubted she d take the
bait. He has to answer to the rest of the vampire community.
Honestly, they are worried about the situation getting out of hand.
They want to use Ivan as an example.
The situation. What situation are you referring to? Natasha
demanded, her tone sounded angrier by the minute.
The situation. With the. Russians. Andreas yanked the
words out. It was like pulling teeth.
Russians! What kind of racist bullshit is that? Natasha
fumed at him. This has nothing to do with race.
Andreas bit down on the inside of his cheeks and drew blood.
Anything to buy him time. He needed to get Natasha to see reason.
Think about it for a minute. The sexual harassment suit is against
two bouncers of Russian descent. There are multiple witnesses ready
to testify that they purposefully goaded those women outside the club.
And what about the incident with Ivan s girlfriend? From what I hear,
she nearly died. Andreas spoke softly, trying his best to explain the
precarious situation with the utmost sensitivity considering Natasha s
personal connection to the case. The board of trustees won t believe
it s a coincidence that these two unfortunate events involve recently-
turned vampires from your country.
So they re using my people as a scapegoat? Why now?
Natasha glared back at him with a mixture of both skepticism and
seething hostility.
It wouldn t be the first time a particular group of individuals
was singled out amongst us, Andreas retorted. Think back to the
15th century, when the Romanians fought against the Ottoman
Empire. That battle wasn t over land. It was nothing more than a
cover up to conceal one vampire s blood-thirsty rampage.
I ve never thought of it that way. Natasha cocked her head
to the side as if considering the possibility.
Then she lifted her hand to her mouth, her lips forming into a
perfect O. Andreas saw recognition weave its way through her
subconscious. But this time, there s more to it than just putting an
end to one madman s killing spree. Natasha, it may come down to
them implicating you, specifically. They feel the Russians are under
your jurisdiction. It s possible they will blame you for what
transpired.
That doesn t make any sense. I had nothing to do with either
of those incidents. Andreas, you ve got to speak to the board on my
behalf. I have served you well all these years. A single tear rolled
down her battle-hardened cheek.
Andreas wanted to wrap her up in his warm embrace and take
away the hurt reflected in her eyes. But he knew she would take it the
wrong way. Instead, he squeezed her shoulder in support. They plan
to meet next week to discuss Ivan s fate. Don t worry. My father and I
have your back. I m just asking that we be very diligent in the future.
It is imperative that we adhere to the employee code of conduct that s
already in place. No exceptions.
Natasha straightened her shoulders and shook her head from
left to right. No exceptions. I couldn t agree with you more. I admit
that in the past, I have been more lenient than is acceptable. That type
of blatant abuse won t be tolerated in the future.
Good. I m glad we came to consensus on this matter.
Andreas heaved a sigh of relief. He stood up and grabbed his tuxedo
jacket before he escorted Natasha out of the house to the waiting
limousine. Let s just hope those old geezers take it easy on us next
week.
Chapter Eight
A Soiree at the MET
Eva s strapless, black-sequined gown shimmered like
diamonds against the backdrop as a swarm of paparazzi gathered
around. Their flashbulbs clouding her vision. She held on to Oliver s
arm as they made their way up the red carpet toward the main
entrance of the museum.
You look absolutely ravishing, my dear. Oliver used the
crook of his finger to force her to look up at him. Eva lowered her
lashes and bit down on her bottom lip. Compliments weren t her cup
of tea. She didn t like to attend high-class soirees like this either. But
they were just a part of the job. Still, Eva had gone above and beyond
this time. If she was perfectly honest, she d admit there was only one
pair of eyes she wanted to attract at tonight s gala. Those eyes
belonged to the elusive Mr. Andreas Kristopolous.
It s a good thing you re my BFF. Otherwise, I d swear you
just tried to hit on me! Eva let an innocent giggle slip out. Sure she
cleaned up well. But in her opinion, nothing close to the vivacious
vixen Oliver claimed she d blossomed into.
Her floor-length, fitted gown clung to her like a second skin. It
emphasized voluptuous curves and a provocative little slit up the side
that left nothing to the imagination. A mass of dark brown hair was
swept into an up-do, as soft ringlets cascaded down her bare
shoulders. With only a hint of make-up to add color to her cheeks,
Eva s natural beauty made her truly luminous.
Eventually they reached the west wing of the museum where
the event was being held, and Oliver handed their engraved invitation
to the man at the door. He took several minutes to flip through the
guest list before he eventually granted them admittance. Once inside
the exhibition hall, Eva found the room bustling with people, each one
a member of New York s exclusive social elite. While some were
here for philanthropic reasons, the majority merely vied for the cover
of the latest celebrity tabloid. Scantily-clad bimbos sipped champagne
and eyed one another with disdain. Eva began to work the crowd a
little. After all, snacking on caviar and Dom Perignon while she
rubbed elbows with the rich and famous was par for the course.
Oliver, would you mind getting us a couple of drinks? I m
going to mingle a bit. She told him. Then sauntered away with a
mischievous little smirk on her face.
Are you positive that s a good idea? Please promise me you
won t do anything outrageous. Oliver pressed his palms together as
he pleaded for her cooperation.
Cross my heart. Eva traced the sign of the cross over her
chest. I m a Catholic school girl, remember? I can do no wrong.
Yes, I remember. But you seem to forget that I attended
Catholic schools as well, Oliver quipped sanctimoniously. And the
young ladies I knew were better known for their risqué behavior than
anything else.
There s a time and place for everything, Eva replied. She
prowled across the dance floor like a cat ready to pounce.
Her objective for the evening. To seek out Andreas
Kristopolous and ensnare him with her powers of seduction. The only
way to earn his trust was to give into their mutual attraction. And trust
was all she needed to crack this case wide open.
Eva heard the crinkling of taffeta and lace and turned as a tall [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]