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of what luxury we can provide,’ Mauri said, holding his hands up to the mansion they were in. ‘She can have anything that she wants; money will never be a barrier for her again. That kind of lure can be powerful for a woman of her background.’
    ‘What do you know about her background?’
    Mauri didn’t respond to the question. ‘Next Saturday I am holding a party downstairs. I want you and Ivy to be my guests here. You will be safe at a party, you’ve attended them here before. Until then, consider what I’ve said, talk it over, and we’ll find a minute during the party to talk alone.’ Mauri went to the door he’d emerged from and turned back to smile at Dax. ‘Thank you for coming, son. You look strong and healthy. Ivy is good for you, I can tell. Send her my regards.’
    He went back into the side bedroom and the double doors Dax had entered through opened behind him to reveal Serg. Lost in thoughts of what Mauri had said, Dax went to Serg and passed him to find the exit as quickly as he could. He’d already been away from Ivy for too long, he could tell because the pull of Maurice Stark was strong, and that was a riptide he wasn’t immune to.

Chapter Four
     
     
    ‘A party?’ Ivy asked.
    Dax had just finished recounting the story of his meeting with Mauri at the mansion. The night was locked outside, and they lay naked together in the pure white sheets of his bed. When he’d returned to the apartment, Ivy was already in bed. As soon as he joined her, she’d sensed his frustration, and so she let him vent some of that energy on her body.
    After some physical exertion he was calmer, so she put him on his side of the bed and lay on her own side, putting some space between them to allow words to take the place of actions. Facing him, she had stayed quiet while he relayed the story of his encounter with Mauri.
    ‘It’s next Saturday,’ he said. Today was Friday, so at least they had a week to think about the invitation. ‘He wants us both there.’
    ‘You told him what he could do with his party, right? You told him that we weren’t interested in anything he had to offer… didn’t you?’ His silence was conspicuous, and her suspicions were only heightened when Dax rolled to his back and scrubbed his hands over his face.
    ‘I’m going next door,’ he said and kicked the sheet away from his body.
    Snatching his arm, Ivy shunted closer. Using all of her strength, she subdued him and prevented his departure from the bed. If he went next door into the second bedroom, then she probably wouldn’t see him for a couple of hours. That was where his punching bag and weight bench were. He liked to use the equipment to alleviate his internal conflicts.
    ‘Are you considering his offer?’ His lack of a response was all the response she needed. ‘Oh my God, Dax.’ Sitting up in the centre of the bed, she crossed her legs and rotated her body to face his. ‘You want to do it? You want to move back here, to California? You want to work with Brad? Sorry, I meant under him?’
    ‘I don’t know,’ he said, leaping from the mattress. ‘I know I’m not going to say no without considering it. We owe Mauri—‘
    ‘What?’ she asked, unable to prevent a frown from seizing her expression. ‘What do we owe him? Please, tell me, what is it you think you owe the man who asked you to give up the only woman you’ve ever loved for the sake of his playboy son? What do you think you owe him?’
    ‘Don’t you get it?’ he asked, coming back to stand by the bed. ‘This could be an amazing chance for us.’ Crouching down, he rested his chest on the mattress and leaned over to snatch both of her hands. ‘We could run things, I could do things my way and—‘
    ‘Drugs,’ she said. ‘You want to deal drugs? You want to be responsible on an industrial scale for the lives and deaths of users across the continent?’
    ‘People are going to use drugs whether we provide them or someone else does, recreational