Free Save Me by Shara Azod

eclectic vibe on the outside. The exterior of the building was that of an older European five-story building complete with terraced windows and old-world charm. There were even gargoyles poised at the corners of the building.
    While the street was bustling, no one loitered anywhere near the building. Claus suspected mostly because of the hawkish gaze of men stationed strategically along the block. While their weapons weren’t visible, he didn’t need to see them to know they were there. Leaving his own guards behind had been wise. They hadn’t come for a showdown, and any show of strength would’ve been seen as a challenge. Bringing Alicia—God, he wished like hell he could have left her safe behind armed guards. In the end, he had no choice but to bring her along.
    He refused to treat her like an object; something to be petted, protected, and left ignorant of the real world dangers surrounding her. Deja was her daughter; it was simply her right to be here. A woman with her fortitude, her intelligence and her backbone deserved his absolute respect. That meant respecting her wish to confront Nadir along with him. But fuck if it wasn’t giving him heart attacks! He might be calm on the surface, but inside he was raging. How the hell was he supposed to protect her should Nadir decide to take revenge? Yes, he would lay down his life for her without batting an eyelash, but him dying and leaving her to face Nadir alone did no one any good. He was going to have to feel Nadir out and think fast. There had to be something the man wanted. There was always something.
    “Le Duc is pleased you’ve come to call on him.” Melting out of the crowd like a ghost, a tall, ebony-skinned man in Berber robes stepped forward to stop in front of them. The man seemed ageless, with the deep, uninterested voice of someone who’d seen far too much to be concerned with much. His gaze barely flickered over them before sweeping his hand toward the door. “This way, if you please.”
    This wasn’t the first time Claus had met with Nadir, but the other times had been with Dieter, and it had been at the duke’s official offices in the Passy district. The offices there were much as one would expect from modern-day nobility—elegant, old but tasteful. Nothing like what they stepped into now.
    “Ohmygawd!” Alicia gasped under her breath.
    Claus seriously doubted God had any hand in this. It was like they had stepped into another world. The entire inside was designed like some ancient Persian palace—or a temple. The overtly opulent display should’ve been gaudy. Had anyone else tried to attempt this decor it probably would have been obscene. But somehow, here it felt right. Everything from the onyx floors with rich veins of gold snaking through it to the priceless gold, jade, lapis lazuli and pearl statues seemed completely at home.
    The man who’d escorted them disappeared as soon as they stepped inside, but they weren’t left alone for long.
    “You must forgive the gauche display. When my mother’s family managed to smuggle most of the family treasures out of Iran, my brother went to great lengths to ensure it wouldn’t end up in the wrong hands.” The smiling man who spoke English with no discernable accent wasn’t Nadir, though he looked almost like the duke. This one was too young, too carefree. Lights of mischief still danced in his gaze. Though tall, this man came to about Claus’ nose, though the unruly mob of inky black curls made him appear a shade taller.
    This had to be the youngest of the de Choiseul brothers, Claus deduced. The middle brother, Solomon, never came to this neighborhood. Rumor had it Solomon was in New York, running the family’s legitimate businesses. While it was said Solomon never got his hands dirty, Claus’ sources claimed he was the brother who’d negotiated the contract for Deja. The brother before them now, Javid, was Nadir’s dirtier right hand. And this hand was far too jovial for Claus’ peace