Hidden Truths (Perfectly Imperfect #3)

I move my palm down her slender arm, lowering it over her hip, and press my hand to the side of her thigh, over the long thick scar I noticed while I was carrying her. “Who did this?”

Angelina’s breathing picks up. “I fell from a tree.”

I grind my teeth. She really should stop lying, it’s definitely not her forte. I let my hand fall from her leg, and whistle for Mimi. “Come on. I have to change before I head out to that meeting.”

* * *

Shevchenko is late, as usual. I take the mineral water the waiter brought over and observe the empty club. It’s still early, people won’t be arriving at Ural for at least a couple of hours. I prefer to conduct business in one of the warehouses, but Shevchenko insisted on a more public location this time. He probably got spooked when we last met. Coward. I lean back in the booth and call Felix.

“What’s wrong?” he asks as soon as he answers the call.

“Nothing.”

“You rarely call fornothing, Sergei.”

“I was wondering what Angelina is doing.”

“We had dinner, and I took her back to your room.”

“Is Mimi in front of the door?”

“No, she’s in the living room, where you left her.”

“Go to the living room and put me on speakerphone.”

“What am I? Your secretary?” he snaps.

“Stop grumbling and just do it.”

“Fine.” There are a few moments of silence. “It’s on.”

“Mimi,” I say into the phone and hear her bark once. “Angelina.Okhraniay!”

“She went upstairs,” Felix says. “Is that why you called?”

Nope. I called because even though I left my place barely an hour ago, I can’t stop thinking about the little fox I left there. “Does she like the stuff I bought?”

“Why would that matter?”

“I’m just asking.” I shrug.

“What the fuck do you think you are doing with this girl, Sergei? We don’t know her agenda. A daughter of a Mexican drug lord doesn’t end up as part of the cargo in a drug shipment on a regular basis.”

“I’m not sure what you are hinting at.”

“Oh? Let me enlighten you. Remember Dasha?”

My body goes stone-still. “Angelina is not a plant.”

“You sure about that?”

“She’s not an undercover agent, Felix. She is… too innocent for that.”

“They all seem innocent. Until they try to slice your neck while you’re sleeping. Consider your late wife before you even think about tangling yourself up with this girl.”

“Angelina is not Dasha!” I bark.

“She speaks Russian, Sergei.”