Hell House by Kory M. Shrum

Author:Kory M. Shrum
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kory M. Shrum

17

When Lou stepped from the shadows pooling in the corner of Konstantine’s office, she already knew he was in a bad mood. It was in the set of his shoulders, the furrowed brow, the way he scowled at the computer open on the desk in front of him.

She went to him, leaning her hip against the edge of the desk. “You look terrible.”

There. She saw his expression before he could properly conceal it. This had been a test to see where his true feelings really lay.

“You didn’t sleep well, did you?” she asked. “And you blame me for that?”

“No.” His scowl softened. “No, amore mio.”

He shut the computer and rubbed his eyes.

“Forgive me.”

When he leaned back in his chair, she threw one leg over his, straddling him. She slid her arms around his neck, placing a kiss first on one eye, then the other.

“Così bello,” he cooed, and wrapped his arms around her waist. “I could fall asleep like this.”

Lou let him rest his head against her while she pushed her fingers through his hair.

She thought he was asleep—or nearly—his arms softening around her, when the door to his office opened and Stefano appeared.

Stefano saw them and froze, a cigarette halfway to his mouth.

Lou held his stare unflinchingly. She didn’t look away, nor did she remove herself from Konstantine’s lap.

“Yes?” she asked.

He was frowning at Konstantine. He pointed at him with the unlit cigarette. “Have you killed him?”

“No,” Konstantine muttered. “Vai via.”

Stefano gave a little dip of his head. “Scusami.”

They were alone again.

“Should I take you home?” she asked. “We can nap together. For a little while.”

Given his mood, she shouldn’t promise too much.

“Yes, I’m no use like this anyway.”

It was easy to pull them from his office to the villa. It was only minutes before they were beneath the sheets, in their large bed, their bodies entwined.

“Will you really stay?” he asked when he saw that she had not changed into pajamas as he had. “Is this a trick?”

“I said I could only stay for a little while.”

“Why? What do you have to do today?” he asked.

The pout amused her. Who knew this was the same man who ordered torture on betrayers, led his men through war, and destroyed his rivals. That pout made him seem more like a child than a conqueror. She liked it.

“Gator hunting,” she said.

His frown deepened. “What?”

“I think there’s a body in a swamp. I’ll have to go in to find out. Do you know what a swamp is?”

She tried to explain it to him.

The more she spoke, the more he wrinkled his nose. “It sounds gross.”

She lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “I’ve waded through worse.”

“Still.”

“What about you?” she asked.

“There is nothing I can do without sleep,” he said. “I need sleep to make good decisions.”

“Then sleep,” she told him, and pulled him close.

With his head against her chest, his doze gave way to slumber. His chest rose and fell with the ease of the exhausted. Lou refrained from playing with his hair, worried it might wake him.

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