The Handler : A Dark Russian Mafia Romance (The Cells of Kalashov Book 2)

abdomen. His gaze meets mine. He doesn’t have to say the words. They are shining in his eyes. I’m not to disappoint him either. He releases me. For Evie, her sentence might be a brothel, but for me, it would be death.
The large security man leads Evie outside, and I follow. My eyes can’t help but take in the curve of her ass. She glances at me over her shoulder as if sensing me watching her. She’s quick to look away as I bypass her. My own security men rise as I step into the lobby. All three fix their headsets and adjust their suit jackets.
They fall into step around Evie and me as we leave the lobby and step into the elevator. Only then does Igor’s security veer off. My gaze searches the lobby for the Torpedo, but he’s nowhere in sight.
The ride down is long from the top floor of the building. Evie’s shoulders are hunched; a small rise of them lets me know the beauty is breathing. She’s terrified, and that’s not always a bad thing. I need her more than she can imagine.
The doors open, and we file out, my men flanking us as we leave the building and enter the waiting limo. Evie and two of my security join me in the back. Michail rides up front with the driver.
The limo shifts as it moves into a lane of traffic. She’s leaning towards the blacked-out windows, staring at the steel world as it moves by slowly.
“What did you see?” I ask her.
She sits back, like my voice startled her. Blue eyes flash from me to my security. I could tell her no one would hurt her, but that was a lie. One dead girl and the rest saved would be better than no girls for Igor. I would do what I needed to in order to complete this task. No matter how strongly her beauty drew me in.
Even as I think of hurting her, my skin grows tight again, and I open my suit jacket. Her eyes dart to my fingers before bouncing back up to my face.
“There were men.” Her accent is unusual, a mixture of Russian and something else that is sharp. She swallows and toys with her hands in her lap.
“Lots of men.” Her gaze is fixated on her hands, and when I don’t speak, she looks up at me. Her gaze glazes over. “They were so quick. Like ghosts.”
“How many?” I keep my tone sharp, so it pierces through her foggy memory. Fear is curling her thoughts tightly up. I’ve seen the look in so many eyes, the same look she is giving to me now.
Pain often pierces it, but right now, I would try with my tone.
Her brows drag down, and she scrunches up her face before relaxing it again. “Five, six…” Her lips move like she wants to throw out more numbers, but when she looks at me, she slams them shut.
“What did these men do?”
Lenny, who’s to my right, is leaning slightly towards Evie, hanging on her every word, or hanging on her beauty.
“Anything you want to add, Lenny?”
Lenny snaps back in his seat. “No, boss.”
I haven’t looked away from Evie, but she is glancing at all three of us. “They… they killed all our security.” Now she won’t look at me at all, and her lack of sharing piques my interest. She’s hiding something.
“All the security were in one place?” I ask.
Her head snaps up to me. “There was an incident on the boat.” Her fear is gone, a defensive tone takes over.
She doesn’t expand on what the incident was, and I don’t push; instead, she squirms, and when the limo stops, Pavel opens the door.
“After you,” I say to Evie.
She gathers the white material around her and climbs out, giving me a nice view of the curve of her ass. I follow, and Lenny moves behind me.
The ride up to the penthouse is quiet. Evie places herself close to the doors, and I don’t mind standing at the back and taking her in. A body like hers, never having been touched, is a fucking temptation. The doors open, and she steps out into the penthouse.
My men go to their usual spots. Lenny stays by the door, Michail moves into the main room, and Pavel starts a search of the house. I can hear the radio in Lenny’s ear buzzing with the word clear as Pavel checks each room.
Evie doesn’t move. I remove my jacket and hand it to Lenny before pulling off my tie.
“All clear.” Pavel returns to the room moments later, and I’m released from my spot at the doors. I have too many enemies, so I can never be too careful.
“Sit down.” I point at the large L-shaped couch that takes up a portion of the main room. Evie moves towards it and sits on the edge while staring straight ahead. Now that I had her in one of my homes, I would continue my questions.
“The incident that attracted all the security, what was it?” Her shoulders stiffen at my question.
I pour myself a small vodka and walk over to the couch. I don’t sit down. Instead, I stand across from her, leaning on the fireplace that I don’t think has ever been lit.
“One of the girls wasn’t well.” The lie falls from her lips, and once again, I’m fascinated with her accent. I can’t place the mix. Her bottom lip is larger than the top; both chewed from all her distress.
“Is that normal that the whole security team would attend to one sick girl?”
She tightens her hands in her lap again. I can see the nervous tremble that takes over her fingers. No matter how tight she holds them in her lap, I see them shake. “No.” Her one word