Hi there, have you seen this man around the neighborhood?” Lucy asked yet another person walking by Mishin’s apartment building. In her hand was a blurry Internet photo she’d printed off before leaving Ben’s loft.

The guy she’d stopped scowled and waved her off, just like every other person for the last hour and a half they’d been out here. Ben checked his watch again then exhaled slow. This search was getting them nowhere.

Enough.

Frustrated, he scrubbed his hand through his hair then pushed away from the brick wall where he’d been leaning and took Lucy by the hand, tugging her away from the building’s entrance and over to a bench inside a nearby bus hut. “Sit.”

“I’m not Pavlov. You can’t just order me around.” She placed her hands on her hips and gave him an irritated glare. “Besides, we need to keep looking for my father. Someone’s bound to have seen him sooner or later.”

“No one’s going to talk to you. Not about Mishin. Not here. I shouldn’t have indulged your crazy schemes.” He took a seat beside her on the bench, rolling his stiff shoulders, his tone gruff. “We should have continued to canvas those businesses. Now, we’ve got nothing to show for it but sore feet and wasted time. I never should have allowed you to take charge of the investigation.”

“Allowed me? Crazy schemes?” Lucy did that head jerk thing that signaled an impending female apocalypse. She pushed to her feet and jammed her finger into his face, her nose scrunched in anger. “Listen, buddy. I get that you think you’re some kind of Russian mob badass, and maybe you are, but let’s get one thing straight, okay? No body allows me to do anything. I’m a grown woman. I make my own choices and decisions. Period. Amen. End of story. And as far as ‘your’ investigation goes?” Her head was bobbing and her finger was wagging and she used air quotes for emphasis, definitely on a roll now. “Maybe you should take your ‘plans’ and shove them sideways up your pompous Russian ass!”

Several passing men cast Ben sympathetic looks before scurrying on their way. He should’ve known better than to say what he had to Lucy, but dammit, he needed to find Peter Mishin fast. So far he had squat to go on. Time was running out and the mafia would come to collect what was owed them and the last thing Ben wanted was for his family to be left footing the bill.

A small crowd had now gathered near the bus hut. Anxious and tense and needing some space and air, Ben grabbed Lucy’s arm and pulled her inside the lobby of Mishin’s apartment building while the doorman was otherwise distracted.

“Hey, what the hell do you think you’re doing?” Lucy shook off his hand.

He ignored her question and walked her over to the elevators on the far side of the large open space. Thankfully, enough people milled about so they weren’t that conspicuous. He jammed the button then bent to whisper in her ear, “Time to visit Daddy’s place.”

The elevator dinged open and he rushed her inside, holding the button to close the doors so they’d be alone in the compartment. Nik had told him that Mishin lived on the top floor. In the penthouse, of course. Slimy bastard hid the Bratva’s millions while flaunting his wealth in plain sight. It was that kind of middle-finger behavior that would get Mishin caught and killed in the end.

As they rode upward for seventeen floors, Lucy huffed and crossed her arms, huddling into the corner of the gilded and mirrored elevator, staring daggers at him. “How do you plan to get into my father’s place, huh? Bust the door down?”

“Maybe.” Ben cracked his knuckles and stepped closer to her, purposely doing his best to intimidate her. He’d faced down the worst criminals the underworld had to offer, done whatever was necessary to fulfill his missions, yet seeing the spark of fear in Lucy’s pretty green eyes as he loomed over her nearly dropped him to his knees. Still, he needed to stay strong. Letting her run roughshod over him and his carefully made plans wasn’t acceptable, not with so much on the line. He put on his best scowl and inched closer, until they were nose-to-nose, doing his best to feign anger when all he’d felt since breakfast earlier was the deepening connection between them. He had a job to do, responsibilities, and allowing his growing feelings for Lucy to override his common sense wasn’t helping.  “You need to learn your place. I am the professional. You are only here because I let you tag along. I decide what we do and when we do it. No more crazy schemes, no more input from you unless I ask for it. Understand?”

She swallowed hard, the tiny movement drawing his attention to the softness of her skin and the pale column of her throat. He could see the tiny, rapid pulse beating at the base of her neck and battled the insane urge to dip his head down and run his tongue over the sensitive spot.

Lucy gave a slight nod, her eyes wide and her breath held.

Lips compressed, he cursed under his breath and backed away to the opposite side of the elevator. Fuck. This whole attraction he had for her was getting way too far out of hand. It was starting to mess with his concentration and his work. That was completely unacceptable. It was completely wrong on so many levels.

Yet, the tightness in his body and the blood now rushing to his cock said otherwise.

Ding!

The elevator jerked to a halt and the doors slid open and Ben hurried out into the hallway like he had a lit Molotov cocktail shoved up his ass. He didn’t even check to see if Lucy followed. Right now he needed to get his head on straight and his libido under control. Right now, his family was depending on him as never before to get this mission done and recover that money. And family came first. Always.

He was at Mishin’s door and crouched to pick the lock when Lucy finally joined him. She didn’t say a word, just stood by his side, nervously shuffling her feet and looking around like she expected the police to swoop in at any time and arrest them both. If Ben didn’t get the damned lock open soon, they just might. He glanced up at the corner of the hallway and spotted a security camera, currently shooting the other side of the hall, but slowly swiveling toward them.

“Stay pressed against the wall,” Ben said, not looking up at Lucy as he spoke. He pulled a small leather pouch from his pocket and chose two picks from the assortment. He slid them into the lock and attempted to trick the tumblers to fall into place.

“Why?” Lucy said, her voice trembling slightly.

Ben did glance up at her then, took in her pale cheeks and frightened eyes, then cocked his head toward the camera in the corner. “It will keep you out of sight longer.”

“Oh, God!” She bit her lip and his gaze flickered to the small movement. “It’s moving. We don’t have much time. What happens if they catch us?”

“You don’t want to know.” Ben turned to the lock again. One tumbler clicked into place. Two more to go.

“It’s getting closer,” Lucy said, her urgency increasing with each word.

Click. Tumbler two down.

“Hurry, Ben!” she hissed, her hand reaching out to grab his shoulder. “I can’t go to jail.”

His fingers fumbled and the picks slipped. He took a steadying breath and tried again.

“It’s almost on us, Ben! Oh, God. Hurry, Ben. Please!”

And…click!

Without missing a beat, Ben took her wrist and tugged her into Mishin’s apartment, closing the door and leaning back against it just as the security camera reached their side of the hallway.

For a moment, they stood in the quiet, the only sound their labored breathing. Lucy stood before him, looking entirely too adorable for her own good—all vulnerable and shaking, her eyes glittering and her lips trembling. If they’d been any place else but here, Ben would’ve pulled her to him and kissed her deeply.

He shook off the inappropriate thoughts. That was the adrenaline talking.

Had to be, right?

He shoved his picks back into their leather pouch then put the whole kit in his pocket again before shoving away from the door and into the elegantly decorated penthouse suite. Sleek, contemporary-style glass and metal furniture filled the rooms and black marble gleamed from the floors. Two walls of the living room were floor-to-ceiling glass, giving stunning views of the entire Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan in the distance.

“I can’t believe my father lives some place like this,” Lucy said from behind him, her voice drenched in awe.

“Me neither,” Ben said, striding over to a desk in the corner to rifle through the drawers. The fact this residence had been paid for off his family’s backs only pissed him off more.

“Maybe we should just wait for him to come back, instead of going through his stuff,” Lucy said, taking a seat on the corner of a white leather sofa. “Seems kind of rude.”

“I am not waiting for him.” Ben found nothing useful in the desk drawers and moved on to the kitchen. “And fuck rudeness. You know what’s rude? Stealing.”

“What are you talking about?” Lucy frowned. “And what exactly are you looking for?”

“Proof.” Ben searched more drawers and cabinets.

“Proof of what?”

Ben stopped and stared at her from across the room. The time had come to do away with all his carefully crafted pretenses. If Mishin caught them both in here, daughter or not, he’d kill them. Lucy deserved to know exactly what she’d gotten herself mixed up in. He strode out of the kitchen and headed down the hall toward the master bedroom.

Lucy rushed after him, her shoes squeaking on the marble floor. “Ben? What proof?”

“Proof that your father, Peter Mishin, stole two million dollars from the Bratva,” Ben said, his words echoing through the quiet space as he turned slowly to face her. “He’s a thief, Lucy. A thief and a liar and now he’s got a bounty on his head. One I intend to collect. That’s why I’m here. To find Mishin and save my family’s honor.”

She took a step back, then another and another, until her back smacked up against the stark white wall. Then she slid downward until her butt rested on the tile floor, her expression blank with shock. “I always suspected my father was into some shady dealings, given my mom’s reluctance to tell me about him, but a tiny part of me still hoped it wasn’t true.” Her shoulders sagged and she looked away. “Guess I should be glad to get the truth finally, huh?”

He walked over to her now, not missing the sparkle of gathering tears in her eyes. The last thing he needed, if they had to make a quick escape, was an unconscious female on his hands. The walls, he noticed, were lined with framed photos of Mishin with various members of the local mafia, even with Ben’s father—in happier days. Shaking his head, he reached down and helped her to her feet. “Come on. Let’s get you something to drink.”

“I-I don’t want anything to drink,” she said, stumbling along beside him to the kitchen.

He settled her on a stool at the grand granite island then opened the fridge to search for a bottled water. The shelves were lined with expensive caviar and the finest Russian vodka too. Bastard. Ben grabbed a water and cracked it open, then walked over and set it on the counter before Lucy. “Drink.”

She looked from him to the bottle, then back again. “You’re in the mafia too. How do I know you’re not working with my father? Maybe you put something in there to keep me quiet, permanently.”

Ben gave her an incredulous look. “Seriously? If I wanted you dead, why would I not have done it last night? Lord knows you snore like a wild boar. It would’ve been simple to smother you.”

“Excuse me?” Lucy scowled. “I do not snore. And your valid point aside, why should I trust you? I barely even know you.”

Arms crossed, he watched her. She had a good point. They didn’t know each other well, that was true. Still, she was the best lead he had to find Mishin and he didn’t want to lose her yet. “Fine. Ask me what you like about your father. I’ll tell you what I can.”

Her shoulders sagged slightly and she toyed with the bottle on the counter. “Why did he steal the money? From the looks of this place, he didn’t need it.”

“This place is exactly why he did need it.” Ben snorted. “You think he could afford this luxury on his own? Not likely. He stole that money to keep himself in the lifestyle to which he’d grown accustomed. A lifestyle he gained at my family’s expense. He was never good with money, but because of his connections and his skill with weapons, the Bratva overlooked a few of his misdeeds, which Mishin took as license to steal as he pleased. Stupid bastard gambled away a fortune then went back to steal more when it was gone.”

“Oh.” She lowered her head and stared at her toes, exhaling slowly. “You must really hate my father, huh?”

“He’s not my favorite person at the moment, no.” Ben headed back toward the bedroom to search and Lucy trailed behind him. He opened the closet doors then sneered. “This. This is exactly the excess that will be his downfall. Look at all these suits. Hand tailored, custom made from the finest Italian cloth. If he were smart, he would squirrel the money away and lay low. But no. Peter flaunts it in the Bratva’s face. That’s why they want him eliminated.”

“Eliminated?” Lucy gasped. “Are you an assassin? Is that why you’re here? To kill him?”

Ben glanced at her over his shoulder. “No. My task is to find him. The local leaders will then decide how best to deal with him.”

“What if you don’t find him?” she asked, walking over to stare at a picture of her father on his bedside table—she had his dark hair and haunting eyes.

Ben sighed. “If I fail to bring Mishin in, then my family and I will be forced to pay back the money he stole. That’s the Bratva way.”

“I hate the mafia.” She frowned and turned away from her father’s portrait. “I never wanted any of this to happen. I should have stayed away.”

“It’s too late now.” Ben closed the closet doors and walked into the attached bath. “The Bratva have eyes everywhere. It’s likely you’ve been seen with me and now you’re involved whether you like it or not. The only thing you can do now is help me find this man so we can both move on.”

“Wait a minute!” She followed him. “You knew we might be seen and you didn’t warn me?”

Ben hung his head. “I’m sorry. It wasn’t my top priority in the beginning and then later, it didn’t matter because we’d already spent time together.”

He came out of the bathroom, still empty-handed. Mishin might be extravagant and arrogant, but he wasn’t stupid. Not a trace of evidence in this apartment of the missing funds. Shaking his head, Ben took Lucy’s arm and led her back to the front entrance.

“What’s going on?” she asked. “Did you find what you needed?”

“No. There’s nothing here.” He opened the door a crack to see the position of the security camera. It was slowly moving away from their side of the hall again. “We need to go. Now. Who knows when Mishin will return.”

“I don’t want to meet him anymore,” Lucy said. “I want this all to be over with.”

“As do I.” He took one last glance around the place to make sure everything was in its place, then shoved her out the door, following close behind her into the hallway. He locked the door, then took her hand and rushed down the hall toward the elevators. One last glance behind them showed the camera turned fully toward the opposite wall. He punched the elevator button and the door slid open just as the camera started its slow swivel back toward them. “The quickest way for this to be done,” he said, punching the button for the lobby, “is for you to cooperate with me. You trust me and I make sure you get out of this safely. Agreed?”

She stood in the corner of the elevator again as they descended. The look she gave him was equal parts determination and resignation. “Agreed.”