Carpathian 03 - Dark Gold

but you see, I'm really worried about her. I just want to look in on her, see for myself that she's all right. What do you say? We don't have to tell Mr. Savage. I won't stay long, just a quick peek to assure myself that she's okay." He pulled several twenty-dollar bills from his pocket, crinkling them expectantly.
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    Marie's indrawn breath was indignant. "Mr. Ivan! Are you suggesting I would sell out my employer?"
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    He swore under his breath. "No, of course not. I just meant to give you something for the extra trouble."
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    "Alexandria is no trouble, Mr. Ivan." Marie deliberately misunderstood. "She is a part of our household. She's considered family, as is her brother. You do know her brother?" She knew very well he didn't, and her voice said it all.
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    Thomas Ivan was furious. This battle-ax was openly defying him. Deliberately taunting him. He wished he could have her deported, preferably to someplace cold and wet and uncomfortable.
    Instead he smiled again, clenching his teeth as he did so. "I was not implying in any way that Alexandria might be a bother to you. Perhaps your understanding of English is not so good.
    Where are you from originally?" He tried to inject interest into his voice.
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    "Romania," Marie said, "but I have no problem with the English language. I have been here for many years. We consider San Francisco home now."
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    "Is Mr. Savage also from Romania?" He was very interested in the answer to that. Maybe he could have the arrogant bastard deported right along with his hired help.
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    "I cannot discuss my employer with someone not known to me, sir," Marie said politely, her face expressionless.
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    Thomas knew the old hag was secretly laughing at him. He took a deep breath. Well, she and the caretaker were making an enemy more powerful than they knew. He had friends in high places, and they were foreigners. "I just wondered, because his accent is different from yours."
    He wanted to say more educated, more cultured, just to insult her, but he refrained. He could bide his time and wait for his revenge. He would bring the entire house down, have the police and Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
    immigration people swarming over the place in no time.
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    "Well, I'm sorry you feel you can't cooperate with me. I'm extremely worried about Alexandria.
    If you refuse to allow me to see her or to speak with her on the phone, I have no other recourse than to take this matter to the police. As a possible abduction." He thought he saw alarm in the woman's face, but the man behind her didn't flicker an eyelash. Thomas began to wonder if the man carried a gun. Maybe he was the enforcer in the group. The back of his neck began to itch uncomfortably.
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    "You go ahead and do whatever you think you should, Mr. Ivan. I can't go against my orders,"
    Marie said firmly.
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    "Then perhaps I could speak to Mr. Savage personally," he suggested tightly.
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    "I'm sorry, Mr. Ivan, but that isn't possible at this time. Mr. Savage is not at home, and there is no number where he can be reached."
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    "How very convenient for Mr. Savage," Thomas sniped, his fury at being thwarted beginning to surface. "We'll just see how much he likes talking to the police!" He swung around, hoping the enforcer wouldn't shoot him in the back. His eye started to twitch the way it always did when he was upset.
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    "Mr. Ivan?" Marie's voice was soft and sweet, almost placating.
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    He swung around in triumph. At last he'd said something to scare the pair of idiots. "What?" he snapped, making a show of his displeasure with her.
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    "Did you want to leave the flowers for Alexandria? I'll see to it that she gets them. I'm certain they'll cheer her up, knowing they came from you." Marie was trying not to laugh at the man. He looked so silly, all puffed up with his own importance, so certain he could intimidate them. She was not looking forward to a confrontation with the police, but she could use the flowers.
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    Ivan shoved the roses at her and stormed off, in no way appeased by her feeble attempt to get into his good graces. These foreigners were going to be sorry they crossed him. They obviously had no clue what kind of power a man like him wielded.
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    Marie glanced up at Stefan, and they both laughed. "I know what you're thinking, you wicked woman. You want to use those flowers to drive Aidan crazy with jealousy."
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    "How could you think such a thing,