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“You don’t risk a food shortage here,” I say

“Tima cooks for the men who live in the barracks” He crosses his hands behind his back “In their line of work, they have high caloric demands”

I nod like feeding an army of men is a normal household occurrence “I see”

He stands aside, letting me exit ahead of him “Let’s finish our tour I have to take care of business, and you need to rest”

We go down the hallway and through a dining room with a table that can seat twenty people Until now, I hadn’t truly comprehended hoealthy Alex is His house in New York is on the upper end of the scale, but it’s a lot hu It seems he has a full-time housekeeper in every house he owns, and there are two hundred men on his security payroll I don’t even want to kno many people his various businesses eled me into Russia on his private plane with no passport or visa Who can do that?

Who is the man I fell for in New York City? He’s so htens me I’m completely at his mercy We’re on his home territory, and he has all the control It would be difficult, if not impossible, for a woman with no resources, no passport, no phone or e of Russian to escape from such a powerful man

At the top of the first-floor landing, he pauses “You’re very quiet”

“It’s a lot to take in” And I don’t just mean this house or palace or whatever you call it

His expression softens “You need a little time to adapt, I understand”

It’ll take a lot more than time, but I s uidesthat overlooks the front garden A four-poster bed stands in the undy velvet bed curtains tied back with golden cords look like so from a medieval scene

His voice drops an octave, the deep ti a shiver down my spine “This is where we sleep”