Love Thy Enemy (Red Stone Security #13)(28)

“Of course,” the man snapped. “Did you get what you needed from her purse?”

“Yes.” After he’d received the location of Viktor and the woman last night he’d sent a well-trained team of two to mug her.

He’d needed it to seem random but also have a team good enough to surprise Viktor. The circumstances had been perfect for the mugging. Viktor hadn’t had his driver and he’d been wrapped up in that whore. Unfortunately, now Viktor seemed to have someone watching the woman’s place. That seemed a bit paranoid but also confirmed what he’d needed to know—Viktor cared for the woman.

“I overheard Lucy talking to someone on the phone yesterday. I think it was about this Dominique Castle. Lucy was confirming with someone that she works for Red Stone Security,” he said.

A thread of alarm worked its way through his system. “Hmm, that could be a problem.”

“Why? It’s not like you’re going to hurt the woman, right?”

The owner of Red Stone Security and his sons weren’t the kind of people you messed with. Then again, neither was Viktor. He ignored the question. The woman might get hurt, she might not—but he was pretty certain she would die too. “Maybe it won’t be a problem. She is important to Ivanov though, that much I’m sure of. I know for a fact he had someone change her locks last night.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because I had someone go to her condo complex last night. She’s a beautiful woman,” he said, looking at her picture again. “It’ll be a shame to waste all that beauty. Keep me updated with anything else. Your payment is on the way.” He hung up before the man could respond and traced a finger over Dominique Castle’s face.

What kind of woman got involved with a man like Ivanov, he wondered. She’d have to be a whore. No doubt about it. She’d get what she deserved too.

*

Viktor pulled out his phone as he left one of the hotels he and Abram had recently bought. This was one they wouldn’t keep, but would reorganize, get it running right again, then sell for a profit. His driver was waiting outside, the SUV idling as he approached. Viktor waved him off from getting out to open his door and slid into the back seat, calling Abram as Kir pulled away.

“Hey, I’m calling it a day.” Normally he’d work another two or three hours but he wanted to see Dominique and she was free tonight. It amazed him that someone like her wanted to go out on a date with him, but he was determined not to f*ck things up. He might not know anything about relationships, but he would learn. For her.

“Me too. I’m going to check on Lucy. I’m worried about her.” There was an odd note in Abram’s voice.

“She’s sick. It happens. But…I think it’s a good idea.” Not that his brother was asking him. Because Abram wouldn’t ask for anyone’s opinion when it came to Lucy.

“Look, I want to hire a new assistant for me as soon as possible. We can start looking next week.”

“Any reason for the rush?” Viktor thought he knew, but didn’t want to assume.

His brother cleared his throat. “I don’t think Lucy should be working under me anymore, for personal reasons. I want to…be with her. She can’t work for me if that’s going to happen.”

“You finally tell her how you feel?” Viktor had been trying to ignore the chemistry between them but it was so damn obvious.

Abram cleared his throat again. “Sort of.”

“We’ll talk to HR, make sure—”

“I’ve already taken care of everything. No matter what happens between us she’ll have job security. And we’re giving her another f*cking raise.” He said the last part as if he thought Viktor might argue.

“Agreed. Look…how serious are you about her?” He glanced at his driver, who didn’t seem to be paying attention, but he never underestimated anyone. He’d had the same driver for years, until recently when he’d promoted Lyosha to a different position.

“Very.”

Good. “I heard her talking to a friend about a Bulgari necklace she said would be her Christmas present to herself one day—”

“I bought it a month ago.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Shit, you are serious.”

Abram just snorted. “You going out with Dominique tonight?”

Something in his brother’s tone annoyed him. He gritted his teeth. “Yes.”

“All right. Just…be careful. I called Lyosha, told him to head up an extra security team tonight. They’re going to tail you, subtly. She won’t know about it, but I want you to have some backup just in case. I don’t like that mugging.”

Viktor scrubbed a hand over his face. He didn’t want to say too much in front of his driver, but he didn’t like the way the mugging had gone down either. A two-man team for a simple snatch and grab? What he hadn’t told Dominique was that he’d gone to the owner of the restaurant later that night and it turned out all their security cameras had been tampered with right around the time he’d arrived with Dominique.

Which meant someone could have followed him. He’d checked his vehicle for trackers and found nothing, but that didn’t mean shit. Someone could have followed him or tracked him another way.

He’d left his life of crime behind but that didn’t mean he didn’t have enemies. And he didn’t think for a second that she’d been the real target. This felt like a message to him. “I don’t either,” he finally said.