Lexi

Safe house number three turned out to be a penthouse apartment that probably cost more than most people's entire fortune.

The floor-to-ceiling windows offered a stunning view of the city, and the furniture looked like it belonged in a design magazine.

“Seriously?” I gestured around the ridiculous luxury. “This is what you call hiding?”

Lucian loosened his tie, looking exhausted. “It's secure. Bulletproof glass, reinforced steel doors, and enough surveillance equipment to make the FBI jealous.”

Mia wandered around, touching everything like she was in a museum. “Holy crap, Lex. Is this really your life now?”

“Apparently.” I flopped onto a couch that probably cost more than my car. "One minute I'm writing about city council meetings, the next I'm being carried around by giants while Russian hitmen shoot at us."

“They weren't shooting,” Lucian corrected.

“YET!” I threw my hands up. “They weren't shooting yet!”

Marcus appeared from what I assumed was a security room. “ The perimeter is secure, sir. No signs of pursuit.”

“Good. Get some rest. We'll need you sharp tomorrow.”

Marcus nodded and disappeared down a hallway.

Mia sat down next to me, her eyes wide. “Okay, I need details. All of them. Start with why that gorgeous, dangerous man keeps staring at you like you're the last piece of chocolate on earth.”

I looked over at Lucian, who was standing by the windows, talking quietly on his phone. Even disheveled and stressed, he looked like he'd stepped out of a magazine. The man was unfairly attractive.

“I don't know what you're talking about,” I mumbled.

“Bullshit.” Mia poked my arm. “He just risked his life to save you. Multiple times, from what you told me. And the way he looks at you? Girl, that man is gone.”

“He's trying to protect his investment,” I said. “You know how billionaires can be.”

“Investment?” Mia laughed. “Honey, that man might be in love with you.”

“Don't be ridiculous. We barely know each other. And I don't like his guts.”

“Sometimes it doesn't take long.” Mia's voice got soft. “Remember when I met Jake? I knew within hours that he was either going to break my heart or marry me.”

“And he broke your heart,” I pointed out.

“Details.” She waved her hand dismissively. “The point is, you know when you know.”

I stared at Lucian's profile as he continued his phone conversation. His jaw was tight with concentration, and there was something almost vulnerable about the way he kept glancing over at me, like he needed to make sure I was still there.

“It doesn't matter,” I said finally. “After this is over, we'll go back to our separate lives. He'll run his empire, and I'll go back to writing about parking meters and school board elections.”

Before Mia could respond, Lucian finished his call and walked over to us.

“Ladies, we need to talk.” He said with authority like he owns us.

Mia looked between us, her eyes glistening. “Should I leave you two alone?”

Bitch!

“No!” Lucian and I said at the same time.

He ran a hand through his hair. “Victor Kane has given me twenty-four hours to turn over some files. We're down to about eighteen hours now.”

“What kind of files?” I asked.

“You’ve asked that before. I'm not telling you.” He hissed.

That gut! I tightened my fist.

“And if you don't give them to him?” I asked.

His jaw tightened. “He'll hurt you. Both of you, now that Mia's involved.”

Mia paled. “Great. My best friend's love life might get me killed.”

“It's not a love…” I started, but the words died in my throat when I saw Lucian's smirk.

Gosh I hate it when he does that. Like he owns the universe.

“Lexi.” His voice had that commanding tone again, like he was addressing one of his employees. “Can I speak with you privately?”

“No,” I said flatly.

His eyebrows shot up. Clearly, people didn't say no to the great Lucian Cross very often.

“Excuse me?”

“I said no. Whatever you want to say, you can say it in front of Mia.” I crossed my arms and glared at him. “She's already involved in your mess, so she deserves to know what's going on.”

Mia looked between us like she was watching a tennis match. “Actually, I'm good with…”

“Stay,” I ordered, pointing at the couch. Then I turned back to Lucian. “Talk.”

For a moment, he looked like he was going to argue. Then that infuriating smirk returned. “Fine. We do this the hard way.”

“Oh, please.” I rolled my eyes. "/”Everything with you is the hard way. You probably make ordering coffee complicated just to feel important.”

“I don't drink coffee from places that serve it in paper cups,” he said, like that proved some kind of point.

“Of course you don't.” I threw my hands up. “God forbid the almighty Lucian Cross drink from the same cups as us peasants.”

Mia cleared her throat. “Um, guys? Death threats? Time limit? Maybe we could focus on that?”

Lucian's jaw tightened, and I could see him fighting for control. Good. Let him be frustrated for once. He glanced at his phone.

“You're right,” he said to Mia, but his eyes stayed locked on mine. “Victor Kane has moved up his timeline. We now have six hours instead of twenty-four.”

“And what exactly are you planning to do about it?” I demanded, getting tired. My boss would murder me if I don't report on time.

“Handle it.” He said calmly.

“Handle it?” I laughed, but there was no humor in it. “That's your brilliant plan? Handle it?”

“It's not your concern.”

“Like hell it's not my concern!” I jumped up from the couch, anger flooding through me. “He's threatening to cut off my fingers! I'd say that makes it very much my concern!”

Lucian's mask slipped for just a second, and I saw something dark and dangerous flash across his face. “He won't touch you.”

“How can you possibly know that?”

“Because I won't let him.”

The arrogance in his voice made me want to scream. “You won't let him? What are you, my bodyguard? My owner? Newsflash, Mr. Cross, you don't get to decide what happens to me just because you have money!”

“This isn't about money.” He stated, his voice low.

“It's always about money with people like you!” I was practically shouting now, months of resentment toward entitled rich assholes bubbling to the surface. “You think you can control everything and everyone just because you're rich. You think the rules don't apply to you.”

“The rules don't apply to me,” he said calmly, which only made me angrier.

“See? That's exactly what I'm talking about!” I pointed an accusatory finger at him. “That attitude right there. That smug, superior, I'm better than everyone else attitude that makes me want to punch you in your perfect face.”

Mia was watching us with wide eyes. “Should I... leave? This feels very personal.”

“No,” I snapped. “Stay right there. Someone needs to witness what a complete ass your new crush is.”

“He's not my crush,” Mia protested weakly.

“You're attracted to him,” I accused. “I can see it in your eyes. All women are attracted to him, and it just feeds his massive ego.”

Lucian's smirk widened. “Are you attracted to me, Lexi?”

I felt heat rise in my cheeks, the question caught me off guard. “I'd rather be attracted to a rattlesnake.”

“Rattlesnakes can be quite beautiful,” he said conversationally. “And dangerous.”

“Ugh!” I threw my hands up. “You're impossible! Everything is a game to you, isn't it? Even this, even people's lives being threatened, it's all just another chess match for you to win.”

“You don't know anything about me.” He said, I could feel the hurt in his tone.

Mia pinched me in the butt. “You're going too far.”