Chapter Fifteen
Elena
Even though I was expecting him, the knock at the door sent a chill through me. I glanced at myself in the mirror one last time, adjusted a few curls, and dotted on some lip gloss before heading to the door.
Every nerve prickled with anxiety as I rested my hand on the doorknob. Getting closer to Jaxson had been my plan, and now I needed to deal with the consequences. This wasn’t the time to second-guess my decision and worry myself into an early grave.
It certainly didn’t help that I’d been getting endless unsettling messages since my blog post went live last night.
Or the fact that I hadn’t heard from my sister since she’d left today. Although, that wasn’t completely unusual for Sadie. She had a tendency to let her phone die for days at a time.
I took a deep breath and opened the door to see Jaxson holding the largest vase of flowers I’d ever seen.
He certainly knew how to charm women.
“You’re stunning.” His eyes slid across my red satin top and black pencil skirt. The way his eyes nearly consumed me made heat gather in my chest.
I hated that I liked the way he looked at me. Like I was his.
“For never dating, you certainly know how to spoil someone.” I took the vase of flowers and glanced over my shoulder to see him smiling widely. “You’re more than welcome to come in while I put these on my coffee table. They’re really beautiful.”
I heard him close the door behind me, and I felt the energy in the room immediately shift. The moment he walked into my small apartment, it felt as if there wasn’t enough oxygen.
“I told the hulk he could take part of the evening off, at least while we’re at dinner.”
“Oh, thank you. It’s been kind of nice having him out there.”
“Good. I’ll tell him when he returns tonight. He rarely has people enjoy his presence.”
I stifled a laugh and told myself not to ask. As much I swore to myself that I wasn’t truly attracted to him, the idea of a bed being so nearby was utterly debilitating. I set the vase on the coffee table and kept my gaze down and far away from his.
From the moment I’d met Jaxson, there was something about being in his presence, looking into his eyes, that threw me for a loop.
That made me doubt things I shouldn’t.
Made me forget things I’d never forgotten before.
“You know, if someone came here and saw these and the rose bouquet you brought me, they might think you actually like me,” I teased.
“They’d be right.” The low, gruff way he answered made my chest tighten.
I knew he was watching me so I walked to the window and stared below to the nearly empty street. I didn’t want to be tempted by a kiss. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to stop there.
Jaxson came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, drawing me into him.
“So you’re back to having the apartment to yourself,” he murmured as my body easily sank into his.
“Yes.” My voice was too raspy, but I couldn’t help it.
Feeling his strong arms and his hard body next to mine unsettled me.
I liked that I could make him fall for me and that I could take it all away from him.
I could cause some sort of pain the way he did to our family. I could also promise myself that sleeping with him was purely for the good of the story, but that would be a lie. I liked what I felt when I was around him.
As long as I didn’t think about Joey. I clenched my eyes shut and steadied my breathing.
This was all about Joey. The man behind me was a murderer, a man who knew no boundaries.
“What’s wrong?” He loosened his embrace and slowly spun me around.
“Nothing. Sorry. Just a little distracted.” My eyes stayed focused on his chest until he tipped my chin.
“Distracted by what?” His brilliant blue eyes bored into mine, and I suddenly wanted to confess my sins to a man who knew more evil than I could ever understand.
“How about I tell you at dinner?” I stood on my toes and kissed his cheek before sliding from his arms. “I’m starving.”
Jaxson’s gaze stayed on mine. He could already read me better than anyone else. He noticed things that most never would.
“It’s good that I won’t have to wait long. We’re having dinner down the street at one of my favorite places.”
“Where’s that?” I asked, walking to the door.
“You’ll see.”
“Do you own it too?” I joked.
“No, but I wish I did. It’s the best steakhouse in town.”
“Now I really can’t wait to get there. This girl needs to bite into some red meat.”
Jaxson laughed as I grabbed a jacket and hurried out the door.
When we arrived at the elevator, Jaxson looked over at me, rocking on his heels. “You know, I have some things I wanted to talk to you about too.”
“Really? Like what? Is it about Missy’s case?” I asked.
We climbed in the elevator, and as soon as the door closed, the same electrical charge that was nearly impossible to ignore slammed into me.
“Partly.” His voice hardened slightly. “But like you said, we’ll wait until dinner.”
He took a step closer and slid his arm around my waist just as the carriage doors opened to the small lobby.
“Did you have to take care of anyone who might have stolen some paper clips today, or was your day at the office a little more mundane than that?” I eyed him out of the corner of my eye and saw his smile widen, which made my heart stir.
“No paper clip thieves today, thankfully.” His hand slid from my waist to the small of my back as we walked onto the sidewalk. “And usually, I only take care of our office supply problems in the evening.”
“Good to know.” I looked around for Jaxson’s driver, but I didn’t see him or the car.
“I thought we might walk since it’s not as cold as it could be. Sometimes, it’s just nice to be outside.”
“Sure.”
He wrapped his arm around me, and I sank into the safety of his embrace. One thing was certain. If you were in the arms of a Volkov, it was one of the safest places to be.
“You’re shivering. This was a bad idea. I’ll call Viktor.” He held me tighter.
“No. Sorry. It’s just…” I shook my head. “It’s probably more to do with what I want to talk to you about than the temperature.”
We started walking again.
“Are you breaking things off before they have a chance of starting?” he teased, his brow arching.
“Not intentionally.” I laughed, noticing an older couple standing at the door of an apartment building with groceries. My heart warmed seeing the man balancing all the bags while the woman only held a bouquet of flowers.
“True love,” Jaxson whispered as we passed by. “Nice to see now and again.”
“Yes, it is.” I nodded, glancing behind me to see the woman watching us continue down the sidewalk.
“What’s the real reason you don’t date, Jaxson?”
A few seconds of silence passed.
“Are you afraid you’ll wind up like that? With the same person for decades? A monotonous rhythm that might bore you to death?”
We turned down the block, and I saw a small crowd gathering in front of a restaurant I’d never noticed before. The entrance was extremely understated and I saw no sign.
“On the contrary.”
“How so?” I stopped walking and looked into his eyes.
“That’s exactly what I want, but my lifestyle doesn’t really warrant that kind of—”
“Plenty of executives manage to have long-term relationships.”
A wry smile covered his expression, and without saying another word, we crossed the street to the restaurant. Weaving our way through the waiting crowd, Jaxson opened the rustic wood door and warmth spilled onto my skin. The restaurant was extremely small but extremely busy.
“Mr. Volkov, so good to see you,” the hostess nearly squealed from behind the counter. “Dinner for two?”
“That would be wonderful, Alice.”
“Right this way.” She barely made eye contact with me but certainly kept Jaxson in view. I’d imagine this was how it would always be when you dated a Volkov brother.
Having other women secretly hoping to bump you out of the way.
Good thing I didn’t have to worry about that.
We walked by the bar and whisky fumes wafted through the air.
Several men were toasting some sort of work accomplishment with ties undone and sloppy grins, and a couple sat at the far end quietly making fun of the drunks.
“Will this work for you, Mr. Volkov?”
The table was obviously the best in the restaurant, sitting next to the row of windows overlooking the sidewalk.
“Perfect. Thank you, Alice.” He slid something in her palm as we took our seats.
I waited until she left and leaned over the table. “It must be nice always getting what you want. Never having to wait for a table or—”
“I don’t always get what I want.” He smiled, opening the menu.
“I don’t believe that for a second.”
“I highly recommend the filet, but the porterhouse is pretty sensational too.”
I opened my menu and glanced at the size of the porterhouse and then the filet.
“Twenty-four ounces. That’s an impressive amount of meat.”
“And I’ve polished it off in one sitting.”
“I’m sure I could too.” I smiled, setting my menu aside.
“I highly doubt that.”
“Am I sensing a bet on the horizon?”
“What’s on the line?” he asked.
“If I finish it, you have to tell me why you beat up that man.”
His gaze darkened and he shook his head. “Bet’s not happening.”
“Why’s that?” I asked.
“For several reasons.”
The server came over and took our drink orders.
“Name one.” My eyes steadied on his.
“You’ll never be able to unlearn what I tell you.”
“Have I given you the impression that I scare easily? That I’m skittish?”
“Not in the slightest.” His blue eyes stayed locked on mine. “But if I were to win this bet, what would be in it for me?”
“What would you like from me?” My pulse spiked unexpectedly as his eyes fell to my lips.
“To continue where we left off at the club.”
“Well, I’d agree except you won’t agree to my demand.”
He let out a deep sigh and rubbed the stubble along his chin. “What a quandary.”
“I suppose, if you enjoy making life difficult, sure. Not everyone’s a great decision maker.”
He laughed. “You never let me off easy, do you?”
“Why would I?”
“Exactly. Why would you?” He glanced out the window and brought his gaze back to mine. “You finish the porterhouse and I’ll tell you what that man did. You don’t and—”
“Deal.” I cut him off.
“There are very few women who would be as persistent as you when it comes to finding out why I knocked someone around a little.”
“A little?” I nearly choked on my martini the server had just brought over.
“A little,” he confirmed.
“Well, I’ll tell you.” I sucked on my bottom lip and shifted in my seat as I thought about how to tell him. It would only be a matter of time before he found out, and I didn’t want it to be a surprise. I didn’t want anything to look like I was setting him up.
Right when I was about to answer, the server came over. We both ordered the porterhouse and garlic mashed potatoes. Obviously, I counted on winning this bet.
“As you were saying?” Jax’s brows pulled together.
“I never expected to see you again after that first night in the bar.”
“Things always have a way of working out, don’t they?” A coldness stretched over his words.
“And I certainly didn’t expect to stumble into a missing persons case, but I did.” My heart was pounding in my chest. I knew I needed to tell him and I had absolutely no idea how he’d take this. “When I told you I was a writer—”
“You lied?” He tilted his head, but it almost seemed like he knew what I was about to say.
“No. I’m very much a writer. I actually make a living writing about true crime events.”
He didn’t say anything so I continued.
“I hadn’t planned on touching Missy’s story with a ten-foot pole until someone showed up at my door from her uncle’s campaign.” I took another sip of my martini, hoping it would instill some more courage into me. “And even then, it didn’t cross my mind. I didn’t think about covering it until I started noticing discrepancies and the police’s insistence on tying the string of murders together with Missy’s.”
I glanced at a still silent Jaxson and continued.
“I should have told you, but I like you and I was worried you’d think I was with you for the wrong reasons.”
“Like connections to the case? Taking you to the actual crime scene?” His tone was even, but his gaze was harsh.
“No. I wanted to tell you way before that.” I took in a deep breath. “I actually had planned on telling you that day I came into your office…when you asked me how I found out so much information.”
“And why didn’t you?”
I sat up a little straighter. “I’m going to sound like such a girl, and it’s not my usual style to be this…” My voice trailed off.
“This what?” he prompted.
“Taken by someone. I wasn’t ready to tell you and have you call it off with me, even though nothing had really begun.”
“I see.”
“Anyway, I wrote a blog post that’s gotten a lot of attention. It went live last night, and it’s about my thoughts on Missy and the other murders in the city. I wanted to be the one to tell you before anyone else did. I’m sorry for not being honest with you from the start. Part of me didn’t expect this to go anywhere and the other part, well—”
“I’m glad you told me.”
My eyes flew to his.
“Devin already filled me in on your occupation.” His expression was hard to read. “This afternoon, in fact. That’s what I wanted to speak with you about.”
“I apologize for not telling you and putting you in an awkward position.”
“You didn’t put me in an awkward position.” He shook his head. “But I’m not sure where this leaves us.”
My heart fell. Had he already made up his mind since he’d heard from his brother? Had I blown my chance?
“I don’t know either.”
“I like you, Elena. I think you’re an incredibly smart and interesting woman. You’re strong-minded and don’t care who’s in front of you. You’re the same person to everyone. There aren’t many people who talk to me like you do.”
“I only say what’s on my mind.”
“Exactly.”
“That’s kind of sad… for you.”
He shrugged. “Why are you so interested in true crime stories?”
My heart skipped a beat. “I don’t know where it came from, really.”
I said a silent prayer he wouldn’t be able to read me like he normally could.
“Many years ago, a friend was murdered and I couldn’t understand all the roadblocks his family and friends faced in trying to get answers.” Our steaks arrived and I let out a silent breath.
“I’m so sorry about your friend. Did they ever find out who did it?”
“No.”
“Did you ever write about it?”
I shook my head, feeling the lump in the back of my throat.
He shook his head. “The police can only do so much.”
I stared at the porterhouse and blinked back tears. I never expected the emotion to swell over me like this, especially in front of Jaxson.
“Apparently.” I sniffed and smiled, my gaze connecting with his.
“I lost my sister.” He took a sip of his whisky. “She was murdered in cold blood. Right in our home.”
My stomach twisted into a knot.
“I’m so, so sorry. I had no idea.”
“You couldn’t know that.” He took another sip and his eyes glistened with tears for a split second. “The police never made any lasting arrests. There were no convictions.”
I shook my head. “How awful. I can’t imagine losing my sister.”
“It derailed every one of us. That’s why I always cut Devin slack. He was closest to her and needed a lot of things to distract him, mostly unhealthy things. Until he met Avery.”
“She seemed lovely.”
“She is.” He nodded in agreement. “I never expected the conversation to go here.”
I nodded sympathetically.
“Shortly after my sister was murdered, my father died of heartbreak, and we all had to step in to run the family businesses.”
“That’s no small feat. It’s not like your family business is owning a pizza parlor.”
“No, but our mother made sure the transition was seamless. It was a good distraction, I suppose, but Vera is never far from our hearts even after—” He stopped himself and I didn’t want to press.
“Do the police have any leads?”
“That was one of the many times in life that I realized you can’t depend on the police to bring justice. Our laws aren’t always built around protecting the victims. They’re often structured to protect the guilty.”
“Innocent until proven guilty.”
“Exactly. Even when they’re holding the smoking gun when the cops show up.”
I had to agree.
“Let’s enjoy our porterhouses.” He smiled a kind smile and I nodded in agreement. “Some people split steaks this large.”
“Nah. That’s taking the easy way out.” I sliced into the steak. “And I’m certainly not losing this bet.”
I didn’t know how many ounces I’d consumed so far, but I wasn’t going to lose this battle. We’d managed to stay on safe topics while we mainly focused on the meal, and I had to say it was the most delicious steak I’d ever had. It melted like butter with every bite.
“I’m impressed, but there’s no way you’re making it through the last of it there.” Jaxson took his last bite and sat back proudly.
“Just because I’m slower doesn’t mean it’s not happening.” I took another bite as he watched me carefully.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a woman eat like you.”
“Then you haven’t seen a real woman.” I laughed, taking another bite.
“I don’t doubt that.”
I looked down at the two last bites and sucked in a deep breath. I could do this.
“So, when should I expect the paper clip story?”
He glanced around the restaurant. “It’s probably best back at the apartment.”
“I kind of guessed that.” I slipped the last bite on my fork. “Well, I hope you’re not a sore loser.” I ate the last bite of steak and sat back in the chair. If I were to really think about it, I was probably numb from the stomach down.
“I don’t lose, so it’s kind of new territory for me.” He glanced at the server, who was working his way over. “Would you like dessert?”
I laughed. “That’s probably not a good idea.”
He laughed. “Yeah. You don’t want to look like that girl.”
I chuckled, feeling completely at ease with Jaxson, which only made me feel like an awful person. I felt completely fine hanging out with a murderer.
The server delivered the check, and Jaxson took care of it. Before I knew it, we were on the way back to my apartment. I didn’t know if there’d be a kiss, a story, or what to expect.
But the moment we stepped on the elevator, I didn’t have to wonder any longer.
Jaxson pulled me into him and brought his lips to mine. His hands slid along the hem of my skirt until he found the slit, his fingers quickly running up my thigh. Feeling his gentle touch glide along my bare skin sent chills through me as his kisses deepened.
Warmth and desire swam through my body at lightning speed, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to stop at the door.
This felt too good to end.
The elevator landed on my floor, and we barely disconnected to walk off, more like stumble off. He pushed me against the wall next to my door, his mouth moving along my neck and his fingers working along my thighs.
His touch felt so good. It was only a matter of time before he pushed my skirt over my hips, but I couldn’t think of anything better.
I slid my hands under his shirt, feeling the hardness of his muscles under my fingertips as he brought his mouth back to mine. My hand searched for the door, but something scratched it. I turned my head, breaking from our kiss, and saw a note hanging.
“There’s a note on my door,” I murmured.
He took a step back, his eyes stirring with longing as he grabbed the note from the door and handed it to me.
My hands were shaking from everything we’d started, but my eyes fell to the handwriting on the envelope.
FOR THE ONE WHO DIDN’T LISTEN