I’m so excited to share this scene. I’ve missed these Nathan so much! I hope you love seeing him as I loved bringing him to you.
They released him.
It’d only been a month since Prince went down for Mr. Vasiliev’s death and they released him—because his family bailed him out. Which one? I wasn’t not sure. Hell, I didn’t even know he had any.
But Karina did.
Her little brother did.
And they didn’t seem so surprised as I laid out the news to them. No. Karina just shrugged, crossing one leg over the other. Her pencil skirt lifted just a bit higher, exposing more of her delicious thigh.
“How about you not stare at my sister like you’re about to eat her while I’m here?” Her brother grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. Hard green eyes stared back at me.
Balthazar was the spitting image of his father, only younger. Much younger, but he kept himself tidy—wore a crisp dark blue uniform, a white tie, and black dress shoes. He held his head high, intimidating to others for sure. But to me? He was still a damn kid. Hard to believe he was only sixteen.
“We knew he’d get out eventually,” Karina interrupted her brother’s typical teenage attitude.
“But not this soon,” I said. “And if he’s out that means he’s after you and the kid.”
“I’m not a fucking kid,” Balthazar barked. “I can take him.”
There was no doubt in my mind he couldn’t. Balthazar had been training—despite being in school and all their rules, he’d been doing what was necessary to protect himself without anyone’s help. I put him with the other bodyguards—making sure he’d learn from them. But the kid was smart, he caught on quickly.
He was ready to protect himself and others if need be.
Hell, he was even ready to take over the company—but he couldn’t. Not until he was eighteen. And he still had two years to go.
“Do you know how dangerous it could be?” Karina snapped. “He could get someone to kidnap you or worse.”
Like slowly slip you poison until it becomes too much for your body.
“Risking his safety is off the table, Nathan.” Karina’s voice is firm—no room for arguments.
As much as I loved to go back and forth, his safety wasn’t an option I was considering. “You don’t have anything to worry about, Princess. Adam’s isn’t going anywhere near either of you.”
Without me.
I left out the last bit. She nodded, got up, and left the room, leaving me with Balthazar.
Uncrossing my arms, I rested my hands against the desk behind me.
“Four of our men already have tabs on Prince. He can be brought in within seconds,” I told him.
Regardless of him being my girlfriend’s brother—he was my boss, my future boss. What he said went. Karina might have called the shots when it came to business, but the dirty work? That was all Balthazar.
“Bring him to the warehouse so my sister doesn’t freak out. They might have let him off easy, but I won’t.” Balthazar’s grip tightened around the armrest. “He thought killing Dad was the last of his problems. But he was wrong.”
“Tell me about his brothers,” I said, leaning back in my chair.
“Shouldn’t you already know this?”
“I’m a bodyguard, not a fucking detective.” Okay, well I kind of was. Especially after trying to figure out who messed with my brother’s car. There are still no leads, but I’m close.
“He was in jail, not a problem to us, but he is now. And I need to know if his brothers will be too.”
“He has three. Wesley, Thomas, and Max.”
Wesley… why did that name sound so familiar?
“Thomas lives between New York and Boston. A Corporate guy. Max is around here somewhere. Heard Mr. Delacroix gave him his daughter’s hand in marriage because my dad’s gone. And Wesley. I don’t know, but he’s the oldest. None of them were close so not sure why they bailed him out in the first place.”
Simple. They were rich. The longer Adam was behind bars, people would associate them all as bad people. They were brothers. And as one myself, I knew a lot about gaining a reputation by association. Luckily, what I did didn’t hurt my siblings too badly.
“Would you help get Karina out of jail?” I ask, cocking an eyebrow at him.
Balthazar shrugged, still unafraid to meet my gaze. A true Vasiliev. “If I had to. She can get her own self out of trouble and when she can’t, she has you. There’d be no reason for me to get involved unless you’re out of the picture.”
Good answer.
“So, you think they won’t be a threat or would join forces to come at us?”
“Nah. Adam’s a liability. Getting rid of him would be good for all of them.”
“Alright. Then let’s end this before he can hurt either of you.”
If you enjoyed Reckless Sin, be sure to grab Irresistible Desire (Cole!) which is AVAILABLE NOW in Kindle Unlimited. As an author’s note … Cole’s book is my favorite so far. I loved his cameo in Reckless Sin, but getting into his head was the most fun ever. He’s broody, a bit sad, but defintiely sexy ;).