《Surrender To Me》


 Chapter 1

    ROXIE


    The tiny, white bikini I¡¯m wearing is about two sizes too small and isn¡¯t doing shit to cover my body. My full tits spill out around the small, triangle top, and more ass is showing than is covered by the thin fabric. My smooth pussy is hidden away for now, but it won¡¯t be for long if I get my way. I do another twirl in front of the mirror before running down the stairs and outside.


    My parents are away for the weekend, and I¡¯m going to use every second of it very wisely. My n is simple and perfect-get my sexy, older neighbor to fuck the virginity right out of me. I¡¯ve been teasing Ryder like crazy ever since I turned eighteen, but he¡¯s being so damn stubborn! All he does is sit in his garage and tinker around with his car and motorcycle. He ignores me prancing around in my shorty shorts and tiny bikini tops, and the other day, I bent over in front of him, and when I stood back up and looked over my shoulder to give him a sexy wink, he¡¯d turned around and wasn¡¯t even facing me.


    I¡¯m tired of ying around. I have three days to get him to pop my cherry and make me his. It¡¯s time to take this to the next level. With my pep talk over, I step outside and walk across the small stretch of grass that separates our houses, letting my perky tits lead the way. When I peek my head around to look in his garage, I take a moment to appreciate the sight that greets me. He¡¯s standing by his car with his back to me, shirtless and covered in a light sheen of sweat. I run my eyes over all the tattoos and muscles, feeling my nipples harden even more and my pussy start to throb. I don¡¯t even need to look to know I¡¯m soaking through my bikini bottoms.


    All that tanned, hard flesh has me almost lightheaded by the time he turns around and levels those hard, blue eyes on me. I bite back the moan that¡¯s dying toe out and resist rubbing my thighs together, even though my pussy is aching and I¡¯m so fucking wet I can barely stand it. He keeps his eyes locked on mine, resisting the urge to run them over my body, and it pisses me off. I don¡¯t have nearly the willpower he does, so I eye-fuck the hell out of him, running my eyes over his chiseled, tattooed chest and the way his jeans are sitting low on his waist and giving me an amazing view of his tight abs and the thin line of hair that¡¯s disappearing down his pants. My tongue aches with the need to follow that line all the way down to the good stuff.


    ¡°What do you need, Roxie?¡± he finally asks, tearing my eyes from his gorgeous body.


    I smile and walk over to his car. ¡°I just thought I¡¯de over and see how you were doing.¡± I try to sound innocent, but I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s working. I can never tell with Ryder. He keeps his cards close to his chest, and I¡¯m never exactly sure what he¡¯s thinking.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he says, watching as I lean against his precious car. He raises a dark brow at me, but I just smile, hoping I¡¯m leaving an ass print so he¡¯ll have something to remember me by.


    ¡°Need me to wash your car? I¡¯m nning on washing mine, so I just thought I¡¯d ask.¡±


    He scrubs a hand over his stubbled cheeks and sighs. ¡°No, I¡¯m good, thanks.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    I step closer so our bodies are only inches apart. Looking up at him, I give him a sexy grin and say, ¡°Are you sure? I really don¡¯t mind. All be all wet and soapy anyway from washing mine.¡±


    For one brief second I see the raw desire in his eyes before he quickly hides it away and goes back to giving me the icy stare I¡¯m so familiar with. I give him a big smile and dance my fingers up his muscled forearm. I know he wants me just as badly as I want him, the heated look he just gave me is proof of that. Now, I just need to get him to stop being so damn stubborn and give me his cock.


    He eyes my fingers trailing a line up his arm but doesn¡¯t say anything. When I run my tongue over my bottom lip, he follows the movement, and I see the tightness in his jaw and the way a vein is starting to throb in his temple. Curious to see how much longer he can hold out, I step even closer so my tits are pressed against his hard chest.


    Looking down, he eyes my full tits, no doubt feeling my rock-hard nipples pressing against him and then looks back up at me as if he can¡¯t believe I¡¯ve dared to do it. I let out a surprised squeal when he grabs my hips and pins me against his car, pressing his hard cock into my stomach and making me forget about everything except my need to be fucked.


    ¡°What the fuck do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± he growls.


    His lips are so close to mine, and when I lean closer and run my tongue over his bottom lip, he tightens his fingers on my hips hard enough to make me gasp and pulls back, keeping his mouth just out of reach.


    ¡°I want you,¡± I tell him, not caring that I sound like a pouty brat.


    Heughs and runs his eyes over me. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ve made that abundantly clear every day since you turned eighteen.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯d quit being so damn stubborn, I wouldn¡¯t have to.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too young,¡± he growls again, and I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever heard him so pissed off, and that¡¯s saying something because I¡¯ve been taunting him for months.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not, Ryder. Stop being such an ass. I¡¯m an adult, and I can make up my own mind. I want you to pop my cherry.¡±


    I¡¯ve barely gotten the words out before he groans and pushes himself off me, raising his hands in frustration before running them roughly through his thick salt-and-pepper hair.


    When he looks back at me, his eyes are as cold as ever. ¡°You¡¯re ying a very dangerous game, little girl.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not ying a game,¡± I whine.


    ¡°Go,¡± he says, pointing at my house. ¡°Just go home, Roxie. Forget about me and get a boyfriend your own age. Let him pop your fucking cherry, because it sure as hell isn¡¯t going to be me.¡±

 Chapter 2

    I barely resist stomping my foot like a little brat and sticking my tongue out. I watch him, knowing he¡¯s not doing what he wants and is instead doing what he thinks he should do. Well, we¡¯ll see how long thatsts for him.


    ¡°When you change your mind, you know where to find me,¡± I tell him, walking out of his garage and leaving him with an eyeful of ass as I walk away, swaying my hips the whole damn time. I look over my shoulder before stepping into my yard, pleased that he¡¯s watching me, and even more pleased at the hungry look on his face and the way he¡¯s clenching his fists.


    Keep fighting it, Ryder baby. Let¡¯s see how long you canst.


    I give him a wink and a flirty wave before grabbing the hose and filling a bucket. It¡¯s time to put on a show. He¡¯s still eyeing me warily as I carry the hose and my bucket of soapy water to my car that¡¯s parked in the drive. When I bend over and start running the sponge over the hood, I hear him mutter something before turning his back on me. I smile and keep scrubbing.


    The cleaner my car gets, the dirtier and wetter I get, and the more he keeps stealing heated looks when he thinks I¡¯m not watching. But I am definitely watching. I can¡¯t take my eyes off that bare chest of his, and by the time my car is squeaky clean, I¡¯m fucking soaked and it has nothing to do with the water from the hose and everything to do with my throbbing, aching pussy.


    Ryder leans against his car with his arms crossed over his broad chest, watching me as I rinse off thest of the soap. With his eyes still on me, I turn the hose on my body, soaking my tiny, white bikini until I¡¯m dripping wet. The cold water and heat from his gaze have my nipples trying to poke right through the thin, wet fabric.


    His eyes run over me, and I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen such a stern look on his face, and the way he¡¯s clenching his jaw has me worried he might actually crack a damn tooth. I smile when I see the obvious bulge in his pants, and then I let out a soft moan when I realize how damn big it is. Unable to resist what is obviously an invitation, I turn the hose off and walk over to him. He doesn¡¯t say anything, just keeps running his eyes over me and scowling.


    ¡°See something you like, Ryder?¡± I ask and give him a wink.


    ¡°You are a wicked, wicked girl,¡± he groans, keeping his arms crossed against his chest and his hands gripping hisrge biceps. I wonder if it¡¯s to keep himself from reaching out for me.


    I smile and run my hands over my tits, squeezing them in my hands and letting the smooth, wet skin spill over. He swallows and lets out a soft groan.


    ¡°It¡¯s your fault. If you would stop being such a stubborn ass, then I wouldn¡¯t have to be so wicked.¡±


    I give my hard nipples a pinch and gasp at how fucking good it feels. When he makes no move to stop me, I step closer and slide my hand down my wet stomach and into my bikini bottoms, moaning when I feel how wet I am.


    ¡°Fucking hell,¡± he mutters and puts his arms down, gripping his car in his powerful hands as I press my wet body to his. He doesn¡¯t touch me, but he doesn¡¯t stop me or ask me to leave, so I do the only thing I can do. I slide my finger into my wet, bald, little pussy and start to fuck myself.


    My face is even with his muscled pecs, and when I run my tongue over his sweaty, tanned skin, he groans, and I swear I feel his cock grow even bigger, a thing I hadn¡¯t thought possible a few seconds ago.


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing?¡± he growls at me, and I smile at how strained his voice sounds. He¡¯s close to the edge, and I¡¯m damn well going to push him off it.


    ¡°You won¡¯t fuck me, Ryder, so I have to fuck myself.¡±


    ¡°Against me?¡± he asks, and the shock in his voice makes meugh.


    ¡°Stop turning me on so much, and I¡¯ll stop having to do things like this. You bring this on yourself, Ryder, when you walk around shirtless.¡± I lick his pec again. ¡°How the hell am I supposed to resist all this toned flesh?¡±


    I kiss his chest and fuck myself harder, not even caring if the neighbors across the street can see. I¡¯d happily let Ryder fuck me right here, right now, and I wouldn¡¯t give a shit if the whole damn neighborhood watched. All I care about is getting him inside me. I run my free hand along his back and bring my wet fingers to my clit, moaning when I start to rub myself in tight, fast circles. The scent of him surrounds me, and it¡¯s quickly bringing me to the breaking point.


    When I¡¯m close, I drag my nails over his back, wanting him to touch me, but he refuses, so I let out an angry groan that quickly turns into a scream of pleasure when I start to cum hard. My knees buckle and threaten to give out, but I hang on, fucking myself until I¡¯m shaking and whimpering and my poor little clit is too sensitive to touch. When thest of the aftershocks have gone, I let out a happy sigh and press my forehead to his chest, trying to get my breathing under control.


    ¡°Feel better?¡± he asks, and he does not sound pleased at all.


    I look up to see his blue eyes staring daggers at me. I¡¯m still feeling a bit giddy from my orgasm, so Iugh and shake my head yes. I give his chest another kiss and dance my fingers along the scratches I left on his back.


    ¡°Yes, I feel so much better, thank you.¡± ¡°Go home, Roxie,¡± he growls at me.


    I bring the hand that¡¯s not still buried in my pussy to his thick cock and give him a squeeze. ¡°Too bad you still think I¡¯m too young. I have a feeling you might really like my tight, virgin pussy.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    I swear to god he actually growls at me, and the vein in his neck is ticking like crazy. Iugh and slide my hand out of my bikini bottoms. He eyes my glistening fingers like a starving man, and when I run them over his chest, leaving a trail of my juices all over his muscled pecs, the look of absolute shock he gives me has meughing even harder. I me it on the orgasm I just had while pressed against his body. It¡¯s making me crazy bold.


    ¡°My cum looks good on you, Ryder.¡± Before he can say anything, I blow him a kiss and start to back away. ¡°I¡¯ll be in the pool if you change your mind about fucking my little untouched cunt.¡±


    When I turn around so my back is to him, I hook the tiny scrap of wet fabric that¡¯s barely covering my ass and slide it between my cheeks, giving myself a thong and him one hell of a view all at the same time. I give my bare ass a wiggle before skipping back into my own yard. I wonder how long it will take for him to chase me.

 Chapter 3

    RYDER


    It takes me several seconds of deep breathing before I can do anything. I can¡¯t believe she just fucking did that! God, the memory of her tight, young body pressed against mine as she¡¯d fucked herself and came against me has me so fucking hard I can barely think. The scent of her sweet pussy is all around me, and my chest still glistens from her juices.


    Unable to stop myself, I run a finger over my chest and bring it to my lips, sucking her pussy off my skin and groaning at how damn good she tastes. I have no choice but to go inside and jerk off. Again! Ever since she started teasing me, I¡¯ve been jerking off more times than I can count, but what other choice do I have? I¡¯m more than twice her age and friends with her goddamn parents. I can¡¯t pop their daughter¡¯s cherry. She¡¯s off limits. End of story.


    With a growl, I go inside and walk to my bedroom window, the one that overlooks their backyard and gives me a perfect view of their pool. Roxie is swaying her full hips, taunting me with her round ass and big tits, and when she shoots a wicked grin at my house, I know I¡¯m in trouble. She can¡¯t see me, but she knows I¡¯m watching.


    I undo my pants and reach in for my cock right as she undoes the string at her neck, letting her tiny bikini top fall off her perfect, full tits. I groan at the sight of her and wrap my hand around my thick cock, knowing it¡¯s not going to take me long at all. I work my cock, watching as she unties the strings at her hips, and soon she¡¯s naked and looking so mouthwateringly perfect I can barely stand it. If I wasn¡¯t so damn stubborn, I could be inside her right now. The thought has me nearly shooting my wad all over the fucking window.


    I grip the window ledge with my free hand and work my other hand even harder, jerking myself off in an almost brutal rhythm as my heavy breathing fills the room. I keep my eyes focused on her young body, and all I can think about is ramming my cock in her sweet little virgin pussy, filling her young, fertile body with my cum and breeding the living hell out of her. The scent of her pussy fills my nose, and I can still taste her on my tongue.


    When she turns around and bends over to grab an air mattress, I take one look at her round ass and pussy on perfect disy for me and barely have time to cup my hand over my cock before I¡¯m cumming so fucking hard I¡¯m momentarily blinded.


    With a growl, I fill my hand, wishing it was her tight little cunt and watch as she gets in the water, sying her body out on the air mattress. I can¡¯t take my eyes off her bald, sweet pussy, wishing my face was buried between her legs. Shezily ys with her tits while I shoot the veryst of my load, finally empty but feeling more frustrated than ever. I can¡¯t keep living like this. I want her more than I¡¯ve ever wanted anything or anyone, but I¡¯ll be damned if I¡¯m going to give in and give her what she wants. I do fully intend to teach this little brat a lesson, though.


    After cleaning up, I zip my pants, ignoring the fact that I¡¯m already semi-hard again and stomp down the hall and out of the house. When I walk into her backyard, she gives me a friendly wave and a sexy grin.


    ¡°Did you finally see reason?¡± she asks, and the smug tone of her voice has me seeing red. This little girl is going to learn what it means when you taunt a man.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°Out. Now,¡± I growl at her, and it¡¯s my turn to give a wicked grin when she immediately jumps up to obey me.


    I¡¯m already fully hard again by the time she walks her naked ass over to where I¡¯m waiting. She gives me a big, hopeful smile, and as much as I¡¯d like to bend her over and give her the cock she¡¯s been drooling over for thest few months, I don¡¯t. This is all about teaching her a lesson, not rewarding her for acting like a little slut, even if I do appreciate the show.


    ¡°Do you have any idea what you¡¯re doing to me?¡± I ask, running my eyes over her wet tits, watching the drops of water slide over her smooth skin and bead at her hard nipples.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to get you to fuck me,¡± she says like it¡¯s the most natural thing in the world for a beautiful, 18-year-old to want to fuck her 40-yearold neighbor. Her long, blonde hair is wet and sticking to her shoulders and back, and I want nothing more than to fist it and watch her chock on my cock.


    ¡°It¡¯s not going as nned, is it, little girl?¡±


    She pouts her lips out and I swear it¡¯s taking all her willpower to not stomp her foot like the spoiled little brat she¡¯s proving to be.


    ¡°No,¡± she admits, and then she gives me the most pitiful look. ¡°Why don¡¯t you want me?¡±


    ¡°I never said I didn¡¯t want you. I said you were too young.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m legal,¡± she whines.


    ¡°Barely,¡± I say, eyeing the way her wet tits bounce with her movements.


    ¡°Still counts,¡± she grumbles, making me bite back augh.


    ¡°You want a taste of what you¡¯re asking me for?¡±

 Chapter 4

    I smile at the wide-eyed, hungry look she gives me, already hearing the sharp, satisfying sound of me smacking her ass. She has no idea what¡¯sing, but I sure as fuck do, and I can¡¯t help but give her a wicked grin.


    ¡°Yes, but I want more than a taste,¡± she says, stepping closer so her tits are pressed flush against my bare chest.


    I slide one hand down her back before cupping one perfect, round cheek. I give it a hard enough squeeze to make her lips part in a gasp.


    ¡°You¡¯ll get whatever the fuck I want to give you, little virgin, and you¡¯ll take it like a good girl, won¡¯t you?¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    She sighs as I cup her face and leans into my touch. ¡°Yes,¡± she says in a breathy rush. I¡¯ve never wanted to fuck someone so badly as I do right this second. My need to fuck and im her is unlike anything I¡¯ve ever known, but my need to teach her a lesson and to see her ass redden under my hand is stronger.


    She lets out a surprised yelp when I pick her up and carry her over to one of the lounging chairs. I ignore how damn good she feels, her naked, wet body wrapping around me as if it¡¯s the most natural thing in the world. When I sit down, I take her with me, positioning her so she¡¯sying across myp.


    ¡°Hey,¡± she says, looking over her shoulder at me. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Teaching you a lesson, my little hellcat.¡±


    I press one hand against her upper back, holding her firmly in ce while I dance my fingers across her creamy cheeks.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been teasing me for so long, Roxie.¡±


    She arches her ass up to me and gives a sexy moan when I run my finger along her soaking wet slit.


    ¡°God, you¡¯re such a fucking slut,¡± I groan. The feel of her velvety soft pussy lips is making my damn head spin. ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe you¡¯re a virgin. The way you dance around, teasing me, half-naked with your little cunt dripping and so fucking ripe, god, I would¡¯ve guessed the whole fucking football team had already had a turn with you.¡±


    ¡°Mm-mm,¡± she whimpers, rocking her small hips against me, so fucking eager for more. ¡°I don¡¯t act like this with anyone but you, Ryder. No one else has even seen me naked before.¡±


    Before I let her words undo me, I give her ass a hard enough spank to have her screaming and gripping my leg for support. The sight of her ass bouncing has my cock so covered in precum it¡¯s hard to believe I just came a few minutes ago. I give her two more hard spanks just so I can see it again. Her ass is blooming into a sexy, beautiful red, and I can¡¯t take my eyes off it.


    She wiggles and squirms in myp, which is only turning me on even more. I press harder against her, holding her in ce as I run my finger up her tight slit again, groaning when I feel how sloppy wet she is.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I groan when I slide my finger into her and feel how fucking tight she is. ¡°You know, most virgins wouldn¡¯t get so wet from a spanking,¡± I tell her as I slowly finger her.


    She turns her head as best she can and looks at me. Her cheeks are tearstained and her face is red and her hair is a mess. It¡¯s the sexiest goddamn thing I¡¯ve ever seen.


    ¡°That hurt!¡± she pouts, shooting me an angry look.


    ¡°You think my cock hasn¡¯t been in constant pain since you started throwing yourself at me?¡±


    I bring my wet fingers to her swollen clit and give it a soft rub, making her arch her hips up even more and let out another sexy moan.


    ¡°Please,¡± she begs, rocking her hips as best she can, desperate and eager for more.


    Iugh at her spunk. ¡°You¡¯ve taunted me for so long, given me no fucking peace at all, and even now with your ass red and stinging and my painfully hard cock digging into your stomach, all you can think about is cumming.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she moans. ¡°I can¡¯t help it. You have no idea what you do to me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I think I have a pretty fucking good idea,¡± I groan, thinking about all the times I¡¯ve jerked off in thest few weeks.


    I watch her writhe on myp, hypnotized by the sight of her rocking her hips and the soft little whimpers she¡¯s making. Her little pussy clenches around my finger, pulling me in deeper, her whole body begging me to fuck her and give her what she so desperately needs. I give her ass another hard smack before cutting off her squeal when I immediately bring my fingers to her clit and start to rub her harder while sliding my thumb into her tight pussy.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± she moans, realizing that the pain can entuate the pleasure.


    I slide my other hand up her back so I can fist her hair, pulling it hard as I work her clit until she¡¯s whimpering and shaking and I know she¡¯s only seconds away.


    ¡°I want to hear you scream my name, little virgin,¡± I growl as I tip her over the edge.


    She obeys, screaming my name into the quiet evening as shees undone beneath me. Her pussy spasms around my thumb and nearly pushes me over the edge right along with her, but I grit my teeth and keep working her until she¡¯s cumming again and her whole body is shaking in myp. When she starts toe down, I give her ass one more hard smack, just because it pleases me to do so, and bring my wet fingers to my mouth, sucking the taste of her pussy off my skin.


    When I rx my grip on her hair, she squirms and wiggles out of myp until she¡¯s on her knees before me, looking up at me with bright, blue eyes and giving me an excited grin.


    ¡°Feel better?¡± I ask, eyeing her flushed chest and face. ¡°Good to know one of us is.¡±

 Chapter 5

    Sheughs and reaches for the button of my jeans.


    ¡°And just what do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    ¡°Oh,e on,¡± she says, and actually rolls her eyes at me. ¡°You¡¯re not seriously still being stubborn are you? You just made me cum, Ryder. I thought we were passed all this.¡±


    ¡°You thought wrong. You needed a spanking, and I gave you one.¡±


    She gives me a sexy, wicked grin. ¡°You gave me more than that.¡±


    I can¡¯t help but return her smile, but I still her hands when she starts to unzip my jeans. ¡°I¡¯m not fucking you,¡± I tell her, even though my cock is screaming at me to shut the fuck up.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± she grumbles, undeterred. ¡°Can¡¯t you at least let me taste you?¡±


    Forbidden or not, the idea of having her pouty mouth wrapped around my cock is more of a temptation than I can take. She smiles when I pull my hands away and let her unzip my pants. When she¡¯s done, I pull my cock out for her, smiling when her eyes widen in surprise and a touch of fear. ¡°Wow,¡± she whispers. ¡°You¡¯re fucking huge.¡±


    ¡°Too much for a little virgin,¡± I say, giving her a wink.


    ¡°I can take it,¡± she whispers, leaning closer so she¡¯s almost touching me. The heat of her breath on my cock has me gritting my teeth to keep from shooting my load all over her sweet face. I watch her run her tongue over my head, licking up the precum that¡¯s impossible for me to control when she¡¯s around.


    When she wraps her lips around my head and sucks me in, I groan and fist my hands in her hair. It takes all my willpower to not m her down onto me and fuck her sweet face in a hard, brutal rhythm. I let her take her time, though. I watch my little virgin suck her first cock, getting used to the size of me as she slowly, cautiously starts to take me in inch by thick inch.


    I groan when she gags around me, shooting me a shy, embarrassed look that has my nutsack tensing and my whole body on the cusp of letting go. I fist her hair tighter, knowing she¡¯s feeling the sting of it as I bring my other hand to wrap around her slender neck.


    ¡°Do you want to stop?¡±


    ¡°Mm-mm,¡± she moans, shaking her head no as best she can and digging her fingers into my thighs just in case I try to force her off me.


    I smile and squeeze her neck. ¡°Then rx and take all of my cock like a good girl.¡±


    Her body softens at my words, and I give her a wink to let her know I¡¯m pleased as I lower her down another inch. When I feel her start to tense up again, I squeeze my hand tighter and arch a brow at her. She rxes again and sucks in a slow breath through her nose.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± I praise her, lowering her down some more. She beams at my words, and I love how fucking eager she is to please. When I lower her down the rest of the way, she takes everything I¡¯m giving her until her lips are flush with my skin and the head of my cock is nestled in her throat.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I groan. The wet heat of her mouth surrounds my cock, and I¡¯m lost to the feel of it. Knowing I can¡¯t take much more, I lift her back up, using my hands to raise and lower her in a slow, steady rhythm until I have no choice but to speed it up. She makes herself putty in my hands and lets me use her however I want. Tears run down her cheeks and spit drips from her mouth as I fuck her in a hard, brutal rhythm that quickly sends me over the edge.


    ¡°Swallow,¡± I growl at her, mming her down and burying my cock deep in her throat as I shoot my load into her, giving her everything I¡¯ve got. Pleasure rushes over me as I feel her throat constrict around me, swallowing everything I¡¯m giving her until I¡¯mpletely spent. I expect her to pull her head up, but she doesn¡¯t. She takes her time, licking and sucking me clean, worshipping my damn cock until I feel more rxed and happy than I ever have in my life. She gives my cock onest suck, letting me go with an audible, wet pop before turning her smiling face up at me. Her lips are cock-swollen, and she¡¯s breathing heavily, and she looks sexy as fuck. I run my eyes over her, knowing she¡¯s going to hate what I¡¯m about to do.


    I tuck my cock back in my pants and run my thumb over her swollen lips, memorizing the sight of her, and then I pick her up and toss her into the pool. She lets out a wild shriek before hitting the water with a loud ssh. When shees up for air, she looks more pissed than I¡¯ve ever seen her. I try my hardest not tough, and I fail miserably.


    ¡°What the fuck!¡± she yells, treading water and shooting me daggers.


    ¡°You need cooling off, baby girl,¡± I holler at her as I turn to leave.


    ¡°You¡¯re just leaving? What? Why?¡±


    ¡°I told you I wasn¡¯t going to fuck you,¡± I shout over my shoulder. ¡°Cool off and calm down,¡± are thest words I say before leaving her backyard and walking to my garage. Every instinct in my body is screaming at me to go back and make her mine, but I force myself to keep going. It¡¯s better this way, I tell myself. She had her fun, and now she¡¯ll get over it. Her bruised ego won¡¯tst long, and she¡¯ll forget about me in no time.


    The words bring me nofort, and my cock is already throbbing again, and all I can think about is how amazing her little virgin pussy would feel wrapped around my cock.

 Chapter 6

    ROXIE


    Motherfucker!


    I can¡¯t believe he just threw me in the goddamn pool! I watch him walk away, he¡¯s going to turn around any second andugh and tell me it was all a joke, but he doesn¡¯t. He walks his fine ass back to his house and disappears from view, leaving me sputtering water and so damn horny I can barely stand it.


    My ass still stings from the spanking he gave me, and my whole body is still lit up from the orgasms and the memory of him fucking my mouth. God, he¡¯s so fucking big! I can still taste him on my tongue, and all I can think about is how amazing it¡¯s going to feel to have that thick cock spreading and filling my little pussy.


    There¡¯s no way in hell I¡¯m dropping this. If he thinks he can spank me and give me the best orgasm of my life and then just walk away, he¡¯s got another thinging. More determined than ever, I swim to the edge of the pool and get out. The sun has already set, but I find my bikini easily and tie it back on. When I sneak over to his house, I feel a rush of excitement and nerves run through me. He¡¯s not going to like what I¡¯m about to do. I just hope that his desire to fuck me outweighs how pissed he¡¯s going to be.


    His garage door is up, and he¡¯s nowhere in sight. I eye his gorgeous, ck sports car and ignore the prickle of fear that starts to eat away at me. Without giving myself the chance to reconsider this insane n, I grab the spare set of keys I¡¯ve seen him hide in his toolbox and rush to his car. I ignore the fact that I¡¯m dripping water all over the fancy leather interior and instead slip the key in and cringe when the loud purr of the motor fills the garage, sounding like a very loud rm that¡¯s going to instantly catch Ryder¡¯s attention.


    I know I only have seconds before he races out here. I grab the gearshift, hoping like hell I can remember the super short lesson my dad gave me on how to drive a stick. The loud grinding of gears tells me I¡¯m doing something wrong, but it¡¯s toote to back out now.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°Roxie!¡±


    The angry yell has my blood running cold. I turn my head in time to see a very angry Ryder running out of his house. He looks equal parts pissed and shocked. I know I have a choice to make and that I have to make it in about 1. 2 seconds, so I run my eyes onest time over that hard body of his and do the only thing I can do. I wiggle my fingers in a cutesy wave and step on the gas. It¡¯s not the sexy, fast exit I was hoping for, more of a lurching, slow, forward motion that eventually gets me down his driveway, but it¡¯s an exit all the same.


    Thest thing I see is Ryder¡¯s angry face as he yells something at me that I thankfully can¡¯t hear before I head down the street and out of sight. I let out a high-pitchedugh, knowing I was seconds away from losing my thin grip on sanity. Well, it¡¯s his damn fault, I think, stepping on the gas and picking up speed. If he¡¯d just fucked me like we both wanted, then we wouldn¡¯t be in this mess, now would we? He has only himself to me.


    The loud rumble of an engine has me sucking in a quick breath and looking in my rearview mirror. I see the motorcyclee speeding up behind me, and I know it¡¯s him. I knew he¡¯d chase me. Now, I just need to let myself get caught, but first I want to have a little fun. If I¡¯m going to end up with a sore bottom, I at least want to make it worth it.


    I turn onto a side road before really starting to pick up speed. I¡¯m getting better at shifting, hardly any more grinding of gears when I do it, and starting to feel a bit proud of myself. Then Ryder speeds up and pulls his motorcycle next to the stolen car I¡¯m driving and when I turn my head, the look he¡¯s giving me has me sucking in a quick breath. My foot automatically lifts from the gas, and I start to slow down. It¡¯s like even if I wanted to disobey him, I wouldn¡¯t be able to.


    ¡°Pull the fucking car over, Roxie!¡± he yells at me, and I do as he says, pulling over on the deserted road.


    I shut the car off while he pulled his motorcycle up to park in front of me. I can see how angry he is just from the tightness of his muscles and the sharp, furious motions of his body as he gets off the bike and storms toward me. He was in such a hurry that he didn¡¯t even bother to throw a shirt on, so all that hard muscle and anger was aimed directly at me. I briefly think about locking the car door, but the pissed-off look in his eyes tells me that would be a very unwise decision. I¡¯m shaking by the time he pulls the door open, but there¡¯s no denying how turned on I am. My pussy is so fucking wet at seeing him like this. I hope he takes all this aggression out on my little cunt.


    With the door open, he looks down at me, eyeing the puddle my wet hair and bikini have left on his precious leather interior, not to mention the one my pussy is leaving, and lets out a growl as he grabs me around the waist and hauls me out. Pinning me roughly against the side of the car, he res at me, and I let out a soft gasp when I feel his hard cock dig into me. He¡¯s breathing heavily and everything about him is on edge. He¡¯s a man on the brink of pouncing, and I can¡¯t fucking wait.


    He runs his hand through my hair and fists it tightly, roughly pulling my head back so I¡¯m held in ce, looking up at him.


    ¡°You still want me to pop your sweet cherry?¡± he asks, surprising the hell out of me.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I quickly say, already trying to spread my legs.

 Chapter 7

    He gives a harshugh and leans in closer so our lips are almost touching. It¡¯s almost full dark, but I can still see the blue of his eyes, and the raw desire in them has my heart racing and my breathsing even faster. ¡°You lost your chance at a gentle first time, do you understand me?¡± I nod my head, not trusting myself to speak.


    ¡°I was all set to take my time with you,¡± he says, running his hand along the curve of my breast and making my breath catch in my throat. ¡°Give you an easy, gentle first time, but that was before you stole my car like the little spoiled brat you are.¡±


    He gives my nipple a hard pinch, almost making my knees buckle as pleasure and pain crash through me.


    ¡°Now, you¡¯re going to get it rough. I¡¯m going to use my thick cock to tear right through your innocence, and I¡¯m going to fuck your pussy raw.¡±


    I moan at his words, already trying to rock my hips against him, drunk on his words and the vivid images they¡¯re putting in my head.


    He arches a brow at my reaction and gives me a wicked smirk. ¡°Why the fuck am I not surprised? You want it rough, baby?¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    When he roughly yanks my bikini top aside, exposing one, full tit, I whimper and say, ¡°Yes, I want it rough.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± he taunts, bringing his lips to mine.


    As soon as I feel his mouth press against me, I let out a whimper and open my mouth to him, needing him like I¡¯ve never needed anything in my life. The kiss is hungry and hard, both of us way too far gone to take it slow.


    I want bruised lips and a body so sore I can barely walk tomorrow. I want to carry memories of tonight all over my skin, little physical reminders that I can look at and recall exactly what Ryder was doing to me when it happened. I don¡¯t want to forget a second of any of this.


    Ryder groans when I give his tongue a hard suck and a thrill runs through me at knowing I¡¯m the one to break this big, strong man and reduce him to the beast he¡¯s be, so fucking eager and desperate to rut me like a fucking animal.


    He tightens his grip on my hair, making my scalp scream in protest as my hips arch up to him for more. He kisses his way down my neck, stopping to give my shoulder a hard enough bite to make me gasp before kissing and licking his way to my exposed tit. When he wraps his lips around me, surrounding me with the wet heat of his mouth, I lift my head to the night sky and run my hands through his hair, pressing him harder against me.


    While he sucks on my tit, he unties the back of my bikini top, letting it fall to the ground before sliding his hands down my waist and doing the same to the strings at my sides. When I¡¯m naked, he lets out a groan and gives my nipple a hard bite before kissing his way to my other one. I¡¯m so wet I can barely stand it, and the feel of his tongue and teeth on my nipple while he roughly cups and massages my other tit is making it impossible for me to think about anything except getting him inside me.


    ¡°Please,¡± I beg, gripping his hair hard enough for it to hurt. He growls against my tit and sucks me harder. ¡°Please, Ryder, I can¡¯t take it anymore.¡±


    He gives my tit onest hard suck before releasing me. The wild glint in his eyes is making it impossible to be still. I wrap my arms around his broad shoulders and press my naked body against his.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to take whatever the fuck I want to give you, little virgin.¡±


    I shake my head yes, fully onboard with whatever the hell he wants to do to me. He grabs onto my hips and lifts me onto the hood of his car. Spreading my knees wide, he eyes my pussy like a fucking starving man before lowering his head between my legs. For one brief moment, everything slows down and he gently nuzzles my pussy, pressing his nose against me as he breaths me in and lets out a deep groan.


    His fingers tighten on my waist, and when he lifts his eyes to mine, I know the sweet moment is over and that it¡¯s about to get rough.


    ¡°If you ever steal my car again, I¡¯m going to tie you up and spank your little pussy until you¡¯re crying and begging me to stop.¡±


    The image has me moaning and rocking my pussy up to him.


    ¡°Promise?¡± I ask, giving him a wink.


    ¡°Fucking hell,¡± he groans before burying his face in my bald, little cunt. He doesn¡¯t just kiss and lick my pussy. He fucking devours it. Each sharp flick of his tongue is another reminder that he owns me and that I¡¯m more than willing to do whatever it takes to get more. I¡¯ve never been so happy to give someoneplete control over me.


    When he slides his tongue into me and starts to fuck me with it, I throw my head back and fall onto my forearms, never wanting this moment to end. I fall back even more when he gives a growl and tightens his grip on the backs of my thighs, lifting me and spreading me even wider for his voracious mouth.

 Chapter 8

    I don¡¯t even care that we¡¯re on a road that someone could drive down any minute or that I¡¯m spread open on a car with a man more than twice my age tongue-fucking me. All I care about is getting more. The way he has me pinned makes it impossible for me to rock my hips. I let out a frustrated moan that had him digging his fingers into me even harder, holding me in ce and making me take whatever he wanted to give me. He brings me right to the edge, and as I¡¯m about to tip over, he pulls back from my clit, making me smack my hand against his car.


    ¡°Watch yourself,¡± he growls at me from my cunt. ¡°You put a dent in my car and I¡¯ll make your ass so sore you won¡¯t be able to sit for a week.¡± I can¡¯t help but smile at his words which earns me a soft bite on my clit.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I yelled, shocked by the quick rush of pain.


    Heughs and gives my clit a gentle kiss, licking me until all I¡¯m feeling is pleasure again. Iy back on his hood and cup my tits, massaging them in my hand and pinching my nipples as he licks and kisses my pussy until I¡¯m screaming his name and bucking against him like the wild woman he¡¯s turned me into.


    His feral groans mix with the sound of my sloppy wet cunt, filling the air around us and bringing me close to the edge again. He takes no pity on my overly sensitive clit. Wrapping his lips around my swollen nub, he gives me a hard suck, forcing another orgasm onto me as pain and pleasure thunder through me until I¡¯m squirming and writhing on his car and so fucking lost to the sensations that all I can do is whimper incoherently and gasp for air.


    When I start toe down, he takes pity on me and lets my clit go, kissing and licking his way down my wet slit as I hear the unmistakable sound of his zipper being pulled down. Rough hands grab onto my waist, hauling me up before I¡¯m turned and bent over his car with my ass in the air. He fists my hair, yanking my head back and bringing his mouth to mine. I feel the hard length of his cock pressing against my wet slit, taunting me with the promise of how good it¡¯s going to feel but also of how badly it¡¯s going to hurt.


    The rough, dominant kiss and the way he¡¯s squeezing my tit while fisting my hair even harder tells me everything I need to know. He¡¯s going to make this hurt, and knowing that has me so wet that I¡¯m soaking the thick shaft of his cock, making it super easy to rock my pussy against him.


    ¡°Is this what you want?¡± he whispers against my lips. ¡°You¡¯ve been so fucking hungry for my cock, little girl, are you sure you¡¯re ready for it now?¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I beg, rocking harder against him, knowing I could easily cum like this if he¡¯d let me.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to keep you like this and take you from behind, and I¡¯m warning you now, my sweet little virgin, I¡¯m not in the mood for gentle.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I practically purr. ¡°If I wanted gentle, Ryder, I would¡¯ve just fucked someone my age. I want it rough, and I know you¡¯re the man who can give me what I need.¡±


    He groans and gives my bottom lip a sharp bite that¡¯s hard enough to break the skin. ¡°That¡¯s not the only ce I¡¯m going to bleed tonight.¡±


    I whimper and moan at his words as he drags his tongue along my bottom lip.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to breed the living fuck out of you, little girl.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I moan, rocking my hips against him even harder.


    ¡°Tell me who this pussy belongs to,¡± he growls, lining the thick head of his cock against my soaking wet slit. He gives my nipple a hard pinch, making it impossible for me to speak for a second. When I don¡¯t answer fast enough, he pinches me harder and brings his mouth to my ear. ¡°Tell me, little virgin.¡±


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I moan, already so close to cumming. ¡°You, it belongs to you, Ryder.¡±


    ¡°Only me?¡± he asks before giving my earlobe a soft suck.


    ¡°Yes, fuck yes, only you.¡±


    ¡°Good girl,¡± he growls, before mming his cock into me, tearing through my innocence and spreading me wider than I ever thought possible. Even though I knew it wasing, I was still not prepared for the shock of it. I scream and arch my body back against him as he fucks me hard and fast.


    I¡¯m pinned tightly between the car and his powerful body, forced to take every brutal, hard thrust of his cock and loving every fucking second of it. He pulls my hair tighter and growls in my ear.


    ¡°Show me what a good little slut you are, baby. Show me how much you like my big dick in your tight little pussy.¡±


    His words have me moaning and rocking against him as best I can. He gives the crook of my neck a sharp bite before pushing my upper body against the hood of his car, hisrge hand syed across my back, holding me in ce. My tits are smashed against the hard metal of his car, and when he brings his other hand to my clit, I let out a whimper and feel my body already starting to tense in anticipation.


    His cock never slows down. He keeps up the same brutal, hard pace as he rubs my clit, quickly pushing me over the edge until I¡¯m screaming his name and clenching my pussy even tighter around him. He groans and ms his cock into me even harder, resisting the urge to give in to his release.


    When I¡¯m gasping and moaning and can barely remember my damn name, he brings his wet fingers to my asshole and starts to rub my forbidden hole, sparking every never ending I never knew I had to live.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t think I was just going to fuck your little pussy did you?¡±


    I whimper at his words, still unable to speak, but I arch my ass up to him in invitation, making him give a softugh.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if my little slut likes having both her holes fucked.¡±

 Chapter 9

    RYDER


    Roxie shakes her head, yes, whimpering and moaning as she rocks against me, desperate for anything I want to give her. I watch her, gritting my teeth to keep from busting a damn nut. She¡¯s so fucking perfect. When she¡¯d stolen my car, I¡¯d never been more turned on in my life. I¡¯d been pissed, too, but there¡¯s no denying her bratty ways get me hard as fucking steel. Plus, teaching her a lesson has proven to be more fun than even I imagined it could be.


    When I slide one finger into her ass, she lets out a sexy gasp and tries to raise off the car. I press against her even harder, her small body as I slide my entire finger into herst virgin hole.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I groan when I¡¯m up to my second knuckle and she¡¯s wiggling her body and clenching her perfect little pussy even tighter around my cock. ¡°You like that, baby?¡±


    She whimpers and moans a breathy ¡°yes¡± that has me so close to cumming I can barely stand it. There¡¯s a bright full moon tonight, and I¡¯ve never been more grateful for anything in my life. It¡¯s enough light to let me see my cock pounding into her sweet cunt and my finger filling her tight ass. When I slide another finger into her, spreading her wider than she¡¯s ever been, she lets out a sexy gasp and turns her head to try and see me.


    ¡°More,¡± she begs, making me want to spank her and fuck her even harder.


    I slide my hand down her back and dig my fingers into her hips as I scissor my fingers inside her tight little pucker, spreading and stretching her so she¡¯ll be ready to take my cock. When she starts to raise, I m my cock into her hard enough to have her falling back down.


    ¡°Tits on the car, beautiful,¡± I growl at her. ¡°You fuckingy there and take what I give you. Show me what a good little fuckdoll you can be.¡±


    She moans and rocks against me like the good little slut she is as I work her ass and pussy until she¡¯s shaking and whimpering, and I know all it would take is me dragging a wet finger over her swollen, achy clit to make her scream my name. I fuck her harder, sliding my hand from her hip to slowly wrap around her t stomach, the one that¡¯s going to be swollen with my baby very soon. The whole fucking world is going to know who this feisty little girl belongs to.


    ¡°Are you ready for my cum, little slut?¡± I ask, slowly sliding my fingers down to her pussy.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she moans, fisting her small hands and gasping for air. ¡°Fill my little pussy up, Ryder. Give me everything you¡¯ve got.¡±


    With a groan, I run my fingers over her clit, giving her slippery nub a soft pinch that has her screaming my name and clenching so tightly around my cock that I¡¯m helpless to resist. Her little ass and pussy mp down around me, sending me over the edge with a feral growl. I fuck her at a brutal pace, feeling my cock pulse inside her as I shoot my load into my sweet girl, filling her up and making her mine.


    Her small body shakes beneath me, but I don¡¯t stop. I keep rubbing her clit, forcing another orgasm onto her, forcing her to take whatever the fuck I want to give, and sheps it up like a fucking bitch in heat.


    ¡°Yes, Ryder, fuck yes!¡± she screams into the night air, bucking against me as best she can, wanting everything I can give her.


    With onest hard thrust, I bury myself inside her, locking our bodies together as her little pussy spasms around my cock, milking me of everyst drop until I¡¯mpletely spent. My ears ring and I¡¯m breathing like I just sprinted a goddamn mile. No other woman has ever made me feel this way, and I wish I could keep my cock buried inside her forever. I slide my fingers out of her ass, giving one round cheek a well-done pat that earns me another soft moan. God, I love what a little praise whore she is.


    Leaning over her body, I kiss and lick her shoulder, kissing my way to her face. She¡¯s panting and letting out soft little whimpers, and I can feel her small body trembling beneath mine. I circle my fingers around her clit, giving her a chance to recover as I kiss her gently, smiling when she immediately opens her mouth to me, sliding her tongue in to meet mine. She tastes so fucking good. Every part of her tastes so fucking good, and I know I¡¯ll never be able to get enough.


    ¡°How¡¯s your little pussy doing?¡± I ask before giving her bottom lip a soft suck.


    She smiles and lets out a soft moan. ¡°Sore,¡± she says with a softugh, ¡°but you feel so fucking good that I don¡¯t care. I want to be sore from your cock, Ryder. I want my pussy to be sore and dripping your seed every fucking day.¡±


    ¡°God, you¡¯re such a good little girl,¡± I murmur against her lips. ¡°Are you ready for me to fill your tight little ass, too?¡±


    ¡°God, yes,¡± she moans, making me fully hard again. ¡°Fuck,¡± she whimpers, rocking against me as I slowly start to fuck her sore little pussy again.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be a handful, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Sheughs and shakes her head yes. ¡°You have no idea, Ryder.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to keep your bratty ass in line.¡± I slowly slide out of her tight cunt and press the head of my cock against her sweet little pucker. ¡°And I¡¯m going to start by fucking it.¡±


    She whimpers and sucks in a quick breath when I press harder against her. I¡¯m soaked in our cum, so it¡¯s not difficult to push past her body¡¯s natural resistance and slide the head of my cock into her.


    ¡°Fuck, baby, you¡¯re so goddamn tight.¡±


    ¡°Spread me wide then, Ryder, fuck and im my little virgin ass.¡±

 Chapter 10

    I groan at her words, loving how much she enjoys taunting me and getting under my skin. When I slide my cock in another couple of inches, she gasps and squints her eyes shut. I press my forehead to hers and cup her face, slowly feeding her my cock.


    ¡°Just rx, baby. I¡¯ve got you.¡±


    She gives a small shake of her head and takes in a slow, deep breath. I feel her ass rx the tiniest bit, but she¡¯s still tight as hell. I rub her clit gently, helping her body to rx as pleasure starts to build in her again. She whimpers as I feed her more of my cock, but when I slide two fingers into her used little pussy, she moans and rocks gently against me. When I finally hit bottom and I¡¯m buried balls deep inside her, she lets out a soft squeal and bites her bottom lip. Tears slip from her eyes, and when the sight of them has my cock pulsing inside her, she shoots me a re that has meughing.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, beautiful. I can¡¯t help it. The sight of you crying as I spread your ass wide, even as you arch your hips up for more is the sexiest fucking thing I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± I kiss her softly while I slowly finger her. ¡°Does my girl want it sweet this time?¡±


    She moans when I very slowly start to fuck her, running my tongue over her full pouty lips as I finger-fuck her tight little cunt. Every thrust of my fingers has me hitting her clit, and it¡¯s not long at all before she¡¯s rocking harder against me and moaning my name.


    ¡°Fuck, Ryder,¡± she gasps. ¡°Please, I need more, please give me more.¡±


    I smile against her lips and keep on teasing her until her whole body is shaking, and I can see the very familiar, pissed-off look in her pretty blue eyes.


    ¡°When will you learn, sweetheart? You don¡¯t get to boss me around.¡±


    I slide my cock back into her tight ass, slowing down even more as I keep working her pussy, bringing her right to the edge without letting her go over.


    ¡°You feel this big cock fucking your sweet little ass?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she moans, begging me with her eyes to give her what she so desperately needs.


    ¡°It¡¯s in charge, baby, not you.¡±


    ¡°Please, Ryder,¡± she pleads, making me smile.


    ¡°God, I love to hear you beg,¡± I moan against her lips. ¡°Tell me what you want, little slut. Let me hear it.¡±


    I give her clit a sharp smack before thrusting my fingers back into her.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± she moans. Her eyes are ssy and heavy-lidded with her pouty lips parted in a gasp, and she¡¯s so fucking sexy I can barely think.


    ¡°I want you to fuck my ass harder,¡± she whines. ¡°I want to feel like I¡¯m being split in two as you work me hard and fast. I want you fucking both my holes, filling me up until I can barely breathe, and I want you to cum in my ass, Ryder. I want to feel every hot shot of your seed as you im my little ass and make it yours.¡±


    ¡°Fuck, baby,¡± I groan against her lips.


    ¡°Make me so sore I can¡¯t sit down without remembering every hard thrust you gave me. Your little slut wants it rough, Ryder.¡±


    I¡¯m unable to resist her words or the feel of her writhing young body beneath mine. With a growl, I give my girl what she wants and start to fuck her ass in a hard, fast rhythm that nearly sends me over the edge. I know I¡¯m not going tost long with the way her tight little ass is clenched around me.


    Finger-fucking her harder, I slide over her clit with each stroke until she¡¯s whimpering and pleading with her eyes for me to let her cum. When I kiss her hard and squeeze her swollen clit, she screams against my mouth as her pussy and ass tighten around me, taking me with her.


    I growl and bury my cock in her ass, locking us together as my cock pulses inside her, filling her tight little ass with my seed. Each shot sends another wave of pleasure roaring through me, blinding me with the intensity of it until I¡¯m finally empty and we¡¯re both gasping and covered in sweat.


    ¡°Holy fuck,¡± I say with augh, kissing her dazed, smiling face.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Izily rub her clit as she whimpers and gives me a loopy grin. Her I just came hard face is fucking adorable. I give her another kiss before slowly sliding my cock out of her used, sore ass. She lets out a soft whimper of protest, but when I hurry up and pick her up, wrapping her in my arms, she quiets down and cuddles into me.


    ¡°God, you are the best possible pain in the ass in the world.¡±


    Sheughs and runs her hand over my cheek. ¡°If you weren¡¯t so damn stubborn, you could¡¯ve been fucking me for weeks now.¡±


    I smile and hold her tighter. ¡°I guess I have a lot of fucking to make up for.¡±


    ¡°You bet your ass you do.¡±


    Laughing, I carefully set her down and picked up her discarded bikini. ¡°Time to get you home, baby. I¡¯m going to want to fuck you again very soon.¡±


    ¡°Want me to drive?¡± she asks, giving me a wicked grin.


    ¡°Fuck no. I heard what you did to my transmission on the way here.¡±


    Just the memory has me cringing. ¡°I¡¯m taking you home on the bike, and I¡¯ll call a couple of buddies toe and get the car.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re done fighting me?¡± she asks, tugging on her tight bikini and making me groan at the sight of her.


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re mine now, sweetheart.¡± I give her a wink as I tuck my cock back in my jeans. ¡°I may still spank your ass when you¡¯re being a brat, though.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll remember that,¡± she says, giving me a wicked grin that has meughing. God, she¡¯s going to be the best kind of handful. I pull her toward me, loving how perfectly her body fits against mine. She may be a handful, but she¡¯s mine, and I¡¯m never letting her go.

 Chapter 11

    MY FRENCH DADDY


    NATALIE


    I¡¯m so excited I can barely breathe. I¡¯ve checked over my bags a thousand times, making sure I haven¡¯t forgotten anything, and I¡¯m just waiting for my best friend and her unbelievably sexy dad to pick me up. I¡¯ve been in love with my best friend¡¯s dad for as long as I can remember.


    Ate and her dad moved here from Paris when I was in the fourth grade. We¡¯ve been best friends ever since. I helped her learn English, and I spent just about every weekend over at their house. During the summer, they always spend a month in Paris, and ever since we were little, her dad has been promising to take me along as soon as I turned 18. Well, guess who just turned 18st month?


    I¡¯ve spent my teenage years living like a damn nun because the idea of letting someone else touch me made me feel sick. The boys I went to high school with did absolutely nothing for me. How could they when I had Ate¡¯s dad topare them to? Everyone ended up falling short. I¡¯m so tired of waiting though. I¡¯ve got 30 days to make him understand that I¡¯m the only woman for him.


    When I hear the doorbell ring, I take a deep breath and grab my bags. I¡¯m so nervous I can barely get my feet to move. I make it halfway down the stairs when I get my first glimpse of him. Luc Benoit stands in the open doorway, talking to my parents, and my heart melts at the sight of him. I can¡¯t hear what he¡¯s saying, but I can hear the French ent, and it lights my whole body on fire. He¡¯s tall, with a sculpted, broad chest that would make any man envious and any woman drool over. His dark hair is long enough to always make me have to fight the urge to run my fingers through it. It just looks so damn silky soft. He¡¯s clean shaven today, giving me an unobstructed view of that chiseled jaw of his, and the moment he lifts his brown us up to mine, I forget to breathe. I just stand there like an idiot, frozen on the stairs.


    He gives me a sexy grin that has my knees feeling weak, and I¡¯m sure the smile I¡¯m giving him is probably way over the top, but I can¡¯t help it. He just makes me so fucking happy. In the next second, Ate rushes into the house and gives me a huge hug, squealing in happiness.


    ¡°This is going to be so amazing!¡± she says with a big grin on her face. Like a lot of bilingual kids, she speaks bothnguages perfectly. Her ent onlyes out when she¡¯s really tired or really pissed.


    She grabs some of my bags as I return her smile. When we get to the front door, my parents pull me into a big hug and repeat the same warnings they¡¯ve been drilling into me for days. Be careful, don¡¯t go out by myself, don¡¯t drink, keep hold of my passport, and on and on.


    ¡°I promise she will be safe,¡± Luc says. ¡°You have my cell number, and you can call me anytime, day or night. I won¡¯t let anything happen to her.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    I smile at his words, almost believing there¡¯s a bit of possessiveness behind them, but I know I¡¯m probably just hearing what I want to. Giving my parents onest hug goodbye, I start to walk past Luc, but the feel of his hand on my shoulder stops me. Goosebumps rise all over my skin, and my cheeks heat up when I realize he probably sees them. He slides the heavy bag off my shoulder and puts it on his own.


    Looking up into his gorgeous brown eyes, I manage to whisper a quick, ¡°Thanks,¡± before walking to the waiting car on very shaky legs. To say Luc is rich would be an understatement. Hispany is massively sessful in both the U. S. and France, and he often travels between the two countries several times a year. Because of the frequent trips, he prefers to use a private jet. I¡¯ve never been on a ne at all, let alone a luxurious private one. I have no idea what to expect. I just hope I don¡¯t embarrass the hell out of myself. I want him to think of me as a sophisticated woman, but I feel very much like an inexperienced kid.


    The driver takes our bags and puts them in the trunk while the three of us get into the back. I sit next to Ate with her dad taking the seat across from us. He¡¯s not in one of his fancy suits today. Instead, he¡¯s wearing jeans and a ck T-shirt, and he manages to make it look just as sexy. I love that about him, that he can look just as at ease in an Armani suit as he can a pair of blue jeans. He may be rich as fuck, but he¡¯s not the kind of man who¡¯s content to sit behind a polished desk and let himself be pampered.


    I try not to stare at the way his shirt hugs his biceps and chest, or the way his tanned forearms look stronger than any other man¡¯s I¡¯ve ever seen. I know I¡¯m failing when I look up and see him looking at me with an amused grin on his face. Fuck, we¡¯re not even ten minutes into the damn trip, and I¡¯ve already been caught out for ogling him.


    Ate¡¯s excited voice pulls our attention to her, and we spend the rest of the ride to the airport talking about our ns for the next month. There are so many ces I want to see and foods I want to taste. I don¡¯t want to waste a second of this trip, especially when ites to Luc. That¡¯s where I really need to keep my focus, which shouldn¡¯t be a problem since I can¡¯t stop thinking about him.


    When we reach the airport it¡¯s dark, but the airport is lit up enough for me to be able to see. I can¡¯t help but gawk at the private jet waiting for us. Ateughs at my expression and gets out of the car, already running off to board the ne. Luc waits and offers me his hand, helping me from the car. Hisrge hand engulfs mine, and a shiver of pleasure races through me. His hands are gorgeous, the kind of hands that immediately have me imagining them all over my naked body.


    ¡°Are you excited?¡± he asks me.


    There¡¯s something about his question that surprises me, something about the way he¡¯s looking at me that makes me think he¡¯s talking about way more than the trip to France. My nipples are hard, and my panties are soaked, so I answer honestly.


    ¡°Very.¡±


    He studies me for a second longer before giving me a sexy grin.


    ¡°Good,¡± he finally says, running his thumb along the palm of my hand.


    He doesn¡¯t let go like I¡¯m expecting him to. Instead, he keeps his eyes locked on mine, watching my reaction to his touch. His eyes drift down, noticing the way my nipples are easily visible through my shirt, before bringing them to my lips that are now slightly parted, before finally meeting my eyes.


    I can only imagine what they¡¯re telling him. I imagine he¡¯s seeing every dirty thought that¡¯s racing through my brain right now because he slowly gives me a wicked smile that has me letting out a small moan. His eyebrows arch at the sound of it, but he doesn¡¯t say anything, just lets his fingers slide along my inner wrist and palm before dropping his hand.


    Before he turns away, he says, ¡°I look forward to spending the month with you, Natalie,¡± leaving me standing there more aroused than I¡¯ve ever been and just as surprised.


    The chauffeur has to give a gentle cough to get my attention, and I¡¯m so embarrassed that all I can do is say a quick thanks and rush to the ne. My nerves don¡¯t calm down once I¡¯m inside. All I can think is Holy Fuck!


    Luxurious doesn¡¯t even begin to describe this. There are plush recliner-type seats that look morefortable than any bed I¡¯ve ever seen, a table for our meals that will easily fit the three of us, a bathroom with all the amenities you could possibly need, and there¡¯s even a bedroom toward the back of the ne.


    Once I¡¯m done looking around, I drop the backpack I want to keep with me next to one of the plush seats and sit. Ate takes the seat across from me and Luc walks off to speak to the pilots, but when hees back, he surprises me by sitting in the one right next to me. When he rests his arm on the side, I can¡¯t help but immediately do the same. We¡¯re not touching, but it¡¯s close, and it makes me happier than it probably should.


    I can¡¯t help but notice the gorgeous flight attendanting our way. She¡¯s tall and blonde and all smiles and perfection. The look she gives Luc has my stomach twisting into knots. I can¡¯t help but wonder if she¡¯s always the flight attendant he uses. Did he specifically ask for her? Has he fucked her? All kinds of thoughts rush through my head, and I know it¡¯s not my business and that obviously he¡¯s been with other women, but I can¡¯t help feeling the way that I do.


    ¡°Monsieur Benoit,¡± she says, and then rattles of who knows what in what sounds like perfect French.


    He responds, making me squirm a bit in my seat. God, I love hearing him speak French. I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s saying, but it sounds pretty damn good to me.


    Switching to English, he says, ¡°Carmen, this is Natalie, our guest on the flight. Please make sure she has whatever she wants.¡±


    Carmen turns to me, and her grin isn¡¯t quite as big as it was when she was staring at Luc. ¡°Of course. Would you like a drink before we take off?¡±


    Ate and I both ask for a soda and when shees back, Luc says, ¡°Thank you, Carmen. We¡¯ll let you know when we need anything else.¡±


    She doesn¡¯t look pleased by his remark, but she hides it with a smile and quickly walks back to the cockpit, disappearing behind the closed door.


    ¡°Oh my god, could she be any more obvious?¡± Ate groans. ¡°She was totally trying to get your attention, Dad.¡±


    ¡°Well, as long as she doesn¡¯t cross the line, she can try all she wants. I¡¯m not interested, and I¡¯ve made that perfectly clear.¡±


    I take a drink to try and hide my huge grin, but I think he sees it, because when I look over, he¡¯s giving me the sweetest look. The chocte brown of his eyes looks almost amber under the overhead lights, and he has the longestshes I¡¯ve ever seen on a man.


    Luckily, Ate seems to be oblivious to everything that¡¯s going on. Of course, maybe nothing is going on. Maybe he looks at everyone this way. I have zero experience with boys, let alone grown men, so what the hell do I know?


    When the pilot announces that we¡¯re about to take off, we buckle up, and I stare past Luc and out the window excitedly. I didn¡¯t choose the window seat on purpose because I was afraid it might make me too nervous, but now I want to see everything. It¡¯s dark, so there¡¯s not much to see, but I love how the airport is so lit up.


    Lucughs at my excitement and watches me as I watch the airport. Since I¡¯m leaning over a bit, our faces are so close, and I have the sudden crazy urge to just turn my face and kiss him. I dismiss it as soon as ites into my head. I mean, it would be crazy. Ate is right across from us. But even with all that, I can¡¯t deny how much I want to do it.


    When I feel the ne start to speed up, I sit back and grip the arm rest so hard my knuckles turn white. It¡¯s exhrating to feel us start to take off, but also scary as fuck. We keep rising, and I keep gripping. Finally, Luc ces his hand over mine and gives me a gentle pat.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he says, and his deep, ented voice immediately starts to work its magic. I feel myself rxing my grip. ¡°You¡¯re perfectly safe, I promise.¡±


    And I believe him. I know he¡¯d never let anything happen to me, so I rx fully into my seat and say, ¡°Thanks. It¡¯s my first time flying.¡± ¡°You¡¯re doing great,¡± he says, giving me a wink.


    Once we¡¯re in the air, Ate says, ¡°Dad, can we get supper?¡±


    ¡°Sure, honey.¡± He pushes a call button and Carmen immediately opens the cockpit door and walks to us.


    When she¡¯s standing next to us, Luc says, ¡°We¡¯d like to go ahead and get supper, Carmen.¡± He turns to me and asks, ¡°Natalie, are you okay with steak?¡±

 Chapter 12

    I give a quick shake of my head, and even manage to give Carmen a smile. I like her a lot more now that I know Luc isn¡¯t interested in her. She smiles back, even if it doesn¡¯t reach her eyes, and leaves to go and prepare our meals.


    We sit around the table, and I¡¯m expecting cafeteria-style food, but Carmen sets down three tes that look absolutely mouthwatering. My steak is cooked to perfection, and I¡¯ve also been given a baked potato and a mix of steamed vegetables. She tops off our sodas and sets a ss of red wine down in front of Luc.


    ¡°Wow,¡± I say after my first bite. ¡°This is delicious.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you like it,¡± Luc says, cutting into his own steak.


    His manners are impable, and I can¡¯t help staring a bit at how gracefully he cuts his steak and brings the fork to his mouth. He has full, kissable lips, and I want to lick the steak juice right off them. What the hell is the matter with me? I know I¡¯m horny. Hell, I¡¯m busting at the seams with lust, but this is getting downright absurd. I¡¯m starting to fear for his safety. What if I reach the point where I just can¡¯t control myself and I jump him? Most importantly, why in the fuck didn¡¯t I take the time to get myself off before they arrived to pick me up? I¡¯d been so busy packing, but cumming would have certainly taken the edge off things.


    I focus all my energy on the food and end up eating every damn thing.


    Luc eyes my empty te with a grin on his face. ¡°Dessert?¡±


    Ate answers before I can. ¡°Yes! Did you remember the chocte mousse?¡±


    Heughs and says, ¡°Of course. How could I ever forget?¡±


    Turning to me, he gestures toward Ate with his wine ss. ¡°When she was little, all she wanted to eat was chocte mousse. I forgot to make sure it was on the flight.¡± He lets out another deep chuckle. ¡°I swear she cried the whole damn way.¡±


    ¡°I did not!¡± Ate says,ughing.


    ¡°Oh, I think you did. I should know, I¡¯m the one who held you and tried to console you for eight straight hours.¡± He looks at me, and his eyes are bright withughter. ¡°Needless to say, I¡¯ve never forgotten the mousse again.¡±


    ¡°Mousse does sound good,¡± I admit, still trying to sate my sexual desire with food.


    As if on cue, Carmenes out and clears our table before setting our desserts down. The mousse is served in pretty sses with whipped cream and extra chocte drizzled on top. I swallow a big spoonful of it and can¡¯t help but moan in appreciation. I sense Luc¡¯s body still beside me and see his grip tighten on his spoon.


    Maybe all my hormones have finally gone to my head, but somethinges over me. I want to know if his reaction is because of me. Could my moan have done that to him? With Ate sidetracked by something on her phone, I let out another moan as I wrap my lips around the spoon, slowly pulling it out before turning to look at him. The heat in his eyes almost makes me drop my spoon. There¡¯s no denying it, not when I¡¯m looking at the proof of it just a few inches away from me. His eyes lock on my lips as I lick them clean, and as if I¡¯ve been possessed by some bold, lusty demoness, I bring my hand under the table and rest it on his thigh.


    His eyes widen, but he doesn¡¯t say anything, and, most importantly, he doesn¡¯t push my hand away. I¡¯m fully aware that I have no idea what the hell I¡¯m doing, but I know I don¡¯t want to stop. Taking another bite so I don¡¯t look too suspicious to Ate, I very slowly slide my hand up his thigh, and when my hand hits something very big and very hard, my spoon drops,nding on the table with a loud rattle. Swallowing the mousse too quickly, I start coughing and want to just slide under the table and disappear.


    I jerk my hand away, feeling my face heat up as Luc¡¯s deepugh rolls over me. Ate looks up to see what all the fuss is about, but I just give her a sheepish smile and pick my spoon back up, coughing a few more times before I get it under control.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Luc asks, his voice is low and sexy and not helping me to calm down at all. ¡°Was that a bigger mouthful than you were expecting?¡±


    ¡°Yes, way bigger,¡± I admit because, fuck yes, it is. I had no idea dicks could even get that big!


    His deepugh at my answer is like a jolt straight to my pussy. My god, how in the hell am I going to survive this trip? I manage to not make another scene and finish my dessert with my hands on the table, safely away from Luc¡¯s enormous cock.


    I¡¯m feeling pretty proud of my restraint when Ate stretches and says, ¡°Do you guys mind if I take the bed? I can never getfortable on these chairs, and you know how grumpy I am if I don¡¯t get my sleep.¡±


    Iugh because grumpy is putting it nicely. It¡¯s not until she grabs her bag and heads off to the bedroom, firmly shutting the door behind her, that I realize what this means. I¡¯m going to be sleeping mere inches from Luc. To hide my embarrassment, I grab my bag and slip into the bathroom.


    The bathroom on this jet is nicer than any hotel bathroom I¡¯ve ever been in, so I take my time. I shower, marveling at the fact that I¡¯m showering while lifted thousands of feet above the earth. When I¡¯m done, I decide to sleep in yoga pants and an old graphic tee. Not too revealing, but form fitting enough to still give him something to look at. If he wants to look, that is. I¡¯m still not sure exactly what he¡¯s thinking. Just because he was hard doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s in love with me, I remind myself as I brush my teeth.


    I walk back out to my seat and see Luc sitting in the same one he was in earlier, the one connected to mine. He¡¯s rxed with one ankle propped over his knee, a book in one hand and a small, round ss filled with amber liquid in the other. He gives me a warm smile when he sees me before running his eyes over my body. My nipples immediately harden under his gaze, and I watch as his hand tightens around his ss when he notices.


    Sinking down into my chair, I smile when he sets his book aside and grabs the nket he¡¯s already gotten for me from one of the other seats and hands it to me.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I say, making myself cozy.


    ¡°Try and get some sleep.¡± He takes a drink of the amber liquid and gives me a smile that has my nice clean panties already soaked. ¡°I hope you have pleasant dreams.¡±


    I recline the chair a bit and cuddle up on my side so I can fall asleep looking at him. I smile when he adjusts my nket so I¡¯m more fully covered and gives my knee a pat. When he starts to take his hand away, I say a quick, ¡°No,¡± without thinking.


    He lifts a dark eyebrow at me but doesn¡¯t move his hand.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°Can you just keep it there while I fall asleep, please?¡±


    I can¡¯t stand the idea of him not touching some part of me. The idea of it is like a physical ache. I know it¡¯s crazy, and I know I¡¯ve no right to ask, but I need this contact, even if it is over a nket.


    ¡°Of course,¡± he finally says, giving my leg a gentle squeeze.


    ¡°Goodnight, Natalie.¡±


    ¡°Goodnight, Luc,¡± I say, my eyes already growing heavy.


    I want to stay awake just so I can watch him and because I don¡¯t want to miss a minute of being with him, but I¡¯m so exhausted, and I can¡¯t fight it any longer. I fall into a deep sleep filled with the most vivid sex dream of my life.

 Chapter 13

    LUC


    I watch Natalie as she sleeps. She¡¯s so gorgeous, I can¡¯t take my eyes off her. Her dark hair partially covers her cheek, and her lips are slightly parted, tempting me more than I¡¯ve ever been tempted before. I want nothing more than to pull her onto myp and bury my cock deep inside her. I want to watch her ride me, take her pleasure from me, and then I want to bend her over and fuck her so hard she can¡¯t walk afterward. The way her eyes had lit up when she¡¯d felt my cock earlier, god, that memory alone is enough to keep me hard for days. How in the hell am I going to survive this month?


    The feelings I have for my daughter¡¯s best friend have crossed over from interest to full-on obsession. Before she was 18, she was just Natalie, the sweet girl who was always over at our house and who had been best friends with my daughter since we moved here from France. All that changed once she became legal. It was like a flip switched and I saw her for the woman she is. Now, she¡¯s all I can think about. I know she finds me attractive. She wears her emotions all over her face and body, and I love seeing her face turn red when I look at her or when I catch her looking at me. I love how goosebumps will appear on her skin when I touch her, and I really love the desire I see in her blue eyes anytime our eyes meet.


    I want her like I¡¯ve never wanted anything or anyone in my life, but I¡¯m not just after a fling. One time with her could never be enough. I want to spend the rest of my life with her, taking care of her, fucking her, filling her with my seed, and I want to see that tight little stomach of hers fill with proof of my love and also proof to the whole world that I¡¯ve imed her and she¡¯s mine. It¡¯s all I can fucking think about.


    A soft moan draws me out of my thoughts. She turns her head and sighs, reaching down to grab onto my hand that¡¯s still resting on her knee. I wasn¡¯t about to take it away after she asked me to keep it there. I don¡¯t care if I have to sit like this until wend in Paris. I could never deny her anything.


    The feel of her hand on mine has my cock painfully hard again. She¡¯s still in a deep sleep, but her breathing has picked up. She lets out another small moan and grips my hand harder. At first I think she might be having a nightmare, but then I watch in amazement as she snakes her other hand under the nket. It disappears from view, but when her hips start moving and she starts moaning again, there¡¯s no denying what she¡¯s doing.


    Holy fuck!


    I still can¡¯t believe my eyes. All I can do is stare in absolute wonder as I watch her fuck herself in her sleep. Her moans are soft enough to not carry into the bedroom or the cockpit. It¡¯s like a private little show just for me. I wish I could see everything, though. I want to watch her finger slide in and out of her tight, wet pussy. I want to know what she¡¯s thinking about.


    I get my answer when I feel her body tense beneath my hand as she whispers, ¡°Luc,¡± before letting out another soft moan.


    I¡¯m frozen in ce, thrilled and excited that she¡¯s having a sex dream about me, and not just any sex dream. Apparently one so powerful that she¡¯s actually masturbating in her sleep. I can¡¯t help but wonder what all I¡¯m doing to her in it. What does she fantasize about me doing to her? I¡¯m dying to know and still thinking about it when I see her flutter her beautiful blue eyes open.


    She gives me the sweetest smile before she realizes she isn¡¯t still dreaming. I see the embarrassment hit her a second before she says, ¡°Oh my god!¡± and tries to jerk her hand away from mine.


    I gently grab it, keeping our connection and lean in closer to her.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I whisper. ¡°Please don¡¯t be embarrassed.¡±


    I¡¯m still holding onto her hand, so she slides the other one out to pull the nket over her face. When I see the way her fingers are glistening, a deep groan escapes me. All restraint leaves me as I lean closer and run my tongue over her wet fingers. The taste and smell of her pussy is like a jolt to my system, and I immediately want and need more.


    She lets out another soft moan when I suck two of her fingers into my mouth. My tongue runs over her, savoring the taste of her before hungrily cleaning every inch of her hand.


    ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    I lift my head when I hear her. The nket is pulled down, letting her peek over the edge, and the heat in her eyes nearly undoes me. I hadn¡¯t realized I¡¯d been speaking out loud, let alone in French. I give her fingers one more lick, keeping my eyes on her the entire time.


    ¡°I said that you taste just as sweet as I imagined you would and that I could happily spend the rest of my life worshipping your pussy.¡±


    Her eyes widen at my words, but there¡¯s no denying the rush of desire that floods through them. I gently tug the nket down so I can see the rest of her face. She gives me a shy smile and when I lean closer, she takes in a quick breath but holds my gaze.


    I hover my lips over hers and cup her sweet face in my hands.


    ¡°I¡¯ve thought about kissing you so many times,¡± I whisper against her lips.


    ¡°Me too,¡± she says, making me smile.


    I brush her bottom lip with my tongue before giving it a soft nibble. She reaches up to rest her hands over mine and shyly sticks her tongue out to run along my top lip. The feel of her drives me wild, and I deepen the kiss, needing to be inside her in any way that I can be. She opens her mouth to me, dancing her tongue along mine, moaning when I run it along the roof of her mouth.


    I can¡¯t get enough of her, and when I feel her reach down and toss the nket aside so she can crawl into myp, I offer no resistance. Wrapping my arms around her, I pull her close to me, groaning when she straddles myp and presses her pussy against my hard cock. She presses the palms of her hands against my cheeks, kissing me with a hunger that matches my own. Sliding my hands down her back, I cup her ass, grinding her into me even harder.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    By the time she pulls her head back, we¡¯re both gasping and needing so much more. I need to be buried inside her. It¡¯s an actual physical ache that goes way beyond my painful cock and the set of blue balls I¡¯m sporting.


    ¡°Luc,¡± she whispers against my lips. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening to me.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    She bites her lip as her cheeks grow even redder. Her fingers y with the cor of my shirt as she studies me.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never,¡± she stops and shrugs her small shoulders, ¡°you know,¡± she finally adds.


    ¡°Never what?¡± I ask because I really, really need to know.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never done anything, and I feel like I¡¯m going crazy. That was the first time I¡¯ve ever been kissed.¡± She lets out a small nervousugh. ¡°You¡¯re all I can think about. I think about you fucking me nonstop, and now I¡¯m so obsessed with it that I¡¯m actually making myself cum in my sleep. I think I¡¯m losing my mind.¡±


    She gives me a shaky smile and my heart melts. I can¡¯t believe I was her first kiss. I want to be her first everything. Her only everything.


    ¡°My perfect, sweet girl,¡± I say, cupping her cheek and running my thumb over her soft skin. ¡°I feel the same way about you, and you¡¯re not going crazy. I promise.¡±


    She leans her face into my palm and closes her eyes. When her hips begin to rock against me again, I ask, ¡°Do you want me to make it better?¡± ¡°God, yes,¡± she moans.


    ¡°Turn around,¡± I manage to say, wondering how I¡¯m going to do this while keeping my cock in check. I feel like I could explode at any second like some fucking teenager.


    She doesn¡¯t hesitate, just quickly turns around so her ass is on my cock and she¡¯s leaning against my chest. Brushing her hair aside, I give her neck a soft kiss, moaning at how damn good she smells and tastes.


    ¡°Do you want me to make you cum?¡± I whisper against her skin before running my tongue up her neck.


    ¡°Yes, please, yes,¡± she whimpers, digging her ass into my cock.

 Chapter 14

    I kiss her neck and slide my hands underneath her shirt, groaning when I cup her perky tits in my hands. Her nipples are rock hard and when I give them a little pinch, she moans so loudly I have to stop.


    ¡°I can either finger your pussy and y with your tits while you cum, or I can finger your pussy and stifle your screams with my other hand. Which do you prefer?¡± I ask, nibbling on her earlobe.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± she whispers. ¡°I want it all.¡±


    I smile against her skin. ¡°So you¡¯re a greedy girl?¡± ¡°Yes, very greedy,¡± she agrees in a breathy whisper.


    ¡°Good.¡±


    I give her nipple another hard pinch as I slide my other hand underneath her yoga pants and panties. She spreads her knees wider, eager for me to be inside her, and this time it¡¯s me whispering a sharp, ¡°Fuck!¡± when I feel how smooth and wet she is. Her bald little pussy feels a thousand times better than I¡¯d even imagined it would. My hand is instantly soaked, and when I slide a finger in between her folds, she reaches her arms up and grabs onto my head, running her fingers through my hair.


    She¡¯s so fucking tight that one finger feels like I¡¯m stretching her to the max. I can¡¯t imagine how she¡¯s going to take my cock, but I know she definitely will. There¡¯s no way in hell I¡¯m not going to im this little virgin pussy in every way imaginable.


    I let my teeth graze across her skin while I massage her tit and bring my finger up to her swollen clit. All it takes is a couple of firm rubs before she¡¯s cumming hard against me, rocking her hips and trying her damnedest to not scream. I give her shoulder a soft bite and her nipple a hard pinch, drawing out her orgasm until she¡¯s gasping and her limbs go soft.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re not satisfied with just one,¡± I tease, licking the crook of her neck. ¡°Because I¡¯m not even close to being done with you.¡± Sheughs and turns her head so she can look at me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll never be satisfied with just one.¡±


    The I just came hard is a good look on her, and I decide right then and there that my new mission in life is to make sure she always looks like this.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how much my girl can take then,¡± I say with a wicked grin before pressing my mouth to hers and sliding my tongue inside while doing the same with my finger.


    Her pussy immediately mps down on me as I fuck her with my finger. I keep my hand pressed tightly against her, rubbing her clit with the palm of my hand. Her kiss turns hungrier. She bucks against me, whimpering into my mouth, and when she cums again, I swallow her screams, never letting up on her clit so she¡¯s immediately cumming again.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± she whimpers against my lips, panting and dazed. Her eyes are zed over, and her muscles start to shake as I very slowly rub her clit in tight circles.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can take any more,¡± she says with azy smile.


    In her euphoria, she gives a small giggle, and it¡¯s the cutest damn thing I¡¯ve ever heard.


    I lift her top with my free hand and lean her back enough for me to bring my mouth to her tit. Looking up at her, I run my tongue over her hard nipple, making her gasp.


    ¡°Are you sure you can¡¯t take any more?¡± I ask, flicking her with my tongue.


    She gives me a big grin. ¡°I changed my mind.¡±


    ¡°You did?¡± I close my mouth around her tit and give her nipple a hard suck.


    She groans and grabs onto my head, keeping me pressed tightly against her.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she moans. ¡°I want you to make me cum. Please make me cum, Luc.¡±


    I love the way she says my name and the way her fingers are digging into my skull. She¡¯s eager and greedy for more, never taking her eyes off me as I kiss and suck on her tit. Rubbing her clit faster, I give her nipple a soft bite and suck hard when I feel her body tense. She holds my gaze as the orgasm hits her, letting me see her in this vulnerable moment, and I love her even more for this gift she¡¯s giving me. I stretch the orgasm out because I¡¯m enjoying the show too damn much to let it end. By the time I stop, she¡¯s gasping, sweaty, and so damn weak it¡¯s only my arms around her that¡¯s keeping her upright.


    Sliding my hand out of her pants, I lick and suck it clean, growling at the taste of her. I don¡¯t know how in the hell I¡¯ve managed to keep my cock in my pants, but it¡¯s not happy about it. She wiggles her ass against me which doesn¡¯t make my situation any easier to bear, but it¡¯s worth it just to feel her against me.


    ¡°What about you?¡± she asks.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡°What about me?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you need to cum, too?¡±


    She reaches a hand down and rests it on my cock.


    ¡°You¡¯re so big, bigger than I ever thought anyone could get.¡± I can¡¯t help but smile at her words and the awe in her voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s all because of you,¡± I say, kissing the top of her head. I gently move her hand from my cock and position her so I¡¯m cradling her in my arms and she¡¯s resting her head on my chest.


    ¡°You need to get some sleep, though. I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°But-¡±


    I cut her off and whisper against her skin, ¡°Natalie, I want nothing more than to bury my cock deep inside you and fuck you for hours, but I¡¯m trying to restrain myself because we¡¯re not alone. Please, just let me hold you while you sleep. I promise I¡¯ll be fine.¡± I wrap my arms tighter around her and add, ¡°For now.¡±


    She snuggles against me and lets out a happy sigh when I bring the nket up to cover us and kiss her forehead goodnight. Her body is so exhausted that it only takes a few minutes before her breathing is even and slow and she¡¯s back in a deep sleep.


    I know I need to put her in her own seat, but I can¡¯t bring myself to let go of her. Her small body fits against mine so perfectly, like she was made just for me. God, I¡¯m in way over my head with her. Now that I¡¯ve touched her, tasted her, felt her cum in my arms, I¡¯ll never be able to go on without her. I have to make her mine, fully and forever. There¡¯s no other option. I just hope she feels the same way about me and that it¡¯s not just some silly crush on her best friend¡¯s dad. Stroking her back, I look out the window, studying the darkness outside while Natalie sleeps soundly against my chest.


    Hopefully, by the time wend in Paris, my cock will have gone down enough so I can at least walk off the jet without too noticeable of a bulge.


    NATALIE


    I wake up in my own seat, and I have to bite back the disappointment. Ate is justing out of the bathroom, and before she gets to us, I feel a soft brush of fingers along my forearm. I would have thoughtst night was just a very vivid, very perfect dream if it wasn¡¯t for the heated look in Luc¡¯s eyes. He gives me a sexy wink and a wicked grin, making my whole body turn to mush again.


    The memory ofst night¡¯s orgasmses washing over me, and all I can think about is how I want more. Seeing the flush on my face has his eyes turning even darker, and I¡¯d give anything if we could be alone.


    ¡°How much longer do we have?¡± Ate asks, plopping in the chair across from me,pletely oblivious to how aroused her dad has just made me.


    ¡°We should bending very soon,¡± Luc says.


    When I look outside it¡¯s still dark, but I can tell dawn isn¡¯t too far off. I¡¯m so excited to see France that I can hardly sit still. Wanting to have everything ready when wend, I hurry up and use the bathroom. I change into a pair of shorts and a T-shirt and hurry up and brush my teeth. I¡¯ve just gotten back to my seat when the pilot announces that we need to buckle up for thending.


    I shoot Luc an excited grin, wishing I could crawl into hisp again.


    ¡°I hope you love France as much as I do,¡± he says.


    I stare into his beautiful brown eyes and say, ¡°I already do.¡±


    Thending is, thankfully, smooth and uneventful. When I step outside the jet, I take in my first lungful of French air and hear Lucugh behind me. I know I¡¯m being silly, but I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m in France!


    I¡¯m surprised when I hear is voice very close to my ear. ¡°I love how enthusiastic you are, my little one.¡±


    It¡¯s like an erotic embrace, and I find myself unconsciously leaning into him. It also doesn¡¯t escape my notice that he called me his little one, and that makes me happier than I can put into words. He dances his fingers along my spine before sliding them under my shirt so he can trace a path along the bare skin of my lower back.


    ¡°I look forward to seeing that same enthusiasm when we fuck.¡±


    I let out a soft groan at his words and the confident way in which he says them. Not if we fuck, but when. I¡¯d happily let him bend me over right here on the tarmac, but that might earn us a few odd looks, especially from Ate who¡¯s staring back at me wondering what¡¯s taking us so long.


    We walk to another waiting car and slip into the back as the driver loads up our bags. Since Luc travels to France so often, he keeps an apartment in Paris, and that¡¯s where we¡¯ll be staying. I can¡¯t wait to get a glimpse of his life here. I want to know everything about him.


    Ateughs at me when I practically press my face against the window, not wanting to miss a thing as we leave the airport. Even though it¡¯s still so early, I¡¯m still able to see all the amazing buildings with their old architecture. The city is beautiful, and I feel like I¡¯ve stepped back in time a bit. I¡¯m suddenly hungry to know everything about this ce. I want this to feel like home, I realize as I press my fingers against the window.


    ¡°Wow,¡± I say when we pull up to a gorgeous stone building with ck iron balconies, many of them overflowing with flower boxes blooming with gorgeous purple, blue, and yellow flowers.


    I¡¯m awestruck by the sight of this ce and feel very much like a country girl being brought to the city for the first time. Sticking close to Ate, I follow them inside, and we ride the elevator to one of the upper floors. Stepping out, I follow them to the apartment on the end and try very hard to hide my shock when I step into the most beautiful apartment I¡¯ve ever seen.


    There arerge windows spaced out over the entire far wall and a set of French doors that lead out to a ck iron balcony. I walk to them and look out over the early morning view. When I spot the Eiffel Tower, Iugh and point happily out the window.


    ¡°I can see the Eiffel Tower!¡± I practically squeal.


    Ate rolls her eyes good naturedly and Luc gives me a sweet smile,ing to join me by the window.


    ¡°It looks even better at night,¡± he says, opening the French doors and cing his hand on my back to lead me out on the balcony with him.


    Paris is fully awake now, and noises from the bustling city rise up to us.


    I spread my arms andugh at how beautiful it all is.


    ¡°This is amazing!¡± I say with a grin.


    ¡°I¡¯m so d you like it,¡± he says.


    ¡°Dad, they¡¯re here with our bags,¡± Ate hollers out to us. ¡°I¡¯ve left the tip by the door. Can you make sure they get it?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Ate calls on her way to answer the door.


    Luc takes the opportunity lean in and kiss me. It¡¯s quick but fierce, and when he pulls away, my head is spinning and my panties are wet. God, he drives me crazy. Will my body always react like this to him?


    ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to do that for hours,¡± he whispers against my lips before stepping back and leaning against the balcony railing.


    I don¡¯t think he¡¯s going to speak again, but then he looks at me and says, ¡°I need to talk to you, Natalie.¡±

 Chapter 15

    My heart drops at his words, fearing the worst. Does he regret what happened? Is he just wanting a fling? Can I even do that? I already know the answer to thest one. There¡¯s no way in hell I could ever just have a fling with Luc. I love him. I want to be with him for the rest of my life, and I never want anyone else to ever touch me. The idea of even kissing another man makes me feel sick.


    His face softens as he looks at me. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that, my sweet girl. It¡¯s nothing bad.¡±


    Before he can exin what it is he wants to talk about, Ate bursts onto the balcony with the phone held to her ear and an excited grin on her face. She says something in fast French, and I watch the conversation between them, trying like hell to judge what¡¯s going on by their bodynguage. I give up and wait for them to exin.


    They both turn to me as Ate switches to English.


    ¡°Oh my god, Natalie, you¡¯re never going to believe this! My mom wants me to go to Greece with her!¡± She jumps up and down and gives an excited squeal. ¡°You don¡¯t mind, do you? I know we were going to spend the whole month together, but she¡¯d already made reservations for the two of us before she realized you¡¯d being. It¡¯ll only be for two weeks.¡±


    She looks at me expectantly, and all I can think about is two weeks alone with her dad, so I let out a huge grin and say, ¡°Of course I don¡¯t mind! Wow, Greece. You¡¯re going to have so much fun! When do you leave?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s on her way to pick me up. I¡¯ve got to go pack!¡±


    She rushes off, leaving me and Luc grinning like a couple of idiots out on the beautiful balcony. My trip to Paris suddenly got a whole lot better. Ate calls for me, and I give Luc another smile before following the sound of Ate¡¯s voice to her bedroom. It¡¯s a beautiful room withrge windows like in the living room and a big, antique looking bed.


    Laying down on it, I watch her pack and try not to look too excited. It doesn¡¯t take her long since most of her stuff was still packed from leaving America. She just adds a few more things from her room, and then her phone is buzzing.


    She quickly reads the text. ¡°She¡¯s here!¡± she says, wrapping me in a big hug. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you all about it when I get back. I hope you have a good time while I¡¯m gone.¡±


    I follow her down the hall and want tough when she gives her dad a hug and says, ¡°Make sure you show her a good time, Dad.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best,¡± he says with a grin.


    I give her another hug and then she¡¯s out the door and we¡¯re alone. I barely have time to wonder about what I should do when I feel his arms around me and his lips on mine. Everything else disappears. Nothing else exists except for him and what he¡¯s doing to my body.


    He picks me up as if I weigh nothing and presses me against the wall, sliding his tongue into my mouth and kissing me as if he¡¯ll never be able to get enough of me. I wrap my arms around his broad shoulders, pulling him closer, running my tongue along his.


    ¡°I want you,¡± I say when we finally break apart. ¡°I need you to fuck me,


    Luc.¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± he says, but his voice is more of a growl.


    He carries me to the couch and sets me down. Cupping my face, he kisses me again before looking into my eyes. ¡°I want to taste you, Natalie. Will you let me?¡± As if I could ever say no to that!


    I smile and start to unbutton my pants. He stops my hands and says, ¡°Let me.¡±


    He slowly unbuttons my pants and pulls them down like he¡¯s unwrapping the best gift he¡¯s ever been given and wants to savor every second of it. When my shorts are off, he kisses his way back up my leg, stopping to lick and nibble behind my knee, and by the time he¡¯s made it back to my panties, there¡¯s an obvious wet stain on them.


    The smile he gives me when he sees it is downright sinful. Pressing his face close to my pussy, he closes his eyes and inhales. The tip of his nose traces a line along my panties as he breathes me in, making me groan at how good it feels. He murmurs something softly in French and the sound of it is like another caress along my pussy.


    He looks up at me before dragging his tongue over the wet spot, following the line of it until his tongue is pressed right against my clit. I groan and run my fingers through his hair, loving how silky it feels as I dig my fingers in so he can¡¯t leave.


    Smiling, he gives my clit a kiss and then reaches up to slide my panties off. I release my death grip on his head because I want this barrier between us gone. Hisrge hands grip my thighs, spreading me wider as he sits back and looks at me.


    ¡°You are so beautiful,¡± he says, and I¡¯m surprised by how much love is in his voice. He¡¯s looking at me like he loves me more than anything in this world.


    I reach down and pull my shirt off before unsping and tossing my bra aside. I¡¯m not usually a very confident person, but I want to show him everything. I want to give him this. A smile ys on his lips as he takes in the sight of me. The ravenous look in his eyes drives me crazy, and I want him with a hunger that shocks the hell out of me.


    Reaching forward, I tug on his shirt. I want to see him and feel his skin against me. He helps me by yanking it off himself, and then all I can do is stare. I¡¯ve seen Luc without a shirt on before, but seeing him from a distance around a pool is very different from having him right in front of me.


    Hesitantly, I reach my hands out, still not quite believing that I¡¯m allowed to do this, that this gorgeous man is kneeling between my legs and about to eat my pussy for the first time and that I get to touch him. It feels too good to be true, but there¡¯s no denying the way he¡¯s looking at me.


    With a sigh, I run my fingers over his sculpted pecs. He¡¯s an absolute work of art, and when he leans down to kiss my thigh, I use my fingers to explore his muscled back and shoulders. Pleasure spikes through me when I feel his tongue on my inner thigh. He kisses and licks his way to where I want him most, spreading my thighs wider as he goes. I¡¯ve never felt so exposed in my life, but instead of feeling embarrassed, I feel sexy. He makes me feel like I¡¯m the most beautiful woman in the world, and even if I know that¡¯s not true, I don¡¯t care. To him, I am, and that¡¯s all that matters.


    When he¡¯s kissed his way to my pussy, he pauses and looks up at me. ¡°Wider, Natalie, open yourself for me, my sweet girl, let me see you. All of you.¡±


    His voice is ragged with lust and his ent thicker, and it rolls over me like velvet, setting my whole body aze. Opening my knees as wide as I can, I reach down and spread my pussy for him.


    He lets out a growl and a long string of French before burying his face in my pussy. The shock of feeling his mouth on me makes me gasp. I had no idea anything could feel this good. His fingers had felt so amazing, but nothing canpare to his tongue and lips. He kisses and nibbles on my pussy lips before sliding his tongue into me.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I whimper, bringing my hands up to grip his strong shoulders.


    He slides his hands under my ass, lifting my hips off the couch so he can have better ess to me. I watch him, unable to take my eyes off the way he¡¯s fucking me with his mouth. He watches me, smiling when I bring my hands to my tits and start to massage them.


    Watching him slowly work his way to my clit, I feel like I¡¯m a second away from exploding. As soon as he runs his tongue over my sensitive bud, I cum with a scream and arch my hips as best I can, needing him as close as possible. He grips my ass harder, holding me so I can¡¯t move as he gently sucks and licks my clit, keeping the orgasm going until I¡¯m panting and whimpering beneath him.


    Giving my sensitive clit a rest, he focuses all his energy on licking me clean, sliding his tongue inside me to get as much of my juices as possible. By the time he¡¯s done, I¡¯m begging him to do it again. With a deepugh, he brings his mouth back to my clit and gives me what I want. I lose track of how many times he makes me cum. It¡¯s an endless orgasm that I never want to end, but I know it has to or I¡¯ll lose my mind. No one can withstand this much pleasure for an infinite amount of time, and, as if to prove it, my body gives out. All strength leaves me and I¡¯m just dead weight in his hands. My muscles tremble, and I don¡¯t even have the strength to keep my eyes open.


    Luc kisses my pussy gently before slowly lowering me back to the couch. He kisses his way up my stomach, running his hands along my sides and tits. Even in my delirious state, I notice my body reacting to his touch, and I give a soft moan.


    His mouthtches onto my nipple, giving it a hard suck while his teeth graze my sensitive skin. I briefly wonder if someone can die from pleasure overload, but then he¡¯s sucking on my other tit, and I can¡¯t think about anything except how damn good it feels.


    My eyes pop open when he brings his mouth to mine and I feel his thick hard cock press into me. He¡¯s still wearing jeans, but there¡¯s no hiding this erection. I kiss him hard, arching my hips so I can feel him better. Wrapping my legs around him, I pull him close and slide my tongue into his mouth.


    The groan he lets out has me grinding against him even harder. I pull back and cup his face in my hands. I can see how much his restraint is costing him. He¡¯s made me cum more times than I can count without getting any relief for himself. I feel a twinge of guilt when I realize how unbelievably miserable he must be.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I whisper against his lips.


    Worry immediately crosses his face, and he pulls back a bit. ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°For being a selfish ass. You¡¯ve given me so much pleasure, but you haven¡¯t had any.¡±N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    His face softens at my words, and he gives me a gorgeous smile. ¡°Believe me when I say that your pleasure is mine. Making you cum is the best feeling in the world.¡±


    I run my fingers over his cheek, feeling the stubble that¡¯s starting toe in. I love him so much it¡¯s almost unbearable at times, almost like it¡¯s too much for my body to contain, like I¡¯m going to burst from it.


    ¡°I want to taste you,¡± I say, ¡°Please let me do something for you.¡±

 Chapter 16

    LUC


    She¡¯s looking at me like she¡¯spletely in love with me, and it takes my breath away, even more than her asking to suck my cock,


    although I can¡¯t deny how much I love hearing her say that.


    My cock is beyond painful at this point, and I¡¯m not sure how much more I can take. I look down at her, looking for any sign of hesitation on her part.


    ¡°Are you sure you want to?¡± I ask.


    She gives me a big, beautiful smile and says, ¡°Yes.¡±


    We still need to talk about things, but I push that aside for now as she scoots out from under me and pushes me back so now I¡¯m sitting on the couch with her kneeling between my legs. She looks so eager and happy, and her excitement is just making me even harder. Poor girl is going to have her work cut out for her.


    Working quickly, she unbuttons my pants. I help her slide them off, taking my boxer briefs with them so I¡¯m sitting naked before her. It feels good to have my cock free, and I can¡¯t help butugh at Natalie¡¯s reaction to it. She stares at it with a mixture of excitement and fear.


    ¡°Wow,¡± she finally breathes out.


    I can¡¯t deny that her admiration makes me feel good. I¡¯m d she likes my cock. She¡¯s going to be seeing a lot of it.


    Her eyes widen when she sees a fresh bead of precum appear. I¡¯ve been coated in the damn stuff since I picked her up at her housest night and she¡¯d smiled at me from the stairs. That¡¯s all it takes, just one smile from her and I¡¯m hard and covered in precum.


    ¡°What is that?¡± she asks.


    I love her innocence. I love that she¡¯s never done anything with anyone, and that I¡¯m going to be her first and only for everything.


    ¡°It¡¯s precum,¡± I tell her. ¡°Perfectly normal. You drive me so crazy that I¡¯m always covered in it when I¡¯m around you.¡±


    ¡°I do?¡±


    I¡¯d swear she was just ying games with me, but her expression is open and honest, and I know she has no idea how I feel about her and how badly I want her.


    ¡°You do,¡± I say.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    I pull her up into my arms, my hard dick between us. Grabbing onto her hand, I ce it on my cock. Wrapping her fingers around me as much as I can, I squeeze her hand so she¡¯s holding me tighter.


    ¡°This is what you do to me, Natalie,¡± I say, guiding her hand up the length of me so she¡¯s stroking my cock. Thanks to all the precum, her hand glides easily along my skin, and I let out a growl and cup her face, pulling her closer so I can kiss her while she pumps me.


    She moans against my mouth, sliding her tongue into me while she brings her other hand up to join in. My cock is about to explode as her small hands stroke and explore me. She runs her fingers along the sensitive ridge of skin along my head, making me growl and bite her bottom lip.


    I feel her smile against my lips as she strokes me faster. I cup her ass with one hand and bring my other one between us, dragging it along her wet pussy lips that are slightly parted from straddling me. She gasps when I slide a finger into her and start to fuck her with it.


    ¡°I want you to cum all over me,¡± she pants against my mouth, ¡°and then I want to lick you clean.¡±


    A vivid image rushes into my mind of shooting my load all over her tits and face, and it nearly does me in, but there¡¯s no way I¡¯m cumming without her.


    I bring my sopping wet fingers to her clit and start to rub it in fast, tight circles.


    ¡°Cum for me, my sweet girl,¡± I say, leaning back so I can watch her as shees undone.


    Her hands work me faster as she rocks her hips against my fingers. She throws her head back, her tits jutting out and looking so fucking perfect as they bounce with her movements. When she starts to scream my name, I watch her skin flush and the way her beautiful body tenses with pleasure.


    She keeps working me even as she cums, her fingers tight around me, massaging and teasing me as she strokes me, and I can¡¯t fight it any longer. With a deep groan, I shoot my load, loving how she angles my cock, wanting it to hit her tits and face. Pleasure rips through me so fiercely that I¡¯mpletely overtaken by it. My load is fucking never ending. I watchpletely mesmerized as it hits her tits, covering them in my seed before she moves me so I¡¯m hitting her face.


    When I¡¯m finally empty, all I can do is sit there for a second, dazed and trying to catch my breath. Her hands turn gentle when she realizes I¡¯m finally empty. She gives me a huge smile, and the sight of her cum-covered cheeks and mouth is the most gorgeous thing I¡¯ve ever seen.


    Mine, I can¡¯t help but think.


    I¡¯ve marked her, and she¡¯s all mine.


    I watch transfixed as she slowly runs her tongue over her lips, tasting me for the first time. She closes her eyes and lets out a soft moan before licking her mouth clean. She swipes at the cum on her cheek before licking her fingers, so fucking greedy for the taste of me.


    Looking down at her tits, she smiles at me and starts massaging my cum into her skin, covering her perky tits with my seed until they¡¯re glistening and perfect.


    ¡°You look beautiful covered in my cum.¡± I say, giving her a wink.


    She smiles and scoots back down so she¡¯s kneeling before me again. I¡¯m still semi-hard, and I can tell she finds this size a bit less intimidating. I draw in a quick breath when she drags her tongue along my cock from base to head. I watch as she meticulously cleans every damn inch of my cock. I¡¯m already growing fully hard again by the time she wraps her lips around my head and sucks me in.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I growl in French as she sucks and tongues my sensitive skin.


    She pulls her head back and looks at me.


    ¡°I want more of your cum. Can you do that again so soon?¡±


    I marvel at how she can be all wide eyes and innocence while asking me if I¡¯ve got more cum to give her. God, this girl¡¯s going to be the end of me. My body will probably just give out from pure exhaustion from fucking her too much.


    ¡°With you, I can,¡± I say, looking at how hard I already am again. I don¡¯t even think I was this quick to get hard again even when I was a teenager.


    She gives me an excited grin before bringing her mouth close to my head. I can feel the heat of her breath on my skin and it sends a shiver of pleasure down my spine.


    ¡°Will you help me do this right?¡± she asks, suddenly sounding unsure as she eyes the full size of me.


    ¡°You could never do it wrong, my sweet girl,¡± I say, stroking her soft cheek, ¡°but I¡¯ll help if you need me to.¡±


    She gives me a grateful smile before sucking my head back in. I¡¯m suddenly enveloped in the wet heat of her, and when she runs her tongue along the sensitive ridge of my skin, I groan and slide my fingers into her hair, grabbing it in big fistfuls.


    I¡¯m not surprised when she slides me in a bit further and then stops. Her body is frozen and tense, and when she tries to take in a bit more, I feel her gag around me. She looks up at me with watery eyes, and I can¡¯t help it when my cock gives another hungry jump in her mouth. She just looks so damn good with her lips stretched around my girth, trying her damnedest to take me in. The poor girl still has a long way to go, though.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to go any further,¡± I tell her. ¡°Do you want to stop?¡±


    She moans a ¡°Mm-mm¡± at me that I feel in my balls and gives me a determined look that¡¯s adorable.


    Iugh and say, ¡°Okay, my sweet one, just try and rx. If you¡¯re going to take me all the way in, then I need you to rx your throat.¡±


    Her fingers dig into my hips, but I notice her breathing start to slow and give her an encouraging smile when she slides me in a bit more. Spit drips down my cock, and I¡¯d like nothing more than to ram my cock deep into her throat, but I know she needs to be in control of this. For now anyway.


    Pleasure races over me with every flick of her tongue, and I give her scalp a soft tug when she lowers down a bit more, curious to see what she¡¯ll do with a bit of pain. She closes her eyes and lets out a deep moan. I can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised by her reaction based on how much she likes her nipples pinched. I file that bit of information away forter and gently nudge her down a bit further.


    She¡¯s almost taken me all the way in. I whisper words of encouragement in French, telling her how amazing it feels, how beautiful she is, how much I love her and want to fuck every part of her body. I know she doesn¡¯t understand me, but she seems to like hearing it.


    Pulling her hair tighter, I slide her down the rest of the way and groan when I feel the head of my cock securely lodged in her throat. I raise her up by her hair, knowing she¡¯s about to gag before sliding her back down again.


    Wet sucking sounds fill the room as I fuck her mouth faster. She sucks and licks me with a hunger that surprises me. Her nails drag across my stomach, teasing me even more as she sucks me harder. She brings one hand to my balls, lightly grazing her nails across my sensitive skin, making me gasp at how fucking good it all feels.

 Chapter 17

    I feel the orgasm starting. My muscles tense and I shove my dick as far down her throat as I can before letting go with a ragged groan. My cock pulses inside her, and the feel of her throat constricting as she swallows everything I¡¯m giving her has my orgasmsting way longer than usual. She licks and sucks me dry until my fingers fall from her hair and I let out a small, satisfiedugh.


    ¡°My god, Natalie,¡± I say with a grin.


    She smiles around my cock before slowly sliding me out of her mouth. ¡°Did I do good?¡±


    ¡°You did better than good. That was fucking amazing, my sweet girl.¡±


    I pull her into myp, loving how she immediately cuddles up into me and rests her head on my shoulder as I wrap my arms around her. Exhaustion hits both of us, and I scoot us so we¡¯reying on the couch, both of us on our sides with her body tucked in close to mine. She uses my arm as a pillow, and I pull a nket down onto us so she won¡¯t get cold.


    Kissing her neck, I whisper ¡°I love you,¡± in French against her skin.


    She surprises the hell out of me by saying, ¡°I love you too, Luc,¡± before snuggling in closer and falling asleep.


    I kiss her again and listen to her smooth, even breaths until I finally let myself join her, feeling more at peace than I¡¯ve ever felt before.


    It¡¯s dark when I wake up to the feel of her ass wiggling against my very hard cock. Still half asleep, I tighten my grip on her and nuzzle her neck, kissing the base of it.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± she says with augh.


    ¡°Yes, our hours are really going to be fucked up now,¡± I say, giving the crook of her neck a soft bite. ¡°I should have stayed awake, but you wore me out.¡±


    Having my cock nestled between her ass cheeks is really making me want to fuck it, especially with the way she¡¯s wiggling against me, so I give her shoulder a kiss before slowly sitting up.


    ¡°Why are you getting up?¡± she asks, reaching for me.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to be gentlemanly here, Natalie, by protecting your virgin ass.¡±


    Sheughs and says, ¡°Maybe I don¡¯t want it to be protected.¡± I groan at her words and stand, pulling her up with me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tempt me, my sweet girl, at least not yet. You haven¡¯t eaten all day. Let me take care of you before I exhaust you again.¡±


    I give her ass a hard smack as she walks by on the way to the hall bathroom. She lets out a squeal that makes my cock give a healthy jump. I walk into my own room and take a quick shower before changing into jeans and a lightweight, dark sweater since it still gets chilly at night here. It¡¯s a beautiful night, so I wait for Natalie on the balcony. She¡¯s showered and pulled her wet hair into a high ponytail, and the simple ck dress she¡¯s wearing looks anything but simple on her. She¡¯s paired it with ballet ts, and I never knew anyone could look so adorable and sexy all at the same time.


    ¡°You look beautiful,¡± I say, immediately going to her.


    The ck looks good on her, bringing out the blue in her eyes, and I can¡¯t take my eyes off her. I¡¯m already thinking about all the jewelry I¡¯m going to buy for her. She doesn¡¯t need all the essories. She¡¯s beautiful enough without it, but I want to give her things. I want to spoil her for the rest of our lives. I kiss her gently, forcing myself to stop before it gets too heated and the poor girl ends up starving.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I say, giving her hand a kiss before holding it in mine.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    We stop so she can grab a light sweater in case she gets cold before making our way to the elevators. I force myself to behave on the way down, promising myself I won¡¯t on the way back up.


    Her eyes light up when we step outside. I love seeing the city through her eyes. She doesn¡¯t hide how she feels. If she¡¯s excited, she shows it, and I love that about her. We walk to one of my favorite bistros and order supper. I do all the speaking, and I can¡¯t help but grin at the way she looks at me when I speak French. For a second, I think she¡¯s going to crawl across the table and mount me right there. I wouldn¡¯t stop her if she did.


    She eats everything with gusto, savoring the meal much like she did my cock earlier. How she turns every damn thing sexual, I¡¯ll never know. I resign myself to the fact that I¡¯m always going to be hard when I¡¯m around her. There¡¯s just no getting around it. I finish my wine as she takes herst few bites of dessert.


    Looking up at me, she gives me a shy grin. ¡°Thank you. That was delicious.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you liked it. It brings me great pleasure to watch you eat.¡±


    Her cheeks turn red under my gaze, and I give her a wink before paying the bill. Instead of heading straight back to the apartment, we take a walk along a cobblestoned side street. There¡¯s an old woman selling flowers, and I stop so I can buy some.


    She gives me a big grin and says we make a beautiful couple. I thank her and trante the message to Natalie who smiles and says a shy ¡°Merci.¡±


    The woman hands me a bunch of wildflowers that remind me of Natalie. She gives me a huge grin when I hand them to her as we walk back down the street. Bringing them to her nose, she closes her eyes and inhales deeply.


    ¡°They¡¯re so beautiful,¡± she says looking up at me. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I¡¯m so ovee with love for her that all I can do is stare at her. She looks at me, holding my gaze before starting to fidget a bit.


    ¡°Stop staring at me like that, Luc.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°Like you want to fuck me.¡±


    ¡°But I do want to fuck you,¡± I say with a grin.


    She smiles and shifts her weight again.


    ¡°Yeah, but I didn¡¯t wear any panties so behave yourself before my arousal bes obvious to the whole world.¡±


    ¡°You what?¡± I don¡¯t even finish my thought, just pull her toward a dark alcove on the street and press her up against the wall, shielding her from view with my body.


    She wraps her arms around my shoulders, still clutching her flowers as I slide my hand down her side and thigh. Finding the edge of her dress, I slip my hand under and lightly graze a line up her inner thigh until I¡¯m touching bare, wet pussy.


    ¡°Fuck, Natalie,¡± I moan against her lips, sliding a finger inside her.


    She grips my shoulders tightly, using me to keep herself upright as I finger her. I keep my lips close to her, feeling the heat of her breath against my skin as her breathing picks up.


    ¡°Cum for me, sweet girl,¡± I whisper before running my tongue along her bottom lip. ¡°I want to watch youe undone, under the moon, out here on the streets of my city.¡±


    She moans at my words, moving her hips as I rub her clit fast and hard.


    Whimpering, she digs her fingers in even harder as her legs begin to shake. ¡°That¡¯s it, my girl, don¡¯t fight it.¡±


    When she cums, it¡¯s hard and fierce. I kiss her as she screams, muffling the sound of it as her body is hit with wave after wave of pleasure. She whimpers and shudders against me, pulling her mouth away so she can take in a big breath of air.


    I wait for her to fullye down before sliding my hand out of her dress. Sucking my fingers clean, I give her a wink before saying, ¡°I will never get tired of making you cum.¡±


    Sheughs and gives me a soft kiss.


    ¡°I¡¯ll never get tired of you making me cum.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that because once we get back to the apartment I¡¯m going to fuck you and make you cum so many times that you won¡¯t even be able to remember your own name.¡±

 Chapter 18

    NATALIE


    All I can do is follow Luc as he leads us back to the apartment. I¡¯m giddy and dazed from the orgasm he just gave me and excited as hell about all the ones toe. The look in his eyes when I¡¯d told him I wasn¡¯t wearing panties was the sexiest damn thing I¡¯ve ever seen. I never imagined he¡¯d react by pulling me into a dark corner and finger fucking me, though! God, I love him.


    I recognize his building up ahead, and I¡¯m practically running to keep up with his long strides. He keeps a firm grip on my hand, never losing contact with me, but he¡¯s like a man possessed, and knowing it¡¯s because he¡¯s thinking about fucking me has me so wet I can feel it dripping down my inner thigh.


    As soon as we¡¯re in the elevator, he presses me against the wall and gets on his knees. In one quick motion, he¡¯s lifted my dress and has his face buried in my pussy. Gently, he lifts one of my legs, hooking it over his shoulder to give him better ess. He licks and kisses me, losing what little restraint he had. He¡¯s relentless and demanding, and my body instantly responds as I cum hard against his mouth. His hand on my hip is the only thing keeping me from sliding down the elevator wall.


    I haven¡¯t even had a chance to fullye down when I hear a ding and the elevator opens. Luc picks me up, carrying me to his door, and once we¡¯re inside, he walks me straight to his bedroom. The same tall windows are in here, and there¡¯s also a separate, private balcony. It¡¯s beautiful, but what really catches my attention is the ornate, king-size bed.


    He gentlyys me down, tossing the flowers aside, and I sink into the softness of the downforter. All I can do is watch as he pulls his sweater off, revealing his perfect body once again. God, I¡¯ll never get tired of seeing Luc naked. He unbuttons his pants but doesn¡¯t take them off. Instead, he steps closer and leans over me, bringing his face close to mine. ¡°Are you sure this is what you want, Natalie?¡± I cup his beautiful face and pull him closer. ¡°Yes, this is all I¡¯ve ever wanted.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to just fuck you, my sweet girl. You know that, right?¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I whisper against his lips. ¡°You love me, just as I love you.¡±


    I run my fingers down his sides and across his abs until my hands are on his zipper.


    ¡°Now fuck me, Luc. im me and make me yours forever.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    He groans and kisses me hard as I unzip his pants and slide my hands into them, cupping his firm ass. Pulling back long enough for him to slide his jeans and boxers off, hees back to me and pulls my dress up my body and tosses it aside. I didn¡¯t bother with a bra either. I¡¯m naked before him, loving the heat I see in his eyes and the way his cock is so hard and ready for me.


    Laying his body on top of mine, I groan at how good it feels to have his skin against me. I wrap my arms and legs around him, groaning when he positions his thick head against my wet slit, careful to not enter me.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I murmur against his lips before he has a chance to ask me again.


    ¡°I need you inside me, Luc. Please fuck me.¡±


    With a ragged groan, he slides his head into me, and I gasp at the sharp pain. My pussy clenches around him as my whole body tenses. He freezes above me, kissing me gently as he cups my face. He kisses a path down my neck, whispering in French as he does. I don¡¯t understand it, but it instantly soothes me, and I feel my body begin to rx.


    His teeth scrape along my corbone, causing my body to break out in goosebumps. I use my legs to pull him closer, and he gives me what I want by sliding in some more. When I clench too tightly, he stops again, kissing his way to my tit. He sucks my nipple hard, making me arch my body up to him. I run my hands through his hair, holding him close to me as he scrapes his teeth over my sensitive skin before giving me a not-so-gentle bite. I gasp and buck my hips up, taking him in another inch.


    ¡°More,¡± I whisper in a ragged voiced that I barely recognize as my own. ¡°Give me all of it, Luc,¡± I beg.


    I feel him smile against my tit. He teases me with this tongue and teeth until I¡¯m begging and whimpering for him to fuck me. When I don¡¯t think I can take one more second of his teasing, he ms into me with a groan, making me let out a sharp scream at the shock of it. I pull his face back up to mine. I want as much of him inside me as possible. He slides his tongue between my lips, fucking me harder as he kisses me slowly, gently. The contrast drives me crazy, and I¡¯m not surprised when I feel the beginnings of another orgasm.


    He¡¯s made me cum so many times now, but nothingpares to the feeling of cumming around that thick cock of his while he rams it into me in a fast, relentless rhythm. I feel like I¡¯m being torn in two in the best possible way. The orgasm unravels me and all I can do is let the pleasure wash over me, embracing it even as it threatens to drown me.


    Before I even have time to catch my breath, he rolls us so I¡¯m now on top of him. I pull back from his kiss and look into his gorgeous brown eyes.


    ¡°I want to watch you ride me,¡± he says with a wicked grin that has my pussy clenching around his cock, making him smile even bigger.


    I don¡¯t have time to feel embarrassed because in the next second he¡¯s gripping my hips, moving me against him, and it feels so fucking good that I forget about everything else. Bracing my hands on his hard chest, I sit up, rolling my hips in a seductive dance that lights all my nerve endings on fire.


    He brings his hands up to my tits, cupping and massaging them as I arch my back and ride him faster. When I can feel myself getting close again, he surprises me by sitting up so our chests are pressed together. He licks a line up my neck, gently nibbling on my skin as he goes. Slipping a finger between us, he runs it along where we¡¯re connected, getting his finger soaked before slowly dragging his fingers down the crack of my ass.


    I still when I realize what he¡¯s about to do. I¡¯m nervous, but I¡¯m also crazy excited. He gently presses the pad of his finger against my asshole, and Ie undone. His cock feels massive inside me as I rock against him, and the feel of my nipples scraping against his chest is heightening every sensation. I grip the back of his head, gasping as he slides the tip of his finger into my ass.


    ¡°Do you like this?¡± he asks, giving my corbone a bite.


    ¡°God yes,¡± I manage to pant, knowing I¡¯m soon going to lose my ability to speak. I can already feel that part of my brain turning off. My body and mind are turning more animal than human. Everything is about feeling and needing and wanting. It¡¯s a ce wherenguage fails and is useless. My body knows what it wants and needs, and it¡¯s Luc¡¯s big cock driving into me, his body pressed against mine, his hungry mouth on my skin, and his finger fucking my ass.


    My body feels like it¡¯s going to explode when he slides his finger all the way in and slowly starts fucking me with it while I ride his cock. I whimper and kiss the side of his face, needing his mouth toe back to me. He licks and kisses his way up my neck and jaw until finally his lips are against mine. I open up for him, wanting his tongue to prate me so every hole is filled by him. I¡¯ve never felt more full orplete.


    This time the orgasm doesn¡¯t start slow. There¡¯s no warning, just an explosion of pleasure that rips through me with enough force to blind me. My pussy clenches around his cock as all my muscles tense from the sheer force of the thing. I¡¯m left dazed and barely aware of the fact that Luc hasid me back on the bed and is now on top of me again, fucking me hard and fast.


    Wrapping my legs and arms around him, I hold on tightly while he rams into me. He kisses me hard as he lets out a groan, and I feel his cock expand even more before he shoots his load into me. He pulses inside me with each shot, making me shudder with how fucking good it feels. When I feel his muscles rx, his kiss turns gentle, and he cups my cheek in his hand.


    He whispers something in French against my lips, I smile because I love the sound of it and because it doesn¡¯t matter that I don¡¯t understand a word of it. Everything he¡¯s saying is easy to read in those sweet, brown eyes that are looking at me as if I¡¯m the most important thing in the world to him.


    Smiling, he kisses the tip of my nose and switches to English.


    ¡°My sweet girl, you look exhausted.¡±


    I give him azy smile. ¡°You wore me out.¡±


    ¡°But, my little one,¡± he says with a grin, ¡°I¡¯m not finished with you yet.¡±


    A thrill rushes through me at his words, and I swear he¡¯s already growing hard inside me again. The heat in his eyes has my hips slowly moving.


    He gives me a sexy grin and says, ¡°I need to im all of you with my cock, little one.¡± He gives my bottom lip a bite. ¡°One finger in that perfect ass of yours is never going to be enough.¡±

 Chapter 19

    LUC


    I could stay buried inside Natalie¡¯s perfect pussy for the rest of my life, but my need to im all of her is demanding I take her ass too. The desire in her eyes makes it clear she wants it just as much as I do.


    My cock is already fully hard again, and it pains me to pull out of her tight pussy. The way her cunt squeezes me is pure perfection. She rolls over with an eagerness that sends a thrill through my body. I love how she so willingly gives herself to me, wanting me to fuck every part of her, just as hungry for it as I am.


    I grab her hips, lifting them so she¡¯s on her knees while she keeps her arms and head on the bed. Her body is covered in a light sheen of sweat, and when I run my finger along her spine, a trail of goosebumps rise up, making her give a little shiver.


    Her perfect ass is on full disy, and there¡¯s no way I can resist tasting her. I kiss her ass cheek, slowly making my way to the center, teasing and nibbling on her as I go. I hear her muffled moans and smile when she arches her ass even more. My sweet girl is insatiable.


    I grab her cheeks, spreading her wide and slowly run my tongue over her tight little asshole. The groan she lets out has my cock nearly bursting. I twirl my tongue along her sensitive skin, teasing her until she¡¯s pounding the bed with her fists, begging me to fuck her ass. I kiss and suck on her tight hole a few more minutes before finally pulling back.


    My cock is covered in our juices, and the sight of her virginal blood mixed in makes me groan and press the head of my cock against her ass unable to wait any longer.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± I ask, pressing against her ass even harder.


    She groans and pushes back against me nearly forcing me into her.


    ¡°God yes, Luc. Fuck my ass!¡±


    My extreme love for her is the only thing that keeps me from ramming straight into her virgin ass. I don¡¯t want to hurt her. I¡¯ll be able to fuck her hardter, but I know I need to ease her into it.


    I grip her hips tighter and slowly slide my head into her. Her body tenses, and her ass grips me like a fucking vice. I can see how tightly she¡¯s gripping the bedding in her fists, so I reach one hand around and start to rub her clit. She¡¯s so fucking wet, soaking my hand in seconds. With just a few firm circles, I can feel her body start to rx. I slide in a bit more and wait, giving her time to get used to me while I keep teasing her clit.


    The sight of her little ass taking my cock is enough to make me cum right there, but I force myself to fight it. I want my whole cock inside her when I shoot my load. She¡¯s moaning and pushing against me as I rub her harder, so I give her what she wants, sliding the whole length of me into her until her ass is pressed firmly against me and I¡¯m buried deep inside her.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I growl at the feel of her little ass squeezing me so tightly.


    I know I¡¯m not going tost long, so I rub her harder, wanting her to cum first, while I slowly start to fuck her ass. Keeping it slow, I watch her ass take each thrust, smiling when she starts to buck against me, wanting it faster.


    Speeding up, I slide a finger into her pussy, keeping my palm pressed tightly against her clit. I find her G-spot and rub it firmly, never letting up on the pressure. She moans and grips the nket even tighter. I pound into her, knowing she¡¯s close. When I feel her entire body tense, I rub her harder until she screams and I feel a wet gush hit my hand as she squirts all over me. I let myself go, cumming with her, pumping my seed into her ass in a fast rhythm until we¡¯re both spent and sated.


    Leaning over her small body, I kiss the base of her neck, wrapping my arms around her as I slide my cock out of her ass and roll us onto our sides. She snuggles into me, and I wrap my arm around her, cupping her tit and drawing her even closer.


    Brushing a sweaty strand of hair off her forehead, I kiss her cheek and whisper, ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you, too,¡± she whispers, too exhausted to open her eyes.


    ¡°Sleep, my sweet girl,¡± I say, kissing her again. ¡°We have the rest of our lives to fuck, but now you need your rest.¡±


    She smiles and kisses the bicep she¡¯s using as a pillow. She falls asleep quickly, but I stay awake watching her, wondering how in the hell I got so lucky.


    Natalie


    Shortly after our first night together, Luc and I eloped in Paris and got married. He wanted to wait and have a big wedding, but I didn¡¯t want that. All I wanted was him, and so we had a quiet, beautiful ceremony in the South of France and spent the weekying in the sun and fucking like a couple of bunnies.


    When my parents and Ate learned of our marriage, they were less than thrilled. It took a long time for them toe around, but they did, especially when they found out I was pregnant. We flew my parents to France for our son¡¯s first birthday, and it was great to get to spend time together as a family. We visit America often, but we both wanted to make France our home. Luc is helping me learn French and constantly tells me how adorable he thinks my ent is. The other Parisians don¡¯t seem to think so, but I don¡¯t care. His opinion is the only one I care about.


    I follow the sound of Luc¡¯s voice and stand in the doorway of our son¡¯s nursery, watching as he pats our son¡¯s back, lulling him into sleep. He¡¯s whispering how much we both love him as our son finally gives up the fight and closes his eyes.


    When he sees me standing there, he gives me a wink that has my nipples instantly hardening. After he¡¯sid our son down, he walks toward me, eyeing me from top to bottom. He can still make me wet with just a smile, and by the time he reaches me my panties are soaked and I¡¯m more than ready to have him inside me.


    I dance my fingers along his abs, loving how fucking powerful he feels.


    ¡°It¡¯s been over a year,¡± I tell him with a grin.


    He grabs my hand and ces it against his hard cock, letting me feel how much he wants me.


    ¡°So it has,¡± he agrees.


    Leaning down, he hovers his lips above mine. Before touching me, he says, ¡°Does my sweet girl need me to fill her up again?¡±


    I moan at his words and run my tongue along his top lip before pulling him against me for a kiss. He picks me up and I wrap my legs around him, grinding my pussy against him, needing him inside me.


    ¡°Is that a yes?¡± he says with augh, carrying me to our bed.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I say against his mouth. ¡°I need your big cock inside me, Luc.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°Well, if that¡¯s what my sweet girl wants, then that¡¯s exactly what she¡¯s going to get,¡± he says, already reaching down to unbutton his pants.


    I look into his gorgeous brown eyes and marvel at all the love I see there. I can¡¯t believe I get to spend the rest of my life with this amazing man.

 Chapter 20

    Author¡¯s Note: Hey readers, well well well, I appreciate y¡¯all firstly for stopping by to read thisption of age gap romance,  erotica, billionaire, and many others.


    Tightened up and enjoy every bit of the ride.


    Title: Escaping Bane.


    BANE


    IT¡¯S good to be fucking king.


    King of pussy.


    King of coke.


    Lord and ruler of the finest goddamn gentleman¡¯s club in the whole of California.


    From my vantage in the upstairs office, I looked down upon my dominion, feeling all fucking Lion King.


    Everything the light touches¡­


    Fuck, James Earl Jones was the man.


    I¡¯d worked fucking hard for all of this, firstly by graduating business school while working my ass off with drug baron, Marco Mancini. I¡¯d lined my pockets with his cash before finally disposing of him.


    Hey, a guy like me can¡¯t have fuckingpetition, right?


    The bastard had to have seen iting. He¡¯d groomed me since I was a thirteen-year-old pickpocket on the streets of Venice Beach. First, he had me acting like a gopher before I¡¯d begged him for more. I¡¯d begged him to sell coke, and the sick fuck had given me exactly what I¡¯d wanted-the keys to the damn castle.


    Long live the new king.


    I drained thest of my drink, my gaze bouncing around the converted warehouse. The ce had been stripped and refitted, doing away with all that industrial chic shit and adding a touch of ss.


    The Dollhouse was my pride and joy.


    Fifty thousand square feet of pussy, kink, and debauchery.


    So much pussy.


    ¡°Hey, daddy,¡± someone said behind me. I nced over my shoulder at Kandy, with a ¡®K,¡¯ naturally. Her real name was Cecile, and she was aw student trying to pay her way through college. I made it a point to learn everything I could about my employees because I never knew when that shit could be of use to me. For example, Kandy with a ¡®K¡¯ had a long-term boyfriend who was cheating on her, although fuck knew why. Kandy was smoking hot, and if I didn¡¯t have the rule of not fucking the dancers, you can bet your ass I¡¯d have her bent over my desk right now.


    Readjusting my dick, I turned around to look at her. Dressed in ck lingerie that covered just enough to get men to dig into their pockets for Benjamins and fuck-me heels that made her athletic calves look killer, she stood there holding a ss of amber liquid. I folded my arms over my chest. ¡°What¡¯s up, baby?¡±


    ¡°I thought you might need a top-up,¡± she replied in a smoky voice, gesturing to my now empty ss on the sideboard in front of the window. I crooked my finger at her, and she came fucking running. As she handed me the whisky, she asked in a purr, ¡°Anything else I can do for you?¡± Her hand found my semi-hard dick, and she started to rub. I even let her for a minute. I mean, I didn¡¯t touch the drugs I sold, but blowjobs were something else. Being surrounded by beautiful fucking women with their barely-there lingerie-d bodies did something to man¡¯s self-control. Andboyy diAnd nothing, I meant it strained it to fucking shit.


    I watched her intensely as she stroked me, but I wouldn¡¯t let her do much more than that. I might have been a criminal, but I still had standards.


    Don¡¯t let pussy distract you.


    Don¡¯t snort the product.


    Call your sister weekly.


    See? Easy.


    ¡°You like that,  Daddy?¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯m not your fucking daddy. You¡¯re not on right now.¡±


    Kandy pouted but didn¡¯t stop rubbing my dick. With a wicked smile I¡¯d seen her use on so many clients, she began undoing the zipper on my ck cks, but I grabbed her wrist to stop her.


    Shaking my head, I pulled her hand away. ¡°You know the rules, baby,¡± I said the words softly, but I wanted to scream them. For years, my Dolls have been trying to get a piece of me. It had gotten to the point where I was now the ultimate challenge. Who could fuck Bane Rivera and survive?


    What can I say? I have a fucking reputation for dirty fucking sex that the women always came back for.


    ¡°Get back on that dance floor and earn your tips.¡± Gesturing to the drink, I added, ¡°Thanks for this.¡±


    I watched as Kandy sashayed the fuck out of my office, closing the door softly behind her. Turning back around, I waited until I saw her descend the stairs tucked beside the bar, then went back to what I was doing.


    And what was I doing? I was waiting for one of my fucking dealers to turn up with a fucking good exnation. He¡¯d been light on his drop earlier in the day, the kind of money that made me pay attention.


    There was another knock on the door, this one firm and unyielding. Dagger.


    ¡°Come in,¡± I barked.


    Dagger, my right-hand man, stepped into the room. His short, dark hair was wet, so he¡¯d juste from dispensing some punishment for me. Good man. ¡°Did you get him?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s out here pissing his pants for you.¡±


    A smile pulled at the corners of my mouth. ¡°Just the way I like it. Send the fuck in.¡±


    Dagger grunted and stepped outside. A momentter, a guy named Hawk Montana was shoved into the room with such force that he tripped over his own feet and ended up sprawled out in front of me.


    How fucking fitting.


    When he tried to get up, I shoved my three-thousand-dor Italian loafer between his shoulder des and pushed him back down. I didn¡¯t think the guy would have been inclined to stay if it weren¡¯t for the sound of Dagger shoving a magazine into his new toy-a Heckler & Koch MP5K- before hovering the loud and fatal end over Hawk¡¯s head.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my money?¡± I asked in a bored drawl. I had better fucking things to do with my time.


    ¡°It was all there,¡± Hawk replied. ¡°I counted it. Twice.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯d say you need to go back to school, Haw because it wasn¡¯t all there. I counted it twice, and you were at least fifty grand short.¡±


    All the color drained from Hawk¡¯s face as sweat started to form on his brow. ¡°Fifty grand?¡±


    I held out my hand to him, all five fingers up like good little soldiers. ¡°This many, times ten, asshole, unless you can¡¯t count those up without the help of a calctor.¡±


    ¡°I counted it twice,¡± he muttered, more to himself than to me. ¡°Jesus, Bane, I¡¯m sorry. It was all there when I dropped it off. I swear!¡±


    I looked over at Dagger, who shrugged.


    Now, I wasn¡¯t a fucking monster. I wasn¡¯t going to kill the fucker yet, but I was going to give him one more chance.


    ¡°How about I make you a deal, Hawk.¡± I crouched in front of him. ¡°I give you two weeks toe up with the cash you owe me, and you deliver it to me like a good little boy. If you can¡¯t do that, then I¡¯m afraid our working rtionship is over¡­ as is your heart¡¯s rtionship with beating in your chest.¡±

 Chapter 21

    I stood, jerking my chin at Dagger. My man ced the submachine gun on my desk and hauled the other man up. When I was face to face with him, I said, ¡°And to make sure you understand just how serious I am, you now have one week to get me my cash.¡±


    Hawk¡¯s eyes widened until I could see the whites all the way around. Good. He needed to be scared because what I had nned for him was going to go down as one of my messiest retributions in history.


    People didn¡¯t steal from me.


    Ever.


    ¡°Rough him up a little before sending him on his way,¡± I said to Dagger as I turned back to therge picture window. I listened as Hawk was hauled away, mumbling something about how a week wasn¡¯t enough time and how he¡¯d counted the money twice.


    Honestly, I didn¡¯t give a fuck about the money. Fifty grand was a fucking drop in the oceanpared to everything else. I was punishing the guy on principle. I refused to let anyone screw me out of my money.


    No. Fucking. Way.


    Reaching down, I rearranged my dick in my pants, then threw back what was left in the ss. I may not fuck my dancers, but it didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t enjoy the fuck out of them when I felt like it.


    Surveying the floor, I spotted a Doll who would do for tonight. Normally, I would¡¯ve called her up here, but I was feeling restless so I hoofed it down the stairs and out onto the opulent floor of The Dollhouse. The decor was decorated in rich reds and glittering golds. The walls were ck, and the poles and stages where my Dolls danced were polished to within an inch of their lives. Plush red velvet couches and dark brown leather Chesterfield armchairs were scattered around, all oriented to get the best view of the Dolls while they worked.


    This ce was a ssy establishment, one that also required a six-figure membership to attend. I had to have a way to keep the riff-raff out, and the men-plus some women-with enough green to back their penchant for fuckery were the ones I wanted.


    My Ferragamos thumped over the dark-stained hardwood floors as I made my way over to Sydney. She looked up from the man she was talking to-a long-time patron who I knew had a wife and three kids at home.


    ¡°Mr. Gregory, so nice to see you again.¡±N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°Mr. Rivera,¡± he greeted. ¡°I was just telling Syndy here how much I enjoy blowjobs with my scotch.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t we all?¡± I replied with a smile. Turning my gaze to my dancer briefly, I looked at her lush mouth, and my dick got harder. ¡°If you wouldn¡¯t mind, I need Syndy for a moment.¡±


    Dick Gregory waved his hand in a by-all-means sort of way. As soon as the woman was gone, another one of the girls would take her ce. When the owner of the fastest-growing techpany was on the floor, my Dolls knew how to work.


    I ced a hand on the small of Syndy¡¯s back as I guided her off the floor and to one of the yrooms out the back.


    ¡°You said you wanted to talk to me?¡± she asked, somewhat confused by the change in direction.


    ¡°I want to see you, but it isn¡¯t for talking,¡± I growled, sliding my hand down to her bare ass and tightening my fingers.


    Syndy¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Yes, daddy.¡±


    She didn¡¯t know that the only fucking she was going to get was her mouth, but I let her believe she had finally tamed the illusive Bane Rivera. I checked each room as we walked past, finding the first three upied. Swiping my ess card at the reader by the door, I dragged her into number four. Locking the door behind us, I took a seat on the leather armchair in the center of the room, my knees spread wide. On the wall to my right was a cupboard with BDSM toys that got regr use by the patrons, but Syn wouldn¡¯t need them tonight. All I wanted was her mouth, her tongue, her teeth.


    Syn stared at me with lust-soaked eyes for a moment, then when I undid my zipper, freeing my cock, she fell to her fucking knees like this was church, and I was offering her absolution for all her sins.


    ¡°Just a blowjob, Syn.¡±


    She tried to hide the disappointment from her face, but I saw it etched there in all its crestfallen glory. She¡¯d get over it, especially if Dick Gregory were still there when I was done with her. I sat back and watched as she gripped my cock at the base and ran her hand up and down it a few times, pumping and watching me through half-lidded eyes.


    When she stuck out her pink tongue and licked the crown, I groaned but didn¡¯t shut my eyes. I watched every fucking second, not because I wasn¡¯t enjoying it-I fucking was-but because I didn¡¯t trust anyone. If I had my eyes open, I couldn¡¯t fucking get fucked over. This rule applies to business and pleasure. I wasn¡¯t even sure when I let my guard down anymore. Years of survival and the climb to the top had taught me that, and it was the one lesson I never forgot.


    Syn took my entire length into her mouth, her tongue swirled around me as she moved up to the tip, her teeth dragging over the veins on the underside. She purred, the vibrations shooting straight through me like she knew they would. I let her y with me for a while, going at her own pace, before grabbing the back of her head and wrapping her ponytail around my fist. From there, I held her head immobile while I fucked her warm, wet, willing mouth. I shoved into her until I hit the back of her throat. Syn didn¡¯t have a gag reflex, which was one of the reasons I used her.


    She took everything I gave her, saliva dripping from her well-used mouth, falling on her breasts still being held in check by her balcte bra. She groaned as her orgasm approached, her hand burrowing deep into herce panties. She yed with herself as I fucked her mouth, her eyes staying open, staying fixed on my face. When she came, though, she squeezed them shut, her body shivering with pleasure. Her moans became long and drawn out, and although I could normallyst hours getting my dick sucked, tonight I didn¡¯t want to waste time.


    As the vibrations in her throat ricocheted through my shaft, I felt my balls tighten. I was going toe. I pumped more furiously into her mouth, my grip tightening until I finally stopped and came at the back of her throat with a loud breath hissing through my teeth. Syn swallowed me down, her throat working, thepression of my dick squeezing thest little bit from me.


    I released her hair slowly, running my fingers down to her jaw, then dragging my thumb across her pink, swollen bottom lip. She sucked the digit into her mouth, swirling her tongue around it.


    ¡°When are you going to fuck me, Mr. Rivera?¡± she asked in a low, rough voice.


    I stroked her mouth again before shoving my semi-hard dick back into my cks and standing to zip them. ¡°Never, baby. I don¡¯t fuck my employees.¡±


    She got to her feet smoothly. ¡°I¡¯ll quit right now if that¡¯s what it takes.¡±


    Wrapping my arm around her waist, I leaned in and kissed her cheek gently. ¡°No, you won¡¯t. You need this job too fucking much, and I¡¯m a bastard.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a bastard who knows how to fuck, though.¡±


    How the fuck did she know? Rumors were floating around about me, sure. I¡¯d heard many of them and quashed most of them too, so I raised an eyebrow at her. ¡°You¡¯re fucking right I know how to fuck, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll ever fuck one of my Dolls. I don¡¯t shit where I eat.¡± And with that, I left the private room and returned to my office to get on with business.

 Chapter 22

    WREN


    I jolted away in my bed, blinking in the darkened room. What had woken me? Turning, I nced at the clock, trying to focus my blurry eyes on the digits on the digital readout. Was that one o¡¯clock -in the morning?


    Bang, bang, bang!


    Someone was at the door.


    Opening up the drawer on my side table, I pulled out my Beretta 92FS and got out of bed. It was still in the high nies in my non-air-conditioned apartment, so I¡¯d slept in a shirt and panties. But this was Boyle Heights, and there was no way in hell I was answering my apartment door in the middle of the fucking night without a weapon in my hands-modesty was simply optional at this point.


    Bang, bang, bang!


    ¡°Jesus! Wren, let me in.¡±


    At the sound of my brother¡¯s voice, I flipped on the living room lights, undid all three deadbolts, and then the slide lock before opening the door. Hawk was weaving on my doorstep, his face a bloody mess, one of his eyes swollen shut.


    ¡°What the fuck, Hawk?¡± I guided him inside, re-shut things, and forced him to sit on my worn-out couch. The furniture groaned around him, but it didn¡¯t fall apart-this time. He still hadn¡¯t answered me, so I walked into the kitchen to grab some ice before hitting the bathroom for the first-aid kit.


    When I came back, he wasid out on the faded yellow couch, an armid gently over his face.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked, easing onto my knees beside him.


    He moved his arm, so he could open his one good eye and look at me. ¡°I fucked up, Wren.¡±


    My stomach clenched. ¡°Fucked up, how?¡±


    Hawk was forever getting into trouble. He had been ever since we were kids, and because I felt responsible for him, I¡¯d always done what I could to get him out of it. I feared the day he turned up with a problem I couldn¡¯t fix, though. Every time the problem got bigger, the stakes got higher.


    ¡°Fucked up how Hawk?¡±


    He blinked and sucked in a breath through his mouth. His nose was probably broken if the angle was anything to go by. ¡°I¡¯ve been selling drugs.¡±


    ¡°What about RadioShack? I thought you had a job. Why would you need to sell drugs?¡±


    He stared at me with such pity, but I wasn¡¯t the one bleeding and bruised on the couch. ¡°I lost that job a few months back.¡±N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    I wanted to punch him in the face, but I held myself back. Besides, I was pretty sure he was feeling sorry enough for himself right now. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me? Why didn¡¯t you tell me you needed cash, too?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t sponge off you for the rest of my life, sis.¡±


    If it were a choice between sponging off me and dealing drugs, I would¡¯ve taken on the financial burden. Although, I wasn¡¯t sure how much more my failing dog grooming business could take. ¡°No, Hawk. Jesus. I can¡¯t believe you did that.¡±


    He shrugged, then winced like he¡¯d forgotten he¡¯d had the shit beat out of him. ¡°It¡¯s done now, but


    I owe the boss.¡±


    ¡°How much do you owe?¡± I was afraid to ask, but I had to know how hot the water was here. When he didn¡¯t answer right away, I pressed, ¡°Hawk, I swear to fucking God if you don¡¯t tell me-¡±


    ¡°Fifty grand.¡± He stared at me, begging me to understand even though I had no idea what the particrs were this time around. My brother had always been the kind of kid to bet over his head. Most times, his bluffs worked, and he walked away with more cash in his pocket than he¡¯d had in the previous months. I always thought his luck would run out eventually, though.


    It turned out this was that time.


    Jacking up onto my feet, I cut a tight line in front of him, grinding my mrs as I tried to think about how I could secure fifty grand for him. There was no way I wouldn¡¯t help bail him out, but the show was a fucking mystery. I barely scraped together enough for the rent on my shop and apartment every week. My savings ount was in the negative thest time I looked.


    ¡°When do you have to have it by?¡± ¡°I was given a week.¡±


    A week to find fifty grand? I¡¯d already refinanced the shop, so Lord knew the banks weren¡¯t going to help me out. I red at him, hands on my hips, and I adopted the true ticked-off-bigger-sister position.


    Who the fuck had he done a deal with? I waved my hands in front of me, silencing my already silent conversation. No, I didn¡¯t want to know the details.


    Hawk¡¯s business was his business-until he made it my business.


    Motherfucker.


    ¡°Who did you steal from?¡±


    ¡°Bane Rivera.¡± At my questioning look, he added, ¡°He owns that gentleman¡¯s club, The Dollhouse, over in West Hollywood.¡±


    I had heard of The Dollhouse, I¡¯d also heard about the reputation of its owner. Bane Rivera had been voted the most eligible bachelor for three years running. I was not ashamed to say that I¡¯d picked up those copies of the magazines and stared at him, taking in his dark hair, dark eyes, and scruffy jaw. He looked like pure sex on the pages, but a man like that didn¡¯t rise to the top without getting his hands dirty somewhere along the way.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll just go down there and talk to him.¡±


    Stupid. Stupid idea, but I was grasping at straws here.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do that,¡± my brother said weakly.

 Chapter 23

    I huffed and lowered myself back to the floor in front of the couch. ¡°You lost the right to tell me what to do when you barged in here, bloody and broken, and owing the richest man in California fifty grand.¡± I opened the gauze pack and Bactine and began to clean Hawk¡¯s injuries. As I sponged the blood away from his face, I realized the wounds were mostly superficial. The bruising would be a bitch, though.


    By the time I was done, Hawk was asleep-although fitfully-on my couch. Iid a light nket over him, then dumped the used medical supplies into the trash in the kitchen. It was edging up to two o¡¯clock in the morning, and I knew I wouldn¡¯t be able to get back to sleep-not with the news of my brother¡¯s troubles on my mind.


    Marching into my bedroom, I changed into some jean shorts and threw on a tank top. I didn¡¯t bother with a bra given that I didn¡¯t intend to stay at The Dollhouse all that long. Going to see Rivera might be the worst decision I¡¯d ever made, but it was also the only one I could make. After this, though, I swore my brother was on his own.


    Sliding my bare feet into my Vans, I grabbed my car keys from the hook by the door and shut the apartment quietly behind me. Traffic was light as I drove to West Hollywood. Even in the dark, I could see the wealth and affluence of the people who lived here. We hadn¡¯t always been poor. At one stage, my dad had a thriving printing business, but then he began to gamble. It was only small bets here and there to start with, but as soon as my mom died, he upped the stakes and spiraled into a pit that he had no hope of climbing out of. He died penniless, leaving Hawk and me to scrape and scramble our way through this life. Neither of us had gone to college. Neither of us had wanted to.


    We¡¯d grown up quickly, and survival was the name of the game.


    The game had left Hawk bitter and stupid.


    It left me cautious yet independent, stubborn, and fucking unwilling to be taken advantage of.


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± I muttered when I pulled up to the curb outside The Dollhouse. The entire building was at least three stories high, the red-brick industrial exterior making it look like it belonged somewhere down by the docks. There were no windows, no tacky neon signs-no signs at all. It was like it was just known as the premier gentlemen¡¯s club in LA by sheer will alone.


    As I parked the car and shut off the engine, I had a brief moment of hesitation.


    What the fuck was I doing here?


    What did I hope to achieve?


    Well, whatever it was going to achieve, I had no choice. Hawk had made sure of that.


    Getting out of my car, I pulled down the legs of my shorts that had ridden up a little, shut the door, and locked the car. As I cast a nce at my early-model Toyota, I doubted anyone would try to boost it, but I also couldn¡¯t afford to rece it. I walked up to the bouncer at the door, who stared at me like I was the wrong kind of person to walk in there.


    ¡°Dolls enter through the back,¡± he told me.


    ¡°Dolls? What? No, I¡¯m here to talk to Bane Rivera.¡±N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    His eyes found mine again. ¡°Dolls enter through the back.¡± His tone was sharp, and I bobbed my head because maybe this wasn¡¯t going to be as bad as I thought it was. I ducked down Driveaway and ra beside the building,ing to arge steel door. The words STAFF ONLY were scrawled across it in block letters. Raising my fist, I knocked.


    It opened with a buzz, and I stepped into what looked like a very long hallway. There were half a dozen doors on either side, but they were all unmarked. The low buzz of people talking and the seductive beat of throbbing music and drinks being poured filtered through from the door to my left, so I opened it and stepped into a room of ck, gold, and dark red. A shiver tracked over me as I was hypnotized by the low lighting, the music, and the women dancing in their eight-inch pleasers on raised tforms. This ce was pure sex.


    Walking over to the bar, I caught a lingerie-d woman¡¯s attention and called her over.


    ¡°What can I get you, sweetheart?¡± she asked in a sexy drawl.


    I almost ordered a drink, but then I remembered why I was there. ¡°I need to speak to Bane


    Rivera.¡±


    The bartender jerked her chin up at a wall of ss hovering over the bar. ¡°He¡¯s in his office,¡± she said in apletely normal voice.


    Well, I did not deserve the sex-kitten routine. ncing around, I tried to find my way up there.


    ¡°Take the door tucked away around the end of the bar,¡± the same bartender said.


    I nodded in thanks, finding the door and opening it. Butterflies turned into an all-out assault on my stomach, so I pressed my hand to the space just below my navel. I was nervous as fuck, but I had to do this. When I reached the six-foot by five-footnding at the top of the stairs, I stared at the door and blew out a breath.


    Fuck. It was now or never.


    I knocked and prayed I could get my brother out of this.

 Chapter 24

    BANE


    I looked up from my work when there was a knock on the door. It was almost three in the morning, and I wondered who it would be. ¡°Enter,¡± I said, returning my eyes to my desk.


    I looked up again once the door had closed, taking in the blonde-haired beauty who had just stumbled into my office. Her blue eyes widened a little when she saw me, but her gaze didn¡¯t drop.


    ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡± I barked. And how the fuck had she gotten in here? Where the fuck was Dagger? Turning my head, I saw him down in the club, chatting with one of the waitresses. Fuck.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked again when the woman remained silent.


    Tilting her chin up in defiance, she red at me. ¡°My name is Wren Montana,¡± she said, her voice strong. ¡°I believe you know my brother, Hawk.¡±


    ¡°Hawk Montana,¡± I replied with a sneer. ¡°The bastard who thought he could steal from me.¡±


    She bobbed her head. ¡°I¡¯m not here to condone what he¡¯s done, but I am here to ask you if there was some other way he could get that money to you. Fifty grand is not an easy sum to find.¡±


    ¡°It would be if he hadn¡¯t stolen it from me in the first ce.¡± I settled back farther in my chair, molding into the soft, supple leather. ¡°Did he ask you toe here?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°So, what¡­ you thought you¡¯d just try your luck and ask me to let his indiscretion go?¡±


    For the first time since she came in here, she ducked her eyes. ¡°Yes.¡±


    I let my gaze travel down her body. She was dressed in a thin tank top that showed off a set of breasts I wouldn¡¯t have minded titty-fucking. Her waist was narrow, and her hips red. Her legs, though? Fuck me, I wanted them wrapped around my waist. Her little Daisy Dukes showcased them perfectly.


    Standing, I rearranged my erection and stalked toward her. She tipped her chin up in defiance as I did, and I got a little harder.


    Circling her, I ran the tip of my finger down her arm, then around to her back. When it inched onto her ass, she spun around to p me, but I caught her hand before it couldnd. Our faces were mere inches apart, and I could smell the scent of her shampoo. Fire erupted in those blue eyes of hers.


    ¡°I¡¯m not one of your whores,¡± she hissed. ¡°So don¡¯t touch me without my permission.¡±


    I let her wrist go and stepped away. She had fire. I liked fire. My dick especially liked fire. ¡°Well, Little Bird, now I know what you¡¯re made of.¡± ¡°Fuck you,¡± she snarled.


    Iughed darkly. ¡°Oh, I intend to at some point.¡± I didn¡¯t date. I had no time to date. I barely got time to fuck women I wanted to fuck given that my time was split between the club and my drug operation.


    But Wren Montana-I wanted to fuck her.


    I wanted to see how deep that fire went.


    I wanted to see if she would let me break her, then beg me for more.


    ¡°What do you want, Little Bird?¡± I asked, liking the way my new nickname sounded each time I said it.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°I want you to forget about the money my brother owes you.¡±


    I shook my head and perched on the edge of my walnut desk. Skimming my fingers along the edge, I thought about what Wren would look like bent over it, her knuckles clenched white as she held on tight while I fucked her raw. Her eyes darted down to my hips, then back up again, and I smirked. ¡°I can¡¯t forget what he owes me. Nobody steals from me, and nobody can escape the punishment either.¡±


    All of a sudden, tears welled in her crystal-clear eyes, and my heart fucking lurched in my chest. I didn¡¯t suffer from blubbering emotional women. Even if one of my Dollses to me with a tear-worthy issue, I took care of their problem expeditiously but left all the emotional shit kicked to the curb.


    Tears on Wren, though-fuck, I was in trouble.


    ¡°Please. He doesn¡¯t have the money. I don¡¯t even have the money-¡±


    I held my hand up for her to stop. ¡°He asked you for help?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s my baby brother. There¡¯s nothing I wouldn¡¯t do for him.¡±


    Man, that was so fucked up. It was the man¡¯s duty to look after his sister, not the other way around. Locking down my emotions, I said to her, ¡°He has a week to get me my fifty thousand.¡±


    ¡°And what happens if he doesn¡¯t?¡± The steel was back in her voice even though tears sat silver and voluminous in her eyes. ¡°What then, huh? Will you beat him again or worse?¡±


    ¡°Or worse,¡± I replied darkly, without a touch of remorse. ¡°Nobody steals from me. Nobody gets to think they¡¯ve pulled one over on me. Nobody survives this breach of trust.¡±


    Roughly, she swiped the tears from her eyes and straightened her shoulders. Fuck, she even thrust her chest out a little, drawing my attention to her breasts. The air-conditioner kicked in then, sweeping the room with a gust of arctic air and causing her nipples to pebble. No fucking bra. I fucking liked this woman.


    ¡°You¡¯re a goddamn mobster.¡± She hurled the words at me like they were daggers instead of sybles.


    Pushing up off the desk, I got to within an inch of her body, her breasts almost brushing against my pecs. ¡°You¡¯re fucking right. I am. Now, get that fine ass of yours out of here, Little Bird, before I bend you over my knee and spank that defiance out of you.¡±


    I braced for the p. I was not prepared for the lust that surfaced in her gaze. So she liked it rough, did she? I filed that little nugget of information away forter because I knew there would be ater. Any woman who could stand up to me, defy me like that, was a woman I wanted to get to know.


    She retreated on shaking legs, throwing onest filthy re over her shoulder at me just before she shut the door. I ran a hand through my hair and blew out a breath. Turning to the window, I watched as Wren walked toward the entrance to the club. Her head was held high, her walk confident.


    Fuck, I wanted to break her.


    Behind me, the office door opened. ¡°Who was that, boss?¡± Dagger asked. ¡°A new Doll?¡±


    I rounded on the guy, barely containing the anger I had at him for not being at the door to stop her froming in. But then I thought about it. If he¡¯d stopped her, I wouldn¡¯t have had the pleasure of meeting her. So instead of chewing the bastard out, I smiled at him. ¡°She was Hawk Montana¡¯s big sister.¡±


    Dagger¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. It hardly did. The only emotions I¡¯d ever seen on his face before were nk and nk. There wasn¡¯t a damn thing I could tell him to do that he wouldn¡¯t see through.


    ¡°What did she want?¡±


    ¡°She wanted me to forget about the fifty thousand he owes.¡±


    ¡°In exchange for what?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. She came in here with no fucking bargaining chip at all.¡± Which either meant she was incredibly smart or incredibly stupid. Stupidity didn¡¯t seem to fit Wren. There was calction in her eyes, an old knowledge that understood how this world worked. ¡°I want you to find out what you can about her.¡±


    ¡°You got it.¡± He nced at his watch. ¡°Closing time soon.¡±


    I did the same time check. So it was. Three o¡¯clock rolls around quickly. ¡°Get that information. I want to visit her tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yes, boss.¡±


    Dagger left, and I returned to my desk. I would see my Little Bird again, and I would take what I wanted from her without anyint.

 Chapter 25

    WREN


    I nudged Hawk with my foot. He groaned and rolled away, giving me his back.


    ¡°Wake the fuck up, Hawk,¡± I snarled. I was running on only four hours of sleep, thanks to his barging into my apartment beaten and bloody. Then, there was my visit to Bane. The man who was even sexier in person.


    Before I got sucked into those thoughts, I walked into the kitchen to get some coffee. I made enough for both of us, taking the cup into the living room. Hawk had gotten himself vertical, which was a good start.


    ¡°Drink this,¡± I told him, shoving the coffee under his nose.


    He grabbed the cup with both hands and took a shallow sip. He looked at me over the rim. ¡°What am I going to do, Wren?¡±


    ¡°Fucked if I know,¡± I replied, running a hand through my hair, shoving it out of my face. I watched his expression crumple. ¡°What did you do with the money?¡±


    His eyes darted away from my face, his tell showing me everything I needed to know. ¡°You lifted it, didn¡¯t you? You fucking idiot.¡± I stood up to pace. ¡°Did you think he wouldn¡¯t notice?¡± ¡°Snake never did,¡± he replied in a petnt tone.


    Ah, so here it was. This had worked in the past with another dealer, so Hawk figured why wouldn¡¯t it work again?


    ¡°Snake is a drug-addled junky peddling cut-to-shit heroin. Like he gives a fuck about making green. All he¡¯s interested in is making sure he has his supply taken care of.¡±


    Hawk rested his elbows on his knees. ¡°I know it was stupid, Wren. I know I fucked up. But there has to be a way, right? You can ask the bank for a loan. Use the shop as coteral?¡±


    I turned to stare at him. What the fuck was he thinking? ¡°My business is on the verge of copse, Hawk. How in the hell do you think I¡¯m supposed to get that kind of cash?¡± I was d I was holding the coffee in my hand because if I didn¡¯t, I was going to punch him in the fucking face.


    ¡°Fuck.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not fucking wrong, Hawk. Jesus!¡± I stalked back and forth for a little longer, trying to get all my jumbled thoughts into some sort of order. What were we going to do? Bane Rivera didn¡¯t look like the kind of man who would simply let my brother off with a p on the wrist. More like a bullet in the head. There had to be a way to get him to back off, to extend the timeline. I paused in my pacing and took a sip of my coffee.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    What if I offered to pay him off in installments? It would be tight, but I could afford a couple of hundred a month. At that rate, though, I would be paying Rivera off for nearly thirty years. That was if the guy went for the idea. I didn¡¯t hold out much hope.


    ¡°Argh, I can¡¯t even fucking look at you right now, Hawk.¡± Taking my coffee cup with me, I stalked into my bedroom and mmed the door. I couldn¡¯t afford to focus any more of my energy on this. I still had to go into the shop and earn money. I had to pretend that things were okay, that my brother hadn¡¯t messed up in the biggest way possible.


    Draining thest of my cup, I ced it on my dresser, then pulled on a pair of ck leggings and a hot pink polo shirt with my business name and logo on the breast. I¡¯d opened Bubbly Paws a couple of years ago hoping to cash in on the craze of people treating their dogs more like humans. It turned out my hunch had been right, but about a year ago, another dog grooming salon had opened, and, for some reason, I was slowly losing my patronage to them.


    Without sufficient cash flow to throw into advertising, I was left having to suck it the fuck up. I didn¡¯t hold out hope for an improvement any time soon, but I wasn¡¯t a quitter, so I¡¯d see it through. I shoved my feet into my Vans, then went into the bathroom to brush my teeth and do my hair.


    I¡¯d just ced my hairbrush down when my phone rang.


    Putting it on speaker, I said, ¡°Tell me you¡¯reing over with copious amounts of alcohol tonight,¡± I said to my best friend, Darcy.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do you one better. We¡¯re going out tonight.¡±


    I stared at the phone. ¡°Going out?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you know, getting a few drinks, maybe getting you a few numbers? Please tell me you haven¡¯t forgotten what fun is. I worked hard to get you to lighten up.¡±


    ¡°I know what going out is, Dee, but tonight? I thought it was date night for you and Baron on


    Fridays.¡±


    ¡°Baron has to workte.¡±


    Baron was her husband of five years and the only man Darcy had ever loved. They¡¯d been high school sweethearts, and they were so perfect for each other that it made me sick to my stomach.


    ¡°Come on, Wren. You¡¯re my only single friend. You¡¯re my only excuse to go out anymore.¡±


    Rifling through my makeup bag, I pulled out my foundation and shook the bottle. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be used, Darcy.¡±


    Sheughed. ¡°You¡¯ll be using me. I¡¯m the best fucking wing-woman you¡¯ve ever had.¡±


    I snorted, applying my foundation efficiently. ¡°We can have one drink.¡±


    ¡°Yes! I knew I¡¯d wear you down.¡±


    ¡°Where do you want to go?¡±


    ¡°Temptation in West Hollywood.¡±


    I whistled through my teeth. ¡°I hope you know someone who knows someone who knows someone because getting on that list is hard.¡±


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re on the list, babe. Don¡¯t you worry?¡±


    Applying some mascara, I asked, ¡°How in the hell did you manage that?¡±


    ¡°Baron manages their books. All he had to do was ask.¡±


    Fuck, I knew I liked Baron for a reason. ¡°What time should I meet you?¡±


    ¡°Nine?¡±


    ¡°Done. I¡¯ll see you then.¡± I hung up and finished applying a clear gloss to my lips. Taking one final look at my reflection, I decided it was as good as it was going to get. Besides, I was going to get sshed by shaking dogs all day, anyway. I looked as tired as I felt, but I wasn¡¯t going to earn money without actually heading to work. I could worry about Hawkter. Hell, maybe this would be the wake-up call he needed to start getting his shit together.

 Chapter 26

    Grabbing the keys from the hook by the door, I said over my shoulder, ¡°Lock up the windows and door when you leave, please, and for fuck¡¯s sake, don¡¯t go getting yourself into any deeper shit.¡±


    When I got downstairs, I turned to the right to walk the two blocks to my dog grooming shop. From memory, I had at least ten dogsing in for a wash and another three for clipping. Then when I was done, I could look forward to going out with Darcy.


    As I rounded the corner onto the street of my shop, I stopped dead and blinked. Bane Rivera was standing against the front window dressed in an expensive ck suit and crisp white shirt. Sunsses shaded his eyes, but I knew the moment when he saw me. I could feel his gaze on me like it was a visible caress. I began walking again, approaching him with my keys out.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I pushed the key into the front lock and opened the door, not waiting to see if he would follow.


    As I flipped on the lights, he sauntered into my shop, looking all sorts of misced while I turned off the security rm.


    ¡°So this is where you work, huh?¡± he asked, amusement coloring his tone.


    ¡°If you¡¯re here to make fun of this ce, you can fuck right off now.¡± I went to move around the counter to drop my bag, but Bane stopped me by wrapping his fingers around my wrist. I red at the offending digits and then back at him. ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s what you want to do?¡±


    His mouth turned up into a cocky smile. Like he was used to getting everything he wanted. Like the world would drop its panties for him. And why was I thinking about dropping my panties in his presence?


    ¡°What would you do to me if it is?¡± His question was a bare rumble of a purr, a buzz deep down in his chest. I stared up into his dark eyes, my gaze tracking from his mouth to the tattoos on the side of his neck, back to his eyes.


    I swallowed, praying my voice sounded strong when I answered, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    His brows rose. ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Jerking me closer, I was forced to drop my bag and ce my hands on his chest to stop me from crashing into him. He wrapped his arms around me, pinning my arms to my sides. Dipping his head to my ear, he whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t tease me, Little Bird. You will not enjoy the punishment, although I know I will.¡±


    Shoving free of his arms, I tried to get my breathing back under control. My brain was firing a thousand different thoughts in a thousand different directions. Slowly, I scooped up my bag and walked behind the counter. I took a few minutes more than necessary to stow it, and by the look on his face when I stood back up again, he knew. He knew he¡¯d messed with my equilibrium. ¡°What do you want?¡± I asked again.


    ¡°You.¡±


    I blinked, sure my hearing was on the fritz. ¡°Me?¡±


    He leaned against the counter, folding his arms across his chest. The movement revealed the gold Piaget watch on his wrist, which winked in the overhead lighting. ¡°Last night, you came to beg me to let your brother¡¯s debt go. Not once did you offer me an alternative to the money.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°Alternative?¡±


    ¡°An alternative.¡± Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a business card and handed it to me. I took it, finally ncing down at the thick stock. It was ck with his name embossed on one side and a number in gold on the other.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°An offer.¡±


    My heart lurched into my throat as the implications of what he was saying hit me with all the finesse of a semi-trailer careening out of control. ¡°You want me to work for you?¡±


    ¡°Clever girl,¡± he murmured, his eyelids lowering. ¡°Come and work for me, Little Bird, and I¡¯ll wipe that debt of Hawk¡¯s away. Forever.¡±


    I rubbed my thumb over his embossed name,mitting the shape of the letters to memory. This was one of those times in your life that changed shit forever. ¡°And if I say no?¡±


    Straightening, he stalked toward me behind the counter. I backed up a step, mming into the wall. Bane crowded me against it, caging me in with his hands on either side of my head. He leaned in close, ced his nose at my neck, and inhaled. Then his words, words that trickled like a lover¡¯s promise, found their way into my ear. ¡°You love your brother too much to say no.¡±


    My chest pumped as I tried to drag more air into my lungs. All I caught was the scent of his cologne-something deliciously spicy and dark. I swallowed raggedly, tilting my face up to meet his. ¡°No,¡± I said the word with as much conviction as I could muster, but given his proximity, I was struggling to even perform the most basic functions like breathing and blinking. There was something so maic about him. He was savagery contained in a suit, an animal tamed only because he was in public. I did not doubt that when it came to sex, he would own my body. And I would give it to him.


    He must¡¯ve seen that realization in my eyes. Flexing his hips into mine, I had to bite my lip as his erection pressed into my pelvis. ¡°Still thinking about me bending you over my knee?¡± ¡°No,¡± I whispered.


    He clicked his tongue. ¡°When you submit to me, Little Bird, I will make your ass red raw, and you will love every second of it.¡±


    ¡°I highly doubt that.¡± My words came out weaker than I¡¯d anticipated, but Bane was twisting everything around in my head. I¡¯d never had such a visceral reaction to a man before.


    ¡°Think about my offer, Wren Montana.¡± He stepped away from me and left the shop. I stared at the door, unable to catch my breath.


    Holy shit.


    Holy shit.


    Diving into my bag, I called Darcy.


    She picked up on the second ring. ¡°Babe?¡±N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡°Hey. Ah¡­ you¡¯re never going to believe what just happened.¡±


    There was a thump like Darcy had put something down-probably her coffee cup. ¡°Spill it.¡± ¡°I just got offered a job.¡±


    ¡°A job? Why would you need a job? You have a job. A job where?¡± Her questions came out rapid-fire, just like they always did when she was multitasking.


    ¡°What else are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, trying to type out this report for my boss.¡±


    I picked up the card and looked at it again. ¡°I¡¯ll call you back then.¡±


    ¡°Pfft¡­ no, babe. We¡¯re talking now. I got this.¡±


    I smiled. Darcy always knew when I needed her the most, and right now I needed her. And not because of Baneing in here and offering me a way out of Hawk¡¯s mess, but for everything life had ever thrown at me. ¡°It¡¯s a long story.¡± ¡°Stop stalling and tell me already.¡±


    I inhaled deeply, then let the breath out slowly. I had about twenty minutes before my first appointment would arrive. ¡°All right, here¡¯s the long and the short of it, Hawk was an asshole and did something stupid. Now, that something stupid hase back to bite him in the ass.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, I love it when you¡¯re all cryptic, but knowing your brother as I do, he probably pissed off


    the wrong person. And now you feel obligated to help him because he¡¯s your baby brother, and that¡¯s what you do. Am I right?¡±


    Fuck, she was so right about that. ¡°Pretty much.¡±


    ¡°Also knowing you, you also know how to fix it.¡±


    My heart lurched in my chest because I didn¡¯t know how to fix it, but as I looked down at the ck card on my counter, maybe I did. The question was, what else was it going to cost me?

 Chapter 27

    BANE


    Wrapping my hand around Syn¡¯s long hair, I forced her down farther onto my dick bobbing in and out of her mouth. Seeing Wren and not being able to touch her like I wanted to had left my dick hard- too fucking hard to think about anything else. I had to have an outlet for that frustration. Otherwise, nothing would get done for the rest of the day.


    She gripped my thighs, digging her false nails into the muscle. I sucked in a hiss and pumped harder, hitting the back of her throat over and over again. She groaned her appreciation of the rough treatment, so I upped the tempo. mming into her, I tilted my head and let my gaze drift to her breasts bouncing from inside the cup of her bra. She was in red today, the color shing with her bottle-colored hair.


    As soon as she tugged on my balls, they tightened with a release. With a roar, I mmed into her once more, spilling down her throat. She swallowed me down, sucking and licking and looking for more. She let go of my cock with an audible pop, and it came to settle against my lower belly, glistening with her saliva.


    Running my thumb over her bottom lip, I murmured, ¡°You love cock, don¡¯t you?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°More than anything.¡± She stood smoothly, her spike heels evenly distributing her weight. ¡°Need anything else from me?¡± she asked, running her hands suggestively over her breasts and down into her panties. ¡°You got me all wet.¡±


    ¡°Go find someone to fuck, then,¡± I told her dismissively, tucking myself back into my pants. ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡±


    I didn¡¯t bother to watch Syn leave. Instead, I returned my attention to the screen of myputer monitor and tried to ignore all thoughts of Wren Montana. It waspletely useless. Wren was so firmly stuck in my frontal lobe that I¡¯d thought about nothing else sincest night.


    That was the reason for the visit this morning.


    That was the reason I gave her my card and offered her a job.


    It probably wasn¡¯t the job she would be expecting as I had no desire to share her with any other man. The woman was a fucking hellcat. I liked spirit, especially when that spirit was directed at something meaningful. So many times, women were just bitches for the sake of being bitches, but with Wren, I could see what drove her-family and a sense of responsibility.


    I saw the same in myself.


    Picking up my phone, I dialed my sister, Bianca.


    ¡°Baby brother,¡± she answered breathlessly. ¡°To what do I owe the pleasure.¡±


    Rubbing my eyes with my thumb and forefinger, I groaned out, ¡°Please tell me you didn¡¯t answer


    the phone while you were having sex.¡±


    She snorted. ¡°No. I¡¯m out for a run with Valentine,¡± she replied.


    I sat a little straighter in my chair. Valentine was her four-month-old daughter. ¡°Should you be doing that?¡± I barked, then reined that anger back in. Bianca had never reacted well to anger, but I wasn¡¯t asking out of anger. It was a concern. Bianca had had a difficult pregnancy, topped off with a fucking difficultbor that had left her in the hospital for about a week longer than necessary after giving birth.


    ¡°Yes, brother, I¡¯m fine,¡± she replied in a bored voice. ¡°The doc gave me the all-clear. All he said was I had to take it easy.¡±


    ¡°And you goddamn will.¡± I looked up when Dagger came into the office, and I put my finger up to show him to wait a minute. ¡°How¡¯s my favorite niece anyway?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s good¡­ misses her uncle, though. When are youing over for a visit?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I stared absently at the club through the window. Being that it was lunchtime on a Friday, it was slow right now, but in another couple of hours, members would be foaming at the mouth to get in. The working week was over, and they were looking to blow off some fucking steam. ¡°Work has been busy.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s the club doing?¡±


    There was no derision in her voice when she asked. She knew that the club wasn¡¯t about being a chauvinist or a sex fiend, although I was a sex fiend too. She understood that I was a businessman first and foremost. She thought I only sold pussy. She didn¡¯t know about the drug business on the side, and that was the way it was going to stay.


    ¡°It¡¯s great. Profit margins are healthy. I might look at expanding like we talked about.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing, Bane. I¡¯m happy for you.¡± There was a faint, tinny beep over the line, and Bianca said, ¡°Shit, my heart rate¡¯s dropping. I¡¯d better get going. Thanks for the call. When should I tell James we¡¯ll be expecting you?¡±


    I clicked into my digital calendar. Weekends were out on ount of that being the busiest time of the week, but we were closed on Monday for deep cleaning. ¡°Monday for dinner.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make your favorite.¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°Love you, sis.¡±


    ¡°Love you, too, brother.¡±


    I ended the call and looked at Dagger. ¡°We have a problem,¡± he said.


    I stood, buttoning my suit jacket. ¡°We run out of condoms again?¡± I asked in a bored drawl. ¡°Because that shit is way below my pay grade.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°One of our guys got hit.¡±


    I was instantly on alert, narrowing my eyes at him. ¡°Got hit, how?¡±


    Dagger¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. At all. ¡°Same as thest one.¡±


    My hands balled into fists of their own volition. ¡°Fuck!¡± A month ago, we lost one of my dealers to what we thought was gang violence. He¡¯d been shot in the chest when he¡¯d opened his apartment door. His cash had been taken, but the drugs had been left, which was fucking strange since he had about ten thousand worth in his house. I didn¡¯t think anything of it. Until now.


    Now, his execution made sense.


    Stalking out from behind my desk, I began to pace. I was a caged tiger ready to swipe at anything stupid enough to get close to the bars.


    ¡°We need to find these fuckers and get rid of them.¡± Dagger watched me with his cold, dead eyes.


    ¡°Do we have any leads?¡±


    ¡°Most logical choices are Manzetti or Sanderson.¡±


    I ground my teeth so hard my jaw ached. I refused to be taken out of the Coke game by anyone.


    ¡°Find out who it is, then bring me their goddamn head!¡±


    Dagger said nothing, just turned around, and left the office, leaving me with a fuck-ton of simmering rage. I was anticipating some retribution for cutting in on the East Coast drug trade, but I was thinking it would be more like my dealers getting beaten up or an easy warning. I expected to know where the threat wasing from, but this shit was fucked up.


    I was in the fucking dark here.


    I was not totally to me, though. I¡¯d known I was setting up a territory that fringed both Manzetti¡¯s and Sanderson¡¯s. I¡¯d taken over their No Man¡¯s Land and filled it with my coke, slightly undercutting the bastards on price to ensure it would take.


    Mancini had always taught me to take what I wanted, then fight tooth and nail to keep it, and that was what I was goddamn doing.

 Chapter 28

    WREN


    GOD, I hoped I knew what I was doing. Through the windshield of my car, I looked up at The Dollhouse, feeling my stomach churn. I felt like I was making a deal with the Devil here, although if I were honest with myself, Bane Rivera was one fine-looking devil. ncing at the ck card on the passenger seat, I tried to recall what he¡¯d told me on the phone this afternoon after I¡¯d finished with myst client. He¡¯d said I coulde through the front, that the bouncer would wave me through.


    As I worked through washing dogs and clipping ws, I had time to think about Bane¡¯s offer. He said he¡¯d wipe Hawk¡¯s debt if I worked for him. He never said how long, though, or doing what, although I suspected I already knew, so I¡¯d reasoned with myself that this was just a meeting to discuss the particrs. I had not said yes to this. I was notmitting to working at a fucking gentlemen¡¯s club, no matter how exclusive it was.


    Letting out one final breath, I got out of my car and locked it. I nced around as I made my way to the front, feeling like everyone was staring at me.


    ¡°Can I help you, ma¡¯am?¡± the bouncer asked, his bald head gleaming with sweat in thete evening heat that was still clinging to LA.


    ¡°Yes, my name is Wren-¡±


    ¡°Go on through,¡± he said, cutting me off. ¡°Mr. Rivera is expecting you.¡±


    ¡°Th-thank you.¡± I stepped through the door he held open for me and let out a sigh as the cool air swirled around my feet. The club looked much the same as before, the lux fabrics and the opulence an almost indecent assault on the senses, especially when it was pared with women dressed in lingerie dancing on raised tforms with poles, in cages, and on men¡¯sps. I walked to the bar and then stopped. Bane never said to go to his office, and I figured barging in on him once was enough. I waited for him by the ckcquered bar, my gaze bouncing around the room.


    There were so many men here already, a lot of them sitting in quartets infortable-looking leather armchairs with high-rolled arms. The women were perched either on their knees or on the arms of the chairs themselves, their long, lean legs draped over the men¡¯sps. A lot of the women didn¡¯t look real to me. How could someone look like that, I wondered, and how could they choose this as their career? ¡°Little Bird.¡±


    Jumping, I turned to find Bane standing there in the same suit as I¡¯d seen him in this morning, although he¡¯d jettisoned the jacket. His shirt was open at the cor, revealing a tantalizing look at the tattoos that continued from his neck down onto his chest. His dark hair was fuck-me tousled, his dark eyes drinking me in.


    ¡°Jesus, you scared me,¡± I told him.


    He smirked.


    The bastard.


    ¡°Would you like a drink?¡±


    ¡°Fuck, yes. Whisky on the rocks.¡±


    His smile widened a little more before he turned to the bartender waiting at his elbow. After he¡¯d ordered our drinks, we waited in silence. Bane was staring at me, his gaze never staying in one ce too long. It dropped from my face to my chest, then lower. I had no idea what he was expecting to see. I¡¯de straight from work, so I smelled of wet dogs and was covered in hair. I¡¯d toyed with the idea of getting changed, but I figured this wasn¡¯t going to take too long. I¡¯d find out the details, then I¡¯d leave.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and sit down,¡± he said, handing me my drink and gesturing to the main floor of the club. I let him lead the way, trying to ignore how great his ass looked in those cks. He picked a couple of seats at the far end of the club as far away from the gyrating pole dancers as we could get.


    ¡°I thought you might want a little privacy,¡± he told me in a dark voice that made my ovaries quiver a little bit.


    I took a sip of my whisky, savoring the burn. ¡°This won¡¯t take long.¡±


    With humor dancing in his eyes, he also took a sip from his ss before cing it on the small table beside him. ¡°I make it a point never to do things fast with a beautiful woman.¡± He lounged back in the chair, his elbows on the high arms, his legs spread wide. I have a very vivid picture in my mind of what it would be like to be with a man like him, one who oozes dominance and power.


    I cleared my throat. ¡°We need to discuss the offer you made me this morning.¡±


    He steepled his fingers together in front of him. ¡°And I am all-¡±


    He was cut off when an artificial redhead in matching red lingerie flopped into hisp. ¡°Hi, Daddy,¡± she purred, running her finger over his jaw like a lover would.


    With far more gentleness than I expected, he eased her off hisp. ¡°Get out of here, Syn. You can see I¡¯m in a meeting.¡±


    The woman, Syn, cast her eyes on me, her expression turning sour. ¡°A new Doll?¡± she asked.


    Bane stared at me, a smile on his sinful mouth. ¡°Maybe. Now get the fuck out of here.¡±


    I watched the other woman go, then swallowed another mouthful of whisky. When I turned back, Bane was still staring at me, only all amusement was gone. ¡°What¡¯s a Doll?¡± I asked.


    ¡°What I call my dancers.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Nervous energy fluttered around inside me, pinging against my skin and making me suddenly jumpy. Is that what Bane wanted me for? To be one of his Dolls? I looked around at the other women. They were all dressed in barely-there lingerie, their faces perfectly done, their hair immacte. If his offer was for me to be one of his dancers, I wasn¡¯t sure I could.


    ¡°Should we get down to business then?¡± he asked smoothly.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

 Chapter 29

    Drawing in a shaky breath, I turned back to him. ¡°Yes,¡± I croaked. Jesus-fucking- Christ, what was I doing? I knew I was considering making a deal with the Devil, but could I lower my standards this much? I had no issues with sexuality. I had no issues with other women who wanted to express that sexuality, but the idea of bing a dancer was throwing up roadblocks in my head. I couldn¡¯t do this-not even for Hawk.


    I threw thest of my whisky down my throat and stood. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Rivera, but I can¡¯t do this.¡±


    ¡°Do what, exactly? We¡¯re having a drink.¡±


    I ran a hand through my hair, checking my ponytail was still in ce. Of course, it was. It hadn¡¯t moved all day. Why the fuck was I stalling on this?


    ¡°I can¡¯t be one of your Dolls,¡± I blurted out. ¡°Hard limit.¡±


    His eyes became hooded. ¡°I never mentioned anything about you bing one of my Dolls.¡± His words were controlled like rage was suddenly seeking to w out of him. What had I said to make him react like that? ¡°What I want from you, you probably won¡¯t want to give me because if you¡¯re offended by some women dancing in lingerie, you won¡¯t like what I was about to offer you.¡±


    Keeping Hawk¡¯s life firmly in my mind, I let out a breath. ¡°What are you offering?¡± I asked in a whisper.


    He gestured to the chair. ¡°Sit down, and I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    I stood there a moment longer, waging war with myself. I could do this. I could sit and hear the guy out. Moving back to the chair, I sat, bringing my legs up beneath me. ¡°If you expect me to whore myself out, you¡¯ve got another thinging. Nothing is worth giving up my pride for that.¡± I red at him, but what I¡¯d said had amused him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to whore yourself out as one of my Dolls.¡±


    ¡°What do you want me for then?¡±


    ¡°I want you to be my personal Doll.¡±


    A shot of lust ricocheted through my body at the same time as outrage did. Conflicted by the two strong emotions, I shut my eyes for a moment and breathed. ¡°Your whore, you mean?¡± When I opened them again, his dark eyes were roving my body.


    He shrugged unashamedly. ¡°I don¡¯t care what youbel it¡­ I want you for myself.¡±


    ¡°What if I told you I had a boyfriend? Would that offer still stand?¡±


    His dark eyes clouded over a little as he leaned forward in his chair. ¡°You don¡¯t have a boyfriend, Little Bird, so don¡¯t even fucking think about ying that card.¡±


    Although outrage still hummed through my body, I swallowed down the insults I wanted to hurl at him, remembering my brother¡¯s life could hinge on this. ¡°How long?¡±


    ¡°Two weeks.¡±


    ¡°And after two weeks, I¡¯m free to leave, never to see you again?¡±


    ¡°If you can walk away from me at the end of those two weeks,¡± he replied smugly.


    I huffed augh and unfolded my legs, cing them on the hardwood floor. ¡°What would be involved with me being your Doll?¡±


    ¡°You will be avable to me at all times.¡±


    Narrowing my eyes at him, I rolled that statement around in my head. Avable to him at all times was a pretty broad request. ¡°Avable for what?¡±


    He smiled, and my heart nearly jumped right out of my chest. It was unfair that he was this good-looking. In fact, why would he even want to be seen with me? I smelled of wet dogs and was covered in fur six days a week.


    ¡°This and that,¡± he replied, taking another sip from his ss.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t how contracts work. You can¡¯t be vague or ambiguous. I will never agree to broad statements like ¡®avable to you at all times¡¯ and ¡®this and that.¡¯ Sorry.¡± I folded my arms defensively across my chest and stared at him.


    ¡°All right, Little Bird, do you want to know what I want from you for two weeks? I want yourplete submission of all things. Sex, yes, but I will make that very pleasurable for you, but in other ways, too. You will be there to apany me to dinners and meetings when needed.¡±


    ¡°Jesus,¡± I muttered. This sounded a hell of a lot like Pretty Woman. Hey, at least we were in the right city, right? I stared at him, taking in every angle of his face, his jaw.


    Two weeks.


    Could I give up two weeks of my life to get Hawk off the hook?


    ¡°What about my brother?¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    He spread his legs out a little wider, my eyes tracking the movement. ¡°I¡¯m not into men.¡± ¡°No, I mean, what happens to his debt? Will it be wiped?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°I want that written into the contract.¡±


    ¡°Contract?¡±


    ¡°You think that all this won¡¯t be put into writing? I¡¯m going to make damn sure it is, so we both know where we stand.¡±


    ¡°No contracts,¡± he said in a hard voice. ¡°My word is my bond.¡±


    ¡°Then, we don¡¯t have a deal,¡± I told him, daring him to counter my threat with one of his own. When he didn¡¯t, I stood. He mirrored me, his expression vaciting between humor and frustration.


    He finally fixed it on indifference and held out his hand for me to shake.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you think about this a little longer before you give me your answer.¡±


    What an asshole. Opening my mouth to argue, I shut it a minuteter. I didn¡¯t need to waste time on this. It was not beneficial, and it would only serve to put me in a worse mood. He brought my hand to his mouth, brushing his lips against the back of it.


    ¡°I will be seeing youter, Wren. You can count on that.¡±


    As I stalked away, the only thought I had was that I would never sell myself to a man like that. Not even for my brother.

 Chapter 30

    BANE


    JESUS-FUCKING-CHRIST, my dick was so hard. As I watched Wren stalk away from me, I caught the looks from my patrons, from my Dolls. They¡¯d never seen me with a woman like her before-one who had no idea about her sex appeal. Her sharp tongue and quick mind also turned me the fuck on.


    ¡°Want me to take care of that for you, Daddy?¡± Syn asked, sashaying her way over to me. I knew the moment Wren left that she would swoop in.


    Dropping to the floor between my legs, she reached up to rub my dick, but I stopped her, pressing my fingers into her wrist. ¡°No, Syn.¡±


    Fuck, this had happened before. I¡¯d had Dolls getting possessive over me, and I¡¯d had to get rid of them. I didn¡¯t belong to any woman, and as soon as they thought they did, they were gone too.


    I stood, side-stepping Syn who was blinking at me like she couldn¡¯t believe I¡¯d turned down a blowjob. I wouldn¡¯t have let her suck me in public, though. There were strict rules in the club, which included no sexual acts to be performed on the general floor. That¡¯s what the private rooms were for. Syn was walking a fine line to think I would let that shit go.


    When I was safely locked back in my office, I called Dagger and then got back to the paperwork that had been demanding my attention for the better half of this week.     TWO HOURS LATER, Dagger strolled through the door, his hair wet and his clothes clean.


    ¡°What did you find?¡±


    ¡°One of Sanderson¡¯s guys sniffing around on our turf.¡±


    ¡°Did you question him?¡±


    ¡°Why do you think I got showered and changed?¡± he replied. Of course. Dagger wasn¡¯t known for his patience, and when information wasn¡¯t given quickly enough, he tended to get out one of his knives to make the person more receptive to his desires.


    I leaned back in my office chair and crossed my legs at the ankle. ¡°Do we have anything yet?¡±


    Dagger shook his head. ¡°No. The guy was fucking keeping his thoughts to himself.¡±


    I didn¡¯t believe for one fucking minute that he didn¡¯t know something. ¡°You need to fucking find out. There can¡¯t be any blowback onto the club.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡± He turned to leave, but I stopped him. ¡°Do you have someone on Wren?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Tell them to call me when she goes anywhere other than her work and home.¡±


    Dagger pulled out his phone, his thick thumbs flying over the screen as he ryed the message. ¡°Done. Anything else you need or am I good to walk the floor?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re done.¡±


    He left me alone, and the silence was driving me fucking insane. I¡¯d done all the paperwork, and the report from Dagger only made my skin fucking twitch. I needed a distraction, and the only one I could think of that I wanted was a little blonde with legs for-fucking-days. Snagging the jacket off the back of my chair, I slid into it and then made my way downstairs.


    It was edging onto eight o¡¯clock in the evening, The Dollhouse was filling up nicely. I had all the Dolls working tonight because it was the best day for them to get tips. As I strolled past the bar, the bartender, Rachel, grabbed me.


    ¡°Got a minute to talk, boss?¡± she asked, shoving her ck hair over her shoulder. She was wearing a ck teddy today, and given the nature of pouring drinks, it was the only position in my club where I allowed that amount of clothing. When I¡¯d first hired her a couple of years ago, she¡¯d been adamant she wasn¡¯t going to toe thepany line. After one night fully clothed, she soon figured out the tips were better the less she had on.


    I checked my watch, but I had nowhere to be until I got a call from Dagger¡¯s guy. I was going to pay Wren a little visit tonight and prove to her that agreeing to my offer would be a pleasurable one.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°I was wondering if I could work a few more shifts in the future.¡± She dropped her gaze, and I looked a little harder at her face, at her bodynguage. Her makeup was a little heavier tonight, and my hands balled into fists.


    ¡°Is your cunt of a boyfriend hitting you, Rach?¡±


    She recoiled at my tone, touching the ck eye hidden behind the foundation and whatever the fuck else she had on under there. ¡°It was an ident.¡± ¡°Jesus Christ,¡± I bit out under my breath.


    ¡°I need to get more cash together to leave him. I swear he won¡¯t hit me again.¡±


    ¡°And if he does?¡± I slung the words at her like acid. I never understood the mentality of a woman who stayed with an abusive partner. I might use women for sex, but I still respected them and their wishes. To hit one-especially one you professed to love-was a dog act.


    ¡°One of the other girls said I could go stay with her.¡±


    I bit the inside of my cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t wait for him to hit you again. Pack your shit up when you get home and go stay with whoever the fuck said you could crash at theirs.¡±


    She nodded her head, her eyes downcast. ¡°And the shifts?¡±


    I resisted the urge to run my hands through my hair. ¡°Of course, you can have more fucking shifts,¡± I snarled.


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Rivera,¡± she mumbled and moved back to her post.


    I stared at her in silence, wondering what the fuck would happen to her. Most people thought I didn¡¯t give a shit about women, but the ones who worked for me were under my protection. I would fucking destroy anyone who tried to hurt them.


    With that knowledge weighing heavily on me, I walked through the front door and spoke to the bouncer.


    ¡°I¡¯m going out for a few hours. Dagger is here if there¡¯s an issue.¡± ¡°You got it, boss,¡± the guy replied.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    I was about to walk away when I stopped, driven to ask him, ¡°You all right? Everything okay?¡±


    His eyes red in surprise. ¡°Yeah, great. Thanks.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Good man. Call me if you need me.¡±


    I strolled away from the entrance of the club, sliding into the rear seat of the town car that was parked out in front. I was being driven back to my apartment when I got a phone call from a private number.


    ¡°Target is going out tonight.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡± I demanded, gripping the phone more tightly.


    ¡°Temptation.¡±


    I hung up and told my driver, Andy, to hurry the fuck up.

 Chapter 31

    WREN


    SKIMMING my hands down the stretchy electric-blue fabric of the dress I was wearing, I looked at my reflection in the mirror. Even I had to admit that I looked great. I¡¯d gone a little heavier on the eye makeup, lighter on the face, and painted my lips a bright red. Darcy was going to have a fucking aneurysm when she saw me.


    With one final check of my reflection, I grabbed my phone and switched purses, making sure I had all the essentials, which included a condom. Because a girl never knew when she might need one. Plus, seeing Bane this evening had left me an aching mess despite the proposition he¡¯d made.


    Sinceing home, that had been all I could think about, but even as I tried toe up with all the reasons why I shouldn¡¯t, I kept returning to the fact that Hawk would be off the hook after this. It wasn¡¯t a stay of execution, rather just a reprieve until he fucked things up again.


    So when I looked at it that way, there was no point in even considering the offer, was there? Of course, I wasn¡¯t a cold-hearted bitch. I understood that Hawk would probably not be walking this earth anymore if I let Bane destroy him like he wanted to.


    Slipping my feet into the only pair of heels I owned, I locked my apartment and walked outside to call an Uber. I only had to wait a few minutes before I was safely tucked into the back of an air-conditioned minivan driven by what looked like a ser mom.


    ¡°I love that dress,¡± she eximed as she navigated her way through the busy LA streets.


    ¡°Oh, thank you,¡± I replied, pulling the hem down a little. It was funny-if I were wearing a pair of shorts, I wouldn¡¯t give a fuck how far they¡¯d ridden up, but in a dress, it was a different story.


    We ended up chatting the entire way to the nightclub, and when she pulled to the curb, she gave me a bottle of water and told me to keep hydrated. I got out, making sure everything was in ce before strolling over to the bouncer and giving him my name.


    ¡°Wee to Temptation,¡± the bouncer said. ¡°You¡¯re in the VIP section. The hostess will escort you to your table.¡±


    VIP? What the fuck?


    I nodded mutely and walked inside, my breath leaving me in a whoosh. This ce was amazing. The lighting was moody, the music moving through me in an almost erotic beat. A young woman with blonde hair met me just inside the front door. When I gave her my name, she guided me through the club to a VIP area cordoned off with a red velvet rope. Unclipping one end from the pole, she smiled at me as I walked in. Surely, there had to be some sort of mistake. Darcy had said Baron was only the ountant for this ce. Somehow, I found it hard to believe that his position would warrant the VIP section.


    I stood there for a moment, simply absorbing the club¡¯s mood and wondering where I could get a drink.


    ¡°Here,¡± someone said behind me, holding the stem of a champagne flute. I looked down at the tattoo-covered hand and spun around.


    ¡°What are you doing here? Please don¡¯t tell me you own this club, too?¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    He shook his head, his eyes giving nothing away, especially in the low light of the VIP section. ¡°No, Evangeline wouldn¡¯t sell it to me,¡± he replied easily. He gestured to the champagne again.


    ¡°Drink?¡±


    I reached out and took the ss from him, our fingers brushing briefly. A small growl escaped him, but I had no other gauge of his mood. Taking me by the elbow, he guided me to the long couches set against the back wall. We were hidden on three sides-the wall to our back and one side and a partition on the other side that opened onto the bar. Although I knew we didn¡¯t have real privacy, it certainly felt like we did.


    Bane drew his attention back to me with his hand on my thigh, his thumb caressing the skin just above my knee. I stared at his tattooed hand with his long fingers. His hand was bigger than mine, and my leg looked so smallpared to his. If he wanted to, he could just sweep his hand up and under my dress. A little breath escaped me as I tried to ignore the fact that it was what I wanted him to do.


    ¡°What are you thinking about, Little Bird?¡± he asked close to my ear, his warm breath feathering against my skin like a lover¡¯s fingers.


    I swallowed. Jesus, I felt hot all over but like my skin was too tight for my body at the same time.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to figure out how Darcy got us into the VIP section.¡±


    His grip tightened on my thigh. ¡°I thought you said you didn¡¯t have a boyfriend,¡± he growled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t. Darcy is a woman and my best friend.¡±


    As soon as I said those words, he released the death grip and swept his hand a little higher. ¡°Good. And in answer to your question, Darcy didn¡¯t get into the VIP section¡­ I did. We have this entire ce to ourselves.¡±


    I looked around the private space one more time. There was a door on the far wall, a picture of a man and woman split by a line on a que in the middle. Well, at least I knew where the bathroom was.


    ¡°How did you know I wasing here?¡±


    ¡°I have my ways.¡± He picked up his ss of champagne and swallowed arge mouthful. I watched the way his throat bobbed as he swallowed down the gold liquid.


    ¡°Have you been tapping my phone?¡± Indignant didn¡¯t start to exin the ferocity of my feelings. I could handle men who thought they needed to dominate a rtionship, but I wasn¡¯t up for a stalker-grade man, especially not one like Bane Rivera. He had money and resources on his side.

 Chapter 32

    A smile curved up the corner of his mouth. ¡°No, Little Bird, I haven¡¯t been tapping your phone.¡±


    I felt like there was more to be outraged about here, but I decided not to push. Not now. I understood what he was doing. He was proving to me that he could insert himself into my life in any way he wanted.


    ¡°It¡¯s not going to work, you know.¡±


    His eyebrow quirked up, and he took another sip of his drink, watching me over the rim. ¡°What¡¯s not going to work?¡±


    My eyes darted to his lips, wondering if they tasted like champagne now. ¡°You proving that you can be everywhere I am. It won¡¯t make me change my mind about the proposition.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± He shifted his body toward me, cing his face close to mine. ¡°But my life would


    be a lot easier if you simply gave me what I want.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°How many women have you seduced into rtionships with you this way?¡±


    ¡°None.¡± His reply came out smoothly with not an ounce of deceit. ¡°And I don¡¯t have


    rtionships. I fuck.¡±


    He said the words with zero inflection like he didn¡¯t give a damn one way or the other. cing my flute down, I stood. Bane looked up at me, his expression amused. If he was trying to push my buttons, top marks for him.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°The bathroom,¡± I replied, moving off toward the door at the back of the VIP area. I pushed inside to find that it was just one stall inside the room along with a marble sink and a small armchair upholstered in velvet. I turned to lock the outer door when Bane pushed inside, mming the door shut behind him. He slid the lock into ce with finality, and I red at him.


    ¡°Do you mind?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I do,¡± he growled,ing at me like a starved man. Wrapping one arm around my waist, his hand went to my neck, holding me in ce. A rush of excitement skittered through me, the warring emotions of fear and arousal wreaking havoc with my thoughts. Bane pushed his erection into my belly, making me moan.


    ¡°This is what you do to me, Wren.¡± He flexed his hips again, rolling them with frustrating slowness. ¡°Why do you have to torture me?¡±


    I torture him? My fingers tightened around thepels of his jacket as he thrust against me again. I was suddenly breathless as I realized this was exactly what I wanted. I wanted him.


    Unleashed.


    Uncaged.


    Savage.


    Tilting my face up to his, I silently begged him for what I needed, for what only he could give me. With a growl that lit up every single one of my nerve endings, he kissed me. I was braced for the same kind of savagery that he seemed to operate on daily, so I was stunned when his lips and mouth were soft against mine. I was struggling to put together the rough, demanding Bane I¡¯d seen, and this version was here with me now. He backed me into the bathroom countertop, lifting me one-handed over the edge. His other hand was still wrapped around the base of my neck, his fingers tight and demanding.


    Pushing my knees apart, he stood between my legs, dominating my space. I ran my hands over his shoulders and down his back, fucking praying we got to do this again when we weren¡¯t fully dressed. I gasped when his fingers found the edge of my panties. He hooked them out of the way, sliding a finger straight into my drenched pussy.


    He growled against my mouth, the sound vibrating through me, pushing me higher.


    ¡°Fuck, your cunt is so wet.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I moaned, lowering my head to kiss his neck. He tasted of that same cologne and something else. I couldn¡¯t ce my finger on it, but I knew I would always remember him. Pumping the digit in and out, he slid in a second finger, curling on the upstroke. It felt like electricity was arcing through me, a live wire without grounding. I felt him everywhere. He was everywhere, from his fingers inside my pussy, his taste on my tongue, and the sound of his groans that ratcheted up, matching my moans. It was one erotic scene I had no hope of erasing because once this was done, I knew it would haunt me for the rest of my life.


    Retracting his fingers, he forced my head back and pushed the digits that had been inside my pussy past my lips and teeth, making me taste myself. Greedily, I sucked myself off him, swirling my tongue around the digits. Bane¡¯s eyes darkened, and he pulled my mouth closer, recing his fingers with his mouth. We kissed like we were about to be separated for a hundred years, both of us unable to stop.


    ¡°I want to see what that mouth of yours can do,¡± he said in a graveled voice. ¡°But I need my face down in your cunt even more.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    A whimper escaped my throat. I was surprised I was enjoying this dirty talk so much. All my other sexual encounters had been as vani as you could get, but this-Bane-was something else.


    Dropping to his knees, he shoved the bottom of my dress up, exposing my pussy to him. He tore at my panties, pulling the stitching free and dropping the pile ofce to the tile floor. He dove in without preamble, urging me closer to the edge of the counter to give him better ess. Wrapping his hands under my ass, he held me teetering on the edge while hepped, sucked, and licked at my pussy. Throwing my hands out, I held myself steady on the walls, my heels digging into his shoulders. Bane growled as he ate me, a starving man in front of a long-desired meal. I threaded my fingers through his hair, holding him against me, grinding my pussy against his stubble.


    My orgasm caught me by surprise, making me thankful I was already sitting. I screamed out Bane¡¯s name, the syble ebbing off into a low groan as he teased every singlest orgasmic shudder from me.


    I was panting when I finally came back online. I looked down at Bane as he wiped the back of his hand over his mouth, wiping away my arousal.


    ¡°Fuck, I need to do that again,¡± he rumbled, leaning back in between my legs.

 Chapter 33

    BANE


    I WAS IN FUCKING HEAVEN.


    Wren tasted like champagne, and I couldn¡¯t get enough. She was edging closer to her second orgasm after only rocking and shuddering through the first about five minutes ago. I was relentless as I attacked her cunt with my mouth. I needed it. I wanted it. I wanted her to be shoved so violently off the edge that I would be the only man alive who could give her this. I needed her addicted to me.


    Her fingers tightened in my hair, her nails scraping against my scalp sending pulses of erotic pain through me. It seemed my Little Bird might enjoy the kind of sex I did if the way she took direction and then just as quickly took charge was any indication. The sounds of her whimpers spurred me on, drowning out every single fucking thing I had going on in my head. When I was with her, I forgot all about the club and the drugs and my dealers. All I could think about was Wren and whether I was making her feel good.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Her thighs started to quiver as her orgasm approached, and then at the right moment, I slid two fingers into her drenched opening and started to pump them. In.


    Out. In.


    Out.


    Driving her higher.


    Pushing her¡­


    ¡­ to the edge of ecstasy.


    ¡°Bane,¡± she whimpered, drawing out my name in one long, guttural moan. I flicked my tongue faster against her clit, curling my fingers inside her, teasing out her orgasm. Her inner walls began to pulse, squeezing, and I got a fucking fantastic idea of what it would feel like with my dick inside her. Later.


    That wouldeter.


    Tonight was all about showing my Little Bird what she was missing out on. Her refusal to take up my offer had stunned me. I thought with her brother¡¯s life on the line, she would do whatever it took. I know if the situation had been reversed, I would¡¯ve done it for Bianca. There had to be more to the story. More than what she was saying.


    When her body finally stilled, I removed my fingers and brought them to my mouth. Her eyes red with awareness as she watched, but everything about her was rxed like I could do whatever I wanted to her right now, and she would ept it. Happily.


    Her gaze tracked me as I rose to my feet, hungry for more. I straightened my jacket, pulling the sleeves of my cuffs down. I¡¯d been so crazed by her in her tight fucking dress that I hadn¡¯t even had the forethought to take the damn thing off.


    She slid off the countertop, shimmying her hips to get the fabric of her dress to smooth down. The movement did nothing but jack me up a little higher. Grabbing onto her hips, I spun her around, so she was facing the mirror. I ground my aching cock against her ass, smiling when her eyes shuttered closed. Pushing the hair from the side of her neck, I kissed her there, nipping gently with my teeth.


    ¡°Think about my offer, Wren.¡±


    Her eyes red wide, then a frown formed on her face. ¡°That was about the offer?¡±


    The hurt in her question was like a gunshot to the chest. It had been about the offer, but it had also been because I couldn¡¯t keep my fucking hands to myself. I told her as much because I always believed honesty was the best policy, even if it hurt. ¡°I need it in writing, Bane.¡± We were back to that?


    ¡°No.¡± If my word wasn¡¯t enough, a fucking piece of paper was a moot point.


    Slowly, she turned back around to face me. ¡°I need to know that Hawk¡¯s debts will be gone after these two weeks. I don¡¯t care about what happens between us¡­¡± I stiffened at her words, but she


    pushed on. ¡°I don¡¯t need a Christian Grey-style contract where all the limits are set out.¡±


    ¡°Good, because that was fucked up. It took all the mystery and fun out of their fucking.¡±


    Her eyes widened. ¡°You¡¯ve seen the movie?¡±


    I grunted and folded my arms. ¡°Read the books.¡±


    The smile that pulled up her lips made my heart stutter. It was amazing. Incandescent. And I had to get her to do that more often.


    ¡°My sister made me.¡± Her smile widened, and I couldn¡¯t help but lean in to kiss her. ¡°Stop grinning at me like that.¡±


    ¡°You just caught me by surprise, Bane Rivera.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, don¡¯t fucking say a word to anyone. I¡¯ll deny the shit out of it.¡±


    The mood that had been lightened suddenly dimmed. ¡°But you¡¯re not going to be able to give me what I want, are you?¡± She looked at me with such sudden disappointment that the urge to move fucking heaven and earth for her gripped me.


    No woman had made me feel like this before, not in such a short amount of time. I would do anything for my sister, but she was family. Wren was not. But fuck, I wanted her to be more than just something to y with for two weeks. It would be a start, though.


    ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous to have a piece of paper lying around with this sort of shit on it. If the cops got a look at it, I¡¯m fucking done.¡±


    Fuck, there was that look again.


    Wren wrapped her arms over her chest, her eyes downcast. ¡°Then¡­ there is no deal. I¡¯ll figure out another way to get you the money Hawk owes you.¡± She walked past me, unlocking the door but not yet opening it. I turned my head to find her studying me, trying to see what, I didn¡¯t know. Wordlessly, she tugged on the handle and let herself out. As the door shut again, the sound of the music throbbing outside in the club was crushed like my fucking hopes that Wren would finally agree. I knew that if it were under any other circumstances, she wouldn¡¯t have me. She was too smart to get tangled up with someone like me, so this deal was all I had left.


    This deal or I let her go.


    But that was never going to fucking happen.

 Chapter 34

    I rinsed my face of Wren¡¯s cum, then took my time drying it before walking back out into the VIP section. Wren was gone, not that I was surprised. She was a woman who had a fucking backbone, though, and each denial she gave me only made me want to chase her more.


    ¡°Bane,¡± someone called. I looked over my shoulder to find Evangeline standing there. ¡°Leaving so soon?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°My business meeting didn¡¯t go as nned.¡±


    A small smile flexed the corners of her mouth. ¡°Maybe you shouldn¡¯t conduct business in the private bathroom, then.¡±


    Fuck, of course, she knew. Evangeline was a ball-busting bitch, and one I considered a friend, but she saw everything.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that under advisement.¡± Turning, I left the club and stepped outside. My phone began to ring, so I pulled it from my pocket. It was Dagger.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°You need to get down here. Syn has lost the fucking plot.¡±


    Fuck. ¡°On my way.¡±


    I looked up and down the street for my car, cursing when I saw Andy wasn¡¯t there. I told him to cutps of the block since I hadn¡¯t intended to stay all that long tonight. As I swung back to look the other way, the town car appeared on the far side of the block. When it pulled up to the curb, I got in, told him where I needed to go, then sat back into the soft leather seat for the return trip.


    When we arrived back at The Dollhouse, I strode through the club and up into my office, ducking to the side when a paperweight came flying at my head. I dodged another projectile, then grabbed Syn around the waist, turning her around, so her back was to my front, and wrapping my other arm over her chest. Why the fuck hadn¡¯t Dagger done this already? I looked around and found him bleeding on the floor. His eyes were pain-fogged as he clutched at his thigh. Blood pooled on the floor beneath him, squeezed out from between his fingers.


    ¡°What the fuck happened?¡± I roared, trying like hell to contain Syn who was bucking against me wildly.


    ¡°She¡¯s fucked up,¡± Dagger replied, hissing a little. ¡°She came here looking for you. I told her you were out. She started yelling something about some bitch you were seen talking to earlier, then she hopped on the crazy fucking train and broke the brakes.¡±


    Goddammit. And this was exactly why I didn¡¯t fuck my Dolls. They think it means something it doesn¡¯t, or in this case, it created a delusion of fucking ownership.


    ¡°Like I fucking need this right now?¡± I barked at Dagger. It looked like he¡¯d been stabbed in the thigh. Hauling Syn onto the floor, I straddled her waist and pinned her arms above her head. I didn¡¯t want to hurt her. Causing pain to women was not my thing, but if one were going toe at me with a paperweight and a fuckton of jealous energy, then I¡¯d do what I had to.


    ¡°Wendy!¡± I barked, the use of her real name rather than her stage name snapping her out of her rage. She blinked at me, and the fight drained out of her. Tears welled, and she started to cry.


    ¡°Why, Bane?¡± she howled. ¡°Why don¡¯t you want me?¡±


    And there it was. The exact reason I didn¡¯t want her. She was too fucking emotional. Too demanding. Too needy. She was just too much.


    ¡°You know I don¡¯t date.¡±


    That statement dried up the waterworks. ¡°I don¡¯t want to date you, Bane. I just want you to fuck me and only me.¡±


    I frowned. That sounded a hell of a lot like dating to me. Well, my brand of dating, at least. ¡°You know that can¡¯t happen for exactly this reason.¡± I gestured to my trashed office, to the rug Dagger was bleeding on, to the fucking man she¡¯d stabbed. Syn was another brand of crazy altogether.


    ¡°But I love you.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t love me. You only think you do.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯ve given you two blowjobs in as many days.¡±


    Fuck, her logic was twisted. ¡°Because you were there, Syn. Lips around my dick are all the same.¡±N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°But I love you,¡± she whispered again. Like saying the words were going to make them any truer. ¡°We¡¯re meant to be together.¡±


    I nced over at Dagger and shook my head. With a wince, he nodded and tried to stand, but his leg buckled beneath his bulk.


    ¡°Stay the fuck down, you stupid bastard,¡± I snarled before turning back to Syn. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, baby, but you¡¯re fired. Effective immediately.¡±


    The color drained from her face. ¡°You can¡¯t fire me. You can¡¯t fire me¡­¡± On and on she went with the denial. I was afraid to let her up given the amount of crazy she¡¯d disyed tonight, but Dagger wasn¡¯t in any state to move. Transferring Syn¡¯s wrists to one hand, I dug in my pocket for my phone.


    ¡°Rach,¡± I said.


    ¡°Mr. Rivera?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, can you call the doc and get him to swing by. There¡¯s been a situation in my office.¡± ¡°Do I need to send Tony up?¡±


    ¡°Nah, he¡¯s the only one on the door. Just call the doc.¡± I hung up and tried to wrap my head around this shit. Syn was still blubbering about how she can¡¯t be out of a job and she loved me.


    Dagger was taking it like a fucking man and not making much noise at all.


    I was mourning the loss of my Wren high.


    Yeah, tonight was a fucking disaster. I was a girl short and a bodyguard down. And the desire to im my Little Bird was starting to be a relentless pounding in my skull.

 Chapter 35

    WREN


    I dreamed of him. Of Bane. Of him bending me over the countertop in that private bathroom and mming inside me. My dream self screamed in pleasure at the invasion, at his ownership of me. I hadn¡¯t even seen his cock, but Dream Wren had an incredibly active imagination. And a very generous one.


    Rolling over in my bed, I let out a deep breath and kicked off the thin sheet that had been covering me. It was only seven in the morning, and it was already in the nies. The only positive I could take from the situation was that it was Saturday and thest day of the working week.


    Getting up, I showered and dressed in my uniform, already looking forward to finishing up this afternoon and doing nothing tonight. Going outst night had left me almost too exhausted to sleep, but with the vivid image of Bane¡¯s head between my thighs, my subconscious was eager to get into the REM zone.


    As I ate breakfast, I checked my phone. I had a couple of missed calls from Darcy which hade through after I¡¯d crashed. Fuck, I was supposed to meet herst night. Instead of listening to the voicemails, I just hit dial.


    ¡°Oh, thank Christ you¡¯re not dead,¡± she answered.


    ¡°Good morning to you, too.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that shit, Wren Montana. Where the fuck were youst night? You didn¡¯t call.


    Didn¡¯t text.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, babe. It¡¯s kind of a long story.¡±


    ¡°Does it involve sex because you know that¡¯s the only eptable excuse for me?¡±


    I sank into my couch, a bowl of cereal on the table in front of me. ¡°Yes, it involves sex.¡±


    ¡°All is forgiven, then,¡± she said. ¡°Proceed.¡±


    And I did. I told her how Bane had hijacked me at the front door by putting me on the VIP list. How he¡¯d followed me into the bathroom and then proceeded to give me two of the best orgasms of my life. I¡¯d been so ashamed of myself when I left the bathroom that all I wanted to do was go home.


    ¡°Wren, babe, what are you going to do? I mean, I get why you wouldn¡¯t want to be Bane¡¯s private pussy, but isn¡¯t it a means to an end? Two weeks isn¡¯t that long, and then Hawk¡¯s debt will be gone.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I conceded. ¡°Until he fucks up again. We both know he¡¯s going to.¡±


    ¡°True¡­ so what are you going to do?¡±


    I ran a hand through my ponytail and dropped it onto myp. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Want me toe over tonight?¡±


    I smiled. Darcy was the best friend a girl could have. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m okay. When I finish up work tonight, I¡¯m going to soak in the tub, then watch some Netflix before bed.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± she said reluctantly. ¡°But if you change your mind and want me toe over, I will.


    Baron will understand.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, babe. I better let you go. I¡¯ll talk to youter.¡±


    I hung up the phone, not feeling better at all. Maybe I was being stubborn in not epting Bane¡¯s terms. He was right that a piece of paper could be dangerous for a man like him. It would look like he¡¯d solicited sex, which in a way he was, but this was a personal contract.


    And if I did do this, Hawk would be off the hook. I loved my brother and would do anything for him, but there had to be some limits. There had to be a line in the sand that I wasn¡¯t willing to cross. Bane Rivera might just be that line.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    As I walked to the shop, I shot a text to my brother, asking if he had any luck raising the cash he owed to Bane. I answered his call a momentter.


    ¡°Hey, so I think I¡¯ve found a way.¡±


    ¡°A legal way?¡± I asked. My brother looked for loopholes like awyer did-with precision and dedication.


    ¡°It¡¯s horse racing¡­ of course, it¡¯s legal.¡±


    I barely held in my groan. Of all the stupid, dumb-ass moves he could make.


    ¡°Hawk, for fuck¡¯s sake! Really? You¡¯re gambling to get money?¡±


    ¡°Well, if you know of a better way to clear my debt with Rivera, I am all ears.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t told him about the proposition. If he knew, he¡¯d begged me to take it because he could be selfish like that. I understood fear was driving a lot of his words and behaviors, but I still felt that nagging sense of responsibility.


    We¡¯d been on our own since I was sixteen and Hawk was twelve. After bouncing from foster home to foster home together, I became emancipated at eighteen, got us an apartment, and took care of him ever since. That need to protect him was as strong as a mother¡¯s instinct, and I couldn¡¯t shake this ingrained need so easily.


    I arrived at the shop, unlocked the door, and slipped inside. After shutting off the rm, I told him, ¡°I don¡¯t, but I¡¯m going to go and talk to the bank to see if they¡¯ll offer me an emergency business loan.¡±


    He blew out a breath, then said the words I¡¯d been waiting to hear from him. ¡°I¡¯m so fucking scared, Wren.¡±


    ¡°I know. We¡¯ll figure it out, though.¡± I nced up as my nine o¡¯clock client came in with her poodle. ¡°I have to go, Hawk. I¡¯ll let you know how I go with the bank.¡±

 Chapter 36

    I finally flipped the sign closed on the shop front and breathed a sigh of relief. I was officially in weekend territory, and I couldn¡¯t wait to get home. After scrubbing the ce down and setting the rm, I grabbed my bag, locked up the shop, and began the short walk home. I stopped in at the liquor store and picked up some wine, but as I walked past a disy of champagne, I paused. A champagne kiss was all I could think about. That, along with the man who had given them to me.


    ¡°They¡¯re on sale right now,¡± the clerk said, giving me a warm smile.


    I returned it but shook my head. I couldn¡¯t afford champagne right now. I clutched my cheap bottle


    of red wine more tightly and brought it to the counter. ¡°Maybe next time,¡± I told him with a small shrug.


    ¡°Big ns for tonight?¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Unless you count a long soak in the tub and Netflix as big ns.¡±


    He grinned. ¡°You sound just like my girlfriend. She does the same.¡±


    ¡°Smart woman,¡± I replied, digging into my purse for some cash. I scraped together thest of my money to pay for the booze, then said goodbye to the clerk.


    When I got to my apartment, I unlocked the door and then went through the re-locking routine before cing the wine on the kitchen counter. I¡¯d just toed off my Vans when there was a loud banging on my apartment door. Walking over, I yanked the thing open, staring at my brother who was breathing like a racehorse.


    The irony was not lost on me.


    He burst into my apartment, mming the door shut behind him. I narrowed my eyes at him, bracing myself for the next words out of his motherfucking mouth. ¡°I fucked up, Wren.¡±


    I was suddenly getting shbacks to when he¡¯d said those words to me only a few nights ago.


    ¡°What the fuck have you done this time, Hawk?¡±


    ¡°I owe a bookie some money.¡± I stared at him in disbelief, trying to file all his words into my mind in an orderly fashion. They made sense on their own but thrown together, I couldn¡¯t quite grasp how fucking stupid he was being.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right? Tell me you¡¯re fuckingughing at my expense.¡±


    He shook his head, his expression serious. ¡°No, sis.¡±


    Rage bubbled up inside me, this dormant beast of emotions that Hawk seemed to tap into every time he did something like this. ¡°Fuck! How much do you owe?¡±


    He winced. ¡°Twenty thousand.¡±


    I blinked. ¡°If you owe Bane-fucking-Rivera fifty thousand dors, why the fuck would you bet another twenty you don¡¯t even have?¡±


    ¡°I was desperate, okay. And it was a sure thing. Come on, you have to believe me.¡±


    ¡°I do believe you. I believe you¡¯re a gigantic asshole who doesn¡¯t think about how this shit impacts his sister. What am I supposed to do with this information?¡±


    He began to pace, spearing his fingers through his blond hair. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know,¡± he muttered. ¡°Did you speak to the bank about that loan?¡±


    ¡°Are you fucking serious, Hawk?¡± My voice had hit screeching levels, and I wasn¡¯t even apologizing for it.


    ¡°Well, have you? You could borrow enough to cover both debts.¡±


    Stalking into the kitchen, I pulled my emergency bottle of whisky from a top cupboard and mmed it down onto the Formica. ¡°Fuck.¡± I poured myself a shot of whiskey and swallowed it. Wincing at the burn, I yelled, ¡°You do know how loans work, right? I have to pay all of this back, plus interest, and how am I supposed to achieve that if you¡¯re out there fucking making bets and being a general prick about things?¡±


    He followed me into the kitchen, leaning against the counter. ¡°There has to be a way.¡±


    I eyed him over the rim of my whiskey ss as I threw another shot back. ¡°There is. It¡¯s called a dirt bed, and it¡¯ll be yours.¡±


    I hated that I had to threaten him like this, but he wouldn¡¯t learn. What did he think the bookie was going to do when he found out Hawk didn¡¯t have the money he owed, just pat him on the back and say better luck next time? I poured myself another shot, hissing through my teeth as the cheap alcohol burned my throat. I tried toe up with a n that could work, but all I came up with was one that I didn¡¯t want to touch with a ten-foot pole.


    I didn¡¯t want to touch it, but maybe I could stroke it just enough, so it¡¯d back off.


    Striding from the kitchen, I walked into my bedroom and swiped the ck business card off my dresser. In the living room, I scooped up my phone and punched in the number on the back. As I put the device to my ear, I let out a breath and prayed I was doing the right thing. There was a click, and then¡­


    ¡°Little Bird.¡±

 Chapter 37

    BANE


    ¡°LITTLE BIRD? ARE YOU THERE?¡± I checked my phone to make sure the connection hadn¡¯t cut off.


    ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± she said with an irritated sigh.


    ¡°To what do I owe the pleasure of a phone call?¡±


    ¡°I need a favor.¡±


    My eyes slid shut as the four sweetest words were uttered on the other end of the phone. ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°My asshole brother owes a bookie twenty grand after betting on a horse race. If he¡¯d won, he was going to pay you back with that money.¡± ¡°Let me guess, his horse didn¡¯t win.¡±


    ¡°Not even fucking close,¡± she replied. ¡°Are you able to loan me the money to pay the bookie?¡±


    I wanted tough out loud. This was all too fucking perfect. Wren¡¯s desperation was the thing to made here running to me, looking for help. I leaned back in my office chair and ced my feet on the desk. ¡°Hawk would owe me seventy thousand, then,¡± I mused.


    ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± Her words were curt like she was biting her tongue. She hated every minute of this.


    But me? I was fucking enjoying the hell out of it.


    ¡°I get it if you don¡¯t want to get in any deeper with-¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡± When she said nothing in reply, I made sure the call was still connected. ¡°Wren?¡±


    There was the sound of a door closing. Then, ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°Good. I¡¯ming over to discuss the terms.¡± I hung up without waiting for her reply. She was in no position to argue with me, anyway. I had her just where I wanted her. Standing from my desk, I looked down at the club, seeing it all running as it should.


    Dagger had half a dozen stitches in his thigh after Syn¡¯s attack, but he¡¯d insisted on still working tonight. For that, I was grateful because I was about to do something I hadn¡¯t done since I opened The Dollhouse.


    I was leaving early on a Saturday night.


    Plucking my suit jacket off the back of my chair, I patted my pockets for my keys, then picked up my phone, dialing my driver.


    ¡°Be there in five,¡± he replied and hung up.


    Sliding the device into the breast pocket of my jacket, I left the office. When I walked past the bar, Rachel gave me a small smile. The bruising was getting worse, but that was a good sign. It meant she was healing.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡°Have you moved out yet?¡± I demanded, taking her situation very fucking personally.


    She bobbed her head as she focused on pouring a drink. ¡°I¡¯m staying with Kandy for a while.¡±


    ¡°Thank fuck. Let me know if you need help finding a new ce. I own a couple of apartment buildings downtown.¡± She stared at me like I was speaking in tongues. ¡°You good?¡±


    Clearing her throat, she croaked, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m good. Thanks, boss.¡±


    I lifted my chin in Dagger¡¯s direction as I passed her, slowing when he paused his conversation with one of the dancers. ¡°How¡¯s the leg?¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± he replied, raising his brows in question.


    ¡°Heading out for the night. Make sure everything runs smoothly. Call me if shit gets hectic.¡± ¡°Will do.¡±


    I pped him on the shoulder as I passed, then stepped out onto the street. My town car was right where it was supposed to be, and I gave Andy Wren¡¯s address.


    She lived in a shitty part of town, and I would talk to her about setting her up elsewhere that had a lot more security. Knowing my Little Bird, she wouldn¡¯t fucking like it, but I took care of what was mine. Just thinking about how she¡¯d fight me on it made my dick hard.


    By the time we pulled up at the curb, I was aching for her cunt. That little taste I¡¯d had at the club hadn¡¯t been enough. I wanted the whole damn meal this time. But before I could satisfy the darker side of me, we had a little business to take care of.


    I took the stairs to her apartment, knocking on the door when I got there. A momentter, Wren pulled it open, and my brain kind of fritzed out. She was dressed in those fucking Daisy Dukes again, her lean tanned legs on disy, and a loose white T-shirt that hung off one of her shoulders. Stepping away from the door, she let me in, her eyes on me the entire time.


    I was d to see the ce was empty. I turned when she shut the door behind her, and she wrapped her arms around herself for a moment before letting them go loose at her sides.


    ¡°Drink?¡± she mumbled, already walking into the kitchen. I followed her in there, seeing a bottle of whisky on the counter beside a shot ss. ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t have any of that expensive shit you have at


    The Dollhouse,¡± she said, gesturing to the whisky. ¡°If I did, I wouldn¡¯t be shooting this fucking swill.¡± I watched as she poured herself a shot and threw it back.


    ¡°How much have you had to drink?¡± I asked, wrapping my hands around the bottle and cing the opening to my mouth. I kept my eyes on her as I took arge swallow, then lowered it.


    ¡°Not enough.¡±


    ¡°Regretting your decision to call me?¡± I asked. I had to know where her head was at. I wasn¡¯t into coercing women. They had to want to do something, but I knew Wren¡¯s submission would be sweet.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m fucking pissed off with Hawk for being so fucking thoughtless.¡± She stared at me, and her gaze seemed to strip away everything I showed to the world. ¡°Do you ever wonder why you fucking bother with family sometimes?¡±


    ¡°Never. Family is everything.¡±


    She huffed augh and took the bottle from my hand, pouring herself another drink. ¡°What if the family you have is so fucking self-centered that they can¡¯t see that everything you do is for them?¡±


    I thought about that for a moment, then replied, ¡°Then maybe they don¡¯t deserve you.¡±


    She saluted me with a sardonic smile, then mmed back the shot. Leaving the ss on the counter, she weaved past me on the way to the couch. Her living room was sparsely decorated, but there were a few personal touches here and there in the form of photographs of her and Hawk growing up.


    ¡°I love what you¡¯ve done with the ce,¡± I drawled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be an asshole,¡± she snarled, jabbing her finger in my direction. ¡°You¡¯re the one who invited himself over.¡±


    My dick twitched at her tone.

 Chapter 38

    With a smirk, I slid out of my jacket and undid the cuffs and top button of my dress shirt. Wren watched me the entire time, her blue eyes darting from my hands to my throat to my cock straining against my cks. She bit her bottom lip, then looked away.


    ¡°You can look, you know,¡± I said as I settled onto the couch beside her. She swung her head back to look at me. ¡°You should be able to look at what you cause.¡±


    Her mouth parted slightly before she shook herself. ¡°Believe me, I know exactly what I cause.¡±


    There was a good foot between us on the couch, and it was a foot too wide as far as I was concerned. Taking her by surprise, I reached across and lifted her effortlessly, settling her on my knee. She wrapped one arm around my neck as she tried to get her bnce back, and I shook my head when she tried to pull away. Curling my fingers around the base of her skull and the other on her upper thigh, I settled back, enjoying the way she felt. Although she had stiffened at the initial contact, she was slowly rxing.


    When I was sure she wouldn¡¯t bolt, I swept my hand on her thigh up a little higher, skimming the fingertips under the frayed hem of her shorts.


    ¡°We should discuss what¡¯s going to happen,¡± she said softly. ¡°If I agree to this.¡± If? Fuck, no.


    I needed her to agree to this.


    I needed that two weeks.


    If she needed more convincing, then I would persuade her tonight because there was no way I was leaving without getting something for my good deed.


    I could press her for thatter.


    For now¡­


    ¡°Yes.¡± I always wanted to know what the terms were. I knew what I wanted. I knew what I was getting and what I had to give. ¡°The original offer of Hawk¡¯s debt being wiped still stands.¡±


    She narrowed her eyes at me, her fingers stilling. ¡°And the deal with the bookie?¡±


    I was a bastard for twisting this. Fuck, I wanted to kiss her, to slide my tongue into her mouth and make her grind on myp. ¡°I¡¯ll get rid of the bookie, but I need something from you in return.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Tonight. You give me all of you tonight in whatever way I want, and I¡¯ll take that additional debt on.¡±


    She mulled that over for a beat. ¡°I need to hear the conversation between you two for myself. I need to know.¡±


    Smart woman. I stood up quickly, taking her with me. She wrapped her legs around my waist, clinging to me. My dick jerked against her core, and her eyes slid shut. I felt around for my phone in my jacket pocket, then returned to the couch, settling us back down again. Wren¡¯s breathing had grown erratic in that short trip, the sound of her sharp panting making me fantasize about what she would sound like while I was pounding into her.


    ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡±


    ¡°Do you have everyone on speed dial?¡± she asked.


    ¡°His name.¡±


    ¡°Frank White. Do you know him?¡±


    I didn¡¯t bother to answer her question. I knew everyone, and everyone knew me. I pulled up Frank¡¯s number, hit dial, then put it on speaker so Wren could hear.


    ¡°Rivera, how¡¯s the pussy business,¡± the guy answered after a couple of rings.


    ¡°Good. How¡¯s the bookie business?¡±


    ¡°Fucking fantastic. I had some asshole bet twenty thou on a race I¡¯d fixed,¡± he told me,ughing. I ground my teeth, working my jaw to stop myself from tearing the guy a new asshole.


    ¡°Yeah, about that guy¡­ Hawk Montana is his name, right?¡±


    There was the sound of fingers flying across a keyboard before he said, ¡°Yeah. How¡¯d you know?¡±


    ¡°I need you to wipe that debt.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck, Rivera. I don¡¯te into your business and tell you-¡±


    I cut off his fucking tirade. ¡°Frank, you¡¯ll get paid, but you won¡¯t be chasing Montana for it. I¡¯ll transfer the cash to you after I get off the phone.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Rivera¡­¡±


    The fucker was fishing for more. With gritted teeth, I added, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a one-month pass to


    The Dollhouse¡­ unlimited ess.¡±


    ¡°Now, that¡¯s more like it,¡± Frank replied. ¡°Deal. Send me the money in the next ten. Otherwise, I¡¯m sending my guy after Montana in the morning like I was nning to.¡±


    I hung up and then clicked into my banking app. I had ounts everywhere, some legit, some not so legit, but they all worked for me. I transferred the twenty grand to Frank¡¯s ount, then logged out.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    A minuteter, a text from Frank said he got the money, and he¡¯ll see me tomorrow night for his first day with my Dolls.


    ¡°Done,¡± I told Wren. ¡°I¡¯ve held up my end of the bargain. Now it¡¯s your turn.¡± I needed to be in her cunt tonight. Denial was only good for so long.


    She worried her bottom lip with her teeth.


    When I saw her hesitation, I added, ¡°Think of this as a free pass. We¡¯re both simply getting what we want here. One night of pleasure, and if you don¡¯t want to take my offer after that, then I won¡¯t pursue you again. You can try to deny this attraction, Little Bird, but I know you want me to fuck you, and I can¡¯t go another day without tasting you again. Just let me bury myself in your cunt because that¡¯s all I¡¯ve been able to think about sincest night. Then tomorrow, we can figure out a way for you to see that my word is worth more than a piece of paper.¡±


    Her fingers tightened in my hair, where she was ying with it at the nape of my neck. Her gaze darted from my eyes to my mouth.


    Yes, she wanted that too.


    One night of my tongue in her sucking, licking, biting.


    One night of my cock inside her.


    Bringing her to fucking orgasm over and over again.


    Without waiting for another word out of her mouth, I kissed her roughly, sliding my tongue into her waiting and willing mouth. She opened even more widely for me, allowing me inside her. I stroked at her tongue, eliciting soft moans from her throat. My heart hammered in my chest as I took what I wanted from her. And she gave it all. Freely.


    Breaking away, I slid Wren from myp and deposited her onto the couch roughly, watching the way her breasts bounced under her shirt with force.


    ¡°Move to the other end,¡± Imanded, pulling the tails of my shirt out of my cks. I unbuttoned it quickly, then dropped it to the floor before working on my belt. Wren¡¯s eyes widened when she heard the sound of the buckleing loose. I slid it free of the loops in my pants, folding the leather over on itself until I had a short whip of sorts. I pped it against my palm, enjoying the way Wren¡¯s breathing increased.


    ¡°Like that, baby?¡± I asked, my voice low and graveled.


    She moaned and bit her bottom lip. I groaned. There was no fucking way I could take my time with her. Next time, maybe, but tonight, I had to take her like I wanted. Rough. Savage. Unrelenting.


    I unbuttoned my pants and stepped out of them.


    Wren¡¯s gaze dropped to my bare cock already waiting for her. She swallowed and sat up, reaching for me. I shook my head, making her pause. Taking a seat on the couch, I motioned for her to get up.


    ¡°Strip for me.¡±


    She sank her teeth into her lip again as she thought about it. I was about to bark anothermand when she popped the button, slid the zipper down on her shorts, and hooked her thumbs into the waistband. She shimmied out of the denim, kicking them to the side. My eyes roamed all over her smooth thighs, but what I needed to see was being hidden by the shirt. I nced at her face.


    Pulling the hem up over her head, she took off her shirt, leaving her in whitece panties and a matching bra. My dick jerked violently against my stomach, drawing her eyes. They widened a little, lust blowing out her pupils. I stroked myself while she watched, the desire for her plowing through me like a fucking freight train through a snowdrift. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever had a woman I wanted so much. Not like this.


    ¡°I want to see everything, Little Bird,¡± I told her, my voice low and rough. Fuck, I needed to get myself back under control.


    Reaching behind her, she unhooked her bra and shrugged it off her shoulders. I took in the beauty of her tits and knew that was where I wanted to dedicate some time. With my free hand, I motioned for her to lose the panties too. She did, and when she stood again, I drank in my fill.


    Perfection.


    Wren Montana was a fucking queen, and I wanted her to be mine.

 Chapter 39

    WREN


    As I stood there naked before Bane, I was waiting for the shame to hit me. The guilt. The humiliation. I was braced for it all, but what I got instead wed me. Lust pooled low in my body while desire set my blood to boiling. Jesus fuck, I knew I wanted Bane, but not like this. Not with this much strength.


    He patted his bare knee, inviting me closer. I stepped free of my panties and walked closer. My veins singed with awareness, my pulse spiking when he reached for his folded belt.


    ¡°I think my Little Bird needs a spanking for taking so long toe to the right decision.¡±


    Instead of disgust rolling through me, it was desire. It was needed. It was this overwhelming sense that I would like everything he would do to me tonight. And for the next two weeks.


    ¡°Lay across myp with that fine ass of yours in the air.¡±


    Although self-conscious, I did as he asked, positioning myself across his knees with my face against the edge of the cushion. He ran his hands over my ass, dedicating time to each cheek as he massaged them.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to enjoy making your ass red,¡± he murmured, spanking me softly with a cupped hand before massaging it away. I moaned a little at the sensation, at the sting that seemed to register in my brain as pleasure rather than pain. ¡°Hmmm, you like having my hand on your ass?¡± he asked in a deep rumble.


    I tried to nod. I think I did.


    His handnded on my ass again, harder this time. Almost immediately, he massaged away the sting leaving me aching and needy. I moaned again, the couch cushion catching the erotic sound and stealing it away. He turned his attention to my other cheek, pping it, then teasing away the pain.


    I sucked in a gasp when I felt something cold trail up the back of my thigh. I began to squirm, but Bane pressed on my lower back, stilling me.


    ¡°I won¡¯t hurt you, Little Bird,¡± he told me. ¡°I¡¯ll make this feel fucking fantastic.¡±


    Swallowing, I nodded and shut my eyes. The question about whether I¡¯d done the right thing waspping in my head. That hard, cold thing trailed up the inside of my thigh, brushing against my pussy, and I cried out. I realized it was his folded-over belt. He was hardly touching me with it, but after warming me up with spanking, my entire body was electrified, waiting for his next touch.


    He dragged the belt up over one of my ass cheeks, then pulled it away. I moaned at the loss, surprised that I liked it so much. Was that fucked up? A hiss was suddenly escaping my lips as the belt came down on my ass with a crack, the new sensation lighting me from the inside out. A low, appreciative moan bubbled up from Bane¡¯s throat as he struck me again. The soft leather was warming slowly, taking away that first shock of sensation.


    I arched my back as Bane¡¯s fingers teased at the entrance of my pussy. He pushed a finger inside me, rubbing my juices over my clit. I could already feel an orgasming. With thebination of submission and spanking, I was primed for him, primed for the pleasure he could give me.


    ¡°So wet,¡± he murmured. He circled my clit, spreading liquid warmth all over me. Against my lower belly, I felt his cock hardening even further. If this was erotic torture to me, I could only imagine what it was doing to him. He plunged two fingers inside me, pumping them with new fervor. His control must¡¯ve snapped, not that I wasining. I clutched at the couch cushion beneath me as he finger fucked me to an orgasm that left me blind.


    ¡°Oh, fuck!¡± I screamed as the pleasure washed over me in a wave so big I feared Bane had ruined me for every other potential future sex partner. Bane spanked me as that wave crested, shoving it firmly into tsunami territory. I came with such fury, such wanton abandon. Writing, bucking, thrashing, I came so hard and with such force that I could hardly catch my breath. When I could finally breathe again when the pleasure had ebbed away from my body, I turned my face so I could see him.


    Bane had the fingers he¡¯d had in my pussy in his mouth, sucking them clean. I groaned again. He was going to kill me. He was such a filthy man, but I found myself enjoying every damn second.


    ¡°You taste like champagne to me, Little Bird,¡± he rumbled. ¡°I don¡¯t need to ask if you enjoyed that because you did.¡± I nodded. ¡°Good, because I n on spanking you as often as I can.¡±


    A shiver climbed over me, settling against my skin. Smoothing his hand over my ass, the nerve endings skittered in his wake. Who knew touch could be so powerful?


    ¡°I¡¯d nned on taking more time with you at my ce this first time, but I won¡¯tin.


    Having you here like this is fucking enough. Come and straddle my waist.¡±


    Getting up, I did as he asked, throwing one leg over his hips and settling against him. His cock was a hot rigid length between my pussy lips, rubbing my clit most deliciously. I squirmed against him, a gasp escaping my lips. Bane stared at my chest, his dark gaze drinking in my breasts with an almost reverent expression. He pinched one nipple, rolling the bud between his thumb and forefinger. The pressure was just this side of pain, and I flexed my hips against him, rubbing my pussy against his cock. I smiled when he groaned, so I did it again.


    Bane brought his other hand to my breast and tweaked the nipple before taking them in each of his hands and squeezing gently. When he lowered his mouth to one of my breasts, a long shudder pushed past my lips. His tongue was like velvet against my skin, his teeth like a dagger. The mixture of pleasure and pain he seemed to bring to everything in the way he touched me ratcheted up my lust to a new level. He switched sides, sucking my other nipple into his mouth. Biting.


    Licking.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Sucking.


    Driving me fucking insane.

 Chapter 40

    Threading my fingers through his hair, I held him to me, pressing his face closer to my body. He thrust up, the ridges of his dick hitting my clit was an almost euphoric high. My head dropped back as I moaned. I doubt I¡¯d ever been this turned on by a man in my life.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Bane muttered harshly, pulling away. His expression was wild like he didn¡¯t know what to do with all the sensations. ¡°I want to fuck these beautiful tits, but I have to be inside you more.¡±


    I whimpered at the visceral image he managed to paint in one breath. He stood me up, so he could grab something from his pants pocket. A condom. Then he sat back down and ripped open the foil wrapper. I was rapt as I watched him slide thetex down his shift, groaning a little when he pulled at his cock.


    He reached for me, splitting my thighs on either side of his body. His cock brushed against my entrance, the blunt head seeking entry. I held myself above him for a moment, just staring into his dark, fathomless eyes.


    ¡°I want to watch your face while I fuck you,¡± he said, kissing me hard and mming inside me at the same time. I cried at the beautiful invasion, and the pure rightness of him being inside me eclipsed all thoughts that what I¡¯d agreed to do with him was wrong. Bane-fucking-Rivera could fuck me anytime he wanted, and I would happily get lost in him.


    He moved slowly at first, teasing the edges of my sanity with his slow, steady rhythm. A deep pull of need had settled into my belly, though, a well of pleasure only he could tap, and I begged him to do just that. I kissed him, his tongue plunging into my mouth, dominating my senses. When we broke for breath, his gaze went to my breasts.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡°Touch yourself,¡± hemanded softly.


    I reached for my breasts, cupping them softly, then rubbing my thumbs over my nipples. Bane ced his lips where one of my hands had just been, sucking me into his mouth and biting down. I moaned, my body flooding with warmth. Thrusting more deeply, I held back the scream as he hit deep inside me, pushing me past pleasure and into a pain that slowly melted away into just more intense pleasure.


    Releasing my breast, he sat back. ¡°Get yourself off while I watch. I want to feel youe on my dick at least a dozen times tonight.¡±


    A dozen? Biting my lip, I snaked my hand down between our bodies and flicked the tip of my finger over the sensitive flesh. My orgasm struck like lightning, thebination of his bossymands, his thrusting cock, and my desire to please him, rendering me a victim to my hedonism.


    I screamed his name before finally burying my head in the crook of his neck and shuddering through the rest of my orgasm. Bane continued to pump inside me, driving himself deeper, taking over me. I let him. It was good to forget that I was the responsible one, the one who had to look out for my baby brother.


    Bane suddenly pulled out and flipped us, so I was kneeling on the couch while he fucked me from behind. I clutched at the back of the frame of the couch, my breasts bouncing with the force of his strokes. Increasing his pace a little, I shut my eyes, absorbing the thrusts, absorbing the way he was iming me.     HOURS LATER, we were on the floor. Bane was going down on me again, the sight of his hands wrapped around my thighs was more than my sex-addled brain could handle. He¡¯d made good on his promise of orgasms, and he was going for the twelfth now, only I wasn¡¯t sure my oversensitive body could do it. I felt raw-well-used but not misused. Bane was very considerate of myfort the entire time, but he was driven with unrelenting focus now.


    I squeezed my eyes shut as another orgasm crept over me. It wasn¡¯t that crashing wave anymore. Rather, it was a slow build-up that teased at the orgasm, peeling awayyers of it until I was left with no choice but to face it.


    When I eventually stilled, and my breathing had finally eased, Bane slid back inside my body, my inner walls clenching in wee. cing his forearms on either side of my head, he fucked me missionary-style, his dark eyes on my face. We were both covered in sweat and cum-mine, not his- but I¡¯d never been happier to be where I was. Bane¡¯s strokes were slow now. Gone was that urgency of before, and in its ce was a gentleness I had only glimpsed briefly from him.


    ¡°Come onest time for me, baby,¡± he grunted. ¡°Come with me.¡±


    His words were the trigger. My body did not feel like my own, and I screamed his name as I came for the final time. Bane¡¯s body went rigid as he chased me over the edge. His roar echoed around the room, his orgasm pouring on and on. When he finally stopped thrusting into me, he rolled over onto his back and took me with him. Sprawled across his chest, Iy there, panting, sweating, unable to move.


    ¡°Holy fuck,¡± I whispered against his chest.


    He chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as apliment.¡± Pushing my ponytail out of his face, he forced me to look at him. ¡°I want every man to know how I fucked you raw.¡±


    His dirty words sent a thrill through me, and although my mind was willing, perhaps my body wasn¡¯t. I shut my eyes as sleep tried to calm me. Bane shuffled me off to the side, where I curled up on the rug, content to just stay there.


    ¡°Shower first,¡± he said, scooping me up easily. ¡°Then bed.¡±


    ¡°To sleep?¡± I asked, peering at him, at the strong line of his jaw and the beard that was just the other side of a five o¡¯clock shadow. He eyed me with a smirk.


    ¡°I thought I could get another taste of your cunt first.¡± I squeezed my legs shut involuntarily, and he chuckled. ¡°Maybe not. I¡¯ve worn you out.¡±


    ¡°Are you always so¡­ thorough?¡±


    He paused, his eyes growing dark for a moment before setting me down on the bathroom counter and turning on the shower. When it was clear he wasn¡¯t going to answer that question, I let him wash us both before sliding into bed.


    Rolling over onto my side, I shoved the sheet back off me, but Bane had other ideas. He wrapped himself around me, his leg over mine, his arm over my chest to cup one of my breasts. Just as I drifted off, I got the distinct impression Bane Rivera wouldn¡¯t make it easy for me to leave, either now or in the future.

 Chapter 41

    BANE


    It had been thirty hours since Wren finally gave me what I wanted. Thirty hours of me getting fucking hard at work just thinking about her. I was ready to have her again, but the deal we had was one night only, and I had to make her see I was her only choice.


    I picked up my phone and dialed Bianca.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re canceling,¡± she said by way of greeting.


    ¡°Fuck, no, I¡¯m stilling, Bianca.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± she replied, stunned. ¡°What¡¯s the reason for the call, then?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t a brother call his sister more than once a week?¡±


    In the background, Valentine started to fuss. I nced at the clock. It was just after eleven, so she must be getting ready to nap. ¡°You can,¡± she replied, shushing Valentine softly. ¡°But I guess you caught me by surprise. So, we¡¯re still on?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I wanted to see if I could bring someone.¡±


    There was a long pause before my sister demanded, ¡°Are you seeing someone? You¡¯ve never seen someone. Who is she? What¡¯s her name?¡±


    ¡°Pump the breaks, Bianca. Fuck.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but it¡¯s true. You haven¡¯t dated¡­ like ever.¡±


    Propping my feet up on the desk, I thought about that statement. It was true, I¡¯d never had a proper rtionship. I fucked around when I was at school and all through college, but I could never bring myself to settle down with just one woman. ¡°I¡¯m aware of my track record with women.¡±


    ¡°So, who¡¯s the luckydy?¡±


    I reached for my whisky and swallowed what was left in the ss. ¡°Her name¡¯s Wren.¡± ¡°Wren,¡± she cooed. ¡°Tell me more.¡±


    ¡°What more is there to tell?¡±


    ¡°Loads, Bane. Seriously. You¡¯ll bring her, then?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± The thought of Wren meeting Bianca made me smile a little. They were simr in many ways, and in others,pletely different, so we were either going to have fucking fireworks or a fucking campfire where we all sang Kumbaya together. ¡°We¡¯ll see you at seven.¡±


    I hung up the phone and then drained my drink. The Dollhouse was closed due to it being a Monday, but I always seemed toe in anyway. Call it a habit or call it fucking pathetic, but I lived and breathed this club. Grabbing the bottle of whisky, I poured myself another and sat back in my office chair. I hadn¡¯t told Wren about dinner tonight. But she woulde, I knew she would.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°Fuck.¡± I stood, rearranging my erection that was insistently pressing against my zipper. I had to


    do something with this energy battering my body. Otherwise, I was liable to skip dinner and just take Wren back to my apartment to fuck. Pocketing my phone, I stalked from my office to downstairs, where the cleaning crew was working hard. A couple of them nodded to me as I passed, and then I stepped outside.


    My car was by the curb, and I got in.


    ¡°Where to, boss?¡± Andy asked.


    ¡°Take me to the gym. I need to beat the shit out of something.¡±


    We drove in silence, and by the time we pulled up at the boxing gym, I was ready to knock someone the fuck out. So much energy was under my skin, making me fucking jumpy.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be about an hour. Come back then,¡± I told Andy, then walked into the grimy gym. After getting changed, I shut my locker, wrapped my hands, and pulled on my gloves. I went to one of the bags first, hitting it with abination of jabs, hooks, and uppercuts until my upper body was screaming.


    There were other patrons in there, but none of them paid me any attention. At the back of the room, two men circled each other in the ring. I let myself go on the bag, letting out all my frustrations in the hope that when I finally saw Wren again, I wouldn¡¯t unleash my dark side on her too strongly. There was no way I could avoid showing it to her, but I had to do it slowly.


    With eachbination I worked through, I thought about my little problem with my dealers, wondering what I could do to find out more. Dagger had exhausted his contacts, but I still had one more ace up my sleeve. Bianca¡¯s husband was a cop in LA. Surely, he¡¯d know something about dealers being shot at. I made a point to ask him tonight.


    By the time I was done, sweat had poured off me. Outside, it was in the nies, but here, it was nudging one hundred. Pulling off my gloves and the wraps, I drank an entire bottle of water and then threw it into the trash. Back at my locker, I grabbed what I needed for a shower, then moved to change rooms taking a peek at my phone while I was at it. It was only a little after twelve.


    After showering quickly, I then went back outside. Andy drove me back to my apartment, where I would stay for the rest of the day.


    Just as I opened my apartment door, my phone rang.


    ¡°Boss?¡± Dagger said when I answered.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Another one of our guys has been taken out.¡±


    Squeezing my eyes shut, I let out a deep breath. ¡°When? Who?¡±


    ¡°That kid, Santiago. In his apartment. Cops are crawling over the area right now, but I managed to get the drugs out before they got there.¡±


    ¡°Fuck!¡±


    ¡°What do you want to do?¡±


    I ran a hand through my hair, thinking about my options. We still didn¡¯t know who it was, and going around killing either Manzetti¡¯s or Sanderson¡¯s men was a bad fucking idea. We needed concrete proof of this.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get in contact with a potential source and find out what the fuck is going on.¡± I hung up the phone, then stalked to the wet bar. After pouring myself a drink, I drained the amber liquid. What the fuck was happening? One of those fuckers was fucking with my business, and I couldn¡¯t not retaliate. Weakness was a disease I had no intention of catching. ¡°Fuck!¡± I threw the crystal tumbler at the wall, where it smashed. My breath was barreling out of me as I stared at all those shards of ss. I didn¡¯t like not being in control. I didn¡¯t like the feeling of hopelessness that engulfed me when it happened, so I made sure it didn¡¯t happen in every facet of my life.


    Wren had been pushing my goddamn buttons with her reluctance to toe the line. My breathing eased as I thought about her, her blonde hair, and those eyes that seemed to miss nothing.


    Fuck, I had to see her. I had to touch her. I needed her to ground me.


    On the ride down in the elevator, I texted Andy that I needed him. He was waiting for me when I stepped from the foyer of the building. I slid inside the cool interior of the back seat and sat back, waiting for Andy to get this fucking show on the road. Drumming my fingers on the top of my thigh, I


    tapped my other foot, desperate to get to my Little Bird.

 Chapter 42

    WREN


    ¡°THANK YOU, Mr. Beatty. I¡¯ll see you and Cyril next week.¡± I waved the older gentleman off, his twelve-year-old beagle hustling beside him. I turned about to go back into the shop when I noticed the town car parked at the curb out in front of my shop. Adrenaline coursed through my veins.


    I shouldn¡¯t be excited about seeing Bane again. I¡¯d nned on turning his offer down, even though Saturday night had been the most mind-blowing sexual experience of my life. I was going to talk to the bank this afternoon about that loan, to get Hawk the money he needed, then concentrate on working my ass off to pay it all back.


    Bane¡¯s way would be the easy way out, but I didn¡¯t trust myself to walk away from him after two weeks. The longer I gave myself over to him, the more difficult it would be to break the obsession. I didn¡¯t know if the obsession was wholly mine or his as well-I simply knew there was this undercurrent that connected us.


    But after this was done, Hawk would be on his own.


    I refused to bail him out again.


    Against my will, a small smile broke out on my face when the rear door of the town car opened and Bane stepped out, looking amazing in a pair of dark jeans and a ck T-shirt that sat snuggly against his broad shoulders, the pads of his pecs, andrge biceps. The tattoos on his neck were revealed, giving me a tantalizing slice of tanned skin and intricate ink. He walked toward me, his gaze running down my body like he hadn¡¯t seen me in years.


    ¡°Hi,¡± I said, the butterflies in my stomach feeling like they were the size of a jet. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    He wrapped one arm around my waist, the other cradling the base of my skull. ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to stop thinking about you,¡± he murmured, dropping a kiss on my lips. I ced my hands on his chest, fisting his shirt in my hands like I was afraid he¡¯d simply evaporate if I weren¡¯t holding on. It was only supposed to be one night, but I was already addicted to his touch. What had Bane Rivera done to me?


    ¡°I missed you, too,¡± I replied. Immediately, I regretted the words. That was too needy, too fucking personal. I shouldn¡¯t have missed him. All he¡¯d given me was an amazing night of sex. We weren¡¯t in a rtionship. We didn¡¯t even have a business arrangement.


    He stroked my cheek, then directed us inside the salon. ¡°How many more clients do you have?¡± he asked, turning around to face me as I shut the door behind us.


    ¡°None. That was myst one, but I sometimes get drop-ins.¡±


    Heat red in Bane¡¯s eyes. He marched to the door and locked it, flipping the stic sign over before he stalked back to me. ¡°Bane, what-¡±


    My words were stolen from me when he picked me up, and I immediately wrapped my legs around his waist. For a moment, I let his mouth devour mine before wriggling free of his grip.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± My words came out as a tortured moan.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    He quirked one dark brow at me. ¡°I was going to fuck you until you screamed my name,¡± he replied,ing at me again.


    I threw my hands up to stop him where he was. Swallowing hard, I said, ¡°It was only supposed to be one night.¡± Jesus, what was I saying here? Was I turning down the best sex of my life all because of some fucking moral code?


    He frowned, the expression onlysting a moment before melting away. He stalked toward me, crowding me against the wall. With his hands on either side of my head, I got a shback to the private bathroom at Temptation. I was caged there, staring into his dark eyes, wondering what he would do next. Now I knew exactly what he could do, making the urge to resist him even harder.


    ¡°I did say it was just one night, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    I nodded my head because I was sure my words woulde out garbled if I opened my mouth. I was also terrified that if I opened my mouth, I would simply just say, ¡°Fuck it¡± and let him have his way with me.


    With a groan, he stepped away from me, retreating a few steps and perching his ass on the edge of the front counter behind him. I drew deep breaths into my lungs, blinking at him. An erection was straining against his jeans, and my knees went weak with the desire to relieve him.


    I watched as he scrubbed a hand over his face, his expression pained. ¡°I¡¯m a fucking idiot,¡± he announced with a harsh bark. His dark eyes were still on my face. ¡°I apologize.¡±


    What in the actual fuck? ¡°epted,¡± I replied, gripping the wall. We stared at each other, the few feet separating us feeling like a form of torture. I wanted him to fuck me again, but if I let him, he would just keep taking and taking and taking. I didn¡¯t agree to the original deal, but it seemed he had enough integrity to stand by that too.


    Pushing off the wall, I straightened my fur-covered shirt and walked toward the counter. ¡°Did you juste in here to fuck me?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°It feels like you¡¯re in my veins, Little Bird.¡± His admission made my pulse pound in my ear. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to get you out of there.¡±


    Against my better judgment, I reached for him, running my fingertips along his stubbled jaw. ¡°I feel it, too, Bane. But Jesus, I need to find another way.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because giving myself to you for two weeks to pay off my brother¡¯s debt is messed up.¡± Bane looked away at something over my head. My words had affected him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know of any other way to do this,¡± he replied roughly. When his eyes returned to my face, there was such anguish in them. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I could do it any other way.¡±


    I frowned at that statement. ¡°Rtionships aren¡¯t a transaction. Would you rather Ie to you because I want to instead of being forced into it.¡±


    He shook his head and pushed off the counter. Putting more distance between us, he started to pace. ¡°I¡¯d rather you do as I want. Most women would jump at the chance to have ess to me for two weeks.¡±


    I folded my arms under my breasts, watching him stalk around like a caged tiger. ¡°I¡¯m not most women,¡± I reminded him.


    That statement gave him pause. ¡°I know you aren¡¯t, Wren. You¡¯re something else. I knew it the moment you walked into my club and demanded mercy for your brother.¡±


    Slowly, so I didn¡¯t frighten him off, I walked toward him. I had a feeling this was a side of Bane Rivera very few people got to see. His vulnerability was bared to me in this moment, a bubble of weakness that wouldn¡¯tst beyond the walls of my shop. I opened my mouth, but he stopped me with a finger against my lips.


    ¡°Come to dinner with me tonight.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I fucking want you to,¡± he growled. ¡°Jesus, why can¡¯t you do as I say?¡±


    I smirked, and it looked like he wanted to bend me over his knee again. ¡°Is this like a date?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°No. I want to show you something. I need you to see that I¡¯m not some sex-crazed drug dealer without a heart.¡±


    ¡°I already know you¡¯re not those things.¡±


    ¡°Then you need to learn that my word is my bond. Come to dinner at my sister¡¯s house tonight, and you¡¯ll learn all you need to know. Maybe then, you¡¯ll give me two weeks of your life to save your brother¡¯s.¡±

 Chapter 43

    BANE


    What in the actual fuck was I saying? I wanted her toe to dinner with me, but I had to go and fuck it up by bringing business into it? I hadn¡¯t lied when I said I didn¡¯t know how else to do this. I fucking wanted her like I needed the air in my lungs, but ever since I was a kid, my idea of rtionships had been fucked up. Somehow Bianca had survived what very little of our father¡¯s lessons in love and devotion showed us, but I had borne the brunt of his lessons.


    Along with patricidal modeling, Wren was in my head too, scrambling my thoughts and making shit fucked up.


    Looking at her now, covered in dog fur, I shouldn¡¯t be attracted to her. I should head back to the club, call some of my Dolls, and have a fucking orgy off the clock. Screw the no-fucking rule. I needed some pussy, and I needed it now. Since Wren couldn¡¯t-or wouldn¡¯t-give it to me, I¡¯d have to go elsewhere.


    But that thought was like a fucking bullet to the chest.


    I wanted her and only her.


    When the fuck did I be such a pussy?


    ¡°Will youe?¡± I asked harshly.


    She nodded, sping her hands in front of her. ¡°I will.¡±


    Relief flooded me. ¡°Good. I¡¯ll pick you up at six.¡±


    With that, I unlocked the door and strode from her shop. Andy was waiting at the open rear door. I


    slid inside the car and let out a breath once the door was shut. I turned to find Wren standing just outside her shop, her brows drawn down like she was trying to figure out a problem. Well, good luck to her because even I didn¡¯t know what the fuck was wrong with me.


    Shit. I have to get my head on straight. I was Bane-fucking-Rivera. I never let pussy dictate to me. I never let pussy interfere with my business. What I needed to do was remember who the fuck I was and how I¡¯d gotten here. Mooning over Wren had made me soft.


    ¡°Back to the club, sir?¡± Andy asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I snarled, shifting my raging erection in my pants. I needed a fucking release. Otherwise, I would lose it the next time Iid eyes on Wren. I wouldn¡¯t stop myself, I wouldn¡¯t give a fuck about our stupid one-night-only agreement. I would simply take what I wanted and force her to see things my way. Once I was in her blood, she wouldn¡¯t walk away so easily.


    Ten minutester, we pulled up outside the club, and I got out without waiting for Andy. I opened the door and stepped into the cool darkness, the velvet-smooth wrap of my Dollhouse. Fuck, I hated Mondays. I hated how empty this ce felt when it wasn¡¯t filled with women or music. I hated how empty it made me feel too.


    Where had that thoughte from?


    I wasn¡¯t empty. I was fucking fulfilled.


    With a growl, I stalked up to my office and poured myself a drink. I didn¡¯t know what the fuck I was going to do now. I couldn¡¯t get a release. I was fucking wired, and nothing was going how it was supposed to. My head jerked up when there was a knock at the door.


    Dagger stepped into the room, his nk expression looking tight-if that were even possible. I took one look at his face and shook my head.


    ¡°No,¡± I hissed, mming back another shot of whisky.


    ¡°Two more hits. Simultaneous.¡±


    I curled my free hand into a fist. ¡°Who this time?¡±


    ¡°Rabbit and Red.¡±


    ¡°Fuck.¡± They were my two best sellers. ¡°Same MO, cash taken, drugs left?¡±


    Dagger grunted. ¡°We need to retaliate, boss. Sitting here with our hands on our dicks is sending the wrong message.¡±


    I moved before I even realized I was doing it. I mmed Dagger against the wall, my forearm against his throat. Pushing my face into his, I hissed, ¡°You think I don¡¯t know that? You think I like sitting here waiting for the next dealer to go down?¡±


    He stared at me with his dead eyes but said nothing that I needed to hear. ¡°Goddammit!¡± I wrenched myself away from him and began to pace. My fingers turned to ws as they raked through my hair. Could this day seriously get any fucking worse?


    ¡°I have a guy we can use,¡± Dagger said in a low voice. ¡°He¡¯ll find out what¡¯s going on, then dispose of the culprits discreetly.¡±


    ¡°Fucking do it,¡± I growled, waving him away. We didn¡¯t need to speak of my outburst. Dagger knew what kind of stress I was under. I knew he would understand. He left me after that, left me to stew, left me to turn ideas and possibilities over in my head until I was practically spinning with betrayals.


    I couldn¡¯t leave for my sister¡¯s house like this. I was a fucked-up mess. I needed to rx. I


    needed to fucking calm down. Picking up my phone, I dialed Kandy.


    ¡°Hey, boss,¡± she answered, her too-bright voice hurting my ears. It was a good thing she wouldn¡¯t be able to talk with my dick in her mouth. ¡°What do you need?¡±


    ¡°You,¡± I replied. ¡°My office. Bring a friend, too.¡± I hung up, went to sit on the leather sofa, and poured myself another drink.


    It was twenty minutester when Kandy strolled into the office with Rachel on her heels. Both of them were wearing short sundresses, which was fucking fine by me. Kandy was the one who approached me first, perching on my knee. I let my gaze travel down her, taking in the swell of her breasts and the taut peaks of her nipples. She was already fucking turned on. I looked over at Rachel, spread my legs a little wider, and tilted my chin, indicating what I wanted.


    ¡°Sit on my face, Kandy,¡± Imanded. The woman mbered up on the high back of the couch, bncing herself there as she dropped her bare pussy onto my waiting mouth.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Rachel unzipped my pants, springing my straining cock. I sucked in a hiss when she wrapped her


    lips around it then proceeded to fucking eat Kandy like she was the pussy I wanted to be feasting on. Kandy writhed against my face, her hips flexing and retreating as she fucked my chin and mouth. I swallowed her down, realizing I was blowing past a line here. My Dolls gave me blowjobs only, and I never reciprocated by eating their cunts, but there was this driving need in me.


    I wanted this to be Wren.


    I wanted this to be Wren¡¯s dripping pussy on my face, so for a few minutes, I would pretend that¡¯s what it was.


    Rachel bobbed up and down on my dick, and I reached out a hand blindly, cing it on the top of her head. On the downstroke, I held her against me, grinding into the back of her throat until she gagged. The sensation made me groan, and I eased up a little on her. But only for a moment. I needed that again. Pushing her back, we continued this sick game of asphyxiation until I felt my balls tighten.


    Tapping Kandy on the thigh, I indicated for her to stop. ¡°On your knees with Rachel,¡± Imanded darkly, wiping her juices from my chin. She did as she was told, falling to her knees between my thighs. The pair took turns sucking my dick until I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Sitting back, I wrapped my hand around my cock and began to pump. I thought about Wren perched between my thighs waiting for me to cum all over her face and tits. The taste on my tongue was Wren¡¯s champagne. The fingers digging into my thighs were Wren¡¯s.


    With a roar, I came on the two willing women, who sat with their mouths open and their eyes hungry. I came on them, but in my mind, it was only one woman.


    Wren.


    When I¡¯d finally wrung thest of my pleasure out, I caressed Rachel¡¯s mouth. ¡°You give good head.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she blushed.


    ¡°If you ever want toe out from behind the bar, let me know.¡±

 Chapter 44

    WREN


    ¡°ARE you sure there¡¯s nothing you can do?¡± I hated how desperate my voice sounded. But I was. Desperate. This was myst chance to help Hawk out, even though the financial ramifications would leave me living hand to mouth for the next decade or two.


    The loan manager shook his head and gave me a sad smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Montana, but I can¡¯t approve a loan of that amount.¡± He flicked through the application in front of him, frowning at the dire straits of my finances. ¡°And given the state of your revenue stream with your business, I can¡¯t see how I can loan you anything at all.¡±


    My heart fell to my feet, although I wasn¡¯t truly surprised. I knew getting a loan was going to be nearly impossible. I nodded. ¡°Of course. Thank you for your time, Mr. Kahn.¡± I stood and walked from the bank, now truly left without another option. As I stepped out into the baking afternoon sun, I began the walk home.


    As I dodged people on the clogged sidewalks, I thought about what else Bane was going to cost me. Because I only had one choice now.


    When I got back to my apartment, I showered and changed, taking extra time on my makeup and picking out an outfit. I settled on a knee-length navy blue dress and wedges, then piled my hair into a messy bun at the top of my head. I¡¯d justpleted putting the finishing touches on my makeup when there was a knock on my apartment door.


    I was suddenly breathless.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    ¡°Little Bird, I can hear you on the other side of this door.¡± Bane¡¯s timbre voice rumbled through the hollow wood. ¡°Let me in.¡±


    Unlocking the bolts, I twisted the knob and opened it. I edged back a step when I saw the heated look in his eyes, the hunger that burned there. His gaze drifted down my body, taking in my dress and the heels. When they finally returned to my face, I felt a shift in the air. He took a step toward me, then halted. I looked down to find his hands balled into fists at his sides.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re what¡¯s wrong with me.¡± He looked down at my body again. ¡°How am I supposed to keep my hands off you tonight?¡± It seemed strange that he would. At my cocked head, he added, ¡°I won¡¯t touch you again until you agree to our arrangement.¡±


    Huffing out augh, I shook my head. Bane Rivera was a tough man to pigeonhole. Grabbing my purse, I asked, ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    As I walked past him, I felt the heat of his body. It was like my soul prickled with awareness.


    Shaking myself a little, I stopped just outside the door and locked it behind him. Together, we walked to the bank of elevators.


    ¡°What¡¯s your sister¡¯s name?¡± I asked a little hesitantly.


    ¡°Bianca.¡±


    ¡°Is she older or younger?¡±


    He gave me a sideways nce. ¡°Older.¡±


    ¡°Who looks after who?¡±


    ¡°I look after her. Always have, even when I was a kid.¡±


    For some reason, that answer lit me up on the inside, warming the hollow in my chest. He was just like me, only in reverse.


    Clearing my throat, I asked, ¡°Where does she live?¡±


    He spun toward me a momentter, walking me backward until I felt the wall at my back. The hard, unforgiving surface didn¡¯t yield as I pressed myself against it. Bane filled my vision, my nose, my ears. The only sense he hadn¡¯t tortured yet was touch. And with the heat that filled his eyes, I wanted him to touch me.


    He ghosted his fingers over my cheek, his gaze burning. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I spill my truths to you all the time.¡± His words were a gruff whisper. ¡°But I do.¡± His entire body tensed right before he pulled himself away. Holding out his hand, he said, ¡°Come.¡±


    I let my fingers slip into his, and he pulled me close, wrapping his arm around my waist.


    ¡°I can¡¯t resist you, Wren,¡± he muttered. ¡°No matter what I do, no matter what I say, you keep drawing me back. I know I said I wouldn¡¯t touch you, but if this is going to be thest time I can¡­ goddammit, I¡¯m going to touch you until I erase the touches of every other man before me.¡±


    We rode down to the lobby in silence, his arm never unwrapping from my side. When we stepped out, he hustled me through the vestibule and out to his waiting town car.


    ¡°To Bianca¡¯s, Andy,¡± he said to the driver, who stared at me like he¡¯d never seen Bane with a woman before. Maybe it was because I was fully clothed that was so shocking. Whatever the reason, I didn¡¯t need to worry myself over it now. Sliding into the cool leather interior, I let out a little sigh as Bane closed us in there together. His cologne filled the space, and I turned to look at him. That same hunger from before zed, and I gasped as he dragged me onto hisp.


    A small moan made its way out of my throat as I felt his erection pressing insistently at my ass. One arm was anchored around my waist, his free hand sliding through the hair at my nape. A bolt of lust hit me as he pulled back, creating a sting of pain that I was growing to like.


    ¡°I need to be inside you again, Wren. Tonight. If this is it, I need to have you onest time. Tell me I can taste your champagne cunt again.¡± He stroked my bottom lip, pulling it down like he was imagining every single illicit thought running through his head. ¡°I need to experience your pretty mouth on my cock. I want to push to the back of your throat and fuck your face until you choke. Tell me I can fucking worship your body all night, make you scream my fucking name?¡±

 Chapter 45

    I clutched at his shoulders and bit my lip. Jesus, the filthy words this man says to me will be my undoing. I didn¡¯t answer him. I didn¡¯t know what the answer was. Instead, I reached down between us and stroked the steel length between his legs. He stopped me with a growl on the third stroke. His eyes were foggy with lust, and I liked that I¡¯d put him into that state.


    He shook his head, pulling my hand free and kissing the tips of my fingers. ¡°If you keep doing that, we won¡¯t go to my sister¡¯s. I¡¯d have Andy take us to my ce, so we could y, and then my sister would chew me out for ditching dinner.¡±


    Snuggling back into his chest, I watched the street lights of downtown LA flicker into sporadic bursts. I was pushed back into Bane as the car ascended, making switchbacks up a hill.


    ¡°Where does your sister live?¡± I asked into the darkness.


    ¡°Bel Air.¡± His words rumbled in his chest.


    Holy fucking shit. The entire family must be loaded. I swallowed. ¡°You grew up here?¡±


    He snorted and shook his head but said nothing more. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll tell you the story one day, Little Bird,¡± he said, stroking my arm in a hypnotic wave. ¡°Not tonight, though.¡±


    When the car finally pulled to a stop, I began to scramble back to my seat. I didn¡¯t want Bane¡¯s driver to catch me in such apromising position, but Bane wasn¡¯t having any of that. He held me tightly until the door was opened, then helped me out. I stared up at the mansion in front of me and let out a jagged breath. This ce was amazing. I¡¯d barely had a chance to absorb it all when Bane took my hand and urged me up the path.


    The door opened before we even got to the doorstep. A willowy dark-haired beauty stood there with a smile on her face.


    ¡°Bane!¡± she squealed.


    Bane dropped my hand and scooped up who I was assuming was his sister.


    ¡°Bianca,¡± he replied in a soft voice, pressing a kiss to her cheek. ¡°How are you?¡±


    ¡°Better now that you¡¯re here,¡± she replied, then looked over his shoulder. ¡°Is this her?¡±


    Damn, talk about being self-conscious. I stood there with my hands sped in front of me, not sure what to do.


    Bane saved me, though, by taking my hand and pulling me closer. ¡°Bianca, this is Wren, the woman I was telling you about.¡±


    Bianca held out her hand to me, and we shook. ¡°It is so nice to finally meet one of Bane¡¯s girlfriends!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not his girlfriend,¡± I replied.


    ¡°It¡¯splicated,¡± Bane said at the same time.


    Bianca looked between us and smiled. ¡°Come in. I¡¯m just finishing off dinner.¡±


    Bane gave me a heated look as he ushered me inside, shutting the door behind me. He toed off his shoes, and I did the same, my bare feet hitting the warm honey-blonde hardwood. He led me through to a kitchen in the same color tone as the wood beneath my bare feet, and I stopped dead when I saw the size of it.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°It¡¯s bigger than my entire apartment,¡± I whispered to Bane when he asked me what was wrong. He chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s arge house,¡± was all he said.


    Well, no fucking shit, Bane.


    Bianca was working effortlessly in the kitchen, moving from the marble-topped ind counter to the eight-burner stove with ease. Honestly, I would have expected a personal chef.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my girl?¡± Bane asked Bianca, and my ears pricked. A surge of jealousy shot through me, but I pushed it down. I had no right to be jealous. He owned a fucking gentlemen¡¯s club. He was surrounded by beautiful women-I¡¯d seen them.


    ¡°She should be up from her nap by now,¡± his sister told him, pulling some tomatoes from the fridge. ¡°You should go and get her.¡±


    Bane kissed me on the cheek and strode from the room, leaving me with Bianca.


    ¡°Can I help?¡± I needed something to do with this nervous energy vibrating through me.


    ¡°Sure. You can start tossing the sd for me.¡± She pointed at arge bowl filled with green leaves and red and yellow peppers. ¡°So, how did you meet my little brother?¡±


    I paused, then got with the program again. ¡°At work.¡± That seemed like a safe reply.


    Her brows shot up. ¡°You¡¯re a Doll?¡±


    ¡°Ah, no. Not one of them.¡± Jesus, even I could hear the disdain in my voice for them. ¡°He and my brother have a working rtionship, and I met Bane through him.¡± She hitched a hand onto her hip. ¡°Younger or older?¡± ¡°Younger,¡± I reply with a grin.


    ¡°Hell yes. Little brothers are such a headache, right?¡±


    A smile pulled at my lips. I liked Bianca. Where Bane was gruff, she was friendly. Where he was aloof, she was open. She smiled a lot more too. ¡°My brother could win awards with the headaches he¡¯s caused me.¡±


    She snorted and got back to chopping. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ Bane caused his fair share for me, too.¡± ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°To say he was wild when he was a kid is an understatement. He was always getting into trouble, but do you know what? He was always there when I needed him, too. He may be younger, but he¡¯s protective of me.¡±


    ¡°I can see that trait in him,¡± I reply. I looked up when I heard Bane walk back into the room, a little girl cradled in his arms. Fuck, my ovaries may have just exploded because seeing him with a baby made my womb ache. He walked over to us, a smirk on his face. I was trying hard to connect the man I thought I knew to the man I know, and to the man I was being shown now.

 Chapter 46

    Bianca put down the knife, wiped her hands, and rounded the counter. ¡°There¡¯s my beautiful girl,¡± she cooed to her daughter.


    ¡°She¡¯s gotten big,¡± Banemented, staring down at the swaddled bundle.


    ¡°You would know that if you visited more often,¡± Bianca volleyed back, and I got the distinct impression this was an old argument.


    ¡°You know how busy I am.¡±


    She stroked the baby¡¯s head. ¡°I know.¡±


    Bane looked up and locked eyes with me. There was such warmth in them. ¡°This is the other female love of my life,¡± he said. ¡°Valentine.¡±


    Wiping my hands, I walked toward him and peeked inside the nkets. The baby girl blinked up at me with dark blue eyes, eyes that were very aware of her surroundings. She had a shock of dark hair and the most perfect nose and cupid mouth.


    ¡°She¡¯s beautiful,¡± I murmured.


    ¡°Yeah, she is,¡± Bane rumbled in reply, and I looked up to find him staring at me. Flushing, I walked back to my sd-tossing station.


    ¡°How old is she?¡±


    ¡°Four months,¡± Bianca replied.


    ¡°And where does she get her dark hair from, your side or her daddy¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°James has blond hair, too, as does all his family, so I think she¡¯ll probably have the same hair as


    Bane.¡±


    Bane smiled at that.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you two go and sit down? I can take it from here.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Absolutely.¡± She made a shooing gesture with her hands. I followed Bane to a set of four armchairs grouped around a ss table. Bane sat in one with Valentine still cradled in his arms while I sat opposite him. As soon as he wasfortable, though, Valentine began to fuss.


    ¡°I have to feed her,¡± Bianca said,ing over and taking her daughter. Gesturing to her kitchen,


    she said, ¡°Just leave that. We¡¯ve still got time.¡±


    She left us together, and Bane patted his knee. Hauling myself out of my chair, I lowered myself onto his knee.


    ¡°What are you smiling at?¡± he asked, rubbing his thumb over my bottom lip. ¡°You.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°You keep surprising me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you had me pegged as a drug dealer and peddler of pussy only. I have manyyers.¡±


    I yed with the hair at the base of his skull. ¡°I¡¯m starting to see that.¡±


    The yfulness bled from his eyes, scorching lust filling its space. ¡°Fuck, Wren, this is fucking torture.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I whispered.


    He groaned as he repositioned himself. ¡°I can¡¯t handle not knowing. It¡¯s fucking driving me crazy. You¡¯re driving me to distraction, to the point where I can¡¯t even think straight anymore.¡± He caressed my cheek, the side of my neck, the swoop of my corbones. My heart rate increased two-fold at his reverent touch, at his desperate words.


    ¡°Please tell me you¡¯ll have an answer by the end of the night.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Frowning, he dropped his hand to my waist. ¡°Yes, you¡¯ll have an answer or yes, you¡¯ll be mine?¡± Be his.


    Fuck, that sounded amazing¡­


    ¡­ except he hadn¡¯t mentioned the deal.


    It seemed like it was as far from his mind as it was from mine.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I could walk away after two weeks, though,¡± I whispered, touching his stubbled jaw. ¡°What if you¡¯re done with me after two weeks? What if you don¡¯t want me anymore?¡±


    The muscles under my fingers bulged as he worked his jaw. ¡°You¡¯re what I want, Wren. Yes, it started as just a way to fuck you, but now that I¡¯ve had you, now that I know more about you, I don¡¯t care about the deal. Hawk¡¯s debt is wiped as far as I¡¯m concerned as long as I can have you in my bed for however long you¡¯ll stay.¡±


    I wanted to give him exactly what he needed because I wanted it to. Leaning in, I fused my mouth with his, showing how much I liked that idea. With a groan, he skimmed his hand down over my breasts, my stomach, and my thighs until he inched his hand under the hem of my dress. I moaned into his mouth when his expert fingers whispered against my panties, stroking my clit through them. Bane rubbed the seam against my sensitive flesh, making me wetter, making me hotter.


    The sound of a door opening and closing gained my attention, though, and I pulled away. He didn¡¯t let me get too far, curling his hand around the top of my spine. He held me close to him, his mouth curled into a satisfied smile.


    ¡°Someone¡¯sing,¡± I whispered hoarsely.


    ¡°It¡¯s my brother-inw.¡± He kissed me again.


    ¡°What if he catches us?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°What if he does? Public sex is a fucking turn-on.¡±


    ¡°Bane, Bianca said you wereing over for dinner,¡± a man said behind us. I nced up and caught sight of a fair-haired man in a blue button-down shirt and tan khaki pants. He smiled at me. ¡°She also told me you were bringing a friend, although it¡¯s clear you¡¯re more than friends.¡±


    I wriggled free of Bane¡¯sp, shooting him a withering re when he got onest feel of my soaked panties. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Wren Montana,¡± I said, walking around the couches to hold out my hand to him.


    ¡°James Ward,¡± he replied with an easy smile. His gaze ran over my face. ¡°I can see why Bane would want to keep you to himself.¡±


    ¡°James,¡± Bane warned, but his brother-inw only smiled.


    ¡°I was just yanking his chain. Bane never brings women here. You¡¯re the first, Wren.


    Congrattions.¡±


    I swallowed that information a little roughly. ¡°Well, I¡¯m d I am.¡±


    ¡°Where are my girls?¡±


    Bane replied, ¡°Upstairs. Feeding time.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Shooting another smile at me, he said, ¡°I¡¯d best go see my queen, then. See you guys in a few. Oh, and Bane, grab a beer for me, will you?¡± Then, with a wink, he was gone.


    Bane grumbled as he stood and moved to the fridge. ¡°Would you like something to drink?¡±N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°A beer would be fine.¡± I followed him into the blonde wood kitchen, marveling at the scale-shaped pearly tiles on the backssh. ¡°Nice, huh?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s gorgeous.¡± What I wanted to know was what his sister did to afford a house like this. Unless they came from old money?

 Chapter 47

    He handed me my drink, and I took a sip.


    ¡°Thanks. She fell in love with it, too. So I bought it for her.¡±


    I barely covered my mouth in time to stop the beer from spraying everywhere. My eyes bulged as I asked, ¡°You bought it for her?¡±


    He watched me as he took a sip from his bottle. ¡°There¡¯s a lot you don¡¯t know about me, Wren. This is why I wanted to show you another side of my life. You¡¯ve only seen the seedy side¡­ the dirty fucking shit I do. I wanted to show you that there is light to my dark.¡±


    I liked Bane¡¯s vor of dark, but I was starting to get an appreciation of his light too. ¡°I¡¯m not in the habit of taking people at face value,¡± I replied, taking another sip. ¡°I would¡¯ve found out about this eventually.¡±


    Slowly, he walked toward me. When he was standing in front of me, he put his beer on the counter and his hands on either side of my body, locking me into ce between his hard body and the equally hard granite digging into my lower back. When he leaned in and ced a sweet kiss on my shoulder, I sighed.


    ¡°I want you to find it all out, but not now. Not tonight. I promise I will tell you every dark secret inside me eventually if you decide to stick around.¡±


    Fisting his shirt in my hands, I didn¡¯t let him move away. I loved the feeling of him being so close, but that love was tempered by reality. That what we had could fizzle out in a matter of weeks or months. Bane gave me a bruising kiss before stepping away, taking his beer with him.


    I turned in time to see James and Bianca returning to the kitchen, Valentine in her daddy¡¯s arms.


    James went and sat down, and Bane joined him while I stayed in the kitchen with Bianca. She smiled at me as I leaned against the counter. ¡°You have a beautiful home.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I love it, too.¡± She nced over at her brother. ¡°Bane is too much.¡±


    ¡°How long have you lived here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be five years in the spring.¡± She began prepping what looked like chicken parmigiana. ¡°But enough about me, tell me all about you, Wren.¡±


    HOURS LATER, Bane opened the rear door of his town car for me. I slid into the leather seat and rested my head back. I¡¯d eaten and drunk way too much but Bianca sure as shit knew how to cook. I¡¯d found out she¡¯d worked as a chef before having Valentine, which exined how she knew her way around a kitchen. Bane closed the door after he slid in beside me, then hauled me into hisp.


    His hand was under my skirt a momentter, his lips fused to mine. His kiss was demanding, his tongue sliding into my mouth and iming me. He stroked my thighs, then my pussy before shoving the scrap of fabric out of the way and sliding his finger into my heat. I cried out at the sweet invasion, then began to moan as he pumped it in and out of me.


    All through dinner, he¡¯d kept his hand on my thigh, always inching higher, sweeping my dress out of the way. He¡¯d stroked me through my panties until I was practically panting, and he only stopped when I crossed my legs. He gave me a meaningful look, which I¡¯d ignored.


    Bane curled his finger inside me, hitting the sensitive spot and dragging an orgasm from me. I groaned into his mouth as he made mee, his relentless ownership over my body not stopping until I grew still.


    He kissed me again. ¡°You¡¯re so fucking beautiful when youe. You know that?¡± he asked roughly into my ear, biting down on my lobe. I sucked in a gasp, the sting shooting straight to my still throbbing pussy.


    Keeping me on hisp the whole way back into town, I wondered where this night would lead us. Was he taking me home? Was he returning to his club? No, not the club. It was closed on Mondays. At least I remembered that.


    ¡°Stay with me tonight?¡±


    Yes. God, I wanted to. ¡°At your apartment?¡± He nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t. I have to work in the morning.¡±


    He stared at me, his jaw working. I braced myself for his refusal, but he stunned me when he said,


    ¡°Tomorrow night, then. Can I have you?¡±


    A small smile tugged at my lips before I kissed him. ¡°Yes,¡± I breathed against him.


    ¡°Will you close the shop on Wednesday? I want you in my bed all night.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to check my bookings.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Do it, but fucking make it happen, Wren.¡±


    ¡°You know, this bossing me around thing won¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°You love it when I take control.¡±


    I did. I fucking loved giving it over, knowing that Bane would take care of my needs for me. But work was something else. This was my livelihood and also the only thing I would have left after Bane was finished with me.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you know if I can reschedule my clients for Wednesday,¡± I told him.


    We pulled up outside my apartment, and Bane got out of the car, shutting the door behind him. I blinked, slightly confused.


    ¡°Good night, Ms. Montana,¡± Andy said, looking at me in the rearview mirror.


    ¡°Good night, Andy,¡± I replied hesitantly before Bane opened my door and helped me from the car. He escorted me into the building, where I thought he¡¯d stop and let me go, but he went all the way to my apartment. After I unlocked the door, he strode in after me, mming the thing shut behind him.


    ¡°What are you-¡±


    Bane was on me, his kiss more fevered than before. ¡°If you won¡¯te to me, I¡¯ll fuckinge


    to you,¡± he hissed, sliding his hand up under my dress and setting my pussy on fire with his touch. ¡°I¡¯ll alwayse to you.¡±

 Chapter 48

    BANE


    WREN was mine. She was fucking mine, and I had to show her what she would be walking away from if she chose to end it after two weeks. I wasn¡¯t even fucking sure she¡¯d stay for two weeks since she got what she wanted. I¡¯d fucking caved and waived her brother¡¯s debt because I was so desperate to have her. Like a pussy, I¡¯d given her all the power. Now I had to wait and see what she would do with it.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°You want to stay here?¡± she asked, gasping when I slid a finger into her soft folds. She moaned her next words. ¡°I live in a dump.¡±


    Yeah, well, that was something I was going to fix too if she¡¯d let me. Fuck, who was I kidding? Even if she didn¡¯t let me, I was going to move her out of this rat-infested shithole and into one of my condos. Wren was my queen, and even if she walked away after two weeks, I would make damn sure she was safe.


    ¡°All I want is to be inside you, Wren.¡± I kissed her again, pushing my tongue past the barrier of her lips and teeth, gaining entry to her sweet mouth. While I worked her mouth with mine, my fingers worked her cunt. Giving her pleasure while sitting at the dinner table had nearly undone me. I¡¯d felt how wet she¡¯d gotten. I could practically see her desire for me dripping from the heated looks she threw my way. I had a feeling Wren would be all up for public sex, and I wanted to explore that with her.


    Moving into her bedroom, I lowered her onto the bed, our mouths still fused, my fingers still buried, the wet sounds of her arousal surrounding us. When I finally pulled free and stood, Wren¡¯s eyes were zed over with lust.


    ¡°Stand up and strip for me, Little Bird,¡± Imanded. Wren scooted to the end of the mattress and stood. Sitting on the bed, I watched as she slid the straps of her dress over her shoulders, torturously peeling the top of her dress down over her breasts, her stomach, her hips, and her thighs. She stood before me in her wedge heels and a matching set of navyce lingerie. Her stomach was toned and her legs fucking amazing. She had a tattoo of a little blue bird on her ribs that I hadn¡¯t noticed before.


    Tracing the delicate wing with my fingertip, I asked, ¡°What does this represent?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an Australian Fairy Wren. My parents were big into ornithology, hence mine and my brother¡¯s names.¡± She looked down at the tattoo. ¡°It reminds me of them.¡± I leaned forward to kiss it.


    She shivered, her handsing to rest in my hair. I drifted my mouth lower down her stomach, kissing her hip bones and the top of her mound. Her hips flexed into my mouth when I did that, and I smiled.


    ¡°Take off your bra and panties.¡± She did as I asked, sliding her shoes off when she lowered her panties to the floor. When she was exposed to me, I rubbed my aching cock through my pants. This woman was going to be the fucking death of me. ¡°On the bed,¡± I rasped. ¡°Face on the mattress and that ass of yours in the air.¡±


    Moving past me, she got into position on the bed, her beautiful ass and weeping pussy on full disy. For me. Only for me. Kneeling beside her, I stroked the globes of her ass, running a finger down into her weeping sex. She rocked against me when I slid one finger deep inside her channel, a small moan escaping her throat. Recing my finger with my mouth, I flicked my tongue over her clit, making that moan into a desperate whimper. Unbuckling my pants, I freed my cock and started to stroke it. I tongue-fucked her cunt while getting myself off, the sound of her moans like fucking music to my ears.


    I pushed another finger inside her, pumping into her. My breathing was a rasp in the back of my throat, and Wren¡¯s breathing was much the same. Her inner walls began to pulse around my fingers. That was the signal I¡¯d been waiting for. I withdrew my fingers, rubbing her arousal over my cock before mming inside her.


    She came instantly, her pussy mping down on my cock and almost sending me over the edge with her. She screamed my name as I pumped into her, milking everyst drop of her orgasm from her. When her entire upper body went loose, I wrapped my arm around her waist and chest, pulling her up. I was still buried inside her, unwilling toe until she had more orgasms under her belt. Remaining connected, Iid down on the bed, positioning her on my hips and facing away from me. Her perfect ass was all I could see as it throbbed in time to my thrusts.


    Clutching the tops of my thighs, Wren rode my cock with wanton abandon, her hairing loose of the knot and tumbling down her shoulders. I caught the scent of her shampoo as she moved, the vani fragrance sending a bolt of unbridled lust through me. Anchoring my hands on her hips, I pumped into her, urging her to find another orgasm before I changed positions once more.

 Chapter 49

    I woke up at dawn to Wren wrapped around me, her leg over my leg, her arm across my chest, and her head buried in the crook of my neck. Fuck, she was spectacr. I¡¯d fucked her for hours, not relenting until she gave me all of herself. Once I was sure she had nothing but exhaustion left in her, I¡¯de with a roar, filling her, marking her, owning her like I¡¯d never done before. She¡¯d mumbled something about birth control and being clean, and I cursed when I realized I¡¯d let another one of my hard rules slide.


    Fucking a woman bare was never an option. I had no interest in finding out a woman got pregnant by me only to get a fucking hand-out. But Wren¡­


    Fuck. I was in deep, and I¡¯d barely known her a week. Scrubbing a hand through my hair, I stared at the ceiling and wondered what it was about her that made me let go of my rules, the things I¡¯d fucking lived by for over thirty years. But as I stared down at her peaceful face, I knew. I was fucking hooked on her.


    I traced the shape of her cock-swollen mouth to her bare breasts and cunt that was hidden from my view. I could feel it, though, warm and wet against my thigh. Slowly, easing her off me, she rolled onto her back with a sigh, putting her in the perfect position. Splitting her thighs, I woke her with my head between her legs, my mouth on her cunt, and my tongue teasing her clit. She came with a strangled moan, her legs scissoring against the sheets until thest of her pleasure ebbed away. I looked up at her, at the warm smile.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± she mumbled.


    I kissed her sensitive cunt before saying, ¡°Yes, it is.¡±


    She stretched her arms over her head, then bolted upright. ¡°Shit, I have to get ready for work.¡± She tried to scramble off the bed, but I caught her ankle and pulled her back to me.


    ¡°See me tonight.¡±


    ¡°Are you asking me or telling me?¡± she asked, quirking an eyebrow at me.


    ¡°Asking. Begging, if you want. Let me see you. Let me worship you again.¡±


    Cupping my face, she pressed a kiss to my mouth. ¡°Yes.¡± She moved off the bed and walked naked into the bathroom. My dick was fucking hard, but Wren¡¯s pussy was shut for the moment. Iid back on the pillows and started to stroke myself, but in my mind it was Wren. Her hand glided over my length, her nails teasing me as she cupped my heavy sac. She lowered her mouth to my cock, and I thrust up into it. My hips flexed into my palm, making me hiss.


    I got myself off to the vision of Wren, knowing that I was sliding down a very slippery slope. Soon, I wouldn¡¯t be able to let her go. Soon, I would want to keep her forever. I came with a bark, my cum sshing against the ins of my abs and onto my chest. I bit my lip to keep the groaning to a minimum, but my orgasm was long and drawn out and fucking intense. I think my ears stopped working too because when I came back online, I heard a gasp and an appreciative moan. Cracking one eye open, I saw Wren staring at me, her hand clutching the towel around her breasts.


    I shouldn¡¯t want more. I shouldn¡¯t need more, but my cock had other ideas. I was still fucking hard despite justing all over myself. I palmed my length, sucking in a hiss, and her eyes darkened with lust.


    ¡°Want toe and help a guy out?¡± I asked in a drawl.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    She nodded, dropped the towel, and crawled up the bed. Biting her lip, she ran her fingers through my cum, then brought them to her cunt, rubbing it over herself.


    ¡°Holy fuck! Wren, baby, that¡¯s so fucking hot.¡±


    With a nod, she slid onto my raging erection, burying herself to the hilt and staying there a moment before she began to move.


    By the time I made it into the club, I was wrung out. I¡¯d fucked Wren until she¡¯de again, and I was right there behind her. I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d ever get tired of her, but then that niggling thought that she was only here for the short term sat in my head and blew all my hopes to fucking pieces.


    ¡°Hey, boss,¡± Rachel said from behind her post at the bar. She smiled at me like she was waiting for an invitation to suck my dick again, but I wasn¡¯t interested. Especially not now when I had Wren in my life.


    I lifted my chin in greeting but kept walking. I found Dagger in my office when I walked in.


    ¡°Boss, we have a problem.¡±


    Not the words I wanted to hear this morning. I was still riding my fucking high, and this deration was a fucking shot in the chest. ¡°What is it?¡± I snarled, stalking to my desk and sitting on the chair.


    ¡°The cops are sniffing around. They think we¡¯ve got something to do with the dealers getting hit.¡± ¡°They¡¯ve got nothing on us,¡± I replied. ¡°They¡¯re fishing.¡±


    He folded his meaty arms over his chest. ¡°They were also asking questions about Sanderson¡¯s man who turned up dead.¡±


    ¡°Did you wipe all evidence?¡±


    He gave me a t stare. ¡°This isn¡¯t my first fucking rodeo, boss.¡±


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t. Dagger was ex-military. The government had trained him themselves. I tapped my desk as I thought about options. Since the cops were only fishing, and there was nothing to connect me to the dealers, I decided not to worry about it. ¡°Just keep an eye on things, but I¡¯m fucking confident we¡¯re not a serious suspect.¡± When Dagger just stood there for a moment too long, I barked, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Detective Cox said she wasing to talk to you this afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Jesus-fucking-Christ, like I need this right now?¡± I mmed my fist onto the desk, making everything rattle. Pain hummed through my hand, but it did nothing to soothe the dark beast lurking inside. ¡°Get rid of her.¡±


    Slowly, Dagger shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve been fobbing her off for over a week now. She¡¯s done waiting.¡±


    Fuck! ¡°Fine. When?¡± ¡°In about fifteen.¡±


    Motherfucker. I red at Dagger like he was personally responsible for the heat from the cops.


    Working my jaw, I bit down the urge to shoot something, took a few deep breaths, then said calmly,


    ¡°Fine. Send her in when she gets here. Anything else you want to bring to my attention this morning?¡± His dark brows drew down over his eyes. ¡°We need another Doll to rece Syndy.¡±


    I knew this shit wasing. Opening myptop, I entered the password and went into the directory I kept of all the women who had applied to work here. ¡°All right.¡± I highlighted three names, then turned myptop around for Dagger to see. ¡°These three. Vet them again. Who knows how much has changed in thest however long since they applied, then get them in for interviews.¡± ¡°You got it, boss.¡±

 Chapter 50

    WREN


    I opened my apartment door to find Bane standing in the hallway, looking seriously out of ce in his ten-thousand-dor suit and ck silk shirt. I smiled, then pulled him into my apartment while I finished finding my other shoe.


    ¡°What are you doing, Little Bird?¡± he asked as he watched me checking under furniture and in cupboards.


    ¡°I lost a shoe,¡± I tell him, frowning. Which was fucking strange since I always made it a point to put all my shoes away in the closet as soon as I get home. Granted, I was looking for a ck pump, and I couldn¡¯t remember thest time I¡¯d worn them, so I was even more confused.


    I sighed when his arms came around my waist, the feeling of his solid chest against my back a wee distraction. ¡°Pick another pair.¡± He flexed his hips into my ass. ¡°I need to feed you, so then


    I can fuck you.¡±


    He let me go, and I peered at him over my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll just grab another pair.¡± Walking back into my room, I pulled out a pair of red pumps. They would sh a little with my dusty-rose colored dress but beggars-choosers and all that. Sliding them onto my feet, I wandered back out to find Bane staring out the window.


    ¡°Not much of a view,¡± I tell him.


    He turned around, his expression serious. ¡°The lock on your window is broken.¡±


    Broken? ¡°Fuck, Hawk must¡¯ve done itst time he was here. He¡¯s all about brute force rather than logic.¡±


    Bane¡¯s jaw bulged as he ground his teeth. ¡°I hate that you live here.¡±


    ¡°I hate it, too,¡± I told him, running my hands up his chest, under the edges of his suit jacket. He felt so warm beneath my fingers. ¡°But it¡¯s what I have to work with. And before you ask me to do something insane like move in with you, the answer is no. I make my way in this world. Plus¡­ what happens when this is over?¡± I gestured between us.


    If I thought his expression was unhappy before, now it was downright murderous.


    Snaking his arm around my waist, he took control of my neck and forced me to meet his gaze. The intensity with which he looked at me was a fucking turn-on. I shivered in the wake of his desire. ¡°I hope to fuck this never ends, Wren.¡± He kissed me, pouring all his savage emotions into that one action, his fingers digging in and caging me against his hard body. I sighed, feeling the weight of responsibility bleed from my body.


    Only Bane could do this to me.


    Only Bane could take over that constant weight, that unrelenting drive to keep all the balls in the air.


    And that terrified me.


    I was bing addicted to him-to his power, to his demands.


    What happens when all of this is over? I knew he said he never wanted it to end, but something bad could happen, right? Something terrible could fuck it all up, and then all I¡¯d be left with was a fucking hole in my chest where Bane had ripped my heart out. I didn¡¯t want to think about the day either of us would walk away, but I was a pragmatist at heart.


    He broke the kiss and stared down at me. ¡°I want you safe.¡±


    ¡°I am safe,¡± I tell him. ¡°I have three deadbolts and a Beretta 92FS in the drawer beside my bed.¡±


    ¡°And a broken fucking window lock in Boyle Heights. Anyone could get in here.¡±


    Pulling out of his arms, I walked a few steps away. ¡°People could have gotten in a hundred times over in the years I¡¯ve lived here,¡± I retort. Spinning to face him, I added, ¡°You can¡¯t protect me all the time.¡±


    His emotions boiled over in his eyes as he marched toward me. I backed up another step, but he caught me easily, his mouth mming against mine in a kiss that branded me as his. ¡°I fucking can if you let me.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate the offer, Bane, really, but this is my home.¡± My words were a whisper, all the fight left in me draining away. I didn¡¯t want to argue with him about this shit. ¡°We¡¯re going to bete for dinner.¡±


    With some reluctance, he let me go, but his hand still lingered on the small of my back. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m a little wound up.¡±


    ¡°Bad day at work?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you could say that,¡± he replied darkly. I wasn¡¯t going to push him. I had the distinct impression that Bane Rivera was a closed-off man when it came to the ins and outs of his business.


    ¡°So, take me out to dinner, then.¡±


    Together, we walked downstairs to the town car waiting at the curb. Andy smiled at me when we came out of the building¡¯s door, and I returned the gesture. Bane opened the door for me, and I slid inside.


    ¡°Where are we going for dinner?¡± I asked when we were on our way.


    ¡°A ce called Rivera. I¡¯m part owner.¡±


    Of course, he was. ¡°And was it named after you, too?¡±


    This question made him smile. ¡°Bianca and I own it jointly, although I¡¯m more of a silent partner.


    She was the head chef there until she went on maternity leave to have Valentine.¡±


    The depth of this man was fucking surprising. ¡°What other businesses do you have that I¡¯m not aware of?¡± I asked, taking his hand and intertwining our fingers. I realized what an intimate gesture it was right away and went to pull away, but Bane covered my hand with hisrge one.


    ¡°Leave it there, Little Bird. Somehow, your touch can soothe me when you¡¯re not fucking turning me on.¡±This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

 Chapter 51

    I let out a breath and peered out the window. The lights of LA were blinding, but I¡¯d lived here all my life. I¡¯d seen what lurked in the shadows of those lights, and it wasn¡¯t pretty. Eventually, we pulled up outside a restaurant that was modern and sleek. I smiled at the name die-cut in cursive on the steel sheet above the door. Tinted ss walls lined the front, where I could see the vague silhouettes of diners seated at tables against the window. Bane kissed the back of my hand, then got out to open my door.


    My gaze drifted down to therge steel and copper door, a doorman waiting over to the side. The man nodded to Bane, then me before he ushered us in.


    ¡°Mr. Rivera,¡± a man said in a cultured British ent.


    ¡°How are you, Tommy?¡±


    ¡°Fine, thank you, sir. We have your table ready for you.¡±


    Bane intertwined our fingers once more and led me through the restaurant. As we weaved through the tables, I found a lot of women staring at Bane for a beat before their eyes slid to me. Most eligible bachelor, indeed. We entered through a tinted ss door and into a private dining room that had ss on all sides. Bane pulled out a chair for me, but I went to the ss instead. The tint was so dark.


    ¡°Can anyone see in here?¡± I hadn¡¯t even noticed the room when we¡¯d approached it.


    ¡°It¡¯s one-way ss,¡± Bane said into my ear behind me. He touched his lips to my neck and whispered, ¡°Very private. Unless you¡¯re into exhibitionism, then I can flip a switch and make it two-way.¡±


    A shiver went through me at the thought of what Bane and I could do in a room like this.


    ¡°You like that idea, Little Bird?¡± he rumbled, his handsing to rest on my waist. Pulling me back against him, I squirmed at the feel of his erection pressing into my ass. ¡°If that¡¯s a fantasy of yours, I can make it happen.¡±


    I spun around in his arms, looping mine around his neck. ¡°Exhibitionism isn¡¯t at the top of my fantasy list,¡± I tell him with a coy smile.


    Bane stared at me for a beat before pulling my arms free and walking me to the table. I blinked at him, confused.


    ¡°Little Bird, if you keep talking about fantasies, I won¡¯t make it through dinner with you, and I want to feed you because I¡¯ve got the rest of the night nned out in my filthy head, and you¡¯ll need your strength.¡±


    Fuck. I nodded and ced my napkin on myp. As soon as Bane had done the same, a waiter breezed into the room from a hidden door with a bottle of champagne and a bucket of ice. Bane poured us each a ss, and then we toasted.


    ¡°To champagne,¡± he murmured.


    I could feel the flush creeping up my cheeks. ¡°To champagne.¡± I took a shallow sip while Bane had a whole mouthful and ced his ss back down.


    ¡°So tell me about your other fantasies, Little Bird.¡±


    cing my ss down, I stared at him. ¡°I will if you answer some questions about yourself.¡±


    He sat back in his chair and folded his hands in front of him. ¡°Is this a negotiation?¡±


    I mirrored his bodynguage. ¡°Of sorts. I have a lot of fantasies, Bane, only I don¡¯t like to tell people what they are without getting something in return.¡± I bit my bottom lip yfully.


    He shifted his hips, and I had no doubt he was already hard for me. Kicking off one of my shoes, I dragged my foot up his leg to his thigh and slid it over his erection.


    Bane¡¯s eyes darkened. He grabbed my ankle. ¡°You like ying with fire, don¡¯t you? Pushing my buttons, denying me what I want.¡±


    I shivered at his intent but nodded. I did enjoy all those things. I didn¡¯t back down from things when shit got real-I ran into them headlong.


    He smirked. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll tell you something about myself, then you can tell me about one of your fantasies. Do we have a deal?¡±


    ¡°How about I ask you about the things I want to know, then I tell you one of my fantasies?¡±


    ¡°Clever girl. Always ask for specifics.¡± I nodded my thanks. ¡°Deal. But I start first. What¡¯s one of your fantasies, Wren?¡±


    Biting my bottom lip, I stared him straight in the face when I said, ¡°Voyeurism. I like to watch other people fuck.¡±


    He chuckled darkly, his cock jerking against my foot, where he still held it in hisp. ¡°You¡¯d love my club then. I can already see you dressed in lingerie, watching as another woman is pleasured by a man.¡±


    Fuck, this was a dangerous game we were ying. My pussy was already beginning to throb.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°Okay, my turn. What was childhood like for Bane Rivera?¡±


    He opened his mouth to answer but closed it when the waiter returned. ¡°The usual, Mr. Rivera.¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± he replied, not taking his eyes off me. When the waiter was gone, he said, ¡°My father was an abusive alcoholic who battered and assaulted my mother on an almost daily basis. He gambled, and he lost. And when he lost, he would take that shit out on my mother¡­ sometimes on me when I tried to interfere.¡±


    I put a hand to my mouth, thinking about the younger Bane and having to witness all that. ¡°I¡¯m so


    -¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want your pity, Little Bird. He may have been a monster, but I learned some things from him.¡±


    I braced for his next words.


    ¡°I learned that women weren¡¯t ever to be treated like he treated my mother. Men who beat their women are the fucking scum of the earth. That¡¯s why I respect and help any of my Dolls who need it.¡±


    I took a sip of my champagne. ¡°And would they need it?¡±


    ¡°A lot of them are in abusive rtionships. I can¡¯t stand that shit. If they can¡¯t get out because they have nowhere else to go, I help them. I have a block of luxury apartments where I always keep half a dozen empty in case they need it.¡±


    ¡°Is that where you would¡¯ve put me?¡± I asked.

 Chapter 52

    He swallowed the rest of his drink and poured himself another, topping my ss off too. ¡°No. I want you in my penthouse, but I understand your reluctance to move in with me.¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    His words warmed me. I wasn¡¯t the kind of girl to believe in fairy tales. I always had to be the breadwinner, the provider for Hawk and me, but there was something so appealing about letting Bane take care of me if that¡¯s what he wanted to do. His protective instincts were ingrained, but he was such a juxtaposition. Here he was, the owner of thergest gentlemen¡¯s club in California-probably the entire West Coast-who acted and believed in such a way that was counter-intuitive to his work. He may have women surrounding him in a sexual environment, but in his way, he was protecting them.


    ¡°Have you ever had sex with any of your Dolls?¡± I ask softly. ¡°Not prative sex, no.¡±


    Prative? ¡°Oral then?¡±


    He dipped his chin, keeping his eyes on me. ¡°I¡¯m not going to lie to you, Little Bird. Before you came into my life, I often used my Dolls for the pleasure they could give.¡±


    I tried hard to lock down my emotions, but they were powerful and banging on the door of my self-control. ¡°That redhead who interrupted our meeting?¡±


    Bane sighed and took another sip of champagne. ¡°Sydney was one of the girls I used a few times, yes.¡± He stared at me, his gaze moving over my face like he was looking for something. Jealousy, perhaps. I felt it surging through my body, but it was misced. This was before me, so I had no right to be upset. ¡°Wren?¡±


    I waved my hand in front of me, telling him to give me a minute. ¡°Logically, I know you¡¯ve probably used your girls, but hearing it is another thing.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re jealous?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Was I wrong to be jealous?


    Standing from the table abruptly, he stalked around, then leaned down to give me a punishing kiss. He slid his hand into the top of my dress, palming one of my breasts. ¡°I fucking love that you¡¯re jealous,¡± he rasped out. ¡°But you don¡¯t need to be jealous now we¡¯re together. I don¡¯t see those other women. All I see is you.¡± Giving my nipple onest tweak, he sat back down like nothing had ever happened. ¡°It¡¯s your turn.¡±


    Blowing out a breath, I centered myself and said, ¡°Threesome.¡±


    His brows arch. ¡°With another woman or man joining us?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t care, to be honest. I think both ways would suit me just fine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m filing all this away, just so you know,¡± he said with a devilish smile.


    ¡°Okay, my turn. How many buildings, businesses, and homes do you own?¡±


    ¡°Enough,¡± he replied evasively. I let it slide. It was in that gray area, and I wasn¡¯t going to push him for information rting to his business dealings. I hoped that one day he might trust me enough, though.


    ¡°What¡¯s another one of your fantasies, Little Bird?¡±


    I cleared my throat. ¡°Sex swing.¡± His eyes sparked with lust. ¡°I want to try a sex swing to see what it¡¯s like.¡±


    Reaching under the table, he readjusted himself. ¡°I could probably take care of that fantasy tonight.¡±


    Lust hit me like a lightning strike, my pussy flooding with warmth. Holy shit. ¡°Okay.¡±


    The hidden door opened, and the waiter was back with a few long rectangr tes bnced on his arm. He ced them down, then gestured to the champagne bottle. ¡°Would you like another bottle, sir?¡± he asked. ¡°Please.¡±


    I stared at all the food, wondering where to start. When I looked up, Bane was typing out a message on his phone. ¡°Work?¡±


    He smiled in a way that made my pulse pound. ¡°Pleasure. Just arranging something forter on tonight. I want it to be a surprise.¡± Gesturing to the food on the table, he said, ¡°Eat. There are miniature versions of every single dish avable on the menu. Please, take what you want.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your favorite? I¡¯ll leave that one for you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s this,¡± he said, picking up what looked like a mini burger. ¡°Pulled pork slider. w. Delicious. Take it.¡± He offered it to me, and I blinked.


    ¡°But it¡¯s your favorite?¡±


    ¡°And I want you to have it. I want to see the pleasure on your face as you eat it.¡±


    I¡¯d just finished chewing when the waiter returned with our champagne. He put it on ice, took the other away, and we were left alone once more.


    ¡°Have you had any serious rtionships before?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, unless you count my girlfriend in grade school. You?¡±


    I smiled at that. ¡°No. I¡¯ve never had time for it. I was always having to work or fight for scraps of food when there was no work.¡±


    ¡°You had a tough childhood?¡±


    I sat back in my chair, staring at the tes in front of us. ¡°Not my childhood, but adolescence. We were so poor that sometimes I didn¡¯t eat so Hawk could.¡± My stomach ached with phantom pain at the memories of those days. It was when it was just my brother and me against the world. I shook my head, dislodging the pathetic history from my mind. ¡°What happened to your dad?¡± I asked.


    His eyes darkened a little as he studied my face, wondering whether I was worthy of such secrets. ¡°By the time I was sixteen, I was stronger than him. One night, he came home drunk and started hitting my mom. I got between them this time and baited him into hitting me. As soon as he did, I proved to him it was thest night he would ever raise a hand to her or me.¡±


    I wanted to reach out and take his hand, but I held myself back. Bane was the kind of man to pull away from things like that, so I simply let him talk. ¡°He left?¡±


    ¡°After I broke his arm and a couple of ribs, yeah,¡± he replied darkly. I shifted ufortably in my seat. ¡°Does that disgust you, Little Bird?¡±


    ¡°No. No, it doesn¡¯t. You just did what you had to do to survive, just like Hawk and I had to do.


    What about your mom?¡±


    ¡°She passed from cancer while I was in college.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    Waving away my titudes, he swallowed what was left in his ss and ced it back down deliberately like he was pulling himself back together inside. ¡°What about your parents?¡±


    I swallowed some more champagne and stared sightlessly at the table in front of me. ¡°Our parents died in a car crash when I was sixteen. Hawk was twelve. We ran away from every foster family we ever had because of the abuse we suffered there. I became emancipated at eighteen, and I¡¯ve been looking after Hawk ever since.¡±


    ¡°He relies on you,¡± Bane told me softly.


    ¡°Yeah, he does because I¡¯m just as much a mother to him as our parents were.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you finally agreed to take me up on my offer?¡±


    Plucking the napkin from myp, I ran the linen through my fingers a few times. The fabric was thick but still soft, and the motion soothed me just like it did when I was petting the dogs I groomed. ¡°Partly,¡± I admitted. I looked into his watchful eyes. ¡°The other reason was because I wanted you, Bane.¡±


    ¡°I fucking wanted you from the moment Iid eyes on you, Little Bird.¡±


    The intensity of his stare made my blood warm in my veins. ¡°Take me back to your ce.¡± He stood and threw his napkin on the table.


    We left an entire table of food behind us, but when I had Bane wrapped around me like he was right now as he escorted me out of the restaurant, I knew I would never hunger for anything ever again.

 Chapter 53

    BANE


    As I stepped onto the cool marble floor on my foyer, I felt Wren stop. Peering at her over my shoulder, I found her eyes were wide. She was taking in everything, everyst detail of the wealth I chose to surround myself with. With a chuckle, I dragged her deeper into my domain. The floor may have been white, but everything else in my apartment was dark gray or ck.


    The couches were soft leather, big enough for ten people, but it was usually only me. On the wall was a ny-eight-inch television, which I rarely watched because I was always working, and a copper and ss coffee table I rarely used because I was always too busy to be home and have a beer.


    Wren walked into the kitchen, running the tips of her fingers over the dark granite countertop as she walked past it. All the appliances were stainless steel, all pristine. She turned to face me.


    ¡°This is stunning.¡±


    ¡°Bianca helped me fit it out,¡± I replied with a shrug.


    She gave me a small smile and continued her exploration of my penthouse. When she reached the start of the hallway, she quirked an eyebrow at me. I gave her a nod, and she started down there too. Stalking behind her, she first went into the master bathroom, then poked her head into both guest rooms.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have stayed there,¡± I said into her ear, tracing the shape of her flesh with my tongue. ¡°You would¡¯ve been staying in here.¡± I showed her into the master suite, wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her back against me. Her firm ass collided with my aching cock, causing her to wriggle against me.


    My bedroom had never felt like home to me. It felt more like a ce to sleep in between work. There was nothing personal about it-not like Wren¡¯s ce. Although hers was messy and everything was falling apart, there was a soul to it that came from all the personal things she had. Mine was merely a room with a bed. Stepping away from me, she walked to the bed and ran her fingers over the ck sheets.


    ¡°Want to explore the rest of the suite?¡± I asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s more?¡±


    I bobbed my head. Taking her hand, I lead her into the ensuite. More of the white marble graced the floors and climbed the walls. The double-sized shower with rain showerheads and a bench was the first thing to catch her attention. Then she spun around and looked at the tub. I suddenly got a sh of her in there, the waterpping at her perfect breasts, teasing her nipples as they cooled in the air.


    She walked into the shower and took a seat, then turned to look at me. ¡°This is a nice edition,¡± she said in a purr.


    Fuck, yeah, it was. I cleared my throat. ¡°It¡¯s a steam shower, so you can sit and steam for a bit if that¡¯s what you want to do. It¡¯s good for other things, too, though.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± she replied yfully.


    I stepped a little closer but was conscious of my limits. If I got too close, I would have her, and I wanted her first orgasm to be on the sex swing. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s also a great ce for me to taste that delicious cunt of yours.¡±


    Her gaze dropped to my crotch, where I wasn¡¯t even bothering to hide how hard my cock was. She stood up abruptly and came toward me. ¡°What else is there to find in this bedroom suite of yours?¡±


    With a grin, I threw her over my shoulder and walked into the sitting room area of my bedroom. With another one of those soft leather couches and an even softer rug in front of it, this was a ce I wanted to use more but didn¡¯t. I dropped her gently onto the couch, and I liked the way she looked at me. It was part pissed off, but mostly she was fucking ready for me. Dropping to my knees, I nudged her legs apart and slid my hands up her thighs, bunching her dress as I went. Then her perfectly pink cunt was exposed to me. I looked up at her face.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have any panties,¡± I growled.


    She shook her head and bit her lip.


    Unable to stop myself, I leaned in and ced my mouth against her glistening folds, dragging my tongue through her pussy and making her shiver with pleasure. Wren¡¯s hands found their way into my hair, holding me in ce as I tongue-fucked her. With every scrape of her nails on my scalp, it felt like a shot of lust was being dumped into my veins, making me wilder and wilder. I wanted to take her so badly, but not like this. Pulling back, she whimpered a little but didn¡¯t voice aint.


    Taking off my suit jacket, I draped it over the arm of the chair. I unbuttoned my shirt slowly, Wren¡¯s beautiful blue eyes tracking the movement. She licked her lips as more of my chest and torso were exposed to her. Fuck, I loved it when she looked at me like that. Quickly, I took the shirt off, then unbuckled my belt. Her chest was rising and falling with each movement of my hand, each removal of clothing. I paused at the button on my cks, choosing not to remove them just yet.


    Gesturing for her to stand, she slid from the couch, her neck and cheeks flushed with color. I stroked her cheekbone and ced a kiss on her mouth. I lifted her dress over her head and let the fabric slide through my fingers until it hit the floor. Wren¡¯s breathing was ragged now. Standing before me, naked and so fucking turned-on, I could see her arousal slipping down the inside of her thighs, I wanted to take her rough. I wanted to make her mine, but there was something to be said for denying one¡¯s release, and tonight, I wanted to make Wren so frenzied with need that she could never walk away from me.


    I took her hand and pulled her toward the sex swing. When I¡¯d heard she wanted to try it, I asked Andy to set one up in my bedroom. Therge A-shaped frame had two anchor points at the top where the strips of padded nylon were suspended. Wren turned to look at me, lust shimmering in her gaze. Taking therger, wide strip in my hand, I showed it to her.


    ¡°The seat,¡± I murmured. Then I went to the handholds. ¡°To grip on to.¡± And finally, the stirrups.


    ¡°For your feet.¡±


    I waited for her to nod for her permission. When I had it, I lifted her onto the padded seat where her ass bnced. Sliding my hands down her body, brushing past her pussy then down her legs, I helped her into the stirrups. ¡°Comfortable?¡±


    She nodded, biting her lip. ¡°It feels strange, but not in a bad way. It¡¯s like I¡¯m floating.¡±

 Chapter 54

    I kissed her again until she was moaning, the swing shivering with her desire as her body surged with it. I stepped backward and took off my pants and boxer briefs, then stood in front of her naked and so fucking hard my dick felt like steel. She drank me in, her eyes fixed on my dick as it bobbed.


    ¡°Sex swings can be very liberating,¡± I told her, stepping forward and grabbing her feet. I pulled her toward me, her pussying so close to my cock I could feel her heat. Easing her back into the neutral position, I stroked her cunt briefly, then went to the strap of the handholds. Pulling it, her arms rose higher into the air until they were above her head. I took a step back to look at her. Her arms were floating above her, her legs spread out in front, her cunt glistening in the middle. Fuck, I couldn¡¯t wait to taste her again.


    ¡°Keep your hands there,¡± I warned as I got down on my knees. Drifting my fingers along her thighs, I kissed my way closer to her drenched opening. ¡°Under no circumstance do you bring your arms down. If you bring them down before I¡¯m ready, I may have to take my belt to that ass of yours.


    Understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she whispered. I sensed her unease and quickly stood, cing a kiss on her mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to make this orgasm so fucking amazing for you, baby, but if you don¡¯t want to y anymore, just say Dollhouse.¡±


    With the reassurance that she could get out of there if she wanted to, Wren rxed into the swing. Taking up my previous position, I positioned one hand on her ass and the other on her thigh, holding her sweet cunt in ce. She gasped, and I looked up to find her watching me. She was going to fucking love this.


    I attacked her cunt with my mouth, sliding my tongue through her folds over and over. Her champagne taste slid down my throat as I swallowed her, and my cock got even harder. Wren wriggled against me, making these cute little mewling sounds as I ate her out. Flicking my tongue over her clit, I felt her thighs tense as an orgasm was quickly approaching. I knew it wouldn¡¯t take too long to get the first one, but it was the fifth and sixth ones I wanted before I fucked her.


    I pulled back just as she was about toe, the look of displeasure on her face making me chuckle.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    ¡°Bane,¡± she moaned.


    ¡°Little Bird,¡± I crooned back, stalling to give us both time to calm the fuck down. Palming my cock, I pumped a few times to take the ache away. I may have been denying her orgasm, but I denied mine too.


    ¡°Please.¡±


    With a growl, I grabbed her ass and dove back in. Heat and arousal flooded her, coating my mouth and chin. I sucked on her clit, nibbling it ever so slightly. When her thighs began to shake again, I pulled back. Over and over, I did this until on the sixth denial, I growled, ¡°Let go of the fucking handholds, Wren.¡±


    She did, her hands automatically going to my head and threading through my hair as she held me against her churning pussy. It only took one more stroke of my tongue, and she wasing,ing,ing against my mouth with a groan that was a direct line to my cock. I didn¡¯t let up until she was done, and even then, itsted a good thirty seconds. When she finally came down from the high, she let go of my head, and I stood, wiping away her arousal with the back of my hand.


    I was mad with lust, wild to get inside her. Gripping her thighs, I mmed into her waiting pussy and felt her orgasm again. Her inner walls pulsed around my cock, each wave punching me in the fucking chest.


    I made her do that. Me.


    Once her breathing had eased again, I began to rock her gently, my cock sliding in and out of her heat. In this position, I knew I could hit her G-spot, and I fucking intended to.


    I mmed into her until I wrung another orgasm from her, this one leaving her limp. Thank fuck for the swing. Still gripping her thighs, I stopped swinging her and started pumping, nuzzling her neck and biting down gently on her shoulder. She grabbed the handholds again, lifting her perfect breasts and inviting me to take what I wanted from her.


    Opening my mouth, I sucked one of her beautiful nipples into my mouth, tonguing the sensitive flesh until it was a taut peak. I switched my attention over to the other side, then alternated as I fucked her.


    ¡°Bane, I¡¯m going toe again,¡± she moaned, her entire body shaking as her orgasm crept over her once more. I gritted my teeth and pushed back on my own need for release, but that fucking thing was riding me hard. When I finally dide, I thought I might ckout from the pleasure.


    Reaching up, I readjusted the handholds, so they were at a morefortable height, then told Wren to lean back, so she was t on her back, the seat of the swing cradling her lower back while the straps kept her upper body supported. ¡°Bring your legs up, baby.¡±


    She brought them up, exposing more of herself to me. In this position, I had ess to everything, including her ass. Fuck, I wanted to explore that part of her too, but one new experience tonight was enough. Running my hands through her pussy, I rubbed her clit gently, then lined myself back up.


    She screamed when I entered her this time, the change in position making her channel fucking tight. I buried myself in her, then held onto the nylon straps beside her torso and began to pound into her. I alternated between shallow thrusts and ones that shunted her violently forward, rocking her back onto my shaft with a moan.


    When her third orgasm rocked her body, I helped her out of the swing, catching her loose body in my arms. Taking her over to the bed, I eased her down, then climbed up beside her. Leaning on my side, I rested my hand on her waist and murmured, ¡°Roll over onto your side, Wren. That¡¯s right, baby.¡± I dropped a kiss onto her bare shoulder. ¡°Bring your knees to your chest.¡±


    I looked down at her body, taking in the curve of her ass as she brought her legs up tight to her torso. Running a hand down her body, I pped her on the ass before finding her opening. Running my fingers through her folds, she wiggled against me, seeking the friction she needed. Taking my hands away, I filled her with my cock, and the sensation of her body mping down around me made me hiss out a breath.


    ¡°You feel too fucking good, baby,¡± I whispered into her ear. She turned her head to kiss me, sliding her tongue into her mouth as I fucked her. Sliding my arm under hers, I wrapped my hand around the base of her throat, applying the slightest pressure. She groaned, and I chuckled. My Little Bird surprised me sometimes.


    She whimpered when her orgasm took her over, giving her body over to the experience. She shuddered in my arms, but I didn¡¯t slow. My hips were pistoning against her, drawing out her pleasure and torturing the shit out of me.


    ¡°I want you toe,¡± she moaned, her breath feathering over my hand. Letting go of her neck, I cupped one of her breasts, rubbing my thumb over her nipple.


    ¡°I need just one more out of you,¡± I grunted, slowing my thrusts. ¡°I want you on top of me, riding my hard cock when youe.¡±


    Rolling over, Wren mbered on top of me, impaling herself without waiting. My blood ignited when she began to move, rolling her hips against mine, her breasts bouncing with every single movement. Reaching up, I captured them both, teasing her nipples.


    ¡°Touch yourself,¡± Imanded. ¡°Then I¡¯lle with you this onest time.¡±


    Wren¡¯s eyes were half-crazed with lust, her unbound hair falling over her shoulders in lush waves. I imagined what that hair would look like covering my thighs and lower stomach as she sucked my dick, and a low groan escaped me. Fuck, I was in trouble with this woman. She rubbed her clit, tipping her head back as she did. I felt her thighs ripple the moment before she gasped, ¡°I¡¯ming.¡±


    Digging my fingers into her waist, I hissed, ¡°Yes, baby,e for me. Come all over my hard cock while you ride it.¡±


    She screamed my name, tumbling over the edge and dragging me with her.

 Chapter 55

    WREN


    ¡°OH MY GOD, babe, I feel like I haven¡¯t seen you in forever!¡± Darcy pulled me into a hug, squeezing the air from my lungs. When she let me go, I grinned at her, settling myself back onto the stool at the bar. I was meeting her at The Nightingale after she threatened to blow up my phone every day until I agreed to get drunk with her.


    ¡°It has been a while,¡± I admit, crossing my legs and holding back the moan when the ache Bane had left me with reared its head.


    Darcy ced her purse on the bar top and pulled herself onto the stool beside me. When the bartender walked over-a beautiful blonde woman with breasts that were overflowing the V in her shirt-Darcy ordered us both a drink, then turned back to me.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening? What happened with Hawk? I need to know everything.¡±


    Iughed, then finished off my whisky. ¡°So much has happened, Dee.¡±


    She pursed her lips and gave me the once-over. ¡°Okay, why are you smiling like that?¡±


    ¡°Smiling like what?¡± I asked, knowing I was screwed. I couldn¡¯t keep the happiness from my face -happiness that Bane had put there.


    ¡°Like you got the best sex of your lifest night.¡± I gave her a meaningful look. ¡°Fuck me, you did get the best sex of your lifest night.¡±


    The bartender ced our drinks down, but I waited for her to leave again before I said, ¡°Bane is¡­ something else.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I want to know all the details, Wren. Thest time I spoke to you, he¡¯d only given you a couple of orgasms. When did we graduate into dirty sex? And what about the deal? And what about


    -¡±


    ¡°If you shut up, I¡¯ll tell you,¡± I said, cutting her off.


    She folded her arms over her chest. ¡°Fine. I¡¯m listening.¡±


    Sucking in a breath, I let it out, then leveled my gaze on her. ¡°You know how I said Hawk would fuck up again, I just had to wait for it?¡± At her nod, I said, ¡°Well, Hawk did fuck up again. After I got off the phone with you, he told me he was going to get the money by betting on the horses. I got home from work, and there he was¡­ the little shit had lost the bet and owed a bookie the money.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit.¡± Darcy threw back what was left of her drink and motioned for two more. ¡°Then what happened?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°I called Bane.¡± ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the only person I could think of to help,¡± I replied, picking up my ss and swallowing the


    rest of my drink as another reced its fallen brother.


    Darcy thumped her chest. ¡°Me. I would¡¯ve lent you the money, babe.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No, Dee. You¡¯re my friend, and I love you, but money always messes up friendships. Besides, you and Baron are going to start IVF soon. You guys need the cash. Plus, I wouldn¡¯t want you to give up having kids to save my punk-ass brother¡¯s butt. Anyway, I called Bane. He came over, more than happy to pay the bookie on Hawk¡¯s behalf, then add that total to the overall owing amount without adding interest.¡±


    ¡°What do you know, a mobster with a conscience,¡± she shot back.


    ¡°Anyway, we had sex that night. It was supposed to be only the one night, a free pass because we were both desperate for each other.¡± I took a sip of whisky, wondering how much I was going to tell her.


    ¡°Ah¡­ you¡¯re going to tell me every single fucking detail, Wren Montana,¡± Darcy demanded. When I looked at her, she added, ¡°I can tell by the look on your face that you were wondering how much to spill. I want it all. Every. Illicit. Dirty. Detail.¡± She punctuated every word by thumping the bar, drawing the attention of some guys standing nearby. Whether it was the noise or her words, I realized we were gaining some attention.


    Scooping up my drink, I slid from the stool. ¡°Come on. If you¡¯re going to be demanding, let¡¯s go somewhere more private.¡±


    Darcy strutted past the men, giving them a wink as she went. She was such a shameless flirt.


    Despite that, she was one hundred percent faithful to Baron.


    I found an empty booth and slid into it. ¡°He gave me twelve throughout the night.¡± ¡°Shut. Up!¡± she shouted, drawing everyone¡¯s attention that time.


    ¡°Fuck, Dee, keep your shit together,¡± I hissed, shooting anyone still staring a look. ¡°Yes, twelve. He only came once, right at the end.¡±


    ¡°Fuck, that man has some stamina.¡±


    Didn¡¯t I know it? ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s a fucking savage in bed. It¡¯s amazing, don¡¯t get me wrong, but I was exhausted when we were finally done.¡±This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°Were you walking funny the next day?¡±


    I stared at her. ¡°Seriously? Are we in grade school again?¡±


    Dee shrugged and gave me a coy smile. ¡°I need to live vicariously through you, Wren. Baron is the only fucking man I want, but marriage has worn our sex life down to a grind-a boring, monotonous grind. Add the attempts at baby-making and romance and passion have fucking left the building. I need these dirty stories to get me through.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure this is why they make porn,¡± I told her, slowly turning my ss around on the table, each revolution like a loosening of my tongue. ¡°On Monday night, he took me to dinner at his sister¡¯s ce.¡± I would¡¯veughed at the expression on Dee¡¯s face if I didn¡¯t feel the same way. ¡°I know¡­ I was shocked. She¡¯s nice, actually, and I saw a side of Bane I didn¡¯t think existed.¡±


    Darcy threw back her drink and put the ss down with a thump. ¡°What side?¡±


    ¡°He has a baby niece, and he¡¯s smitten with her. You should¡¯ve seen him¡­¡±


    Reaching under the table, she prods my abdomen. ¡°Did your ovaries just explode?¡±


    I batted away her hands but was unable to wipe the grin from my face. ¡°It was pretty fucking amazing.¡±


    ¡°And? What happened next?¡±


    ¡°He took me home, and we had more amazing sex.¡±


    She raised one manicured brow at me. ¡°What happened to the one free pass only?¡±

 Chapter 56

    I shrugged. I¡¯d like to see her resist Bane when he gets that look in his eye. ¡°I made a decision when we were at dinner. I told him I epted his offer of two weeks with me, and in exchange Hawk¡¯s debt is gone.¡± ¡°Just like that?¡±


    ¡°Just like that.¡± I let out a sigh. ¡°Last night, we went to dinner, and afterward, he brought one of my fantasies to life.¡± ¡°Threesome?¡±


    ¡°Sex swing,¡± I corrected. ¡°And it was fucking amazing. Seriously, Dee, you and Baron have to get one.¡±


    She tapped her chin in thought. ¡°I¡¯ll just get one and surprise him,¡± she said with a chuckle. ¡°His poor uptight ountant pants wouldn¡¯t know what hit them.¡±


    She looked around the bar for a moment. ¡°What¡¯s going to happen at the end of two weeks? Will you be able to walk away from him?¡±


    ¡°Honestly? I don¡¯t know. I feel like the more time I spend with him, the more I get to know him, the more I want to stay. Is that messed up? I mean, he¡¯s a drug dealer and runs a strip club. How can I move past that? It¡¯s hardly an honest living.¡±


    ¡°The drug dealing is not an honest living, but the club is legit. Men love sex, and if women can get paid to dance for them, I say more power to them. Do you know if he¡¯s slept with any of them?¡±


    ¡°I asked himst night.¡±


    ¡°What did he say?¡±


    Smoothing my hair back with my fingers. ¡°He said he didn¡¯t have prative sex with any of them.¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡°Prative?¡± She screwed up her face. ¡°So, that means¡­¡±


    ¡°Oral. I guess he gets blowjobs?¡±


    My best friend pursed her lips. ¡°And this is something he¡¯ll continue to do while he has you in his bed?¡± I could hear every single ounce of disapproval in her tone.


    ¡°No. He said he won¡¯t see any other woman while I¡¯m sleeping with him.¡±


    ¡°Well, at least he¡¯s not aplete asshole,¡± she muttered. ¡°Fuck, I love you, Wren, and want to hang out longer, but I need to go home to Baron. All this sex-deal talk has got me all hot and bothered.


    Want to share an Uber?¡±


    Iughed at my friend¡¯s impulsivity but nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sure Baron will be very happy to hear that. I should probably go too¡­ work tomorrow and everything.¡±


    Darcy navigated her way through the rideshare app, booking us a lift. ¡°When do you see Bane again?¡±


    ¡°Probably tomorrow night.¡±


    With a nod, she nced at her phone. ¡°Our ride is around the corner,¡± she announced, turning off her phone and sliding it back into her purse. Darcy slid from the seat, and I followed her out, and together we walked out of The Nightingale. As we stepped onto the sidewalk, a car pulled up. ¡°This is us.¡±


    We both got in, declining the offer of water and mints.


    ¡°How¡¯s the baby-making going?¡± I asked once we were on our way.


    She was silent for a moment, then said, ¡°Our first round of IVF is next week.¡±


    Reaching across the dark back seat, I took her hand in mine. I didn¡¯t need to ask her how she felt about that because I knew. She was terrified. She was terrified of it not working. She was terrified that for whatever reason she was unable to have children naturally would interfere with the artificial process too.


    ¡°Have you spoken to Baron about how you¡¯re feeling?¡±


    She tightened her grip on my hand. ¡°A bit. He wants this so badly, but¡­ what if-¡± ¡°It¡¯ll take. I know it.¡±


    Bobbing her head, she sucked in a breath, then let it out. ¡°We only have enough cash for two rounds. If this doesn¡¯t happen, I don¡¯t know what we¡¯ll do.¡±


    ¡°You could adopt? There are loads of children out there who need loving parents. Or you could foster?¡± If I¡¯d had a mom like her when Hawk and I were going through the foster system, I wouldn¡¯t have run away as much. I would¡¯ve been happy to stay. Been happy to have the love of someone who loved me back, instead of the government check they received for the inconvenience.


    Darcy sniffled, wiping the tears from her cheeks. I opened my mouth to say something more, but the car slowed to a stop at the curb. Peering out of my window, I saw we were at my apartment.


    ¡°Stay safe, babe,¡± Darcy told me with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to hearing more of your sexcapades with Bane.¡±


    I huffed as I opened my door. ¡°We don¡¯t have sexscapades.¡±


    ¡°Um, yeah, you do. You guys are having that hot, dirty sex I wish I were having.¡± Kissing my cheek, Darcy waved goodbye, and I got out, walking inside my building.


    As I unlocked my apartment door, I paused when I stepped inside. I didn¡¯t know how else to exin it other than it felt like the hairs on the back of my neck were standing on end. Moving quickly and quietly, I went into my bedroom and grabbed my nine-millimeter, taking off the safety and holding it down by my thigh.


    After checking all the windows and the locks on the front door, I began looking around. But I found nothing.


    Nothing was missing, but Bane¡¯s angry words from earlier bounced around my head.


    Anyone could get into my apartment at any time. I¡¯d never felt unsafe, but my instincts never lied.


    Picking up the phone, I dialed Bane¡¯s number.


    ¡°Little Bird,¡± he answered on the second ring. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I thought you were out with


    Darcy.¡±


    ¡°I was. I¡¯m home now, but¡­¡± Was I being crazy here?


    Was I overreacting because Bane had pointed out the busted lock on my window?


    Was I psychosomatic?


    ¡°What is it, Wren?¡± he demanded in a low voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing-¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I heard him m his fist onto the desk.


    Swallowing, I said, ¡°I think someone¡¯s been in my apartment.¡± I pulled the phone away from my ear when Bane cursed viciously.


    ¡°I¡¯m sending Andy. Keep your gun with you and lock yourself in the bathroom until he gets there.¡±


    I wanted to rail against him, scream that I was not a helpless woman who needed the help of a man, but¡­


    ¡­ I had called him because I knew he would make everything all right again.


    I nodded, my body already kicking in with adrenaline. ¡°Okay. Okay.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep you safe, Little Bird.¡±

 Chapter 57

    BANE


    FUCK NO, this was not happening. I clutched the phone more tightly against my ear, willing the rage to stay at bay. It was a fucking losing battle. I could feel it curling around my mind, demanding I protect what was mine. It had happened that night I beat my father to within an inch of his life after he¡¯d hit my mom for the final time, and it was happening now too.


    ¡°Are you in there yet?¡± I barked, then cursed myself for yelling. Wren was worried. I heard it in her voice. I was so fucking d she called me instead of brushing off her suspicions even though I was sure it was a hit to her whole independent woman thing she showed the world. I stood so I could pace.


    There was a soft click, then when her voice came back over the line, it was quiet. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m in the bathroom.¡±


    ¡°Good. I¡¯m hanging up now and calling Andy. Stay there. Don¡¯t let anyone into your apartment until you hear his voice.¡± She said nothing, and I growled, ¡°Tell me you fucking understand, Wren.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°Good girl.¡± I hung up and dialed Andy.


    ¡°Mr. Rivera?¡±N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    ¡°I need you to go and collect Wren. Take her to my apartment. Keep the Glock in the glovebox with you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    I called Wren back. ¡°He¡¯s on his way now.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The call disconnected, and it was a fucking miracle I let go of the phone. Dropping it to the desk like it was on fucking fire, I shut my eyes and tried to draw in calming breaths. My rage was still darkness swirling inside of me, an insidious run of thoughts. Digging my fingers into the back of the leather chair, I bowed my head and counted to ten. When I finally reached that magical double-digit, I felt slightly more in control.


    Slightly.


    Sending Andy to Wren hadn¡¯t been my first choice. Dagger would¡¯ve been a much deadlier choice, but my Little Bird hadn¡¯t met him, didn¡¯t know him, and the thought of making her even more scared was a hell-fucking-no for me. Andy could hold his own, though. He was also ex-military, so he knew his way around a weapon and was adept at hand-to-handbat. As a bonus, he¡¯d been trained as a field medic.


    Not that Wren was hurt, I reminded myself.


    Releasing my fingers, I straightened, then swallowed the rest of my whisky. As I drained thest of the ss, there was a knock on my office door.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I snarled, mming the tumbler back down.


    I bit back the curse when I saw who it was. Detective Cox strolled in like she owned the damn ce. Her blonde hair was slicked back away from her face, held like a hostage on the back of her head in a bun. The ck pantsuit she was wearing was well-pressed, her white shirt underneath crisp.


    ¡°Fuck, what do you want?¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Nice to see you too, Bane.¡±


    I red at her. Fuck her. I didn¡¯t give a fuck if she was a cop. Now was not the time to fucking walk into my office, especially when I was ready tomit goddamn murder. ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this shit, Detective, so tell me what you want to say, then we can move this night right along.¡±


    Her lips pursed, but it did nothing to take away their appeal. She had a mouth made for fucking. ¡°You know I¡¯ve been keeping an eye on your club,¡± she began.


    ¡°If you wanted a job here, all you had to do was ask,¡± I baited. ¡°You¡¯d be a nice addition to my Dolls.¡± Her face contorted into a mask of disdain. ¡°You know, you shouldn¡¯t knock it until you try it. There¡¯s something rather thrilling about liberating a man of his hard-earned money.¡± I nced down at her finger-no wedding band. ¡°And a good-looking, single woman like you would fucking clean up down there,¡± I finished, gesturing to the club below.


    ¡°Unlucky for you, I¡¯m married to my job on the force.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you change your mind, I¡¯ll keep a spot open for you.¡±


    Cox folded her arms over her chest. ¡°I didn¡¯te here to discuss job opportunities.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Why did youe then?¡±


    A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, and I got the distinct impression I would not like what she was about to say. ¡°Did you know Hugo Ramirez was killed today? Shot in cold blood. Two in the chest. One in the head. When we searched his body, he had coke on him. His bedroom was full of coke too¡­ almost five pounds worth. He was only seventeen years old.¡±


    Keeping my face nk, I shrugged. ¡°What does this seventeen-year-old punk kid have to do with me?¡±


    She mmed her hands onto my desk. ¡°Because he was one of your dealers, Bane.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re talking about. I don¡¯t have any dealers unless you count my Dolls. They deal in sex, but it¡¯s one hundred percent legal as you¡¯re well aware.¡±


    Her expression darkened, her gray eyes turning to steel. ¡°You know, I hate men like you.¡± ¡°Men like me?¡±


    With a huff, she pushed away from my desk and turned to face the wall of ss. ¡°Men who exploit women for their gain. Men who think everyone should be on your payroll.¡± When she turned back to face me, utter hatred shed in her eyes. ¡°Men who break thew repeatedly but are so squeaky clean that shit won¡¯t stick.¡±


    My chest puffed up a little at that. ¡°You say the sweetest things.¡± It was so fucking hard to keep up this act. Learning of Hugo¡¯s demise was a fucking kick to the balls. I was down another dealer, and my hold on the drug trade in No Man¡¯s Land was fucking slipping away. But that was something to deal with once Cox was gone.


    ¡°One day you¡¯ll slip up, Rivera, and I¡¯ll be there when you do.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what helps you sleep at night, then, by all means, you think that, Detective Cox. But I have no idea why you keep bringing me news like this. I¡¯m just a businessman¡­ a businessman who pays his taxes, treats his employees fairly, and who goes to church on Sunday.¡±


    She sneered. ¡°I¡¯ll be in touch.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait. And if you do want to get out of thew enforcement game, my doors are wide open.¡±


    She left in a huff, and I copsed back into my chair. Swiping up my phone, I dialed Dagger. ¡°Boss?¡±


    ¡°Got eyes on Cox?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s making her way to the exit now, but she¡¯s giving out her business card to some of the


    Dolls.¡±


    That fucking cunt.


    ¡°My girls won¡¯t talk, but make sure she leaves the premises. She brought news of another one of my guys going down.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Hugo. Same MO from what I can tell.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s got nothing on us, boss,¡± he told me, making me grind my teeth.


    ¡°I fucking know that, but it doesn¡¯t help that our guys are showing up with one less heartbeat.¡± I ran a hand through my hair. ¡°Fuck!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re tight, boss,¡± Dagger repeated, and I hung the fuck up on him.


    Under normal circumstances, if Dagger were happy we were locked down tight, I would simply leave it, but this business with Wren was coaxing out the beast in me. Dialing Andy, I barked, ¡°Are you there yet?¡±

 Chapter 58

    ¡°Just walking inside the building now,¡± he replied. ¡°Is there anything I need to know?¡±


    ¡°She just said she thought someone had been in her apartment. The window in the living room has a broken lock. If they got in, that¡¯s how. Check it out, then knock twice on the bathroom door. I¡¯ll let her know that¡¯s her signal.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Hanging up, I dialed Wren again.


    ¡°Hello?¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Andy is almost there. He¡¯ll knock twice on the bathroom door. Let him in, then pack a bag because you¡¯re going to my ce.¡± ¡°Bane, I don¡¯t think-¡±


    ¡°Little Bird, honestly? I don¡¯t give a fuck what you think right now. You¡¯re not safe there, and until I can get you set up in a new, safer apartment, you will stay with me.¡±


    I braced myself for the bacsh, but Wren simply said tightly, ¡°We¡¯ll discuss thister. I¡¯ll go with Andy now, but I¡¯m not staying at one of your apartments.¡±


    Curling my hands into fists, I drew in a couple of deep breaths. ¡°If you didn¡¯t want my help, why the fuck did you call me?¡±


    ¡°You make me feel safe,¡± she replied without a whisper of doubt. ¡°Somehow, you¡¯ve broken past my years of shit-fight-thickened skin and breached my walls. I had no choice but to call you.¡± And didn¡¯t that make me feel like a fucking man? ¡°Go with Andy. I¡¯ll be home as soon as I can.¡± Hanging up the phone, I let out a deep breath and then got to work.     IT WAS a little after midnight when I finally got away from the club. Andy met me at the curb outside, the heat of the day still lingering in the air. ¡°How is she?¡±


    ¡°Pissed off, sir,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Did she give you any trouble?¡±


    He shook his head and opened the rear door. ¡°No, she came quietly, but I¡¯ve known women like her before. She¡¯s keeping all that rage pent up just for you.¡±This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°Don¡¯t I fucking know it,¡± I replied, unable to keep the smile from my face. Wren could be angry at me all she liked. That anger would make the sex fucking mind-blowing. I got into the car, and a few momentster, we were off.


    ¡°Did you see anything in the apartment that set the rm bells ringing?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Nothing that I could see, but I don¡¯t live there normally. You get a sense of when things are right or not in the ce where you sleep.¡± Such a military reply.


    ¡°Did she pack a lot?¡±


    ¡°Just one set of clothes and her toothbrush.¡±


    Which meant she wasn¡¯t intending to stay long. My smile intensified. I was so going to enjoy breaking her.


    By the time we arrived back at my building, I barely greeted the doorman as I strode to the bank of elevators. Punching in the passcode on the keypad, the elevator rose quickly to the penthouse level. Stepping out into my marble foyer, I looked around. The ce was dark except for the lights from the buildings around me seeping in through the wall of ss. Turning my head, I saw the faint glow of buttery yellow lighting out from under my closed bedroom door.


    I slipped out of my jacket, draping it on the couch as I passed. When I got to the door, I paused. Listening. ¡°Shit,¡± I muttered, pushing into the room and surprising Wren, who was curled up on my bed crying. She sat up, wiping the tears from her face.


    ¡°Bane.¡±


    Fuck, seeing her upset was like getting a fucking shard of ss pushed through my still-beating heart. I went over and wrapped myself around her. It hit me then that I¡¯d never felt this strongly about a woman before. Bianca was my blood, so she automatically received this kind of love from me, but


    Wren¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ve got you, Little Bird,¡± I said into her hair. ¡°I¡¯ve got you.¡±


    She sobbed a little harder, but all I could do was let her get these feelings out. I rubbed circles on her back, holding her tightly against me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why I called you,¡± she whispered against my neck. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I felt the need to have you rescue me.¡±


    I did. ¡°You trust me to keep you safe.¡±


    She reared away. ¡°Yes, but when the fuck have I called a man to rescue me?¡± Her cheeks were stained red, matching her puffy eyes. She saw her needing me as a weakness when, in fact, it was the bravest fucking thing she could¡¯ve done. I pulled her back into my arms, burying my face in her hair. ¡°You don¡¯t need me,¡± I crooned. ¡°You wanted me. There¡¯s a difference.¡±


    She froze in my arms. ¡°Fuck.¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°Come on, baby, there¡¯s nothing wrong with that. I like that you wanted me to make you feel safe. Do you know how much of a turn-on that is?¡±


    Shoving weakly against my chest to let her go, she sat back, running her sleeve under her nose.


    She had a frown on her face, one that I wanted to erase. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t want you toe to my rescue, either.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to fight through life on your own anymore, Wren.¡± I reached for her again, but she slid away and off the bed. I groaned when I saw she was wearing short shorts and a tight tank. ¡°I don¡¯t want toe to rely on you. What we have, it has an expiration date.¡±


    ¡°Not if you don¡¯t want it to.¡±


    ¡°Jesus, Bane, you¡¯re a fucking drug dealer.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± I shot back. ¡°What I do for money and the kind of man I am are not the same. Not even fucking close.¡±


    She spun around to face the window, staring out at the city. ¡°What happens when you walk away from me?¡±

 Chapter 59

    Jesus fuck, is that what this was about? I got off the bed and pressed myself against her back. cing my hands on the ss on either side of her body, I flexed my hips into her ass and bit down on her earlobe. She gasped, then moaned as I sucked the sting away. ¡°I could never walk away from you, Little Bird. Fuck our original two-week deal if that¡¯s what makes you feel better. I already told you Hawk was off the fucking hook whether you stayed with me or not.¡± I ground my aching cock into her ass, enjoying the way her eyes fluttered shut in the reflection. ¡°I¡¯m not letting you go, Wren. When will you get that through your beautiful, stubborn, sexy-as-fuck head of yours?¡±N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    She moaned, pressing back against me. Dropping one more kiss on her shoulder, I said, ¡°ce your hands on the ss in front of you and don¡¯t move.¡±


    She did as I asked, and to reward her, I skimmed my fingers along her arms, down her ribs, and onto her waist. She was wearing too many clothes as far as I could see, so I slid the thin fabric of her sleep shorts down her fucking amazing legs until they were pooled around her feet. When I met her gaze in the window, I smirked at the way her blue eyes were molten, at how the rise and fall of her chest were increasing with every passing moment.


    I divested her of her panties too, leaving them at her feet. Feathering my fingertips up her legs, I let them linger on her bare ass. She had an amazing ass. Leaning down, I kissed one cheek, then the other, making her gasp. Moving higher, I trailed my lips up her spine, licking and biting my way to the hem of her shirt. I pulled that off too, exposing her to me.


    I stepped away for a moment to just stare at the beautiful creature who was mine for however long she¡¯d have me. I¡¯d seen beautiful women before. Hell, I worked with them every day, but there was something tainted about my Dolls. I never noticed it until now, but seeing Wren standing submissively in my bedroom, waiting for me, I realized that I¡¯d been staring at incredibly bad imitations of beauty every damn day.


    My fingers flew down the front of my shirt, unbuttoning it and shrugging it off. The sound of my belt buckleing unsped sent a shiver of anticipation down Wren¡¯s spine.


    ¡°Do you want what only I can give you?¡± I asked, my voice dark and smoky with lust. She nodded meekly, her eyes on mine through the ss. I got rid of my dress cks and underwear, then walked back to her-close but not quite touching yet. I wanted her to feel the heating off me, to know I was nearby but she couldn¡¯t touch me yet.


    After making her wait for an agonizing minute, I cupped her cunt and nuzzled the side of her neck.


    ¡°Open a little wider for me, Little Bird.¡±


    Shuffling her feet out, she gave me the ess I needed, moaning when I swept my finger through her folds.


    ¡°Are you already wet for me?¡± I wondered, sliding a finger into her slick heat. With a groan, I leaned my head onto her shoulder. She was wet-so fucking wet. My dick ached with the knowledge. With my free hand, I gave it a few pumps to take the edge off, then concentrated on giving my Little Bird the pleasure she needed to rx.


    ¡°Bane,¡± she said in a breathy whisper. She didn¡¯t need to say anything more. Everything she needed was in that one desperate sound. I withdrew my fingers from her, bringing them to my mouth so I could suck off her taste. I watched her in the reflection, seeing the desire burning there.


    With my hand between her shoulder des, I urged her closer to the window until her breasts were pressed against the cool ss. The different sensations-my heat behind her and the cold, hard ss in front-would add anotheryer to her mind. Plus, the idea that people in the building beside mine could see us right now if they looked, made my cock even harder. Exhibitionism isn¡¯t something I get to dabble in all that often, given my high-profile status.


    Nibbling her lightly on the shoulder, I growled into her ear, ¡°I¡¯m going to fuck you now.¡±


    I waited until she nodded, then dropped onest kiss onto her shoulder. Gripping her by the hips, I tilted her ass toward me a little and mmed into her. I sucked back the hiss as I just stayed there a moment, enjoying the way her cunt wrapped around me, holding me in ce. Reaching around her, I flicked my fingertips over her clit a few times, making her head fall back onto my shoulder.


    Withdrawing from her body a little, I teased her and then drove back inside her. Her greedy cuntpressed around me, attempting to hold me in ce. Again and again, I teased her, dragging my cock through the sensitive bundle of nerves inside her that would make here so hard she would probably drag me down the orgasm rabbit hole with her. Her entire body seemed to quake as I hit that spot, working her into a frenzy. When her legs began to shake, I rubbed her clit, sending her over the edge with a long, drawn-out scream.


    Keeping us connected, I wrapped one arm around her waist, the other around her chest, and moved us to the floor.


    I kissed the base of her spine, dipping my tongue into the seam of her ass. She let out a little moan, and I knew I had to tap that soon.


    ¡°On your hands and knees, baby.¡±


    As she got into position, I anchored my hands on her hip bones and began the relentless pounding into her pussy that would make mee if I didn¡¯t control myself. Stamina was key sometimes, but tonight, I just wanted my Little Bird to rx, to give over her control, and let me take care of her anxiety and stress.


    ¡°I¡¯ming,¡± she whispered, right before her inner muscles mped down on my dick, catching me by surprise. My balls drew up, and I came inside her, marking her as mine. Fuck, even the idea that another man could have ess to her sweet cunt made me see red. I shoved the violent thoughts out of my head and withdrew from her body. Before she could move, I scooped her up and took her into the bathroom. Shower first, then I was going to fuck her again in thefort of my bed.

 Chapter 60

    WREN


    I WOKE up slowly to find myself wrapped in Bane. He had one arm over my chest and his leg over my thigh. I was too hot-ufortably so-but I let out a content sigh. I shouldn¡¯t get used to this. I shouldn¡¯t want to be here, but he made me feel safe, and that was something I¡¯d been chasing for most of my adolescent and adult life.


    After our showerst night, he put me to bed, then spent an hour going down on me. It was heaven and torture wrapped up in one. The man knew how to pleasure a woman, giving me multiple orgasms, ones that chased the one before it. By the time I begged him to stop, he surged up my body, his thick cock sliding between my folds and into my pussy. He¡¯d taken it slow that time. When he ate me out, he seemed to be taking his time, making sure I was enjoying every moment of it.


    Even though it was foolish, I think Bane made love to mest night. When we came, we came together, and afterward, he¡¯d cleaned me up, then curled around my body and went to sleep. I looked over at his face, smiling at how peaceful he was. I didn¡¯t know much about his businesses, but they must be stressful. I wondered how often he slept-slept that restful, regenerative sleep people need to keep functioning.


    Beside me on the side table, my phone began to vibrate. Reaching out, I picked it up and saw I had a call from Hawk. Shit, I hadn¡¯t even told him about the bookie or Bane and my agreement with him to wipe the debts. Well, now was as good a time as any.


    Sliding from the bed, I got a little resistance from Bane, but after I patted his hand, he released me. Scooping up his shirt, I slid into it, then I walked out into the living room.


    ¡°Hawk?¡±


    ¡°Wren!¡± he said happily. ¡°How are you, big sister?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m great.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? That¡¯s amazing. Everything is amazing.¡±


    Pulling the phone from my ear, I stared at the screen. This was my brother, right? ¡°What¡¯s so amazing on your end?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I got the money!¡± He announced it proudly like this was the first time he¡¯d managed to solve one of his problems on his own. Honestly, I think it may have been. ¡°I¡¯m going to take it to Bane today.¡±


    My stomach dropped. ¡°Where did you get the money from?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about where I got it from, Wren. You should just be happy that I got it.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    No, no, no. My legs gave out, and I crumpled onto the couch. If Hawk did something stupid again, I was going to kill him my fucking self. ¡°Hawk, where the fuck did you get the money from?¡±


    ¡°What does it matter?¡±


    I ced a hand on my roiling stomach. ¡°It matters because I already figured out how to get you off the hook.¡±


    There was a heavy silence, then, ¡°You did?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s only just happened, and I¡¯ve been meaning to tell you-¡±


    ¡°Does Bane have it now? The money? Everything I owe him?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± His question was small, all trace of bravado now gone.


    Sucking in a breath, I curled my legs beneath me, touching the soft leather of the couch. ¡°I made a deal with him.¡±


    ¡°You did what?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re hardly in a position to be outraged, Hawk,¡± I snapped at him. His reaction to the solution was not what I was expecting. I thought he¡¯d be happy that I¡¯d found a way out just like all those times before. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s done. The debt is gone, and you owe me a lot more fucking gratitude than you¡¯re showing.¡±


    ¡°Fuck, fuck, fuck!¡± he muttered. ¡°Jesus fucking Christ.¡±


    ¡°Hawk?¡± Jesus, I felt sick. ¡°Hawk, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± He hung up, and I pulled the phone from my ear. What in the actual fuck was that about?


    ¡°Was that your brother?¡± Bane asked behind me.


    I turned to see him standing a few feet away dressed in a pair of gray sweats that showed off the deep V between his hip bones. Fuck, that was sexy. Or maybe because it was Bane. I didn¡¯t know. When I finally looked back at his face, his gaze was heated.


    ¡°If you keep looking at me like that, I¡¯m going to take you on the couch and in the kitchen and every other room in my apartment.¡± He readjusted his cock, drawing my eyes there. What was wrong with me? I never got this wrapped up in men. Keeping my distance was the only way I knew how to navigate rtionships, but Bane was resetting all of my methods.


    ncing away, I felt the blush heat my cheeks. Suddenly, Bane was there. He pushed my thighs apart, inserting his big body between them. Framing my face in his hands, he kissed more slowly, and thoroughly, and I tasted his toothpaste.


    ¡°Who was on the phone?¡±


    ¡°Hawk,¡± I replied. ¡°He says he has the money for you.¡±


    Bane frowned. ¡°The debt is gone.¡±


    ¡°I know. I don¡¯t know where he got the cash from, but knowing him, it¡¯s probably not from a legal source.¡±


    ¡°He has to give it back, then.¡±


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t tell me where he got it from.¡±


    Bane¡¯s brows drew down over his dark eyes, menace lurking in their depths. ¡°I¡¯ll find out where.¡± He stood and walked away, leaving me with an ache in my stomach that had nothing to do with being hungry. I stayed on the couch and overheard the rumble of Bane¡¯s voice as he spoke to whoever was on the other end of the phone. Honestly, I¡¯d kind of numbed out. Not knowing where Hawk sourced the money was a gnawing ache in my head. I just hoped he hadn¡¯t done something stupid to get it.


    When Bane returned, he smiled at me, trying to put me at ease. ¡°I¡¯ve got someone looking into it right now.¡±


    ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll find anything?¡±

 Chapter 61

    Holding out his hands to me, he lifted me from the couch and took me into the kitchen, cing me on the edge of the counter. The marble was cold under my bare ass, but Bane¡¯s mouth soon warmed me. His kiss was all-consuming, and I clung to his shoulders, unsure where this wasing from. If he was trying to distract me, he was doing an amazing job of it.


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± he asked when he finally pulled away.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied breathlessly, looking down to his hips.


    He growled and kissed me again, sliding his tongue into my mouth as his hard cock flexed against my pussy. ¡°Food first, then you can have this,¡± he told me, biting my bottom lip and then sucking it into his mouth.


    ¡°Are you going to cook?¡±


    ¡°No, I have a housekeeper. Shees in at seven to make breakfast.¡±


    Seven? It was almost¡­


    ¡­ I heard the elevator ding and someone walked in.


    ¡°Good morning, Mr. Rivera,¡± a woman said. I turned to look over my shoulder, then jumped off the counter, tugging down the hem of Bane¡¯s shirt. It hit me mid-thigh, but all of a sudden, it didn¡¯t seem long enough. The older woman standing before me looked like a grandmother. ¡°And good morning to your guest as well,¡± she added with a warm smile.


    ¡°Mrs. Bellinger, this is Wren Montana. You¡¯ll probably be seeing a little bit of her around here.¡±


    Mrs. Bellinger¡¯s smile widened. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯ve found a nice woman, Mr. Rivera. My husband always used to say that behind every good man is a better woman.¡± She held out her hand to me. ¡°It¡¯s lovely to meet you, Ms. Montana.¡±


    ¡°Please, call me Wren,¡± I muttered, flushing a little. ¡°Ah, if you could excuse me, I¡¯ll just go and throw on some clothes.¡±


    Bane¡¯s eyes danced withughter. ¡°What would you like for breakfast?¡±


    ¡°Anything,¡± I replied, dashing back into the bedroom. I searched my bag for some clothes, then thought better of it. I had a quick shower, got dressed, and padded back through to the kitchen. Bane was sitting at the ind scrolling through his iPad while Mrs. Bellinger manned the cooktop. Whatever she was making smelled divine.


    ¡°Coffee?¡± Bane asked. ¡°Please.¡±


    He stood and walked around the ind, leaving me with a very good view of his muscr back and fine ass as he went. As I watched him, I realized he was showing me another part of him, another facet of his life. There was a domesticated, rxed Bane, and I found that I liked him like this. Here, dressed in sweats, he was trulyfortable. That¡¯s not to say that when he was with his sister he wasn¡¯tfortable, but this was different.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± he asked when he caught me staring.


    ¡°You,¡± I replied with a shrug. ¡°You surprise me is all.¡±


    He walked back with my coffee. ¡°In a good way, I hope.¡± He dropped a kiss to my lips, then sat back down beside me.


    I took a sip of coffee and let out a little sigh. I almost didn¡¯t want to return to my shitty little box of an apartment, but I knew I had to. Independence and all that.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    I inhaled deeply, my mouth watering at the smell of the bacon and eggs Mrs. Bellinger was cooking. ¡°I was thinking about how much it¡¯s going to suck going back to my apartment.¡±


    ¡°So stay here.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t just stay here, Bane. We¡¯ve been over this.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t want to get rid of you, Wren. Jesus, do you know how amazing it was to know you were in my bedst night, that I was going to wake up beside you?¡±


    ¡°I get that, Bane, but how do you know you¡¯ll still want me? What happens when the gloss wears off, and you¡¯re left with a thirty-two-year-old woman with only twelve dors in her bank ount and a failing dog grooming business?¡±


    He was silent for a moment, and I nervously took a shallow sip of my coffee while I waited. ¡°Little Bird, I don¡¯t know how else to tell you this, so I¡¯m just going to say it, okay?¡± I nodded, suddenly unsure.


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a fuck about any of that. It¡¯s you I want, and if that means I get a thirty-two-year-old woman with twelve dors in her bank ount and a failing dog- -grooming business, then that¡¯s what I get. I want you. All of you.¡±


    Mrs. Bellinger cleared her throat like she¡¯s got something caught in there but didn¡¯t turn around.


    A few minutester, she ced two tes in front of us. ¡°I¡¯ll clean the bedroom while you two eat,¡± she told us, disappearing from the kitchen.


    ¡°She¡¯s very discreet.¡± I took a bite of my eggs and bit back the groan. They were amazing.


    ¡°She is.¡±


    ¡°How long has she worked for you?¡±


    He wiped his mouth with a napkin Mrs. Bellinger had ced down on the counter and took a sip of his coffee. ¡°A few years now.¡±


    We finished our breakfast quietly, simply enjoying each other¡¯spany.


    ¡°What time will you open the shop?¡±


    I nced at the clock hanging on the wall. ¡°About eight-thirty, I think.¡±


    ¡°So, we have about an hour before you have to leave.¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡± I narrowed my eyes at him. ¡°Why?¡±


    Pushing away my te, he scooped me up and kissed me hard. He tasted like bacon and coffee, and I pushed my tongue farther into his mouth. Wrapping my legs around his waist, I groaned when his erection hit my pussy. I rubbed myself against him, earning a p on my ass.


    ¡°Wait,¡± he chided.


    ¡°I find it hard to wait with you, Bane,¡± I admitted. Where were we going, anyway?


    He walked us into the bathroom, and I got a glimpse of a smiling Mrs. Bellinger as Bane shut the door.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already had a shower,¡± I told him when he started the water.


    ¡°Not with me, you haven¡¯t. Besides, I n on tasting your cunt again before you leave.¡± Pulling the sweat down his legs, I appreciated the view of his bobbing cock for a moment. Before he could tell me to get naked, I dropped to my knees in front of him. Wrapping my hands around his cock, I leaned forward, but he pulled away with a hiss.


    I looked up at him with a frown.


    ¡°No,¡± was all he said.


    ¡°No?¡±


    Pulling me up, he held me close. ¡°You¡¯re never to be on your knees for me, Wren. Never. It¡¯s me who has to worship at your feet.¡±


    A thrill went through me at his words, but still, I asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I never want you on your knees in front of me.¡±


    When I simply stared at him, he drifted his fingers down to the hem of my shirt and inched it up my torso. Pulling the fabric up over my head, he teased my puckered nipples through my bra with his mouth before sliding my shorts and panties down my legs. His knuckle rubbed gently over my pussy, making me rock into the touch.


    He kissed me until I was breathless, then pulled away to start the shower. I watched him through heavy-lidded eyes, my gaze skating down to his hips, to his cock twitching like a barely contained wild animal. Sinking my teeth into my bottom lip, I started to touch myself.


    ¡°Jesus!¡± he barked, palming his length and giving it a few pumps. Stalking toward me, he lifted and ced me in the shower, backing me against the wall. Strong fingers gripped my thigh, urging me to lift and wrap it around his waist. His fingers found my pussy, gliding through the arousal that was already there.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to make you scream yourself hoarse, Little Bird.¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

 Chapter 62

    BANE


    SITTING at my desk a few hourster, I thought back on my morning. Waking up with Wren was a fucking dream. Making here multiple times in the shower was even better. Even now, just thinking about her convulsing around my fingers buried deep in her cunt made my dick stir.


    Any thoughts of getting some manual relief were destroyed when Dagger stepped into the office.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got those three girls for you,¡± he said. I blinked because I couldn¡¯t recall telling him to get me more women. ¡°To rece Syndy?¡± he prompted.


    Fuck. That¡¯s right. ¡°Send the first one in.¡±


    Readjusting my dick, I settled my forearms against the desk and waited for the woman to enter. Thest time I¡¯d hired new Dolls, I¡¯d made sure to take them all for a test drive. They¡¯d all offered their services, and who was I to say no to such a generous offer? Today was going to be different, though. I¡¯d told Wren I wouldn¡¯t even get my dick wet with other women, and to be honest, I didn¡¯t want to. Ever since meeting her, my dick has hardly gotten hard without a thought about her first.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    I took a sip of my whisky when the first potential Doll walked in. She was teetering on pleasers with a transparent heel and tform, her short skirt shing her bare cunt at me. Her breasts were contained within a shirt that left absolutely nothing to the imagination.


    ¡°Hi, Mr. Rivera. I¡¯m Alyse,¡± she said, holding out her hand to me. After we shook, I motioned for her to take a seat. She took a long fucking time crossing her legs, giving me another look at that pussy of hers.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you start by telling me something about yourself?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m twenty-one and currently working as a waitress.¡±


    ¡°Why did you apply to work here?¡±


    She smoothed her hands down her thighs and re-crossed her fucking legs. ¡°The tips are better. Plus, my cousin used to work here, and she told me how good it was.¡±


    ¡°Who was your cousin?¡±


    ¡°Be Andre?¡± she said, making it a question. Well, if she didn¡¯t fucking know who her cousin was, we were in fucking trouble.


    I did remember Be. She yed the naughty schoolgirl most of the time. ¡°Can you dance?¡±


    ¡°Be taught me some moves,¡± she replied, jumping up. ¡°I can give you ap dance if you like?¡±


    ¡°Sit down, sweetheart,¡± I drawled. ¡°I don¡¯t need a demonstration.¡±


    This deration got me a fucking confused look. I guessed my reputation preceded me. ¡°Do you have a husband or boyfriend?¡± ¡°No,¡± she replied with a smile.


    ¡°Kids?¡±


    She nodded, her bottle-blonde hair sliding off her shoulders. ¡°I have a son.¡± ¡°How old is he?¡± ¡°Three.¡±


    Kidsplicated things, but it was a workable situation. ¡°Where is he now?¡±


    ¡°With my mother.¡±


    Swallowing thest of my drink, I ced the ss down and twisted it around on the blotter.


    ¡°Does she know this is where you are?¡±


    ¡°She knows I¡¯ve gone for a job interview, but she doesn¡¯t know where.¡± ¡°Are you ashamed or something?¡± I shot back.


    ¡°What? No. I just¡­ she wouldn¡¯t understand, you know?¡±


    I nodded and sat back in my chair. She was a pretty girl. A little too much on the skinny side, but she would make men give up their cash.


    ¡°Do you have a drug habit?¡±


    My question caught her off guard, and she stiffened. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t fucking lie to me, Alyse.¡±


    Her shoulders slumped. ¡°I smoke weed sometimes.¡±


    ¡°And have you ever dabbled in anything harder than that?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I gave her a weighted look and waited. And just like a fucking ticking clock inside her head, she snaps. ¡°Okay, look¡­ I may have dropped some Molly a couple of times, too.¡±


    ¡°You use it just recreationally?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Only when I party.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a strict no drugs policy here on the premises. Would that be an issue for you?¡± ¡°No, Mr. Rivera.¡±


    ¡°All employees must submit to random drug tests.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± she replied quickly.


    I studied her for a moment more, then dismissed her with a hand. ¡°Thank you. Someone will be in touch to let you know if you¡¯ve been sessful. Send in the next girl on your way out.¡±


    Alyse stood and sashayed from my office. When the next one walked in, I went through the whole spiel again. This time I was offered a blowjob, which I declined. The only lips I wanted to be wrapped around my cock were Wren¡¯s-she just wouldn¡¯t be on her knees when that happened.


    By the time the third girl left, I¡¯d had enough.


    Enough of the bullshit these women thought I wanted to hear.


    Enough lies about whether they were using or not.


    Dagger walked in a few minutes after thest girl left, a ss of whisky in his hand. ¡°Thought you could use this,¡± he said gruffly, handing the drink over.


    ¡°How many blowjobs did you get?¡± I asked over the rim of my ss as I took a sip.


    ¡°Two and a hand job.¡±


    I made a face. ¡°Who offered the hand job?¡±


    ¡°The first woman.¡±


    I snorted. ¡°She wasn¡¯t a contender, anyway. I¡¯ll take thest woman, Veronica. She seems pretty intelligent.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Dagger said, folding his meaty arms and folding them across his chest. ¡°I hate to be the bearer of bad news-¡±


    I held up my hand for him to stop. ¡°Then don¡¯t be. For fuck¡¯s sake, don¡¯t be.¡±


    ¡°Cox will be here in ten.¡±


    Fuck! ¡°What does she want this time?¡± I demanded, tipping the rest of my drink down my throat.


    Fuck, I was so fucking over this bitch looking for things that weren¡¯t there.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t say. What should I do when she gets here?¡±


    Putting a bullet between her eyes wasn¡¯t an option, but I could make her ufortable as fuck.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the meeting in the voyeurs¡¯ room.¡±


    Dagger nodded and disappeared through the door. Standing, I stretched out my back, grabbed my suit jacket off the back of my chair, and walked down into the club. I had half a dozen Dolls dancing on the poles around the club, and I scanned the area for one in particr.


    Kym was perched on thep of a man who owned a Fortune 500pany, dragging her false nails down his chest. When I loomed above her, her green eyes flickered to my face.


    ¡°Kym, why don¡¯t you show Mr. Franklin here how much you like putting on a show.¡±


    Mr. Franklin looked up at me. ¡°I only came for somepany, Mr. Rivera.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Mr. Franklin, but Kym here knows just what to do to make that loneliness drift away.¡±


    Kym took his hand and led him over to one of the rooms at the back of the club. When they disappeared through the first door, I walked over to the wall and clicked a button, parting a curtain from the inside of the room. Kym had Mr. Franklin on the couch in the center of the room, his pants already down near his ankles. She was bnced between his legs, his semi-hard cock in her hand.


    Taking a seat on the bench in front of the window, I watched Kym work her magic and waited for Cox.


    ¡°Need somepany, boss?¡± a woman asked. I turned to find Jessika there. She was a stunning woman, covered in colorful tattoos along both arms and her thighs too.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go and help Kym out?¡± I suggested, gesturing to the voyeur room. Jess sauntered off with her hips kicking out from side to side. She entered the room and shot me a wink.


    ¡°Mr. Rivera,¡± I heard Cox say as she approached.


    Turning to face her, I smiled at her. ¡°I¡¯d say it¡¯s a pleasure, but I¡¯d be lying.¡±


    That was when she noticed where I was sitting. Spinning around to face me, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s go and talk somewhere more private.¡±


    ¡°If you want to talk to me, Cox, you¡¯ll have to talk to me here while I watch my Dolls fuck a man¡¯s brains out.¡±


    Her mouth puckered, but she took a seat beside me. I kept my eyes on the window but noticed her eyes kept flickering to the scene. ¡°You can watch them. That¡¯s what they want.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pornography.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better than pornography,¡± I shot back, widening my legs a little more. ¡°It involves all the senses¡­ sight, smell, taste. Just take a look. You might find you enjoy it.¡± You uptight cunt.


    She cleared her throat, her gaze darting to Kym who was eating out Jessika while Mr. Franklin fucked her from behind. I watched the color rise in Cox¡¯s cheeks, the flush breaking out over her cheekbones. She was turned on by this. Was it the dynamic, or was it because of the girl-on-girl action? I wouldn¡¯t have fucking pegged her for a pussy diver.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re doing,¡± she murmured, her eyes still on the scene. ¡°You think this will make me go away and not ask the questions I need to ask.¡±


    ¡°Is that why I¡¯m doing it?¡± I asked innocently. ¡°Maybe I just like watching people fuck.¡±


    She cringed and looked at me. ¡°Your words and actions won¡¯t deter me.¡±


    I shrugged. You can¡¯t please everyone. ¡°What do you want, then?¡±


    ¡°We have a witness.¡±


    ¡°Good for you.¡±


    ¡°A witness who can ce your man, Tony, speaking to Hugo Ramirez.¡±


    ¡°He prefers the name Dagger.¡± I nced at her, feeling the menace leaking from me. I wasn¡¯t going to be shutting it down this time. ¡°And you¡¯re full of shit.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s willing to testify in court to it. Once they nail Dagger¡­¡± she sneered, ¡°¡­ it¡¯s only a matter of time before your ass is nailed to the wall right alongside his.¡±


    If she thought Dagger would roll over on me, she had another fucking thinging. ¡°You have a very active imagination.¡±


    Her top lip pulled back from her teeth. ¡°Give it time, Rivera. I will have your ass in jail, then I¡¯ll tear down this house of sin.¡±


    I faced her, letting the mask slip a little more. The monster who lurked there took stock of her. ¡°Listen here, you fucking zealous little cunt, it¡¯ll be a cold fucking day in hell when that happens. I can guarantee it will never happen, so stop fucking sniffing around here like the bitch you are d go solve these murders. And here¡¯s a hot fucking tip¡­ I have nothing to do with them. Why would I need to kill drug dealers?¡±


    I sat back, my hands curling into fists on the tops of my thighs. My blood was fucking boiling in my veins.


    Cox stood, took onest look at the threesome, then walked away. Before she disappeared from view, she said, ¡°Rivera?¡± ¡°What?¡± I barked.


    ¡°Your time wille.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you.¡±

 Chapter 63

    WREN


    I LOCKED up the shop and let out a breath. Today had been hectic, but not as hectic as my thoughts had been. After leaving Bane¡¯s apartment this morning, I¡¯d returned to my ce to collect a shirt I¡¯d forgotten to pack with Andy as an escort. He¡¯d checked things out for me, reassuring me the ce was as secure as it ever was.


    ¡°Ms. Montana.¡±


    I looked around when I heard my name. I nced at the car pulling up at the curb.


    ¡°Andy,¡± I said with a smile.


    ¡°Mr. Rivera wanted me to take you home and check things out for you.¡± Opening the rear door of the town car, he invited me to get in.


    I hesitated, looking down at my fur-covered shirt. ¡°I¡¯m going to get hair everywhere.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have the interior cleaned after I drop you off.¡±


    With a bob of my head, I slid onto the leather seats and let out a groan of relief-I¡¯d been on my feet all day. The ride back to mine was very short, and I would¡¯ve argued that fact if it weren¡¯t for Bane¡¯s words to me before I left him after our shower.


    Andy pulled up to the curb and opened the door for me. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, staring up at the building.


    ¡°Are you ready, Ms. Montana?¡±


    I nodded, and we walked inside. I kept my eyes moving, my senses on high alert. I was still jumpy afterst time, but having Andy here helped. I¡¯d even taken my gun with me to work today, something which I¡¯d never done before. I¡¯d found the dogs were unsettled if they could scent the oil and gunpowder.


    Andy opened my apartment door, motioning me to stay behind while he did the sweep. A few momentster, he was back. ¡°All clear, Ms. Montana.¡±


    ¡°Please, call me Wren.¡±


    ¡°Wren,¡± he corrected. ¡°Mr. Rivera has asked that I stay outside on watch tonight. This is my number.¡± He handed me a card. ¡°Call me if you need me.¡±


    He strode away, his steps confident andmanding, and I retreated into my apartment. Walking around, I made sure all the windows were locked, finding that the broken catch had been repaired, then triple-checked the front door locks. Once I was confident nobody was getting in without my knowing about it, I stripped out of my shirt and leggings, kicking my panties off and dumping my bra on top as I walked into the bathroom to start the shower. I shut the door behind me, not willing to let all that amazing steam disappear.


    When the water was hot, I stepped inside and let out a groan of relief. Taking my time, I washed my hair, putting in a treatment while I shaved my legs. After I washed everything out, I stood under the spray for what must have been fifteen minutes, letting the spray pound at the muscles of my shoulders and neck.


    When I stepped from the shower stall, I wrapped one towel around my head and the other around my body. I took a minute to look at myself in the mirror. For the first time in what felt like forever, I looked moderately well-rested.


    I reached for the handle of the door but recoiled when a warning shed in my brain. Looking down, I tried to figure out why my hand was red and beginning to blister. I looked back to the door and then noticed the smoke creeping in underneath the bottom of it. Snatching the hand towel from the side of the basin, I turned the knob on the bathroom door¡­


    ¡°Fuck!¡±


    My apartment was on fire. Not just a small little kitchen fire but zing. The heat and smoke assaulted my senses right away, and I recoiled as I turned away from the living room, slowly catching on fire. Smoke and mes filled the hallway down to my bedroom and the kitchen. The only part of my apartment that wasn¡¯t fully aze was the living room.


    Ducking back into the bathroom, I grabbed the extra towel hanging on the back of the door and soaked it, along with the other one around my body, in the shower. Once it was dripping wet, I wrapped one around my chest and the other over my shoulders.


    The heavy terry cloth felt suffocating, but it would save my life. Stepping back out into the hall, I shielded my face from the ferocious mes that had grown in the time I was wetting the towels, the glowing red beast feeding off all my shitty old furniture, consuming it and looking for more. I took one step toward the living room, the floor beneath me creaking with the weight. Panicked, I looked down. How long had the fire been burning? And what about the rest of the people in my building?


    Looking up, I focused on where I wanted to be. I needed to get over to the living room window so I could get down the fire escape. Coughing, I drew the towel over my nose and began to run. I was halfway through the room when I tripped and fell, hitting my head on the edge of the coffee table. The smell of blood flooded my nose, warring with the smell of smoke. Around me, the air seemed to crackle, the bones of the building groaning around me as the mes consumed it. Racked with coughs, I got onto my hands and knees, clutching at the towel over my shoulders as I crawled toward the window, but no matter how much I moved, I hardly seemed to advance.


    Copsing onto the floor, I peered up at the window, almost tasting the fresh air. There was a slow groan and then a crack.


    And then the darkness took me.


    I WOKE to the sound of beeping-an incessant beeping that seems to be in time with my heart. The violent cough that forced its way out of my body took me by surprise. It led to a fit of coughs that made my already sore throat raw.


    ¡°Drink this,¡± a man said gently, shoving a straw near my mouth. I gulped down the cool water I was offered, my eyes finally focusing on the hand holding the bottle. Bane studied me with heart-crushing concern, the seriousness on his face making my already strained heart thump faster. When I finally had my fill of water, I let go of the straw and sat back in the bed-the hospital bed.


    He ced the bottle back down onto a table, then dragged his seat even closer to the side of the bed.


    ¡°Bane.¡±


    He stood, wrapping his arms around me. I clutched his arm around my chest, the tears streaming down my face taking me by surprise.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked.


    He pulled away, his eyes darkening with rage. ¡°Someone set fire to your apartment.¡±


    I remembered the mes. I remembered the smoke. Even now, I could still smell it. ¡°Why?¡± I croaked.


    His hands curled into fists. ¡°I have no idea, but I will goddamn find out why,¡± he vowed.


    A knock on the door drew my attention. ¡°Ms. Montana, I¡¯m d to see you¡¯re awake,¡± a woman with blonde hair pulled back into a severe bun said as she walked into my room. Her gaze darted to Bane for a moment before returning to my face. ¡°My name¡¯s Detective Cox. I¡¯m investigating the fire at your apartment.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing here?¡± Bane snarled at the detective. I looked between the pair, seeing the antagonism simmering there. ¡°Bane, do you know her?¡±


    He turned his eyes back to me, the anger bleeding out. ¡°We¡¯ve met before, yes, Little Bird. Although I have no idea why she¡¯s here now,¡± he ground out.


    ¡°Like I said, I¡¯m investigating the fire.¡± Detective Cox dragged the other chair that was against the wall over to the side of the bed and settled into it. ¡°I have some questions for you, Ms. Montana.¡±


    ¡°Call me Wren,¡± I mumbled. ¡°Do you think someone set that fire on purpose?¡± I¡¯m sure of it,¡± she replied, holding out her phone to me. She scrolled through about half a dozen pictures of the burnt remains of my ce. ¡°See how there are scorch marks here and here?¡± She pointed at something in the photograph, but I couldn¡¯t see it. ¡°This indicates an elerant was used¡­ most likely gasoline. That¡¯s why it burned as fiercely as it did. That, plus that building wasn¡¯t to code, so it had no fire protection or prevention methods in ce.¡±


    She switched off her phone and ced it back on herp, looking at me like I was a naughty child who had to confess to something that had happened.


    ¡°Do you have any enemies, Ms. Montana?¡±


    Enemies? I looked at Bane, but his eyes were firmly fixed on Cox. ¡°No. No enemies.¡± ¡°Nobody at work who¡¯s threatened you?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m self-employed.¡±


    ¡°Where do you work?¡±


    ¡°Bubbly Paws.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°That grooming ce on Trade Street?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Your brother, Ms. Montana, has he pissed anyone off recently?¡±


    I resisted looking at Bane. ¡°There was a bookie,¡± I replied. ¡°But I don¡¯t know the particrs.


    You¡¯d have to speak to him.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll just do that,¡± she murmured, looking at Bane. I nced between them, wondering what was going on. He had a death grip on my hand now, and I flexed my fingers to let him know he was holding me too tightly.


    Cox¡¯s shrewd gray eyes darted down to our joined hands. ¡°And what¡¯s your rtionship to Mr.


    Rivera?¡±


    ¡°None of your goddamn business,¡± Bane snarled while standing. ¡°Get out of here, Cox. Wren is off-limits for you.¡±


    The detective got up from her chair smoothly and smiled at him. ¡°You don¡¯t get to tell me how to do my job, Mr. Rivera.¡± She looked back at me. ¡°We¡¯ll be in touch, Ms. Montana.¡±


    As soon as she left, Bane barked, ¡°Cunt!¡±


    ¡°Bane, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    He ran a hand through his hair and then over his stubbled jaw. ¡°Nothing, baby.¡±


    Anger at being dismissed surged. ¡°Fuck you, Bane, it¡¯s not nothing. Something¡¯s going on between you two.¡±


    ¡°Wren, leave it alone,¡± he warned.


    ¡°No, Bane, I won¡¯t leave it alone. Are you fucking her, too? Is that why she¡¯s pissed off with you?¡±


    His mouth popped open in surprise. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Are you fucking her? After you told me you wouldn¡¯t look at other women while I was in your bed?¡±


    ¡°No, baby.¡±


    ¡°Then what the fuck was that about?¡±


    He began to pace, then turned to me and blew out a breath. ¡°She¡¯s beening to the club. She thinks she¡¯s got evidence she can pin on me regarding dealers getting hit.¡±


    My heart thumped at his words. ¡°Does she?¡±


    ¡°Fuck, no, she doesn¡¯t. She¡¯s just fishing to see what we¡¯ll give her.¡±


    I looked down at my ash-covered hands folded in myp. ¡°Did the fire have something to do with you?¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡°What?¡± he hissed.

 Chapter 64

    I cocked my head to the side, studying him. He looked sick at the thought that perhaps he could¡¯ve been responsible. ¡°Do you think the fire is somehow connected?¡±


    Taking threerge strides, he was by my side again. Taking my hand in his, he brushed his lips against my knuckles. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. My business hasn¡¯t crossed over into my personal life.¡± Even as he said the words, I could see there was doubt there. He wasn¡¯t sure about that.


    ¡°And if it has?¡±


    ¡°Fuck, I don¡¯t know, Wren. What if it has?¡±


    ¡°It would mean that you¡¯ve brought a shit-ton of attention to me.¡±


    He spread his arms out wide. ¡°This is my life. This is the shit that happens to me.¡±


    I was starting to see that. What else was Bane keeping from me? ¡°What else is happening with you and the club?¡±


    My question caught him off guard because he just blinked at me. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°What else is happening? Dealers are getting killed. What else?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± he replied. ¡°Cox is fucking breathing down my neck about these hits, and I have no exnation for them. I don¡¯t know who¡¯s taking my guys out. I just know I¡¯ve been left with a huge hole in my operation.¡± He turned his head to look at me. ¡°Do you think the fire could have something to do with Hawk?¡±


    I recoiled, physically jerking away even though it hurt. ¡°Why would it have anything to do with him?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m just specting here.¡±


    I thought about his question, ready to deny it, but then I remembered what Hawk had told me, that he¡¯d gotten the money for Bane but hadn¡¯t told me where he¡¯d gotten it from. Could this have something to do with him? ¡°Hawk had more money to pay you back. When I told him I¡¯d settled the debt, he seemed upset. Like really upset. I didn¡¯t know why he¡¯d reacted that way, but maybe¡­¡±


    ¡°You need to speak to him.¡±


    Numb. I felt so numb. I looked around for my phone, then remembered I must¡¯ve lost it in the fire. ¡°Here.¡± Bane handed me his phone, and I dialed Hawk¡¯s number.


    ¡°Bane,¡± he answered half a dozen rings in.


    ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± I replied, coughing a little to clear my ravaged throat.


    ¡°Wren? Why do you have Bane¡¯s phone?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter why I have his phone. I need to know something, and you¡¯re going to tell me.¡± When he remained quiet, I inhaled deeply and let it out. ¡°Where did you get that money? The money you were going to pay Bane back with?¡±


    ¡°Fuck, I can¡¯t say.¡±


    ¡°You can say, Hawk, because my apartment was set on fire, and I¡¯m in the hospital, so if it has something to do with that, then you better tell me or so help me God, I will y the skin from your body.¡±


    ¡°Jesus, fuck, Wren. Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still breathing. I haven¡¯t seen the doctor yet, though. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll have some more information for me.¡±


    ¡°When did this happen?¡±


    I looked at the clock hanging on the wall opposite my bed. ¡°Maybe around sixst night?¡± ¡°Oh shit, shit, shit,¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°What have you done, Hawk? Tell me you haven¡¯t done anything stupid.¡±


    ¡°What hospital are you in? I¡¯lle to you.¡±


    Putting my hand over the mouthpiece, I asked, ¡°Which hospital am I in?¡±


    ¡°Cedars-Sinai.¡±


    I ryed the information to my brother, hung up, and passed the phone back to Bane.


    ¡°What did he say?¡±


    ¡°He was shocked. He¡¯sing down here, although whether or not we¡¯ll get any information out of him is a different story.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Montana, is now a good time?¡±


    I looked up to see who¡¯d spoken. A young man was standing in the doorway. ¡°Ah, sure.¡±


    With a confident nod, he strolled in. ¡°Ms. Montana, my name¡¯s Doctor Watts. I treated you in the ER.¡±


    ¡°Oh, hello.¡±


    ¡°Do you remember what happened to youst night?¡±


    I flexed my hands into weak fists, the motion pulling at the skin under the bandages on my forearms. ¡°I¡¯d taken a shower, and when I went to leave the bathroom, the door handle was red-hot. I managed to get out and saw that my building was on fire. I soaked some towels to wrap around myself, so I could try and escape.¡± I sucked in a breath and looked at Bane, but his eyes were on the floor, and the muscle in his jaw was jumping with barely contained rage.


    ¡°The only ce that wasn¡¯tpletely engulfed was the living room, so I went in that direction.


    I¡­¡± I touched the side of my head where a throbbing suddenly made itself known.


    ¡°You fell and hit your head?¡± Doctor Watts provided gently.


    I squeezed my eyes shut. ¡°The path was clear. I couldn¡¯t have tripped.¡±


    ¡°Being in a fire is scary stuff. There¡¯s a lot of smoke, and the heat ys tricks on your mind.¡± ¡°I must¡¯ve cked out when I fell.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°There are some minor burns to your forearms where the towel slipped off, but for the most part, your body was protected by the wet material. You have a bump on your head, too, which we¡¯ve been monitoring but so far, so good.¡± ¡°When can she get out of here?¡± Bane asked.


    ¡°This afternoon, I think. That¡¯ll give us enough time to make sure she¡¯s one hundred percent on her way to recovery.¡± Watts nced back at me and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re very lucky. Ten other residents of your building were not.¡±


    ¡°People died? What happened to the building?¡±


    ¡°The fire ripped through it,¡± Bane told me. ¡°It¡¯s gone.¡±


    I swallowed, mourning the loss of that shitty little apartment that I¡¯d called home for a little over a decade.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll leave you to it. I¡¯ll let the orderly know you can have some ice cream to help soothe that voice of yours.¡±


    I touched the column of my throat as I watched him leave. I could¡¯ve died in that fire. Ten people had died in that fire. I looked at Bane, who was studying me. I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to know what was going through his head. Judging from his expression, they were murderous thoughts.


    ¡°How did I survive? How did I get out?¡±


    ¡°Andy pulled you out. He was in his car down on the street watching your building, remember?¡±


    I did remember that. Thank Christ he was there. I shivered thinking about what could¡¯ve happened if he wasn¡¯t. I broke out in shivers-I was suffering from dyed shock or something. Bane¡¯s arms wrapped around me, holding me tightly against his chest. Burying my face in his neck, I breathed in his cologne and clung to him. The tears leaked from my eyes without permission, but I gave myself over to them. He held me like that for as long as I needed, finally letting me go but not letting go of my hand.


    ¡°Where is he now?¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡°At home. He got treated for some first-degree burns on his arms and hands, but he¡¯ll be just fine.¡±


    I nodded, settling back into the pillows.


    ¡°Want to watch some TV?¡± Bane asked.


    ¡°Only if youe andy beside me on the bed.¡± I patted the mattress, and Bane heaved himself onto it. The bed dipped under his weight, making me roll a little toward him. ¡°Are youfortable?¡± he asked after settling me against his chest.


    ¡°Very.¡± I yawned.


    ¡°Get some rest. I¡¯ll wake you when Hawk gets here.¡±

 Chapter 65

    BANE


    WREN WAS FINALLY SLEEPING. She needed to rest to recover. Those burns on her arms, although minor in the grand scheme of things, needed time to heal. She¡¯d be sore, and the fact that she was hurt at all ate at me. I was supposed to protect her. She was mine to fucking protect.


    My eyes had finally slid shut when I heard the door to Wren¡¯s room open. I cracked one eye open to see whether it was the doctor again or whether Hawk had finally had the balls to show. It was Hawk, and by the look on his face, he was about to fucking puke his guts up.


    Good.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    The fucker took Wren for granted. There wasn¡¯t a damn thing she wouldn¡¯t do for him, including getting into bed with a drug dealer to wipe his debts. Gently moving her from my chest, I stood up to my full height, grabbed Hawk by the front of his shirt, and hauled him outside. There was no way in hell I was letting him wake Wren right now.


    The hallway was busy, with nurses and doctors walking the halls. Looking around, I saw a public restroom across the way, one of those big ones meant to fit wheelchairs through the door. Stalking in there with Hawk, I shut and locked the door, then mmed him against the thick wood. The bastard still looked a little toofortable, though, so I pinned him in ce with my forearm, making sure breathing got a little tricky for him.


    Hawk wed at my arm, trying to break my hold, but he had no fucking chance. Enraged had just met its match, and I was so fucking beyond enraged that I didn¡¯t know what the fuck to do with that anger.


    ¡°What the fuck did you do?¡±


    Hawk¡¯s mouth popped open, moving but no sound came out. With a growl, I eased back a little, loosening his vocal cords.


    ¡°Is she okay?¡± he rasped.


    I bared my teeth at him. ¡°Did she fucking look okay?¡± I shouted the words into his face.


    ¡°Fuck, Bane.¡± He clutched more tightly at the arm holding him up, tears beginning to pool in his eyes.


    ¡°Please tell me you aren¡¯t fucking crying like a little bitch right now.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s my sister.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, you don¡¯t fucking treat her like you should. A man¡¯s job is to protect his sister, not put her in the fucking firing line.¡±


    ¡°I know. I fucked up. I always fuck up.¡±


    Fuck me. If I couldn¡¯t handle blubbering women, I have no fucking chance in hell of handling a blubbering man. I broke our connection, stepping back and watching Hawk crumple to the floor.


    ¡°She could¡¯ve died. She could¡¯ve died. She could¡¯ve died.¡± On and on he went. I wanted to tell him to shut the fuck up, but those thoughts had run through my head too. Right now, I could¡¯ve been mourning her rather than helping her chase the demons away.


    ¡°You¡¯re so fucking lucky she didn¡¯t die, Hawk,¡± I barked. ¡°I swear on my fucking life if she had, you wouldn¡¯t be breathing right now.¡±


    He blinked at my words. ¡°You think this is my fault?¡±


    ¡°Who else¡¯s fucking fault would it be? You¡¯re the one who makes deals with bookies you can¡¯t fucking pay, and do I need to remind you what happened between us?¡± Raking my fingers through my hair, I nted my hands on the edge of the sink and bowed my head.


    ¡°Why are you with Wren right now?¡± he asked. I looked at him in the reflection of the mirror. I turned. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Why are you with Wren right now?¡±


    ¡°Because she¡¯s been mine for two weeks,¡± I shot back, enjoying the look on his face. The bastard didn¡¯t know what his sister had done for him.


    He swallowed, but his eyes-the same color as Wren¡¯s-burned with rage. ¡°What was the deal she agreed to?¡± Surging to his feet, he came at me, grasping onto the front of my shirt. ¡°What the fuck did you make her do?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t make her do anything. You did when you stole from me. You did when you made a bet you couldn¡¯t cover. You did by being in her life andying your fucking kills at her door like some proud goddamn Tomcat.¡±


    My wordsshed at him, and he loosened his fingers. Stepping away, he bowed his head and asked, ¡°What did she do to wipe my debts?¡±


    ¡°What do you think she did?¡± I wanted to hurt him. I wanted him to feel the pain I was feeling. I wanted him to feel the anguish that had coursed through my body when Andy told me Wren had been in a fire. I wanted him to emotionally bleed out in front of me.


    ¡°She¡¯s one of your whores?¡± he whispered.


    I wanted to throw that in his face, but I held my tongue. ¡°She¡¯s mine,¡± I ground out. ¡°She agreed to do whatever I want with her for two weeks to wipe your debt. She agreed to this because she fucking loves you, Hawk. She would do anything for you, and you fucking know it.¡± Pushing off the edge of the sink, I straightened my shirt from where he¡¯d wrinkled the shit out of it. ¡°And now it¡¯s time for you to own your shit. Where did you get the money to pay me back?¡±


    All the color leached from his face. I expected him to shut down on me, but when he looked up, there was pure torture in his eyes. On a sigh, he said, ¡°I went to Sanderson. He gave me the money.¡±


    Motherfuck! Without thought, I punched him in the face, the force of the strike spinning him around and leaving him sprawled on the floor, bleeding from the nose. Leaning down, I hissed, ¡°You dumb fucking cunt. You have no idea what you¡¯ve done, do you?¡±


    Unlocking the door, I yanked it open and stalked back into Wren¡¯s hospital room.


    WREN WAS DISCHARGED a few hourster. She didn¡¯t ask whether Hawk had shown up, but she couldn¡¯t hide the disappointment in her eyes. She wanted him there if only to find out the truth. I¡¯d already taken care of that for her, and the thought of causing her any more pain was tearing me apart.


    Getting shot point-nk in the chest was a more ptable way to experience that kind of trauma.


    An orderly wheeled her out to the car I had waiting, Dagger behind the wheel this time. I slid in beside her, smiling when she rested her head on my shoulder.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°My ce.¡± When she opened her mouth to argue, I ced my finger against her lips. ¡°No arguing. Your ce is condemned. I can get you set up in an apartment, but I want you in my bed with me for the next couple of days.¡± ¡°Why?¡± she whispered.


    ¡°So I know you¡¯re safe. If I can touch you, smell you, taste you, then I¡¯ll know you¡¯re okay.¡±


    I braced for the argument that always seemed toe right after a deration like that, but she was quiet. Thank fuck for that. ¡°Have you heard from Hawk?¡± ¡°No,¡± I replied darkly.


    ¡°I should call him to find out what happened to him.¡±


    I handed her my phone. ¡°Call him now.¡±


    She did, dialing his number and pressing the device to her ear. It rang out on the first attempt, and on the second, it went straight to voicemail. Handing it back to me, she mumbled, ¡°He¡¯s not answering. I hope he¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s probably just trying toe to terms with your ident.¡± I left it at that. I would tell her we¡¯d had words, but I didn¡¯t want her to worry about him right now.


    When Dagger pulled the car up to my building, we got out, and I took Wren up to the penthouse where I settled her in bed. Although she protested, I could see how tired she was. By the time I returned with a ss of water for her to take her medication, she was already asleep. I stood there for a moment just looking at her, wondering when I¡¯d be such a fucking pussy.


    I never watched women sleep.


    Women never slept in my bed.


    Except for Wren.


    Fuck, she looked perfect in it too.


    I just hoped she¡¯d finally seen that I wasn¡¯t going to let her walk away from me. She kept throwing the two-week timeline at me like a shield she could use against her heart, but I knew she wouldn¡¯t walk away-she couldn¡¯t walk away-just like I couldn¡¯t walk away from her.


    Sitting in the living room, I opened myptop and started to work on the roster system for my Dolls. Since I wouldn¡¯t be returning to the office for a few days, I figured I had to get some shit done. The new Doll, Veronica, was starting tonight. Normally, I was there for every new employee¡¯s first shift, but with Wren still recovering, I didn¡¯t want to leave her. Dagger had everything in hand, though.


    Beside me, my phone began to ring. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Rivera,¡± Detective Cox drawled, the sound of her smug voice sending my blood pressure soaring.


    ¡°What do you want now, you useless cunt?¡±


    ¡°Such a way with words,¡± she purred. ¡°I was just calling to let you know we¡¯ve secured that witness. Got their testimony, too. It¡¯s only a matter of time before we¡¯ll be taking Tony¡­¡± she paused andughed, ¡°¡­ my apologies, Dagger, in for questioning. Your days are numbered, Mr. Rivera. I¡¯d enjoy your girlfriend now while you can.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have shit on me, Cox, so why don¡¯t you go and try this shit on someone else. Dagger won¡¯t say a word to you even if you do haul him in for questioning.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± she shot back cryptically and hung up. Dropping my phone to the couch cushion beside me, I red at it and then swiped it up again.


    ¡°Boss?¡± Dagger answered when I called him.


    ¡°Cox is threatening to bring you in for questioning.¡±


    ¡°Want me to get rid of her?¡±

 Chapter 66

    Read: Do you want me to put a bullet in her skull and dispose of the body where nobody would ever find it?


    ¡°No. If she goes missing, they¡¯ll know something is up. I think this witness thing is bullshit but look into it.¡±


    ¡°You got it. Anything else?¡±


    ¡°Just tell me we¡¯re locked down tight on this.¡±


    ¡°We are.¡±


    Running a hand through my hair, I blew out a breath. ¡°Okay. Call me if you need me. I can be down at the club in ten if I¡¯m needed.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re all good, boss.¡± Dagger hung up, and I stared at the glowing screen of my phone. Fuck. I hated feeling out of control like this. Cox wasn¡¯t ying ball. She was my loose cannon, and having one of them was never a good fucking thing.


    WREN


    I STRETCHED out in Bane¡¯s bed, blinking at the warm light filtering through therge floor-to-ceiling windows in his bedroom. My arms were still sore, but nowhere near as sore as my pounding head. Rolling over, I looked for Bane, but his side of the bed was empty.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± a dark voice rumbled. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to wake you.¡±


    He strolled into the room in those gray sweats again. I let my eyes drift down his naked torso, biting my bottom lip.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that, Little Bird. I¡¯m not going to be fucking you for a few days.¡± He chuckled at my pout, then reached out and brushed the hair from my face as he sat on the edge of the bed. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°Still a little sore.¡± I touched my head, so he knew where.


    Holding out his hand to me, he dropped a couple of white pills, then reached for the ss of water on the table beside the bed. ¡°These should help. The doctor said if the pain got any worse to take you back in again.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not getting worse.¡± I washed the pills down my throat with a mouthful of water and handed him back the ss.


    ¡°Breakfast, or not feeling up to it? Mrs. Bellinger is already in the kitchen.¡±


    ¡°Maybe something small?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°You got it. I¡¯ll tell her to ease off with the full spread, then.¡± With a boyish grin, he left me alone with my thoughts.


    I had to get a hold of Hawk to let him know I was okay and that I was staying with Bane for a little while. Jesus, this entire thing was fucked up. My apartment was going, and everything I¡¯d ever owned was destroyed by a fire. Hawk was still up to his eyeballs in the shit he consistently got himself into. My life was spiraling out of control on me here, and I had no fucking idea how to get off the ride.


    The first tear that tracked down my cheek took me by surprise. The second soon followed, and I wiped at those traitorous things with the back of my hand. I didn¡¯t cry. Crying was for the weak when they had nothing left to do. I wasn¡¯t beaten, though. I wasn¡¯t giving up, I was just giving in at the moment.


    ¡°Wren, baby?¡± Bane asked when he caught me sniffling in bed.


    I looked at him through tear-soakedshes and cried a little harder. He was the only thing in my life that was going right. He came to me quickly, cing the cup of coffee he was holding down to wrap me in his arms. I clung to him, burying my face in his shoulder and letting out the tears that I had no hope of stopping anyway.


    ¡°I¡¯m here for you.¡±


    I tightened my fingers around his bicep. His warmth leached into me, grounding me. ¡°It¡¯s all gone.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    I looked up at him. ¡°What am I supposed to do now?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll stay with me, or in one of my apartments,¡± he added.


    I began shaking my head. I didn¡¯t want to be alone right now. Being in a strange apartment, alone, even if it was supposed to be my new home, wasn¡¯t something I wanted to do. ¡°Can I stay here with you instead?¡± I held my breath, wondering whether he would still want that.


    ¡°Thank fuck,¡± he breathed, kissing the top of my head. ¡°Yeah, you can stay here. I was prepared to fight you on going to one of my apartments. Wren, baby, I fucking need you here in my bed with me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay out of your way. You won¡¯t even know I¡¯m here.¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    His dark eyes swallowed shadows. ¡°What¡¯s mine is yours. If you want to fill my apartment with whatever the hell you want, go ahead.¡±


    My smile was weak, but my heart was bursting. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Anything for you, Little Bird.¡± He kissed me, the slow burn turning into something more. I clung to his shoulders, but he pulled away. ¡°You need to rest.¡± Reaching over, he grabbed the coffee. ¡°Here.


    Drink this, and I¡¯ll get you some toast.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I took a sip of coffee and let out a sigh. ¡°I might take a shower first if that¡¯s okay?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    I slid out of bed and padded to the bathroom. I was in one of Bane¡¯s shirts, the hem hitting me mid-thigh. I closed the door and took off the shirt, standing in front of the mirror to see how bad the damage was. I was exhausted from everything, so I hadn¡¯t had a shower like I¡¯d intended tost night. Both forearms were covered in waterproof dressings, the skin around the edges raw and red. I had soot on the side of my neck and some on my face that looked like it had been wiped away very quickly. The rest of my body was fine, and given what I learned about the fire, I was lucky to have survived with just some minor burns on my arms.


    Starting up the shower, I got in and slowly began to wash myself, washing my hair at the same time. It smelled of smoke, and the reminder wasn¡¯t a pleasant one. Standing under the powerful spray for a while longer, I tipped my face up and shut my eyes. The perfectly temperature-controlled surge of water pounded against my skin, washing away everyst trace of the fire.


    ¡°Wren?¡± Bane called from the door. I turned to face him, staring at him through the ss shower door.


    His molten gaze traveled down my naked body, his jaw tightening when they reached my dressings. He stepped into the room and slowly began to strip out of his sweats. His cock sprang free, bobbing as he walked. Liquid heat pooled between my thighs. I shouldn¡¯t want him right now, not after everything my poor body had been through, but I couldn¡¯t deny it.


    Prowling forward, he stepped into the shower with me, his broad shoulders filling the space. I braced myself for the same intensity I was used to with him, so when he framed my face gently with his hands, I let out a breathy sigh. He drifted his hands down my neck, over my shoulders, brushing the underside of my breasts on his way around my ribcage. When they got to my hips, my stomach began to flutter with anticipation. ¡°Sit down on the bench.¡±


    When I was in position, he dropped to his knees and spread my thighs. He stared hungrily at my pussy before his eyes roamed everywhere else. I sucked in a gasp when he leaned in and ced his mouth against my heated flesh, drawing another gasp when he parted my folds with his tongue.


    Seeing thisrger-than-life man between my legs and his broad shoulders pushing the limits of my flexibility did something to me on a primal level. A moan reverberated through the bathroom when he slid a finger inside me, pumping it in and out slowly. Hepped at me but never got close to the ce where I wanted him. Each sweep of his tongue diverted at thest moment, each suck was not where I needed him.

 Chapter 67

    Running my hands through his soaked hair, I held him in ce, hoping that this time he would give me what I wanted. He slid another finger inside me, brushing against my G-spot and making my entire body quake. He continued to torture me like this for what felt like a lifetime until I was begging him for my orgasm. As soon as the word ¡®please¡¯ fell from my lips, he flicked his tongue over my clit, sending me down a spiral of pleasure that only intensified with the thrust of his fingers and the flick of his tongue. My hands tightened in his hair, making him groan as hepped at me.


    When my body finally stopped pouring pleasure into my blood, I looked at him. His mouth was curved into a small smile, one that told me just how much he liked that.


    ¡°I love your cunt.¡±


    ¡°I love that you love it,¡± I mumbled. My eyes tracked his body as he stood, his cock jutting out from his hips. It was a beautiful cock. Reaching forward, I wrapped my hand around it, tightening my grip a little when he tried to step back.


    ¡°Baby, no. You¡¯re still recovering. I didn¡¯t eat your irresistible pussy so I could get a blowjob.¡± ¡°I know. I want to do this.¡±


    He seemed torn for a moment, then reimed the step he¡¯d taken away. I held his gaze for a few moments, then dropped my eyes to his straining cock. Leaning forward, I ran my tongue over the head, tasting him. Bane threaded his fingers through my hair, holding me in ce. I did this again and again, just a small flicker of sensation before finally sinking his shaft into my mouth.


    He groaned, his eyes fluttering shut for a moment. Working my way back up, I hollowed out my cheeks and created the suction he needed. cing my other hand around his cock, I pumped him while still sucking the crown, running the tip of my tongue through the slit at the top.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    He hissed, a tumble of words falling from his lips that I couldn¡¯t decipher. I was too lost in him, in his taste, in his reaction to me.


    ¡°Hands behind you, Little Bird. I want to fuck your mouth.¡±


    A whimper escaped me, and I did as I was told. His grip on my head tightened, holding me steady as he slid his cock in and out of my mouth. He hit the back of my throat, my gag reflex kicked in. Each time I choked on his cock, he hissed out his pleasure.


    ¡°Yes, baby. Each time you choke, your throat tightens, and it feels fucking amazing.¡±


    Tears began to leak from the corners of my eyes, a stupid side effect of the gag reflex. I hoped he didn¡¯t stop. I didn¡¯t want him to stop. He continued to fuck my mouth until I tasted the saltiness of his pre-cum.


    ¡°Can Ie down the back of your throat?¡± he asked.


    I looked up at him and nodded. He grazed his knuckle over my cheek. ¡°Good girl.¡±


    Saliva dripped from my mouth, increasing the ease with which he could glide into me. I swallowed that same constriction in my throat making him groan.


    ¡°I love watching my cock disappear into your mouth. It¡¯s not as good as it being swallowed by your cunt, but it¡¯s a close second.¡± I blinked at him, and he smiled. ¡°You like it when I fuck your mouth?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°Then touch yourself while I do it.¡±


    I snaked a hand down between my thighs, finding my pussy wet and wanton. Sliding my fingers over my clit, I detonated with the second touch, thebination of Bane¡¯s cock and dominating waysbined with my ministrations a heady mix. Bane thrust once more, hitting me deep at the back of my throat beforeing. I waited until he withdrew a little before swallowing him down and cleaning him up.


    ¡°Fuck, Wren.¡± He angled his hips away from me, and I pouted. With a chuckle, he brushed his fingers over my bottom lip. ¡°This mouth is fucking amazing.¡±


    He helped me to stand and shut off the water. Wrapping me in a towel, he set me on the bathmat first before following behind me. I started to dry off, but Bane stopped me.


    ¡°Can I please do that?¡±


    I looked at him and nodded. He took his time rubbing the terry cloth over my body, making sure everything was dry before drying my hair too.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a hairdryer, but I¡¯ll send Mrs. Bellinger to get one for you today along with some new clothes.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that,¡± I said weakly.


    He smirked. ¡°As much as I would love to have you walking around naked the entire time, it¡¯s not roingoingwork with Mrs. B wandering around here, too. Let her buy you some clothes. You can even tell her what kind of things you like.¡± I relented with a kiss. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Picking up the shirt I¡¯d been wearing, he tossed it in theundry hamper along with his sweats, then scooped me up in his arms and took me into his closet. I looked around in awe. It was fucking amazing in here. One side was filled with those expensive suits he wore, and the other was filled with casual clothes I¡¯d never seen him wear.


    ¡°Pick whatever you¡¯d like to put on,¡± he said as he pulled open a drawer and removed a pair of sweats-blue this time. I took a moment to enjoy the show, then went straight to his business shirts. I took a ck one off the hanger and drew it over my arms. Bane eased my hands out of the way when I


    began with the buttons, taking over the job for me.


    ¡°You can wear some of my boxer shorts while you wait for underwear.¡±


    I stepped into them, feelingpletely unsexy. I turned around to say as much to Bane, but he kissed me before the words coulde out.


    ¡°You are so fucking irresistible. I want to take another taste of that cunt of yours¡­¡± he flexed his hips into mine, and I gasped, ¡°¡­ but Mrs. B is waiting for us.¡± He kissed my lips, then my nose, then my cheeks. I stared at the man who kept showing me these different sides of him. He was hard and unyielding, but there was such tenderness there too.


    Taking my hand, he took us into the kitchen where Mrs. Bellinger was cutting up some fruit. She gave me a warm smile.


    ¡°Mr. Rivera told me what happened, sweetheart. I am so happy you¡¯re okay.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Having someone care about my well-being was such a new concept.


    ¡°Mrs. B, could you please purchase a hairdryer today as well as some essentials for Wren? Her apartment and everything in it was destroyed.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± she beamed. ¡°You¡¯re a size eight?¡± I nodded. ¡°Just like my Ca, then. I¡¯ll have some clothes for you in a few hours.¡± She ced a couple of fruit cups on the counter in front of us.


    ¡°Something light for your stomach.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s Andy?¡± I asked, suddenly remembering that he¡¯d rescued me from that fire. ¡°I¡¯d like to thank him.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve given him a few days off, but the bastard will probably be downstairs waiting for me, anyway.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to work today?¡± I asked. Fuck, that sounded needy and desperate. ¡°I mean, of course, you¡¯re going to work. Why wouldn¡¯t you.¡±


    Bane tipped my chin up so I would look at him. ¡°I won¡¯t go if you need me here. I can still get shit done in my office.¡±


    My heart pounded painfully in my chest. I didn¡¯t want to be alone. I opened my mouth to tell him as much but then shut it. I was safe here. I was in a building that was secure and had doormen. ¡°No, you should go.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    I stered on a fake smile. ¡°I¡¯ve never had to rely on a man to keep me safe before.¡±


    He framed my face in his hands and kissed me hard. ¡°Please don¡¯t talk about other men you¡¯ve been with,¡± he growled.


    I bobbed my head. ¡°You should go to work, though.¡±


    ¡°What will you do?¡±


    I looked around his apartment, eyeing the giant TV. ¡°Netflix?¡±

 Chapter 68

    BANE


    FUCK. All my fucking senses are on high alert. My anger hase out full force, leaving my employees diving out of my way. Rachel was the first to pick up on my mood as I strolled into the club.


    ¡°Drink, Mr. Rivera?¡± she asked, already cing a ss of whisky on the counter.


    I took the ss with a curt not and did ap of the club. I had six girls on the poles, each of them with a couple of gentlemen watching the show. It was mid-morning on a Saturday. Things weren¡¯t going to heat up untilter tonight, but I did have a bachelor partying through the doors at four. Some rich daddy¡¯s boy was tying the knot and wanted to have onest fling. The guy getting married was a member, so I had Dagger organize a twelve-hour pass for the rest of his party.


    I wandered through to the private rooms, checking to see everything was in order. Mostly it was, except for one room which had been used and trashed. The leather chair had been tipped over onto its side and the seat shed, the cupboard with the floggers, paddles, and whips in disarray. Even the drawer where the condoms and lube were held had been upended. What in the actual fuck had happened?


    Palming my phone, I dialed Dagger¡¯s number.


    ¡°Boss?¡±


    ¡°What the fuck happened in four?¡± ¡°Boss?¡± he replied.


    ¡°Get your ass down here.¡± I hung up, letting anger fill my veins. When Dagger finally appeared, he looked a little flustered, which was odd. The guy was made from fucking stone. I gestured to the room, and he stepped inside, looking around.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t like this at closingst night.¡±


    ¡°So when did it happen?¡±


    He pulled out his phone, clicking into the club¡¯s log system. All the Dolls had ess cards to get into the rooms. Each time they swiped to gain entry, it got logged with a time stamp.


    ¡°This morning,¡± Dagger replied. ¡°ording to the system, the room was essed by Veronica at ten o¡¯clock.¡±


    ¡°Get her in my office. Now!¡± I bellowed. ¡°And fucking get this room cleaned up.¡± I stalked off, mming my empty ss onto the counter as I passed the bar. Jogging up the stairs, I strode into my office, clutching the top of the chair behind my desk, bowing my head, and breathing in deeply.


    Stalking over to the window, I looked down over my club, watching one of the girls on the pole for a moment. I didn¡¯t know how fucking long I had to wait for Veronica to get here, so I sat down and started on some work while I waited.


    Not longter, I jerked my head up when there was a soft knock on the door. ¡°Come,¡± I barked, standing and buttoning up my suit jacket. Veronica walked in with her head bowed and a slight limp.


    Rounding the desk, I tipped her chin up, so I could see her face properly. ¡°What the fuck happened to you?¡± I demanded, keeping her face turned up toward me. Tilting it from side to side, I took in the ck eye that was already forming and the cut on her lip. Her gaze dropped back to the floor as soon as I let her go.


    ¡°I got muggedst night after my shift,¡± she replied in a hoarse voice.


    Bunching my hands into fists at my side, I stepped away from her and began to pace. ¡°What happened?¡±


    I fucking hated this. These women were mine to protect.


    ¡°About a block away from my ce.¡±


    ¡°You walked herest night?¡±


    She shrugged, rolling her shoulders forward. ¡°I take the bus, but the stop is about a block from my apartment. That¡¯s when it happened.¡± ¡°Jesus fuck!¡±


    Veronica flinched when I raised my voice, and I swallowed down the urge to scream and yell out all my frustrations.


    ¡°Are you okay? Any other injuries besides the shiner and the busted lip?¡± Fuck, she wasn¡¯t going to be able to work for a while-not until she healed. Men didn¡¯t find bruises pretty.


    ¡°Fine, physically.¡±


    ¡°What did they take? Did you get a good look at them?¡±


    ¡°My bag was stolen. I tried to snatch it back, and my phone fell out. I grabbed that and dialed 911. They were long gone by the time the cops got to me.¡±


    ¡°Was your swipe card in there?¡±


    She bobbed her head. ¡°Yeah, and all the tips I madest night.¡± Fuck. ¡°How much did you make?¡± I asked, reaching into my wallet.


    She looked at me with wide eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that, Mr. Rivera.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t fucking argue with me, Veronica. How much did you make?¡± She bit her bottom lip and winced. ¡°About three hundred.¡± I pulled five hundred-dor bills and handed them to her.


    ¡°This is too much, Mr. Rivera.¡±


    ¡°The extra is to get yourself some makeup or some shit to cover that ck eye. I can¡¯t have you working here with a split lip, though. You¡¯ll have to take some time off to heal. I¡¯ll pay you even though you aren¡¯ting in.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I look after my Dolls, Veronica.¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    She stared for a minute, then walked over to me, dropping to her knees and reaching for my belt. I caught her hands, stopping her. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Fuck, some of these women were messed up. Or maybe it was me who was messed up. Before Wren, I would¡¯ve sat back and enjoyed the perks of my work, but not now. I¡¯d lost count of the number of women who had thrown themselves at my feet and sucked my cock because they thought this was what I needed to see to ensure their gratitude.


    Helping Veronica to stand, I turned her around and shoved her gently toward the door. ¡°You can thank me by getting back here as soon as you can. Call Dagger if you need anything.¡±


    The look of absolute shock on her face irritated me. After a moment, she slipped out the door. I turned to watch her leave, seeing some of the other Dolls hugging her or squeezing her hand in encouragement.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± Dagger asked.


    ¡°She got muggedst night.¡± I turned to face him. ¡°Her swipe card was stolen along with her tip money.¡±


    ¡°Fuck.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Running a hand through my hair, I blew out a breath. ¡°I need you to fucking find out who essed that room, Dagger.¡± We didn¡¯t have surveince cameras inside the club for obvious reasons so that only left the half-dozen external cameras around the club. ¡°Go through the footage. And when you find out who fucked me over, I¡¯m going to fuck them over.¡±


    ¡°Yes, boss.¡±


    With Dagger gone, I sat down again and rested my head back against the headrest of my chair. Why couldn¡¯t things go fucking smoothly? At least I had Wren. Everything was right with her. Picking up my phone, I went to dial her number, then remembered she¡¯d lost her phone in the fire. I dialed Dagger¡¯s number.


    ¡°Yes, boss.¡±


    ¡°Can you get me a new phone?¡±


    ¡°Boss?¡±


    ¡°Wren lost hers in the fire. Can you get a recement and everything else we need to go with it?¡± ¡°Yes, boss.¡±


    Hanging up, I ced my phone on the desk and opened up myptop, clicking into the scheduling for the uing month. I made a start on itst night, but I still needed to put a little more thought into it. About an hour had gone by when there was a knock on my door.


    ¡°Enter.¡±


    Keeping my eyes on my work, I didn¡¯t acknowledge who was standing there until they cleared their throat. Looking up, I bit back the snarl.


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing here, Syndy?¡± And how the fuck had she gotten past Dagger. Fuck, I sent him out for the phone. ¡°Well?¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s your girlfriend?¡± she sneered. ¡°It¡¯s a pity about that fire.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes at her. ¡°What do you know about her?¡±

 Chapter 69

    Syn walked further into the office, her short dress riding up with the movement. She did not attempt to smooth it down, leaving me with an eyeful of her snatch. Hopping up, she perched on the edge of my desk beside me, and I shoved my seat back to keep both eyes on her. She slid her foot onto my chair, the toe of her heel touching my dick.


    ¡°I know that you¡¯ve fucked her. I just don¡¯t understand what she has that I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°A lot of things, Syn. A fucking clue for one.¡±


    Rage bubbled from her. ¡°I love you, Bane. Why can¡¯t you see that? We¡¯re perfect for one another.¡±


    ¡°How do you figure?¡±


    Sliding off the edge of the desk, she dropped to her knees between my legs. ¡°We¡¯re good together, daddy.¡±


    ¡°You know what you¡¯re good for? Sucking dick.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you want, Daddy? You want me to suck your dick?¡±


    Thankfully, my dick didn¡¯t stir. That was because only Wren would satisfy me now. She ran her hands up my thighs, inching her hands closer to my crotch. I watched her through narrowed eyes. ¡°How do you know about Wren?¡±


    She smiled. ¡°I know a lot about your little girlfriend. I know she lived in a shitty little apartment. I know she wears in cotton underwear. Seriously, Bane, how can you fuck a woman who enjoys wearing in cotton underwear?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s what¡¯s inside that underwear that counts,¡± I replied, my shoulders tightening as she brushed her hands against my cock. Syn seemed to know an awful lot about my Little Bird, and I nned on getting all that information out of her.


    ¡°I also know that she was supposed to die in that fire. If it weren¡¯t for Andy swooping in like a fucking hero, she¡¯d be dead, and we¡¯d be together.¡±


    Anger surged through me, stinging all my nerve endings and making the blood pound in my ears. I grabbed her arm as I stood, the chair rolling back and mming into the wall. Hauling her backward, I pressed her against the desk, bending her back and grabbing her other arm so I could hold her in ce.


    ¡°What did you do, you little cunt?¡±


    Syn¡¯s eyes widened, so I could see the whites all the way around. ¡°Bane, daddy, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°You tried to kill Wren.¡±


    ¡°I tried to save you from a life of boring sex with her.¡± I blinked at Syn¡¯s words.


    Was she seriously so delusional she thought I would want her?


    Reaching into my desk drawer, I pulled out my Glock and pointed it at her temple. Syn squeaked at the pressure. I so wanted to pull the trigger.


    She had put Wren¡¯s life in fucking danger.


    She could¡¯ve died in that fire.


    I could¡¯ve lost her.


    The dark recesses inside my head, the ones that housed the monster of my rage began to stir. My vision started to ckout, and I had to blink to get it back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t kill me, Bane,¡± Syn begged. ¡°Please. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    I ground the barrel in a little harder, shouting, ¡°You tried to kill her!¡±


    Tears sprang in her eyes, and she said, ¡°I just wanted you to look at me like you look at her. I want you to love me like you love her.¡±


    I let the monstere out a little more, inviting it closer with a crooked finger. That oily malevolence filled my veins, stripping the humanity from me and leaving only instincts. And my instincts were telling me to put a fucking bullet in the brain of this woman. She was a threat. She had proved that. Syn tried to fight me off, but I dug my fingers into her arm, shaking her a little to get her to focus.


    ¡°What else have you done, Syn?¡± I asked. ¡°And don¡¯t even think about lying to me.¡±


    Sweat beaded on her brow, and she swiped her tongue over her lips. ¡°Please. I want you.¡±


    ¡°What. Did. You. Do!¡± I shook her again, knocking the words I needed to hear from her out in a tumble.


    ¡°Room number four was our room,¡± she hissed, the tears already drying on her cheeks. ¡°Ours. Nobody else should be able to use it.¡± ¡°You mugged Veronica?¡±


    The smile that pulled up her mouth was venomous. ¡°Is that the little bitch¡¯s name? Yeah, I stole it from her. I needed a way to get in here.¡±


    Fuck. Jesus fucking Christ, this woman was unhinged.


    ¡°Boss, I got that phone for-¡±


    The words died on Dagger¡¯s tongue when he saw the scene in front of him. Dropping the bag he was carrying, he pulled out his Glock and held it level with Syndy¡¯s head,ing at her from the other side. I guessed my man had a little problem with the woman who sliced open his thigh too.


    Her breathing kicked up another notch, the pending violence thickening the air and feeding my monster.


    ¡°She set the fire at Wren¡¯s apartment. She¡¯s also the one who mugged Veronica and stole her ess card.¡±


    Dagger slid his finger off the guard and onto the trigger. ¡°Want me to get rid of her?¡±


    ¡°Please!¡± she begged, all the color draining from her face. ¡°I just wanted you to see that we are meant to be together.¡±


    ¡°Not here,¡± I replied. ¡°Take her somewhere nobody will ever find her.¡± Flipping the safety back into position, I ced my gun back into the desk drawer and sat.


    ¡°Please. No. Please!¡± Syn begged as Dagger removed her from the room.


    ¡°Shut her up. We don¡¯t need people hearing her scream.¡±


    With a determined nod, he brought the butt of the gun down on her temple and knocked her the fuck out. When they were gone from my office, I started to pace. My body was being battered by a thousand thoughts of revenge. I balled my hands into fists before releasing them, flexing my fingers. Fuck, I was strung so tight right now.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    She had almost killed my Little Bird.


    The need to see her, to know she was all right was like a sledgehammer to my chest. My heart was racing as I snatched up my phone and called Mrs. Bellinger¡¯s number.


    ¡°Mr. Rivera?¡± she answered.


    ¡°Put Wren on.¡± There was a muffled thump, and then Wren¡¯s voice came over the line.


    ¡°Bane?¡±


    ¡°I need you. I need to see you.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to send Andy to get you, okay? He¡¯ll bring you to the club.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± she replied.


    Fuck, I wondered if she could sense this darkness inside me, the one that lingered and needed to be let out.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be there in ten minutes.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Hanging up, I dialed Andy.


    ¡°Boss?¡±


    ¡°Go and get Wren. Bring her to me at the club.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    I sat my ass back down, afraid that if I were on my feet, I would sprint to my apartment to collect her myself. I couldn¡¯t leave, though. I couldn¡¯t leave my club unmanned on a Saturday night, but I could bring my Little Bird to me.

 Chapter 70

    WREN


    AS I STEPPED from the car, my nerves got the better of me. Bane had asked that Ie to the club. He¡¯d sounded so strained on the phone, struggling with something I had no idea about.


    ¡°Would you like me to walk you in, Wren?¡± Andy asked through the rearview mirror.


    ¡°Thank you, but no.¡± I put my hand on the door handle, hesitating. ¡°I never got to say thank you,


    Andy.¡±


    His brows shot up. ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°For saving me from that fire. If you hadn¡¯t risked your life, I wouldn¡¯t be here right now.¡±


    He turned around in his seat to look at me. ¡°I should be the one thanking you.¡± I cocked my head to the side, unsure what he was getting at. ¡°I¡¯ve worked for Bane for nearly a decade now. I¡¯ve never, not once, seen him like this with a woman.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s never been this attentive to one woman before.¡±


    I feel a flush of heat creeps up my cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± I had no words. ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Trust me, Wren, you¡¯re a good influence on him. I hope that continues.¡±


    Shaking my head, I smiled and got out of the car. The bouncer waved me inside straight away, and I stepped into the luxurious Dollhouse. Bane was standing by the bar, his eyes on me. His gaze was so intense that a shiver tracked down my spine. He took a sip from his ss of whisky and stalked toward me, making my entire body light up.


    He imed my mouth in a kiss, sweeping his tongue into my mouth, and pressing himself against me. He tasted like wood smoke and vani, the aftertaste of leather hitting me. He ran his hand across my hip before dipping it down between my legs.


    With a growl, he stepped away from me, leaving me panting. Wrapping his arm around my waist, I noticed a lot of the women staring at me as he led me past the stripper poles to the back of the club. I wondered how many of them had given him a blowjob, the surge of jealousy taking me by surprise. Shoving that feeling away, I took in the half-dozen doors lining the hallway Bane was leading me down. Each with a number on them, and beside the door was a device that looked like you could swipe a card through the reader located to the left.


    Bane stopped at room number five and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a credit card-sized piece of stic and ran it through the reader. The light blinked green, and he opened the door. I


    stepped in after him, my eyes bulging when I saw what was in there.


    ¡°This is the most intense of the BDSM spaces,¡± he said, his voice dark and hungry. He started to point at something called a Saint Andrews Cross-a huge X-shaped structure with restraints on each of the four points. I walked toward it, fascinated by the concept. Goosebumps spread over my skin in a fevered rush as I imagined myself up there.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    Bane wrapped his hand around the back of my neck, pressing the rest of his hard body against me. ¡°I could imagine you on there, Little Bird. Your pussy glistening for me. Your nipples are taut and desperate for my tongue.¡±


    I turned my head slightly. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Uncurling his fingers, Bane turned me around and kissed me. ¡°We have plenty of time for that. Let me show you what else is in here.¡±


    There was a spanking bench, something called a queening chair, bars, and stocks suspended from the ceilings, a sex swing, and an array of whips, chains, paddles, and cuffs. The main attraction, though, was a giant four-poster bed with anchor points all over it.


    ¡°Want to try anything?¡± he asked me, running his hand suggestively over my ass. My eyes darted to the spanking bench. Bane had used his belt on me that first time we were together, and although I thought I¡¯d hate it, I¡¯d enjoyed the fuck out of it. Lifting my hand, I pointed at it.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± he purred. ¡°Get undressed for me, Little Bird, and I¡¯ll give you the best orgasm of your life.¡±


    With shaking hands, I unbuttoned my new shorts and took off the shirt Mrs. Bellinger had bought me. Bane sucked in a hiss when he saw the matching navyce bra and panties set.


    With a groan, he said, ¡°I need to give Mrs. B a raise.¡± His hands roamed over my skin, cupping my breasts and tweaking my nipples. I gasped when he twisted one hard.


    ¡°Your nipples would look amazing in mps,¡± he said softly into my ear. Biting down on my earlobe, he walked toward the cupboard hanging on the wall and opened it. Selecting something on a long chain, he brought it back with a smirk. ¡°Take off your bra.¡±


    Reaching around the back, I unhooked my bra and let it fall to the floor. Bane growled as he stared at my breasts already aching with need. He held out the mps to me, letting me see them.


    ¡°They¡¯ll hurt a little bit, but the good kind of hurt,¡± he said, rubbing his thumb over my already hard nipples. ¡°Do you trust me?¡± At my nod, he kissed me hard, thrusting his tongue into my mouth and dominating all my senses. I sucked in a hiss when the first mp went on, the pain onlysting for a moment before bing a dull throb. He slid the other one in ce, then trailed his hand down the length of the chain that connected them. The metal was cold against my stomach, the two-the heat in my nipples and the cold of the chain-making me see the pleasure in this.


    ¡°Take off your panties while I choose something to spank you with.¡±


    Hooking my thumbs into the sides, I shimmied out of the flimsy material and kicked them off to the side. I watched Bane peruse the cupboard once more. His strong fingers skimmed over the leather floggers and whips before finally settling on a leather paddle shaped like a love heart. He brought it over to me.


    ¡°Lots of surface area on this one,¡± he told me. ¡°So the pain won¡¯t be there. If you want something stronger, let me know.¡±


    I gulped, then followed him to the spanking bench. It was shaped like a thin park pic table, and I wondered how I was supposed to get myself onto it.


    ¡°Staddle it,¡± he said, pointing to two lower padded pieces. ¡°Your hands and knees go either side, so you¡¯re on all fours.¡±


    I got myself into position, the hanging chain from the mps creating a delicious burn in my breasts. Bane ran his hand over my bare ass, pping it quickly. I sucked in a gasp, then moaned when he rubbed away the sting.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to enjoy this, Little Bird,¡± he purred, striking me again with his bare hand. I bit my lip, knowing the moan that was trying toe out would sound too desperate. He took his time touching me, warming up my skin. It rxed me, so I wasn¡¯t expecting the first strike with the paddle. It sounded worse than it felt, but thebination of those two things made me wet. He soothed away the slight pain with his hand, then kissed the base of my spine.


    ¡°I think we might need something a little more¡­ fun.¡±


    I watched him return to the cupboard and pull out a thinner paddle. He tested it on his hand and smiled when he saw me watching. ¡°I¡¯m going to make you feel so good, baby.¡± Strolling back over to me, I licked my lips when I saw the bulge behind his zipper. Reaching around, he tugged the chain on the mps a little, making me suck in a surprised breath. Lust shot straight to my pussy. With a wicked smile, he did it again. He kissed me on the mouth, then went back to my ass.


    The first strike with the new paddle was intense but oh-so-good. Bowing my head, Bane kissed the spot he¡¯d just struck, then dragged a finger through my wet folds.


    ¡°You like that, Little Bird?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°So much.¡±


    ¡°More?¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± I replied on a whimper.


    Bane lined up for another hit and another and another until I felt my arousal slipping down the inside of my thigh. With each hit, he would soothe away the sting and prepare me for the next. Given Bane¡¯s childhood and his experience with rtionships, this darker side to his personality kind of made sense. He craved control like I craved the freedom of submission. Although he seemed to be enjoying this, I didn¡¯t think he needed it all the time. Maybe just when things were fucking out of control in his life. I think the fire and me almost dying was the catalyst this time.


    The next thing I knew, Bane was helping me off the bench and lowering me onto the bed. I had no idea how many strikes he had delivered or how long I was on the bench, but by the ache in my elbows and knees, it had to have been quite a while.


    ¡°You kind of went into a subspace there, Little Bird,¡± he murmured into the crook of my neck as he spooned me from behind. He was naked now, his skin hot against mine, his cock hard between my ass cheeks.


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°Think of it like nirvana. You were lost in the pleasure I was giving you.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you like that?¡± I nodded. ¡°I liked making your perfect ass pink.¡± He slid his hand between my legs, rubbing that arousal over my pussy. ¡°I need to fuck you, Wren.¡±

 Chapter 71

    I looked around at the other furniture and wondered what he had chosen next. Tipping my face back to him, he shook his head. ¡°Here on the bed. I want to fuck you here. I want to lose myself in you here.¡±


    I nodded as Bane curled my legs up to my chest, making me into a ball. He yed his fingers through my pussy again, but this time his movements were restricted. I then felt the blunt tip of his cock nudging me. I went to open my legs, but he ced a firm hand on my thigh and pushed it back down. ¡°Leave it there. It¡¯ll make your cunt tighter.¡±


    I let out a sigh when he pushed into me. The sensation was strange, the desire to open my legs to give him space to thrust was something I had to fight. Bane groaned and bit the back of my neck gently, his free handing up to wrap around the base of my neck. And when he began to thrust inside me, I got it. There was more pressure there, more friction. I felt every slide of his cock through my entire body, making it hum with pleasure.


    Bane tugged at the chain still attached to the mps, making me gasp. He fucked me harder then, savagely taking from me what he needed.


    ¡°Fuck, Bane, harder, please,¡± I begged, already feeling my orgasming. He tugged at the chain again, sending me hurtling over the edge. Bane followed me with a roar, his thrusts slowing until he finally stopped. Pulling out of me, he rolled my body onto my back and kissed me as he released the mps. A moan escaped my mouth as the sensation flooded back, and he rubbed my clit once more, making mee again.


    Holy fuck. When I finally came back down, I let out a breath, my eyes drifting shut.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I turned my head toward him. ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°Handing me control. I needed it tonight.¡±


    I touched his face, tracing my thumb across his lips. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    With a frown, he rolled over onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. ¡°Just work shit.¡± I sat up. ¡°Plus my shit, right?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I almost died in that fire.¡±


    He scrubbed a hand over his jaw, staring at me. ¡°Yeah. Losing you would¡¯ve broken me, Little Bird. I know this is a limited-time thing, but I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m going to be able to let you go if you do decide to end it. You¡¯re in my blood now, in my heart.¡±


    I shut my eyes and let his words settle over me. ¡°I don¡¯t n on going anywhere, Bane. You¡¯ve awoken something inside me, something that I¡¯m quickly bing addicted to, too.¡± He stared at me for the longest time, feeling him down deep in my soul.


    Shit, had I said too much? I didn¡¯t think so. He was as consumed by me as I was by him.


    Rolling off the bed, he helped me to stand. ¡°There¡¯s a bathroom through there,¡± he said, pointing to a door that had been painted the same deep red as the room. ¡°Take a shower. I¡¯ll wait for you here.¡±


    He caressed my ass gently. ¡°How¡¯s this feel?¡± ¡°A little tender.¡±


    ¡°I love the pink blush on your skin.¡± He kissed one cheek, murmuring, ¡°There¡¯s some numbing cream in the top drawer of the vanity. Put some on after the shower. It¡¯ll help¡±


    With a nod, I walked into the bathroom and shut the door. Pulling the drawer open, I found the cream and ced it on the marble vanity, then took a quick shower. After toweling off and applying some of the numbing cream, I got dressed and found Bane sitting on the edge of the bed, back in his suit once more.


    ¡°I¡¯ve asked Andy to take you back to my apartment,¡± he said, putting his phone back into his pocket. ¡°It¡¯s going to be ate night here.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be home as soon as I can, though. I need to be inside you again, Wren. Fuck, it¡¯s like I¡¯m an addict, and I need another hit already.¡±


    I smoothed the frown away from his face with my fingertips. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡±


    ¡°I know. You¡¯re the one thing I can count on now.¡± Capturing my hand, he kissed my fingers and stood, taking me with him.


    I looked around the room. ¡°What about¡­¡± I waved at the messed-up bed and the paddles still out.


    ¡°We have a cleaning staff. All I have to do is press the button on this side of the wall, and someone will be in here to sanitize everything for the next couple to enjoy.¡±


    Hitting the button on the wall as we left, Bane walked me back through the club. A lot of his dancers were looking at me strangely, but I ignored them. I turned my head when I heard shouting, though. There were a bunch of guys enjoying one of the dancers who was simting a blowjob on one of them.


    ¡°Bachelor party,¡± Bane told me. ¡°Things might get a little crazy here tonight.¡±


    As he passed the bar, he told the bartender to have a whisky ready for him when he returned. She nodded at him, then smiled at me.


    Outside, Andy was waiting for me at the curb.


    Bane imed my mouth in a bruising kiss. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tonight, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be the one in your bed,¡± I whispered back, enjoying the way heat shed in his eyes.


    ¡°Fuck yeah, you will.¡± Giving me onest kiss, he helped me in the car and then stalked them inside.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°Returning to Bane¡¯s?¡± Andy asked me when he was settled back into his seat.


    ¡°Please, Andy. Thank you.¡±


    He shot me a smile and pulled out into traffic. Given the time and the location, the streets were choked with cars, but Andy moved swiftly through the congestion, finding pockets and spaces to slide into to get us where we needed to go.


    I¡¯d just settled back into the chair when the car suddenly swerved into a car parked against the curb. With my pulse pounding in the back of my throat, I pulled myself forward to find Andy slumped over in the driver¡¯s seat, blood blooming on the front of his shirt. What the fuck just happened? I looked out the window to see if I could see the shooter, then screamed when someone opened the rear door and grabbed me by the back of the shirt. I was yanked from the car,nding heavily on the sidewalk where a man stood over me. With a cold smile that made fear skitter down my spine, he pulled me up and shoved a bag over my head. Thest thing I saw before being manhandled into another car was Andy¡¯s lips moving slowly and blood bubbling from the corner of his mouth.

 Chapter 72

    BANE


    I DIALED Andy¡¯s number and put the call on speaker. He hadn¡¯t texted me to let me know he¡¯d dropped Wren off at my apartment, and the guy was notorious for following orders to the letter.


    Hanging up, I tried again, but it simply went to voice mail. Fuck, where the hell was he?


    ¡°Everything all right, boss?¡± Dagger asked as he strolled into my office.


    ¡°Yes. No. Fuck.¡± I ran my hands through my hair. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t get a hold of Andy.¡±


    ¡°What was he supposed to be doing?¡±


    ¡°Dropping Wren off, but that was an hour ago.¡±


    Dagger pressed his lips together in a tight line. ¡°I¡¯ll follow it up.¡± He turned to leave, but I stopped him.


    ¡°What happened with Cox? Did she speak to you?¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    He peered at me over his shoulder. ¡°No, boss,¡± he replied, leaving me in the room alone with nothing but my fear. If something happened to Wren, I didn¡¯t know what I¡¯d do. But this was the risk of getting attached to one woman. They could be used as a weapon against you.


    Standing, I began to pace, running my fingers through my hair as a new reality settled over me- one where Wren could be hurt.


    Digging into my pocket, I pulled out my phone and dialed Hawk¡¯s number. It had almost rung out when he finally picked up.


    ¡°Bane,¡± he said softly.


    ¡°Have you heard from Wren?¡±


    ¡°No. Why?¡±


    I bit the inside of my cheek, stopping myself from screaming until I was hoarse. ¡°If you hear from her, let me know.¡±


    ¡°H-How is she? Is she staying with you?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s fine.¡± I hung up and contemted throwing the damn phone across the other side of the room. I refrained from the outburst, though. I needed the damn thing to keep in contact with Dagger. When the phone rang, I punched the green phone icon and put the device to my ear. ¡°Bane Rivera,¡± a man said. ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the man who¡¯s been picking your dealers off one by one. I¡¯m also the one who sent that fucking pitbull of a bitch, Cox, after you.¡±


    My hands balled into fists. There was only one man who had that kind of power. ¡°Sanderson,¡± I growled. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to talk about that little piece you¡¯re currently fucking. She¡¯s got a fucking nice mouth, doesn¡¯t she?¡±


    My shoulders tensed at the mention of Wren. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°I want you to get the fuck out of the drug trade in No Man¡¯s Land.¡±


    I bit back augh. ¡°Why would I want to do that? You might be killing my guys, but you forget that those fuckers are easily reced.¡±


    ¡°True, but I have a feeling recing the woman isn¡¯t.¡±


    I paused, all the air evacuating out of my lungs. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°You heard me. Recing her is going to be hard, although maybe not so much for you. You have all those women at your disposal. Surely, having one gone won¡¯t make much of a difference.¡±


    ¡°Where is she?¡± The words were ripped forcefully from my mouth. I didn¡¯t want to ask the question. I didn¡¯t fucking want to know that he had her, my Little Bird.


    ¡°She¡¯s safe¡­ for now. But her well-being does hinge on your cooperation.¡±


    My anger surfaced quickly, the switch of my self-control getting fucking flipped. Picking up the empty tumbler from my desk, I threw it at the wall and watched as the crystal shattered.


    ¡°Where the fuck is she?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to text you an address. You are to meet me there tomorrow at nine in the morning. And don¡¯t try to go there now. I¡¯m holding her somewhere else until our meeting.¡±


    I clenched my jaw. ¡°I want proof of life.¡±


    He was silent for a moment, then there was a beep. Pulling the phone away from my ear, I opened the picture that hade through and barked out a curse. Wren was sitting on a chair, a blindfold over her eyes, her wrists and ankles attached to cuffs. Blood was spattered over her shirt, neck, and face. There was blood running from her nose and somewhere near her hairline. She was slumped over, her shoulders and head rolled forward like she was unconscious. Putting the phone back to my ear, I snarled, ¡°If you harm another hair on her head, I will end you.¡±


    Sanderson chuckled. ¡°Whether or not I harm her again ispletely up to you, Rivera. You know what I want. If you want your bitch back, you will give me what I want.¡± There was a click, the line going dead. I clutched at the phone, resisting the urge to throw it against the wall as well. Fuck!


    Sanderson wanted me out, but I wasn¡¯t getting out of No Man¡¯s Land. I wed my way up in the business. I wasn¡¯t going to let some punk-ass bitch like Sanderson dictate what I could and couldn¡¯t do. But I also couldn¡¯t let him take his fucking rage out on Wren. I unlocked my phone once more, navigating through my call log until I found the number I needed and hit call.

 Chapter 73

    WREN


    MY ENTIRE FACE was throbbing in time with my heartbeat, the steady thump bringing me out of unconsciousness slowly. I tried to open my eyes, but there was something over them, myshes brushing against the rough material. Next, I tried to move my hands and legs, but I could only move an inch or so. It felt like a rope was wrapped around my wrists and ankles, keeping me bound to the chair.


    Licking my lips, I tasted blood and wondered where the hell it hade from. Was it from the sharp pain in my forehead, or was I bleeding somewhere else?


    ¡°Wren, stay still,¡± a familiar voice said.


    I froze in ce, hope settling in my chest with a warmth I wasn¡¯t sure I was ready for. ¡°Hawk?¡± I whispered. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Was he tied up beside me?


    Did this have something to do with him and his debts?


    ¡°Hawk?¡± I pushed when he remained quiet.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Wren.¡±


    I felt a frown form on my face. ¡°Sorry for what? What have you done now?¡± My stomach sank when he hesitated. Jesus Christ, what had he done? ¡°Does this have something to do with where you got that cash for Bane from?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± was all he said.


    Shaking my head, I told him, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. We¡¯ll both get out of this.¡±


    Fingers brushed against my cheek, and I jerked back. ¡°Only one of us will get out of this alive,¡± he said, kissing me on the cheek. The heat of his body disappeared just as suddenly as it had appeared, and dread wrapped itself around my heart.


    ¡°Hawk?¡± I screamed. ¡°Hawk!¡±


    My words echoed around a room that sounded as if it was empty, the tears that were sitting unshed in my eyes finally falling free.


    What the fuck had he done?


    Why was I tied to a chair?


    My tears turned into sobs that hurt me right down deep in my soul. Fear was my only friend now, and I did the only thing I could do. I clung to it.     I WAS AWAKENED AGAIN with a punch to the stomach. The pain made my vision blurry, the sound of my desperate breaths the only thing I could hear. Gasping inrge lungfuls of air, I thrashed in my chair, trying to move my body and convince my lungs to get with the fucking program.


    ¡°Hold her steady,¡± said a man.


    Hands were suddenly on my shoulders, pinning me back to the chair. I tensed, waiting for the next strike. Instead of intense pain, I blinked against the light of the room as my blindfold was removed. My eyes went straight to the man who looked like a poor imitation of Tony Soprano, hisrge belly tucked into a shirt that was straining against the buttons. His suit pants were loose, the cuffs pooling around a pair of cheap loafers.


    My eyes flickered over to who was standing beside him next.


    ¡°Hawk?¡± I asked. What in the actual fuck was happening? He wouldn¡¯t look at me. Instead, he kept his gaze locked on the concrete floor under his feet.


    ¡°Your brother works for me now,¡± the other man said. ¡°Don¡¯t you, Hawk?¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± he said softly.


    Swallowing down on my dry throat, I demanded, ¡°What have you done, you piece of shit?¡±


    My brother finally looked at me, sorrow and regret passing over his face before quickly being reced by cold indifference I¡¯d never seen before. ¡°I work for Sanderson. It¡¯s how I got the money to pay Bane back.¡±


    ¡°Your brother has been quite useful. He knew exactly where you¡¯d be.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°What¡¯s he talking about?¡±


    Sanderson chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to get Bane off my turf for over ten years. The bastard was locked down tight, though. There was nothing I could do to get to him until I started killing his dealers. That tripped him up, but it wasn¡¯t enough. Neither was the cop I sent for his throat.¡± He strolled toward me, tipping my chin up so he could look into my eyes. ¡°Until you, Wren. Until Hawk


    told me all about your arrangement with Rivera. That¡¯s when I knew I had him.¡±


    I nced at my brother. ¡°Bane told you?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°When you were at the hospital. He told me what you¡¯d done to save my ass. He told me you were his to use for two weeks. He told me you agreed to whore yourself out to him. For me.¡±


    Angerced his words, but I think they were more reflective of his own self-loathing. ¡°I couldn¡¯t let you die,¡± I replied. ¡°We stick together, right?¡±


    My words brought out a glimpse of the young boy my brother used to be, the one who had looked up to me, who used to turn to me for protection. My role had never changed, but Hawk had grown into a man who managed to fuck up in the same ways he did when he was a dumb kid.


    ¡°When Hawk found out what you¡¯d done, he came to me again. He wants to take Rivera down just as much as I do, so with his help, here we are.¡±


    I blinked as anger filled my veins. I turned back to Hawk. ¡°You did this.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t have you in his service.¡±


    ¡°I chose to go to him, Hawk! I tried, and I tried to find another way out of this bullshit, but in the end, I chose him. I want to be with him. Fuck, I love him!¡±


    Hawk¡¯s face drained of color as my words reverberated around the room.


    Sanderson began to chuckle. ¡°Oh, this is all too perfect. I can¡¯t wait to see his face when he finds you, beaten to within an inch of your life.¡±


    My pulse began to pound, drowning out nearly every other sound.


    ¡°And it will be your brother who will be delivering the punishment.¡±


    Hawk looked like he wanted to be sick, and I was right there with him. Sanderson was a fucking monster.


    ¡°Boss,¡± Hawk began weakly, but Sanderson waved off whatever he was about to say. ¡°You¡¯ll do this unless you want to be tied up right beside her? Maybe I should just let Bane take care of you.¡± Hawk¡¯s jaw bulged as he listened, and I begged him with my eyes, begged him not to do this.


    ¡°Bane will be here in an hour. Get to it,¡± Sanderson said, walking out the door of the storage locker.


    Hawk came toward me. ¡°Please, little brother, you can¡¯t do this.¡±


    Balling his hands into fists, he said softly, ¡°I have to, Wren. If I don¡¯t, I die.¡±


    ¡°So what, you¡¯ll kill me to save your skin?¡±


    When he only stared at me, I knew there was no saving him. My brother was lost, and I wondered what I¡¯d done to make him treat me like this. I¡¯d done everything in my power for him. I loved him when no one else would. I provided for him when we were on our own. I even gave him my share of the food when there was nothing else to eat.


    Raising my chin, I stared at him. ¡°Go on then. Beat your goddamn sister. Beat me until I can¡¯t get up again. Beat me to make survival easier for you. Fuck everyone else, is that right?¡± He balled his hand into a fist at his side. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Wren.¡± I cursed when he raised his hand to me.


    Then it was pain.


    That was all I could feel.


    Breathe.


    Taste.


    See.


    Pain.


    And then¡­


    ¡­ darkness.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

 Chapter 74

    BANE


    I COULDN¡¯T BELIEVE what I was doing. I¡¯d driven to the parking garage where Cox told me to meet her and am now sitting in the driver¡¯s seat while my knee bounced. Wren had been missing for nine hours, and not knowing whether she was still alive was killing me. Sanderson had given me the proof of life, but I didn¡¯t know what condition she¡¯d be in once this was all over.


    My gaze flickered to the rearview mirror when I saw another car appear at the top of the ramp. The parking garage was six stories high, and Cox was very specific about the location when I called her. Her blue unmarked car pulled in beside mine, the engine shut off, and she got out. I followed her movement around the back of my car, my finger still on my Glock bnced on my thigh. Dagger knew where I was and had very specific instructions about what to do if I didn¡¯t return.


    ¡°Mr. Rivera,¡± she said while she slid into the passenger seat. ¡°I must say¡­ your phone call has me intrigued.¡±


    ¡°I hope it¡¯s intriguing enough that you¡¯ll do everything in your power to ensure Wren Montana¡¯s survival.¡±


    ¡°It is. But to be sure, tell me everything again.¡±


    I ground my mrs together. This cunt was enjoying this way too much. ¡°Peter Sanderson has Wren.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    I stretched out my neck until I heard a pop, the tension in my body almost debilitating. ¡°She¡¯s being used as leverage against me.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    I wanted to wipe the smug smile off her face with a bullet. ¡°I¡¯ve been stepping on Sanderson¡¯s toes for ten years. I guess he¡¯s had enough.¡±


    ¡°Stepping on his toes, how? All you¡¯re giving me are cryptic statements, Rivera.¡±


    I mmed my hand against the steering wheel. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you want me to say.¡±


    ¡°You know¡­ I looked up Peter Sanderson. Aside from being an art collector, the guy is squeaky clean.¡±


    I turned my head to face her. ¡°Then you need to look a little harder.¡±


    ¡°How about you tell me what pies he¡¯s got his fingers in, then we¡¯ll go from there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a fucking rat, and I¡¯m not about to start now.¡±


    She smiled, shing her straight teeth. ¡°You are a rat, though. The only reason I came here was to get information from you. You mentioned something about those dealers getting killed. Are they yours?¡±


    ¡°I have noment on that. Even if they were, you don¡¯t have a fucking thing to tie it to me.¡± ¡°Lying by omission is still lying.¡±


    ¡°Lying by omission is the only way to stay breathing,¡± I sneered, cutting her with a sharp re. ¡°The dealers that have been hit. I can tell you who¡¯s been giving the orders.¡±


    She shook her head, her tightly bound hair catching the light of the interior lights. ¡°I want more than that. I need proof.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll find the proof waiting for you at this address.¡± I handed over the address Sanderson gave to me. ¡°Nine o¡¯clock tomorrow morning. Be there, and you¡¯ll get all the proof you¡¯ll need.¡±


    Her cool gray eyes studied the piece of paper. ¡°Is this legit, or are you sending me on a wide goose chase here?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°I guess the only way you¡¯ll know is if you go tomorrow. Now get out of my fucking car.¡±


    She tipped her head to me. ¡°Always a pleasure, Mr. Rivera.¡±


    I bit my tongue, swallowing back the barb I wanted to sling at her. As much as it pained me, I needed her on my side, at least until Wren was safely back in my arms. Cox mmed the door behind her, and I watched the woman get back into her car and drive away. I waited another ten minutes before I started the engine of my car, then left the garage, praying I¡¯d made the right call.


    A short timeter, I returned to the club, and Dagger was waiting for me.


    ¡°What have you got?¡± I asked as I walked through the mass of people. It was nearing midnight, the peak time for patrons toe in and enjoy the delights my Dolls could offer them.


    ¡°Andy was taken to the hospital with a gunshot wound to his chest. It missed his heart but hit a lung. The bastard is going to be okay.¡±


    ¡°And Wren? Have you heard anything about where she¡¯s being held?¡± If I could get to her before the meeting, things would be a hell of a lot better.


    ¡°Nothing. The streets are quiet, and Sanderson¡¯s men aren¡¯t talking either.¡±


    I eyed his clean clothes and still-wet hair. ¡°I take it you were persuasive enough.¡±


    ¡°Very, but nobody was pping their gums.¡±


    I jogged up the stairs to my office, and Dagger mmed the door behind him. ¡°We¡¯ll get her back, boss.¡±


    I spun around to face him. ¡°I know we will, then I will fucking decimate every single person who was involved in this. I don¡¯t give a shit if it starts a turf war or a goddamn nuclear war. Nobody takes what¡¯s mine. Nobody.¡±


    He stared at me for a moment.


    ¡°Fuck, just say it.¡±


    He folded his arms over his meaty chest. ¡°This woman, Wren, she means something to you.¡± ¡°And what if she does?¡±


    He raised a brow at me. ¡°You¡¯ve never had this before.¡±


    I turned to re at him. No fucking shit, I hadn¡¯t had this before. Loving someone was a fucking headfuck. I thought I only had enough room in my heart for Bianca and our mother. Then little Valentine came along, and that damn organ grew to epass her in my don¡¯t-fucking-mess-withthem bubble. And now, Wren. Wren, who had thergest fucking piece of my heart.


    Running my hands through my hair, I barked, ¡°Fuck.¡± I red at Dagger. Fuck him for bringing this shit up. Fuck him for pointing out the wounds, then prodding them to make them bleed. ¡°I fucking need her in my life, Tony.¡±


    Something like shock filtered through his expression, but he shut his emotions down tight before saying, ¡°That¡¯s all I need to know.¡± With a nod, he turned around and left me with thoughts spinning at a million miles a minute.


    If I didn¡¯t get Wren back, I didn¡¯t know what I¡¯d do. All I knew was that my chest was hurting with the thought she was in pain right now-pain I had caused her by simply being in her life. Sanderson used my feelings for her against me, and I heard that little voice at the back of my head whispering something like ¡®This is why we don¡¯t fall for a woman no matter how good her cunt is.¡¯ But Wren was different.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    She didn¡¯t want something from me that I didn¡¯t want to give. It was me who wanted everything from her-her attention, her love, her body. I wanted it all, and although that thought should¡¯ve frightened me to death, it didn¡¯t. It made me feel like I was whole for the first time in my life like there had been a gaping hole in the center of my chest that couldn¡¯t be filled no matter how many women I used, or how much coke I pushed, or how many blowjobs I got from my Dolls. Wren filled it with everything good in this world, and hungrily, greedily, I wanted more from her. I wanted it all because she made me feel like I could be a better man.


    WREN


    I COULDN¡¯T OPEN my eyes, even though I tried. I didn¡¯t know how long I¡¯d been unconscious, but I knew I¡¯de back around while I was still being beaten. I¡¯d heard my brother¡¯s sobs as he mmed his booted foot into my stomach and kidneys over and over again.


    Sucking in a breath, I let it out through my mouth. My nose was broken. Everything felt stiff like my blood had dried on my skin, caked-on in thick clumps.


    The concept of time was an elusive one. The storage locker didn¡¯t have any windows, and the only lighting in was from the slit under the door. I tried to lift my arms, only to find them bound to the chair once more. I checked my legs and discovered the same thing. Although where they thought I¡¯d go in this state, I didn¡¯t know.


    As I waited for someone toe and get me, I prayed it would be Bane. I needed to hear his voice again. I needed to smell the scent of his cologne, the scent of leather and gunpowder. I knew then he was the safety I¡¯d been chasing all my life. I tilted my head to the side when I heard a distant voice, then began to call for help when the voice got closer. If someone was trying to get something from their locker, they could be my way out of here.


    I sat up a little straighter when I heard scraping on the door, then braced myself for the light that would pour in.


    ¡°Nice work, Hawk,¡± Sanderson said, praising my brother for his handiwork.


    The sick fuck.


    ¡°Thanks, boss,¡± my brother mumbled.


    ¡°Get her up. We need to move her to a new location.¡±


    The ties around my wrists and ankles disappeared, and then the pressure of a gun barrel was applied to the back of my head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try anything,¡± an unfamiliar man said.


    A warm hand hooked under my arm, and I was brought up onto my feet. My knees buckled from disuse, and I fell to the floor.


    ¡°Fuck, Hawk, carry her out of here.¡±


    Hawk scooped me up into his arms, grunting a little with the effort. Even though I couldn¡¯t see his face, I positioned mine where I knew he would be. I wanted him to see what he¡¯d done. I wanted him to know that he¡¯d caused me this pain.


    ¡°You might as well just kill me,¡± I whispered, my speech slurred.

 Chapter 75

    Hawk stayed quiet as he walked me through the storage facility and out into the warm night air. I felt the humidity settle over my sensitive skin, the slight pressure making me moan. His unsteady footsteps and the faint rush of traffic were the only sounds I could hear. A van door slid open, and I was ced on the hard metal in the back. I sucked in a hiss as gravity took effect, making my aching bones groan in protest. The door was shut, and I was left in silence for a moment.


    I breathed through the pain savagely attacking my body, breathed through my wish to just end it all.


    No! I couldn¡¯t think like that.


    Bane needed me alive.


    He needed me breathing, so when he came to decimate these fuckers, he would have a reason to stop. If I died, there was no doubt in my mind he would lose his soul to avenge me. A tear leaked from the corner of my swollen eye. I¡¯d finally found someone who could love me unconditionally, and it turned out to be the one person I least suspected.


    The engine rumbled to life beneath me, and one door mmed shut. I moaned with every bump out of that storage facility, breathing easier once we were on the smooth road of the highway. The drone of the engine and the hum of the wheels over asphalt lulled me into a fitful sleep, one where I dreamed I was wrapped in Bane¡¯s arms instead of being sucked into this living nightmare.


    WHEN I WOKE UP AGAIN, I lifted my heavy head and tried to gain my bearings, even with how blind I was. We weren¡¯t in the van anymore. The air was cooler here, and I turned my face into a current that seemed to swirl above my head. Somewhere in the distance, the sound of sea birds fought with the nging sounds of shipping containers. I knew their cadence because Hawk and I had to sleep rough a few nights in winter one year, and we¡¯d found an old shipping container to stay in.


    I tilted my head to the side when I heard muffled voices.


    ¡°He¡¯lle,¡± Hawk said. ¡°He won¡¯t leave her here to die.¡±


    ¡°He fucking bettere, Hawk, or you won¡¯t be leaving this ce at all.¡±


    A heavy door opened in front of me. I lifted my head. ¡°Ah, she¡¯s awake.¡±


    I sat up a little straighter in my chair, lifting my chin in defiance. If they thought they could break me, Hawk hadn¡¯t told them about my stubborn streak.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡°Hello there, Sleeping Beauty,¡± Sanderson cooed, thenughed. ¡°Although a beauty, you aren¡¯t anymore.¡±


    I turned my face toward Hawk who was shuffling closer, getting a better look at what he¡¯d done. I bared my teeth at him, making Sanderson chuckle.


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve pissed off your sister,¡± he said, then ran his finger across my mouth. I tried to bite him, but he jerked his hand away in time. This made himugh again, the sound of it grating on my ears. ¡°I can see why Bane likes her in his bed. The bitch has spirit.¡±


    ¡°I have plenty of other things, too,¡± I snarled, hoping my bravado would work. Deep down, I was terrified. I was terrified of not walking away from this, or if I did, living with the knowledge that my brother-the only person who shared blood with me on this earth-had done this to me. And for what? Because he didn¡¯t like who I had to get in bed with to save his fucking life?


    ¡°It¡¯s almost nine,¡± Hawk said softly.


    Sanderson replied, ¡°Let¡¯s get in position. I want that motherfucker to give me what I want, and if he doesn¡¯t, then he¡¯ll be joining your sister at the bottom of the bay.¡±


    My heart mmed against my ribs, beating at the bone cage and demanding to be let out. Bane would never give them what they wanted. He was like a dragon guarding his gold. He was relentless in his efforts. Nobody would be allowed to swoop in and take what was his, and I was his.


    As they walked away, I listened as the door mmed shut behind them.


    I waited, my back ramrod straight, my breathing hoarse andbored. Outside, the world continued, ignorant of what was happening in here to me. The minutes dripped by, feeling like hours to me.


    Eventually, I heard the sound of sirens, nearly drowning out the distinct noise of cars pulling up outside, the tires crunching on the gravel right before the engines cut off.


    I lifted my head and looked in the direction of the door when it opened, letting out a sigh of relief when I heard a man say, ¡°LAPD, you¡¯re safe.¡±


    Tears leaked from my eyes as the officer came closer. He hadn¡¯t touched me yet, and the wait was driving me insane.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got EMTs on the way,¡± he eventually said from right beside me. Something cold pressed against my wrists, where they were bound behind my back. ¡°I¡¯m going to cut these ties off you, okay?¡±


    I nodded, the movement sending more tears down my beaten and bloody face. ¡°Do you know who did this to you?¡± Another nod, this time a wary one.


    Did I want to push my brother under the bus for his role in this?


    Could I?


    ¡°Who was it?¡± the officer asked gently. The knife sliced through the ties, and I brought my arms forward, massaging my wrists gently. The cop began working on the ties on my ankles. ¡°Who was it, ma¡¯am?¡±


    I opened my mouth, and a moan escaped me. Although I couldn¡¯t see them, I knew there were at least a few other people in the space with us now. I heard the scrape of their shoes, and the distinctive rattle of their weapon belts as they walked around.


    ¡°Cox,e and see this,¡± someone called.


    The sound of heels clicking over concrete grew louder as she walked into the room. There was a sound like a knife cutting through stic, then, ¡°Motherfucker. That cock-sucking motherfucker!¡±


    ¡°Is it pure?¡±


    ¡°As a virgin Colombian. Fuck!¡±


    ¡°Who does it belong to?¡±


    ¡°I need to get the paperwork on this warehouse. Find out who the fuck owns it!¡± Cox screamed, her voice ricocheting like a stray bullet. She marched from the room, leaving a couple of the officers muttering about how many pounds they estimated were there and who it could belong to.


    I tuned them out when the constriction around my ankles was suddenly gone, the blood flowing back into my feet with an almost painful rush. I moaned again, but this time it was in relief. The officer helping me didn¡¯t know that, though, and he shouted, ¡°Where¡¯s the goddamn EMT?¡± ¡°Two minutes out, Ward,¡± someone said.


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯ve broken any bones?¡±


    I took a moment to listen to my body. Besides the throbbing in my wrists and ankles, the sharp pain in my face from the beating, and my fear yanking on my self-control, I didn¡¯t think Hawk had broken anything.


    I shook my head.


    The officer, Ward, helped me stand, wrapping an arm around my waist and holding me up. ¡°Okay, the door is about thirty feet in front of us. Once we step through that, I¡¯m going to sit you down in one of the squad cars, and we¡¯ll wait there.¡±


    A small whimper threatened toe out of my mouth as we began to move, but I pressed my lips tightly together, refusing to let it out. It was a shuffled pace as we made our way outside. ¡°The car is another sixty feet away,¡± he told me. ¡°Can you make it?¡± I gave him a curt nod.


    The sun already had a bite to it, making me sweat immediately. When Hawk had said it was nine, I assumed at night, but clearly, I¡¯d been wrong. Ward opened a car door and then eased me inside. The interior was still cool from the air conditioning that had been running, and then a momentter, cold air was blowing over my face.


    ¡°This should keep youfortable while we wait,¡± he said. Touching my hand, he ced a bottle of water into it. ¡°I¡¯m just going to go and speak to the detective, then be right back. The EMTs shouldn¡¯t be long.¡±


    I opened the bottle and took a shallow sip just as an explosion threw me back into my seat.

 Chapter 76

    BANE


    MY HAND CURLED into a fist as I watched my brother-inw help Wren from the fucking warehouse. I was set up on an adjacent wharf, keeping tabs on everything that was going on. I knew Cox wouldn¡¯t have been able to walk away from the tip I¡¯d given her. I also knew it had been a fucking risk to even bring her into this. Sanderson was a vicious man. He would¡¯ve killed Wren whether I turned up or not. At least this way, my Little Bird was safe, I wasn¡¯t implicated and never would be if Cox was smart. I was sure she wouldn¡¯t reveal her source for this. She had too much on the line. Then again, so did I.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    I waited until James settled Wren into the back of a squad car with a bottle of water, then hit the proverbial red button of the detonator on my phone screen.


    The charges I¡¯d setst night came to the party. The explosion that was connected to my fingerwalking thundered through the port, making the seagulls that were steadily circling overhead cry out as they were knocked off course.


    The sound echoed around us, mes licking above the roofline of the building already. ck smoke billowed out from the building like a dying beast, mytest shipment of coke going up in smoke with it. I had about two billion dors worth in there with a street value of fifty billion.


    ¡°Was this necessary?¡± Dagger rumbled beside me.


    ¡°Nobody fucks with me, Dagger.¡± Jerking my head at the destruction of my property, I added, ¡°This will be a message to any motherfucker who thinks he cane in and take what¡¯s mine.¡± I turned back to the carnage, to the pieces of sheet metal that were strewn across the ground, to the fireball still erupting from the belly of the building to the ck smoke swelling high into the sky. Sanderson may have cost me fifty billion in coke sales, but I made sure I would fuck him up even more.


    When the text hade through with the address of one of my buildings as the meeting point, I¡¯d called in some fucking favors. Changing over the deed of ownership from me to Sanderson wasn¡¯t fucking hard. All it had cost me was one free year¡¯s membership at the Dollhouse, along with free drinks for that period too. I dly gave that up to fuck up the man who had taken Wren from me.


    Cox would¡¯ve had to have been blind not to see all that coke stacked up in there. The discovery had been made. Now it was time for Sanderson to fucking pay. As my gaze shifted away from my business loss, it settled on Wren. I¡¯d told my brother-inw to park as far away from the warehouse as he could and to make sure he was out of the st zone too. He hadn¡¯t asked why he¡¯d had to park so far away, but he¡¯d done as he was told, and thank fuck he did because it saved his and Wren¡¯s lives.


    The EMTs pulled in, their sirens screaming, their lights shing. James was still on his feet. However, the same couldn¡¯t be said for some of his brothers in blue. The st would¡¯ve taken out a couple of them, but their deaths would be pinned on Sanderson, not me. Not now. I turned my head when I heard Cox screaming at the EMTs toe and help her men. Soot covered her face, her suit jacket ripped and bloody. Her shoes hade off, leaving her barefoot in the rubble.


    ¡°We should go,¡± Dagger said. ¡°Before someone sees us here.¡±


    Nodding, I retreated to my car and got in the back seat. Dagger slid into the driver¡¯s seat.


    ¡°To the hospital?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s too soon. I need to get the call first. I can¡¯t be implicated in any of this.¡± And Jesus-fucking-Christ did it kill me. I wanted to go to Wren and hold her close, never let her go, but I couldn¡¯t. Not yet, anyway. And until Sanderson was arrested, I had to keep my eyes open. ¡°Back to the club,¡± I said. ¡°Then, we wait.¡±


    IT TOOK four fucking hours to get the phone call that Wren was safe.


    Four.


    Fucking.


    Hours.


    At that time, I¡¯d driven everyone at the club away from me. Even Dagger left me alone, and that bastard was practically with me twenty-four-seven. When I arrived at the hospital, I went straight into Wren¡¯s room. Nobody tried to stop me, and if they had, I wouldn¡¯t have been kept away for long.


    I sucked in a breath when I saw her in that bed. White sheets were pulled tightly across her body, the color a stark contrast to the bruising on her face. Both her eyes were swollen shut, the mottled purple bruises around the sockets alreadying out. She had stitches on her forehead, a busted-up bottom lip, and her neck was in a brace. My hands curled into fists at my sides, rage bubbling over in my veins.


    ¡°Bane,¡± she said in a breathy whisper. Was she awake? I stepped into the room and waited. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± She tilted her face in my direction. Reaching out a hand, she groped around blindly for me. As soon as my fingers touched hers, she sighed. ¡°You¡¯re okay.¡±


    I fell to my knees beside the bed, staring at this woman who was more concerned about my safety than hers. How the fuck could I keep her when my lifestyle and the choices I¡¯ve been forced to make put her in the crosshairs? ¡°I¡¯m okay, Little Bird,¡± I murmured. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve got me on some pretty good drugs right now, so not so bad. I just wish I could see.¡±


    ¡°Did they say how long it would be before the swelling goes down?¡±


    She swept her thumb over the back of my hand in a soothing motion. ¡°No, just that it will take time.¡± Her voice was soft-sad even.


    ¡°Who beat you, Wren? Was it Sanderson? If it was, I¡¯m going to hunt that fucker down and make him swallow the muzzle of my gun.¡± My free hand tightened with barely contained rage, that familiar feeling making its way through my body like a junkie getting their fix.


    One small salty tear fell from the corner of her eye,nding on the pillow and staining it pink. ¡°Hawk did this to me.¡±


    ¡°Your fucking brother?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    My gaze darted around the room, trying to fucking put all the pieces together. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°He said it was my life or his. He chose his.¡±


    I winced as the ws of my raging monster raked at the inside of my head. Her brother. Her brother had done this because he was too much of a fucking pussy to own his shit. No, he¡¯d rather let his sister, the only person in this goddamn world who gave two shits about him, take the fall for his fucked-up decisions.


    ¡°I will fucking end that motherfucking cunt!¡±


    I braced for Wren¡¯s objections, but they never came. ¡°I don¡¯t care anymore, Bane. I¡¯ve given my brother everything, and all he¡¯s handed back to me is pain and torment.¡±


    Getting back onto my feet, I palmed my phone, drawing it out of my pocket. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a minute, okay?¡± cing a gentle kiss on her forehead, I stalked from the room, down the busy hall, and out to the front of the hospital.


    Dagger picked up on the first ring. ¡°Boss? How is she?¡±


    ¡°Fine, no thanks to her fucking brother.¡±


    ¡°Her brother?¡± he asked. Iid it all out for him, how Hawk had borrowed money from Sanderson to pay me back. The fucker had also negotiated so much more than that because he became Sanderson¡¯s attack dog too.


    ¡°What do you need from me?¡± Dagger asked. The bastard always knew when it was time for action and not words.


    ¡°I need you to drag Hawk down to our usual spot and keep him conscious until I get there.¡±


    He hung up and strolled back into the hospital. When I returned to Wren¡¯s room, there was a nurse there checking over her chart. She was a little older, a little rounder, but thepassion on her face was undeniable. She gave me a warm smile as I shuffled over to the visitor¡¯s chair and pulled it closer to the bed.


    ¡°You must be her boyfriend,¡± the nurse said in a whisper. ¡°Your girl is a strong one. She¡¯ll pull through this just fine.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I nced back at the now-sleeping Wren, who had her face turned in my direction. It was killing me not being able to see her blue eyes.


    ¡°Do you need anything?¡± the nurse asked as she turned to leave. Oh, not much¡­ ¡­ the usual.


    Revenge.


    To spill Hawk¡¯s blood.


    To dick fuck the hole I was going to put in his skull.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°I have a feeling we¡¯ll be seeing each other a fair bit. If you or Wren need anything, my name is


    Patty.¡±


    With a nod and another smile, she was gone, and all I was left with was simmering rage that seemed to increase with every single beep of Wren¡¯s heart rate monitor.

 Chapter 77

    BANE


    I LEFT the hospital as soon as I got the text from Dagger. He had Hawk. The stupid fuck had been found holed up at his apartment. The asshole hadn¡¯t even fought as Dagger had dragged him to the warehouse where all the wet work was done.


    Dagger had the guy tied upside down over an old oil drum like a suckling pig waiting to go to ughter. He had no idea just how right that was. Dagger nodded when he saw me walk in, stepping back to watch the show. Hawk¡¯s eyes widened in terror when he saw me, moving his body spasmodically to get away from the death that was surelying his way.


    Pulling my Glock out from the holster under my arm, I shoved it into his mouth when he opened it to scream. Those blue eyes of his widened so much that I could see the whites all the way around.


    ¡°You signed your death warrant when you agreed to be Sanderson¡¯s bitch,¡± I snarled into his face. With my height and his suspension, we were nose to nose. I liked to watch the spark of life drain from a man¡¯s eyes as he died. I removed the gun far enough to speak. ¡°Have anything to say?¡± ¡°I did it to protect Wren,¡± he gasped.


    I rolled his words around in my head for a moment. ¡°You did it to protect Wren?¡± I wanted tough, then get down to that dick fucking in the hole in the side of his head, but I also wanted to hear whatever fucked-up, twisted reasoning he had for doing this to his sister.


    ¡°Sanderson was going to kill her outright, then leave her dumped outside the club to remind you who was boss.¡±


    I seethed but flicked my fingers to tell him to continue.


    ¡°I convinced him that this was a better n.¡±


    ¡°Beating and leaving her in my goddamn warehouse?¡± I barked, shoving the muzzle of the gun into his temple this time. My finger hovered over the trigger, thest thread of my self-control threatening to snap.


    ¡°He would¡¯ve killed her and waited for you to find her. I convinced him to kill her in front of you instead, to let you live with those memories.¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re generous like that,¡± I replied, my words with bite.


    I nced over at Dagger, whose expression was much the same. Anyone would¡¯ve thought he looked bored by what he was hearing if it weren¡¯t for the feathering in his jaw that gave him away. Returning my attention to Hawk, I shoved the gun harder into his temple, then withdrew it. Holding the gun down my thigh, I waited for him to spill more of his secrets. Men like Hawk-a hustler and a thief-always had more secrets to spill.


    ¡°Why did you go to Sanderson for that money?¡±N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Hawk closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. ¡°Sanderson approached me. He told me he¡¯d give me the money, but I had to work for him. If I didn¡¯t, he¡¯d destroy Wren and her business.¡±


    ¡°To get to me, right?¡±


    He nodded, the motion making him swing a little. ¡°He wanted you to suffer.¡±


    ¡°I wanted you to realize what a fucking mistake you¡¯d made,¡± a dark voice said behind us.


    I spun around to find Sanderson standing in the doorway of the warehouse. Dagger unfolded his arms and reached for the H&K slung across his body. Sanderson¡¯s gaze briefly flickered over to him before returning to me.


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t have just left shit alone, could you, Rivera?¡± He strolled casually into the room,ing a little closer. ¡°If you had, none of those kids would¡¯ve died. They would¡¯ve been working


    for me instead of you, but you had to flood No Man¡¯s Land with your cheap coke and cash in.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m a businessman, just like you. There was a hole in the market.¡±


    The other man ground his teeth. ¡°No Man¡¯s Land was something Manzetti and I agreed on. That territory put an end to decades of fighting between us, to bring peace back to themunity, then you swan in and start dealing, start taking our dealers from us.¡±


    I barked augh. ¡°You¡¯re whining to me like I give a shit. I don¡¯t, Sanderson. I don¡¯t give a shit that I¡¯ve stepped on your toes. You think I¡¯m some punk-ass bitch who doesn¡¯t know what he¡¯s doing? I know exactly what I¡¯m doing. I¡¯m building a fucking empire, and you and Manzetti are standing in the way.¡±


    His lips peeled back from his teeth. ¡°You¡¯re a little kid ying in the big boys¡¯ sandbox.¡±


    I shook my head slowly. No, I wasn¡¯t the kid here. I was the goddamn king. ¡°I hope you¡¯ve got all your affairs in order, Sanderson.¡±


    Flinty gray eyes clouded over with rage. ¡°If I don¡¯te back from this meeting, Manzetti has orders to bring you fucking down, to burn your empire to the ground.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about killing you, you egotistical fuck. I¡¯m talking about the cops arresting you for drug possession, intent to distribute, and the murder of three Los Angeles police officers.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± He narrowed his eyes. ¡°That was your warehouse. Your coke. Your fucking C4.¡± Laughing, he added, ¡°You fucked yourself up the ass with that stunt today.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°Maybe I lost myself some cash with those drugs going up in smoke, but I¡¯m happy with that decision because it wasn¡¯t my name on the deed to that warehouse. It was yours.¡±


    I watched as my words hit him, contorting his face into an ugly mask of rage. ¡°You motherfucker,


    I¡¯ll fucking end you.¡±


    He reached into his jacket and pulled out his Glock. I dove to the floor, crawling behind the oil drum underneath Hawk. Dagger pulled the trigger too, the sound of bullets ricocheting around the warehouse. Something wet hit me on the face, and I reached up to wipe it away, my fingersing back red. My gaze traveled up to find two holes in Hawk¡¯s body, one in his head, one that had gone through his chest and exited through his back.


    Gunshots were still bouncing around the space, and I cursed when even more joined them. It looked like Sanderson¡¯s men were here now too. Leaning around the drum, I squeezed off a couple of rounds, hitting one of the three neers in the thigh. With any luck, I hit the femoral artery, and he was well on the way to bleeding out. Ducking back, I tried to get a sense of where everyone was and in what kind of condition. I took another look to find Dagger taking cover behind two drums on one side of the warehouse while Sanderson and his two remaining men were on the other.


    Silence fell over the warehouse as each man reloaded, the distinct sound of metal sliding on metal piercing my eardrums. I checked my gun and found that I had at least another five rounds in there.


    I didn¡¯t have another clip, which meant I had to use what I had wisely. While there was a lull, I stood and ran to Dagger, sliding in beside him as a bullet pinged against the drum I¡¯d taken cover behind.


    ¡°Are you good?¡± I asked him.


    He grimaced but nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll take out the other two,¡± he said in a low rumble. ¡°You focus on


    Sanderson.¡±


    Bringing up my gun, I gave the signal, and we both stepped free of the drums. Dagger¡¯s submachine gun¡¯s ratta-tatta-tat was music to my ears. He easily mowed down one of Sanderson¡¯s men whose weapon had jammed on him. He fell to the warehouse floor in a tangle of bloody limbs. The other guy was proving more difficult. They both ran out of ammo at the same time, the men discarding their weapons and slinging fists this time.


    I came at Sanderson while he let his soldier fight for him. Zig-zagging toward him, he tried to shoot me, but every shot missed. Leaping on top of the drum he was taking cover behind, I unloaded what was left of my clip into the top of his head. Blood and gray matter sprayed, hitting me in the legs and torso. Sanderson fell to the concrete, his expression set in surprise.


    I turned to find Dagger and the other guy rolling around on the floor together, knives in their hands. Bringing out my knife from the sheath on my ankle, I dived into the fray, shing at Sanderson¡¯s man with precision. He was quick, though, and my underestimation of him earned me a sh across my chest. Blood welled, but the cut was shallow and didn¡¯t slow me down.


    We circled the fucker, feeling like we were in some 1950s gang film. The guy¡¯s brown eyes darted around the warehouse, looking for a way out.


    ¡°The only way out of here is in a body bag,¡± I growled.

 Chapter 78

    Flipping the dagger in his hand, he changed grip and came at me, shing. Leaning back, I missed each arc of his de, giving Dagger the advantage of distracting him. The guy was so focused on me, that he didn¡¯t see Daggering. Dagger sank his knife into the man¡¯s throat, driving the steel through the flesh where his shoulder and neck met. Blood spewed from the wound, gushing down to the dusty warehouse floor. He weaved on his feet for a moment, clutching at the wound like that would stem the flow. Staggering toward the door, he reached the handle and pressed it down. Dagger looked at me with his brows raised. I simply shook my head. There was no way this little fucker was walking out of here.


    Sanderson¡¯s man took a lurching step before falling face-first into the dirt. Blood pumped from his neck, pooling on the ground in a macabre ck puddle. Turning around, I looked at the carnage, then at the three corpses that weren¡¯t there fifteen minutes ago.


    Dagger strolled over to me, holding his stomach.


    ¡°Did you get hit?¡±


    He stared at me for a moment, the color draining from his face just before he copsed. I dove for him, catching him under my arm before he could hit the concrete. Easing him down slowly, I moved his hand out of the way, then lifted his shirt. Blood was pumping from a stomach wound.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Dagger wasn¡¯t going to make it if I didn¡¯t do something right now. Wiping my bloody hands on my pants, I pulled out my phone and dialed Andy. ¡°Boss?¡±


    ¡°I need medical,¡± I barked into the phone.


    ¡°On my way.¡± Andy hung up, and I pressed my hand against the hole in Dagger¡¯s stomach. I eyed the blood that already soaked through his ck shirt, knowing it was too much. He must¡¯ve been hit in that first wave of shooting before he could take cover. I looked behind me at Hawk, whose blood was draining into the barrel beneath him. His eyes were still open, watching me even in death. I would¡¯ve killed the bastard eventually, but it would¡¯ve been much slower and much more painful. The fucker had gotten off easy.


    Wren was going to be devastated by this news, though, and the thought of breaking it to her made painnce through me. I would protect her from everything if I could, but my life was dirty as shit, my business done in the darkness. Long ago, I¡¯d made peace with how I earned a living.


    Peddling pussy was great.


    It was legal.


    It was lucrative.


    Drugs, on the other hand, I got a high from selling them. There was so much money to be made, but so many lives got ruined by it too, like those of my dealers.


    I shook my head and pressed a little harder into Dagger¡¯s torso. It made him moan, but he was still out cold. Before Wren, I was hard, driven, and cold-blooded, but my Little Bird had opened my eyes to some shit that I can¡¯t ignore now. I couldn¡¯t ignore everything that had happened. Her brother was dead because of me. I looked down at Dagger. He might die because of me too.


    Dropping my head, I waited for Andy. And then I did something I hadn¡¯t done since I was a kid-I prayed. I pleaded with whatever entity out there or up there that Andy would arrive quickly.


    I looked toward the entrance when I heard a car pull up. A door opened and shut, then Andy walked in, a jump bag in his hand. He scanned the area efficiently and then came our way.


    He stopped on the other side of Dagger and motioned for me to move my hands. As soon as I did, blood gushed.


    ¡°I need to stop the bleeding,¡± he said, ripping open the medical bag and rummaging through it. He pulled out an endless mountain of gauze and then proceeded to rip the sterile packs open. I followed his lead, tearing open the stic and pressing the cloth to Dagger¡¯s wound.


    ¡°More pressure,¡± Andy barked, reaching one-handed into the jump bag again. Both our hands were slick with blood, and I wondered if this would cause Andy to have shbacks of his time in Afghanistan.


    He pulled out a disposable pre-filled syringe and then jabbed it into Dagger¡¯s thigh. I felt his body suddenly go limp beneath my hands.


    ¡°It¡¯s morphine,¡± Andy said. ¡°It rxed him.¡±


    ¡°How bad is it?¡± I asked, nodding down to the hole in Dagger¡¯s abdomen.


    ¡°GSW. Nicked an artery. Once I slow the bleeding, I¡¯ll turn him over and look for the exit wound. Just keep that pressure on there.¡±


    I did everything Andy asked of me, watching as more and more color drained from Dagger¡¯s face. His blood wrapped around him on the floor, creeping into my field of vision on all sides. Once Andy was satisfied the bleeding had slowed enough, I helped turn Dagger¡¯s body. Andy inspected his back and swore.


    ¡°The bullet didn¡¯te through. He needs surgery, and that is beyond my skills. He has to go to the hospital.¡±


    Fuck. I avoided them for my men when I could, especially when their wounds came from fucking shoot-outs with rival drug dealers.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get him to the car.¡±


    Together, we lifted and ced him in the back seat of the town car.


    ¡°Go,¡± I told Andy. ¡°I have to take care of this.¡± I gestured to the warehouse. Andy nodded, got into the driver¡¯s seat, and peeled out of there. Fuck, I hoped Dagger made it. He¡¯d been with me for years, and his loyalty wasn¡¯t something that could be easily reced.


    Stalking back into the warehouse, I pulled both of Sanderson¡¯s guys into the middle of the concrete floor, then dragged Sanderson¡¯s corpse out too. The next job was getting Hawk down. After moving the drum out of the way, I strode to the wall where the rope was tied off and began to undo it. As soon as gravity helped me, I stood back and watched Hawk flop to the floor. Picking up his hands, I dragged him into the pile of bodies, then stripped him out of my clothes, adding them to what was going to be a spectacr fire.


    Back out at the car, I cleaned my face with some pre-moistened towelettes, changed into a spare set of clothes I kept in the town car and then grabbed the red gasoline can and the matches. I spread the elerant around the building, making sure to soak the bodies the most. They needed to burn so hot that not even dental records could help them. Just for good measure, I ripped out a couple of the henchmen¡¯s teeth too.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    When the gasoline can was empty, I ced it by my feet and lit a match. Touching it to the line of gas I¡¯d made to the door, I grabbed the can and hauled ass out of there, taking cover behind the car. The fire that erupted from the warehouse burned hot, the heat singeing my face as I watched it engulf another one of my buildings-this one under a false name.


    ck smoke drifted up into the sky, the mes licked at the stars. I watched it for as long as I could, making sure every square inch of it was consumed by the fire. Content that nothing could get traced back to me, I got back in the car and drove away.

 Chapter 79

    BANE


    IT HAD BEEN twenty-four hours since the fire that consumed the bodies of four people who had every-fucking-thinging to them. I sat back in my office chair, scrolling through the news story on my iPad, looking for any hints that they were going to start sniffing around me. Absently, I scratched at the bandage taped to my chest, the shallow wound hardly worth fucking fussing over, but I didn¡¯t want blood leaking through my shirt.


    Andy walked into my office looking like he hadn¡¯t slept at all. He ran a hand through his dark hair and took a seat. In all the time he¡¯d been my driver, he¡¯d never set foot in my office, so it was strange to see him in here now. But the bastard deserved to be here. He¡¯d saved Dagger¡¯s life. He¡¯d gotten him to the hospital in time. Dagger had gone in for surgery to repair his liver that had been turned into a two-hole sieve with that gunshot wound. That, along with two blood transfusions, meant his injury was a bad one. He wasn¡¯t out of the woods yet, but apparently, the worst was over. The first twenty-four hours post-op were the most critical. Dagger was still breathing, so I knew he¡¯d pull through.


    ¡°You wanted to see me, boss?¡± Andy asked.


    I gestured to the seat in front of my desk, waiting until his ass was firmly nted before saying to him, ¡°I want to thank you for what you did for Dagger.¡±


    The guy shrugged like it was no-big-fucking deal. ¡°He¡¯s a brother.¡±


    ¡°You served in two different streams.¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°Army or Marines, we¡¯re both fucking brothers.¡±


    I leaned back in my chair and studied him. ¡°How would you like to work for me in a different capacity? Just until Dagger gets back on his feet.¡±


    Andy narrowed his eyes at me. ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°I need someone I can trust at my back. You¡¯ve proved that to me.¡±


    ¡°You need a new Dagger.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes. With Sanderson gone, Manzetti¡¯s a threat. I¡¯m not willing to give up my share of the drug trade to that Italian fuck. I need someone like you, someone who keeps his fucking head in a situation. There¡¯s a waring. I need my soldiers.¡±


    Andy thought about it for a moment. ¡°Who¡¯s going to drive your ass around town?¡±


    Throwing my head back, Iughed. ¡°I¡¯m sure we can find someone else.¡±


    ¡°I have a younger brother. Just discharged. Got wounded in Afghanistan and is trying to adjust to civilian life.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡±


    ¡°Max, but everyone in his unit called him Fox.¡±N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    ¡°Get him in here. I want to meet him.¡± Reaching into the top drawer of my desk, I pulled out a wad of cash and slid it across the tabletop. When Andy arched a brow at me, I said, ¡°You risked your life for me. I reward people for their loyalty.¡±


    Andy¡¯s gaze fell on the money before flickering back to my face. ¡°I don¡¯t need your cash for doing my job, Mr. Rivera.¡±


    ¡°Take the fucking money, Andy. Donate it to charity. Whatever the fuck you want to do, but take it.


    You went above and beyond, and I thank you.¡±


    After a long while, he reached across the desk and picked up the cash. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°When could your brother start?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll call him today. He should be good to go in the next couple of days.¡± ¡°Good.¡± I stood and buttoned my suit jacket.


    Andy did the same. ¡°How¡¯s Wren?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to go and see her now.¡±


    ¡°Does she know about¡­¡± His question drifted off when I shook my head. I¡¯d told Andy everything that had happened in that warehouse. I¡¯d dragged him into the sitch, so it was only right that he knew who the bodies belonged to. ¡°I¡¯m going to tell her now.¡±


    Andy stared at me a little longer before turning around and walking to the door. ¡°She loves you, you know.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Wren. She loves you. You¡¯ve never dated. You¡¯ve just fucked the woman you wanted. And then those women turned into fucking basket cases when you said you didn¡¯t want more. But you want more with her because Wren isn¡¯t anything like those women. Don¡¯t do what I did and fuck up a good thing.¡±


    I tried to tamp down the hope that lit up my chest. There was no ce for love in my life, at least that¡¯s what I thought. Wren did more than turn my life upside down when she came storming into my office that day. She fucking lit a match and watched me burn-burn for her.


    ¡°Call your brother,¡± I told him gruffly.


    Andy left my office, and I grabbed the tumbler of whisky off my desk. His words were still pinging around in my head. Wren and my rtionship was based on an agreement-a sneaky-as-shit way to get into her pants. I¡¯d wanted her the moment she set foot in my office, but the more I got to know her, the more I touched her, the more I got lost in her, the more I wanted.


    Was it love? Fuck, I didn¡¯t know.


    I wasn¡¯t sure I could love a woman like that. Bianca was different. She was my sister, so the love we shared was familial.


    Our father had been incapable of showing real love, and our mother was a shell of the woman she used to be. I¡¯m sure she did love our father at one point, but that love had been beaten down and trodden on until there was nothing left by an emotionally broken woman.


    I would never raise a hand to Wren. It would kill me. I needed her safe. I wanted her to be with only me-not because of some fucking agreement-but because she wanted to be with me. To love me. To fucking give me the life I had only ever dreamed about.


    cing the tumbler back on the desk, I grabbed my phone and stalked from the office. Andy was waiting by the car at the curb when I stepped from the club. Wordlessly, like he knew exactly what was going through my head, he opened the rear door, and I slid inside.


    WREN WAS awake when I walked into the room, smiling at something the nurse said.


    ¡°Mr. Rivera, nice to see you again,¡± Patty stated, her eyes crinkling in the corner.


    ¡°Nice to see you, too,¡± I replied, my full attention on Wren who was sitting up in bed. Some of the swelling around her eyes had disappeared, but she still couldn¡¯t see. Holding out her hand to me, Iced our fingers together as I sat beside her on the bed.


    ¡°How are you, my little bird?¡± I asked, brushing her knuckles against my mouth.


    ¡°Okay. Still drugged up, so can¡¯t feel much.¡±


    Patty said, ¡°I¡¯lle in and check on you a littleter, Wren.¡±


    And with that same efficiency, she left them along with the scent of the breakfast Wren had been served a few hours earlier.


    I had to tell Wren what had happened to her brother. It was her right to know, but I had no fucking idea how I was supposed to broach this subject with her. I was so far over my fucking head. I¡¯d crossed so many lines-with her, with my own life, and my business-with everything that used to be clear-cut ck and white now had shades of gray.


    I sucked in a breath and let it out. ¡°I found Hawk.¡±


    She stiffened. ¡°You did?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I studied her face, knowing that this could break us. ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡±


    An anguished sob was torn from her throat, her hands covering her mouth as tears streamed down her bruised and swollen face. I reminded myself that Hawk had been the one to put those bruises there, which helped me to say, ¡°Sanderson shot him after he spilled everything to me.¡± ¡°Jesus,¡± she whispered.


    I brushed the tears from her face with my thumbs, cursing myself out when she winced from the touch.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    I opened my mouth, then shut it. I couldn¡¯t lie to her about this. If she was going to stay with me, she needed every single dirty detail. She had to have all the information to figure out whether I was worth the heartache.


    ¡°Dagger found him. I went to speak to him, and he told me he¡¯d been working for Sanderson. Sanderson wanted to fuck me up the ass, so he used your brother to do that by getting to you. He said¡­¡± I hesitated because the truth could be ugly sometimes, and I knew I never wanted Wren to hear something hurtful but, ¡°¡­ he said Sanderson would destroy you if he didn¡¯t work for him. The n was to kill you in front of me to make me suffer, knowing that my blood was on your hands.¡±


    ¡°He said that?¡±


    I rubbed at the spot in the middle of my chest, trying to massage away the pain she was feeling. ¡°Yes. Sanderson eventually showed up and told me it was all to get me out of the drug trade. There was a gunfight.¡±


    Wren looked up suddenly, her face twisted in agony. ¡°Are you hurt? Did you get shot?¡±


    I touched the bandage over my chest. ¡°No. I got out okay. Dagger, not so much. He¡¯s recovering in another ward.¡±


    Her head dropped into her hands, and she began to weep. Rubbing her back, I said softly, ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s over now.¡± I hesitated over the words I was about to say to her, though. Any sentiment that I was sorry for Hawk¡¯s demise was a fucking lie, but Wren loved him even if he was a fucking asshole. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your brother, too.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she whimpered. ¡°I did not like the man he¡¯d be, but I still loved him.¡±


    ¡°I know you did.¡± Moving farther up on the bed, I continued to rub her back, hoping the motion would calm her sobs and dry her tears. As I waited, I watched the clock on the wall. The big hand moved a full two revolutions before she was finally silent, and I was pretty sure that was because she¡¯d fallen asleep. She turned her face toward me, her cheek resting on the top of her knees. She was struggling to open her eyes. Leaning forward, I kissed the tender flesh, tasting her tears.


    ¡°I have to organize a funeral for him¡­ although where I¡¯ll get the money to pay for that, I don¡¯t know. Maybe give up the shop?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nobody left to bury,¡± I said, kissing the top of her head, hoping she understood.


    ¡°But you said-¡±


    ¡°I said he was shot, yes, but so were three other people¡­ the kind of people that the cops would be very interested in finding.¡± Please read between the lines, Little Bird.


    ¡°Oh,¡± she eventually said. She took in a shuddering breath and let it out.


    ¡°We can still have a memorial for him.¡± Even making the suggestion made my stomach turn. Hawk¡¯s actions against his sister made him my enemy number one, and I gave zero fucks to people who liked to fuck over their own family.

 Chapter 80

    She nodded, then turned to look out the window. Fuck, that motion yed me. She couldn¡¯t even fucking look at me right now, and she didn¡¯t even know the full truth about how Hawk ended up there in the first ce.


    ¡°Little Bird?¡± I murmured. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Her reply was a bare whisper, hardly big enough to take notice of, but I did because I fucking loved this woman. I was consumed by her. She fed me life just as much as the blood in my veins did.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to take you home.¡± To make love to you. To love on you. To fucking marry you. I didn¡¯t say all that to her even though I wanted to. I should¡¯ve been fucking terrified even to be thinking about marriage, but I knew what I wanted with Wren. I didn¡¯t want an agreement for two weeks. I wanted her entire fucking life, and I wanted her to share it with me. If she agreed, she could stay with me forever. I could buy the entire goddamn block where her shop was if she wanted to continue, but mostly, I wanted her at home with her stomach growing with new life-a life we created together.


    I realized as I burned the warehouse that my life had always been about instant gratification. The women, the drugs, the fucking power that rode my veins when I got my way. Wren made me work damn hard to get her, and I would work hard every damn day of my life to keep and make her happy. I was willing to give away that instant high for her. She was my high. She was in my veins, and I


    wanted her to stay there. I needed to wake up beside her, to fuck her dirty when I needed it, to slow things down, and make love to her when she needed it.


    I just needed her.


    ¡°Marry me, Little Bird.¡±


    She stiffened at my words, turning her battered face toward me. ¡°Marry you?¡±


    I licked my lips. Was I fucking ruining everything here? ¡°I love you. I need you in my life. I want to protect you, so you¡¯ll never have to go through shit like this ever again.¡±


    Tears streamed down her cheeks, and I brushed them away. ¡°I-¡±


    I silenced her with a kiss. ¡°You don¡¯t have to answer now. Not this second while everything is still so raw. But I want you to be my wife.¡±


    Wren deepened the kiss, sliding her tongue against mine as that familiar spark between us shed to life and sent us careening down a path of desire. I clutched her shoulders, holding her to me because as much as I wanted to wrap my hand around the back of her neck and control her, I couldn¡¯t.


    With a groan, I pulled away. I didn¡¯t want to walk out of here with my dick tenting my fucking pants. Panting, I studied her red mouth, her lips swollen from our bruising kiss. Her breaths were heaving from her too, the passion that tried to consume us not letting go just yet. Pressing my forehead to hers, we stayed like that for a moment.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said softly.


    Tilting her face toward me, I asked, ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I want to marry you, Bane. I fucking love you, too. Even though you¡¯re arrogant and cocky, I wouldn¡¯t give you up after two weeks. How could I, after you owned my heart and soul when you took me in and cared for me after the break-in at my apartment?¡±


    That statement brought reality back down on me with a crash. ¡°That fire at your apartment¡­ it wasn¡¯t a random thing. One of my ex-dolls lit it. She was insanely jealous that you¡¯d managed to catch and keep my attention.¡±


    Wren¡¯s mouth popped open in a little O. ¡°What did you do when you found out?¡±


    I nced away from her face. Even though she couldn¡¯t see me, I still hated that she knew about this filthy fucking side of me. ¡°She was taken care of.¡±


    Before she could withdraw, I kissed her again, drowning out all thoughts of the shit that happened to me daily. All that mattered now was that Wren had agreed to be my wife.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even have a ring,¡± I mumbled against her lips.


    She smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t need a ring.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you fucking do. I need every man who looks at you from now on to know you¡¯re mine, and


    I¡¯m fucking yours.¡±


    Even though she wouldn¡¯t listen to my protests, she mbered onto myp, straddling my waist. Stroking my face, she smiled again. ¡°I love it when you go all alpha on me.¡±


    My dick jumped at the implication, making her groan. ¡°I want to fuck you so bad, Wren, but we can¡¯t here. Not now.¡±


    She winced as I helped her resettle on the bed. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right.¡±


    Iid beside her, turning onto my side and stroking my fingers down her arm. ¡°Do you know when they¡¯ll discharge you?¡±


    ¡°Patty said it might be a couple more days. They¡¯re waiting to see if I have any internal bleeding that the swelling is masking, although if I did, surely that would¡¯ve shown up by now.¡±


    I kissed her temple, inhaling her scent. It was faint thanks to the hospital sponge baths she¡¯d been having, but I still fucking drew in her vani scent, letting it soothe the monster in me. ¡°I¡¯ll let you get some rest, then.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡±


    ¡°No, Little Bird. I¡¯ll be sitting right beside your bed watching over you.¡±


    She rxed, her breathing evening out a lot more quickly than I would¡¯ve expected. I moved from the bed and quietly ced the chair beside it, watching her rest and heal. I couldn¡¯t wait to bring her home, tovish all my attention on her. Fuck, maybe she¡¯d let me buy her some furniture she liked to fill my apartment. I wanted Wren to put her mark everywhere in my life.


    Folding my arms over my chest, I shut my eyes for a moment. Everything was okay in my world for now. Wren was safe. She¡¯d agreed to be my wife. Sanderson and his cocksucking men were dead, and my drug trade could expand into the vacuum his death created. Although the tragedy of Hawk¡¯s death had hit Wren hard, she would ovee that because my girl was a fucking fighter. Just like me.


    I WOKE UP SUDDENLY, unsure why. Turning my head, I figured it out pretty fucking fast. Someone had draped a thin hospital nket over me, and I shoved it off as I stood. Cox was standing in the doorway of Wren¡¯s room, staring at her with a look of consternation on her face.


    Taking her by the elbow, I drew her outside, ncing up and down the empty hallway.


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I heard your girlfriend was still here, so I thought I¡¯d drop by for a visit.¡±


    The way she watched me was unnerving, but you never showed weakness in front of the enemy.


    Folding my arms, I demanded, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°I came to see if you knew anything about a warehouse fire today down by the docks.¡±


    ¡°And why would I know anything about that?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re a fucking snake, Rivera, and I want to cut the head off the snake.¡±


    I wanted tough in her face, but I kept my shit together. ¡°How were the funerals for those men who got killed in the explosion?¡±


    Her gray eyes darkened off to a roiling storm. ¡°Three of my finest men were killed in that fucking disaster of a rescue of your woman.¡±


    ¡°And for that, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know what Sanderson was going to do. I¡¯m just d Wren was pulled out of there before it happened.¡± The lies fell off my tongue so easily. ¡°Speaking of Sanderson, have you arrested him yet? There are some serious charges against him, right? Drug possession, intent to distribute, manughter.¡±


    ¡°Murder,¡± she hissed. ¡°He murdered my men.¡± She worked her jaw like she wanted to say more. ¡°But no, we haven¡¯t seen him. Even his ex-wife hasn¡¯t heard from him, and he usually takes the kids on the weekend. The bastard didn¡¯t show up to pick them up.¡±


    I shrugged, the smirk on my face hard to wipe away. ¡°What can I say? Some men are fucking useless fathers. You got any kids, Cox?¡±


    She red at me. ¡°Do I look like I have time for kids?¡± ¡°You look like you have time for casual dick,¡± I retorted.


    Her cheeks pinked up a little, and I knew I had her. ¡°Fuck you, Rivera.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not my type, sweetheart. Now, if there¡¯s nothing else you have to say to me, I¡¯m going to go back in there¡­¡± I jabbed at Wren¡¯s room, ¡°¡­ and keep watch over my woman.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be seeing you around, Rivera. I know there¡¯s more going on here. Plus, I think we could use someone like you helping behind the scenes.¡±


    Anger curled in my gut. ¡°I¡¯m not a fucking informant, and I wouldn¡¯t flip anyone for you.¡±


    ¡°So why did you approach me to go rescue Wren Montana?¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡°Because I couldn¡¯t fucking go near that ce. Sanderson has a fucking target painted on my back. If I¡¯d gone, Wren would¡¯ve been killed to spite me. I couldn¡¯t risk that.¡±


    Her eyes widened a little before a sly smile formed on her lips. ¡°Look at that, Bane Rivera does have a heart.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I do,¡± I spat back. ¡°And it¡¯s as ck as yours. Fuck off, Cox, and don¡¯t approach me again unless it¡¯s to beg me for a job at the Dollhouse.¡±


    I walked back into the room, angry energy working through my body. The muscles in my shoulders were tense-I could feel them all locking down one after the other after the other. Cox was a fucking cocksucking cunt that I needed out of my fucking hair. Killing her was off the table, but maybe feeding her scraps of information was a middle-ground I hadn¡¯t considered. I wasn¡¯t going to rat out on any of my associates, but anonymous tips might be enough. Fuck, that was a problem forter.


    Right now, all I needed to concentrate on was making sure my Little Bird made it home.

 Chapter 81

    WREN


    Two Weeks Later¡­ I SMOOTHED down the navy blue princess dress I was wearing, touching the frothy knee-length skirt. The opaque sleeves covered easily the remainder of my bruises, the ones my brother had inflicted on me. Tonight, we were going to Bianca¡¯s house for dinner. I hadn¡¯t known it at the time, but her husband had been the one to pull me out of that warehouse. He had saved my life, and for that, I was eternally grateful.


    I smiled when Bane walked into the bathroom. He looked good in his suit, but he looked even better when he was dressed casually. The sleeves of his tee were pulled tight against his biceps, the fabric skimming down over his toned stomach and ending at the waistband of his jeans.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that, Little Bird, unless you want me to spin you around so you can watch me fuck you in the mirror.¡±


    Heat flooded my body at his filthy words, and I spun around, tilting my hips in his direction, daring him to do just that. His eyes darkened, then he was on me, one hand under my skirt, the other wrapped around my throat. He tilted my head to the side, exposing my neck to him. Running his nose along the space between my shoulder and behind my ear, he inhaled deeply, his cock pressing into my ass.


    Burrowing his hand under the barely-there fabric of my panties, he stroked my pussy before sliding a finger inside me. We both groaned. ¡°You¡¯re so wet for me already.¡±


    I pushed back against him, looking for more of what only Bane could give me. ¡°I¡¯m always wet for my fiance.¡±


    ¡°Fuck, I love the way that sounds on your lips.¡± He ripped my panties off and pped my ass. The shock of the sting turned me on even more. Bane fumbled with the zipper on his jeans, finally lowering it and springing free his cock. Then he brushed the head of it against my pussy, the sensation making my knees buckle.


    He mmed into me without any warning, anchoring one hand on my hip and keeping the other one wrapped around my throat. I watched him in the mirror with half-lidded eyes, enjoying the way he let his savage side take over when he fucked me. He was relentless with his thrusts, each one getting him further and further inside me. He marked me as his, and I screamed out his name as I came. Bane roared his release, and both of us left breathing heavily, still connected. When he finally slid free, he took the hand towel off the rack and cleaned me.


    I ced my hand on his hand as he held me steady, his steady gaze falling to the engagement ring now on my finger. I hadn¡¯t wanted anything ostentatious, but Bane wouldn¡¯t hear of anything else. He wanted me to get a rock, one that showed everyone who I belonged to. That was how I ended up with a bright blue sapphire, the same color as the little bird I was named after.


    ¡°That looks fucking amazing on you,¡± he said, standing up and catching my mouth in another kiss.


    ¡°You look fucking amazing on me,¡± I replied, making him smile.


    ¡°Are you ready to go?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°You ripped my panties. I need to get another pair.¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡°Go bare,¡± he said as I went to move past him. He sank his fingers into my ass as he spun me into his hips. ¡°I love to know I can have ess to you whenever I want.¡±


    ¡°Bane, I can¡¯t do that.¡± Gesturing to the skirt of the dress, I added, ¡°This thing won¡¯t cover a damn thing.¡±


    ¡°Fuck,¡± he muttered, pressing our foreheads together. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just have to wait for you again.¡±


    Getting up onto my toes, I brushed my mouth against his and sauntered into the walk-in closet. ¡°It didn¡¯t stop youst time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you had me hooked then. I needed another taste.¡±


    ¡°And now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a full-blown junkie now, Little Bird, but I wouldn¡¯t change it for all the world. I fucking love how addicted I am to you.¡± He osted me in the closet, pushing me up against the wall. ¡°I fucking love you.¡±


    My fingers curled around the base of his neck. ¡°I fucking love you, too, Bane.¡± I slipped from his grasp,ughing when he growled. ¡°Bianca will be wondering where we are.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just tell her I was ravaging my fiancee. She¡¯d understand.¡±


    Grabbing my clutch, I looked at him, letting my gaze drift down his amazing body. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t.


    Come on. You can get your hands on me after we¡¯re done.¡±


    Marching toward me, he wrapped his hand under my jaw and held me in ce. A thrill of lust shot through me, making me squeeze my thighs together. ¡°I¡¯ll never get enough of having my hands on you,¡± he said in a low, rough voice-a voice that came more from the darkness in him that I knew existed. His lips were an all-out assault as he took my mouth, plunging his tongue inside with a barely restrained rhythm.


    Wrapping my legs around his waist, I ground my pussy against the bulge in his jeans, trying to find more friction to work with.


    Bane chuckled. ¡°I thought we had to go.¡± Sucking on my neck, I tilted my head to the side to give him better ess.


    ¡°I need you more.¡± I gasped when he slid his hand between us and brushed a knuckle against my already-soaked pussy. ¡°I guess you do.¡±

 Chapter 82

    WE WERE over an hourte for dinner. Bianca only gave me a knowing smile when we walked in before pulling me into a fierce hug.


    ¡°I¡¯m so d to see you looking and feeling better.¡± ¡°I do,¡± I replied with a smile.


    ¡°Now, show me this rock my brother got you.¡±


    I showed her my ring finger, tilting it side to side so the light would catch the blue fire of the stone.


    ¡°Damn, Bane, you must love this woman.¡±


    He wrapped an arm around my waist, dropping a kiss on my shoulder. ¡°More than my own life,¡± he told his sister.


    His words made me glow with love. ¡°It¡¯s more than I wanted,¡± I told Bianca. ¡°But Bane has a stubborn streak a mile wide.¡±


    She chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t I know it? And don¡¯t even bother to try and deter him from buying you things.¡± She gestured to her house. ¡°See? I mentioned I loved this house once, and he goes and buys it for me.¡± She shook her head and turned around. ¡°Come into the kitchen. Dinner will take a little while to heat back up.¡±


    I grimaced. ¡°I¡¯m sorry we werete. We-¡±


    ¡°I was screwing my fiancee like she deserves to be,¡± Bane cut in. I shot him a re, and he grinned.


    I looked at Bianca helplessly, but she onlyughed. ¡°I remember when James and I were like that, always wanting to get naked and fuck.¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± Bane said, a little pained. ¡°I do not need to know about you and James fucking.¡±


    ¡°And why not?¡± James said, walking into the kitchen with Valentine in his arms. ¡°If we didn¡¯t, we wouldn¡¯t have our gorgeous girl here.¡± Passing her to Bane, he added, ¡°Hold her for a bit. She¡¯s missed you.¡±


    Bane became putty in Valentine¡¯s presence, hisplete focus on her.


    ¡°Congrattions,¡± James said softly.


    I spun to face him, feeling a blush creep up my cheeks. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Would you like some wine?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love some.¡± I looked back at Bane to find him deep in a game of peekaboo with his niece. I trailed after James, smiling when he handed me a ss of red wine. ¡°I never got to say thank you, James.¡±


    He paused with his bottle of beer almost at his mouth. ¡°Thank you?¡±


    ¡°For saving me that day¡­ from the warehouse.¡±


    He took a sip of his drink, and ten then the bottle down. ¡°I was just doing my job, Wren.¡±


    Shaking my head, I tried to keep the tears at bay, but it was a battle I had no hope of winning. They came, making him step closer and rest a hand on my forearm.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I whispered, ncing at Bane to see if he¡¯d noticed. He¡¯d be overprotective since I¡¯d been discharged from the hospital, and if he saw me crying again, he was liable to lose his shit at his brother-inw. ¡°I can¡¯t help but feel so guilty. Three of your colleagues died in that explosion.¡±


    James looked over his shoulder at his wife, who was stirring a pot of sauce. When his eyes returned to me, he said, ¡°Hey, don¡¯t feel guilty for that. They were just doing their job. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m going to miss every single one of them, but they knew what they were doing. Every time we go out on a job, we know what we¡¯re risking.¡±


    I wanted to believe what he was saying but discovered I¡¯d been having these real lows where guilt would crash over me. Bane usually made love to me until the feeling passed, but being with James now brought it all home.


    Bianca would¡¯ve been a widow if things had been different.


    Valentine would¡¯ve lost her father.


    I wouldn¡¯t be here if things had been different.


    I felt the weight and familiarity of Bane¡¯s arm around my waist, his scent swirling in the air. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked, his eyes serious.


    I nodded. ¡°Yes, just having a low moment.¡±


    ¡°You might want to think about getting some therapy,¡± James said. ¡°Some of the guys at work¡­ some that were on that job, are seeing the departmental shrink, and they¡¯ve all been much happiertely.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a terrible idea at all. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll look into it.¡± Shaking myself, I tried to move past the crushing weight I felt in my chest and focused on what was happening now. ¡°And how is Miss Valentine?¡± I asked, stroking the little girl¡¯s cheeks. Her mouth flexed into a small smile.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you hold her?¡± Bane suggested, already positioning her so I could take her. I wasn¡¯tfortable with kids, with babies even less so. I was always worried I¡¯d drop them. Bane nodded in encouragement when I stared at him with wide eyes.


    ¡°Okay.¡± As I epted the small bundle, I stared down at her face, waiting for the tears. She stared up at me with her calm midnight-blue eyes, and I wondered what the fuss was all about.


    ¡°You look good with a baby,¡± Biancamented, and I jerked my head up to stare at her.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so,¡± I replied too quickly. My gaze flickered to Bane who was staring at me, watching me with an intensity that made my breath catch.


    Clearing my throat, I handed Valentine back to him. Leaning in, he whispered into my ear, ¡°I can¡¯t fucking wait to see your belly swelling with my baby.¡±


    I shivered, taking another sip of my wine. Babies were never supposed to be in my future. It wasn¡¯t what I wanted, and I think that all stemmed from my childhood. I was terrified of leaving them alone out in the world. Hawk and I had to fight for every scrap, and that was something I never wanted a child of mine to endure. As I looked at Bane, I realized any children we did have wouldn¡¯t ever be left wanting. Bane had more than enough money tost him a half-dozen lifetimes, and if anything were to happen to us, Bianca and James would be there, of that I was sure.


    ¡°So, have you made any wedding ns yet?¡± Bianca asked me while moving back into the kitchen. She pulled open the oven and brought out a tray ofsagna. The scent of oregano and garlic filled the air.


    ¡°No. None yet.¡±


    She gave me a warm smile. ¡°You weren¡¯t one of those girls who dreamed of their perfect wedding either?¡±


    ¡°God, no. I was focused on surviving.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you if you like. I may not have nned it out when I was a kid, but I sure got into the wedding spirit after James proposed.¡±


    Taking another sip from my wine, I nodded. ¡°I¡¯d appreciate that. Thank you.¡±


    When Valentine began to fuss, James went and took her to bed, leaving Bane and me sitting together in the family room while Bianca prepared some sds. He pulled me down onto hisp, resting one hand on my thigh and the other around my waist.


    ¡°Did you want to have children?¡±


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought about it too much,¡± I replied. ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t until I just saw you with Valentine. You have no idea how much of a turn-on it was to see you holding her.¡± Picking up my hand, he ced it on his cock. I ran my fingers along his hard length, enjoying the way his eyes rolled back in his head. His fingers tightened on my thigh before sweeping higher.


    He stared at me when he felt my bare pussy. ¡°You little minx,¡± he whispered roughly, biting down on my earlobe.


    Sucking in a gasp, I wiggled in hisp. ¡°You said you wanted ess to me tonight.¡±


    His knuckle brushed against my pussy, making me bite my lip. Sensations sparked across my skin, but I had to remind myself to stay quiet. Anothernguid sweep of his hand parted my folds, his finger circling my clit.


    ¡°I want you toe,¡± he said, his eyes dark and demanding. ¡°I want to feel you on my fingers.¡± He pushed the digits into my slick heat, and I bit his shoulder to keep the groan in. He pumped his fingers, each time hitting that tight bundle of nerves that would send me over the edge in pleasure.


    Quickly, I looked over my shoulder to find Bianca had left the kitchen.


    ¡°She¡¯s gone to help James,¡± Bane said, sucking on my neck. ¡°Come on my fingers, Little Bird.¡±


    He crooked his finger inside me, shoving me into bliss. I came apart around his hand, staring in wonder at the man who controlled my body with little more than a touch and filthy words. He mmed his mouth to mine, possessing me with his kiss.


    ¡°Good girl, Little Bird.¡±


    He continued to kiss me until I was begging for him to make mee again. When I couldn¡¯t take it anymore, I broke the kiss and pressed my forehead to his.


    ¡°I love you, Bane.¡±


    ¡°I love you, too, baby.¡±


    ¡°And I can¡¯t wait to be your wife. I¡¯ve had enough heartache in my life to know that you make me happy.¡±


    He kissed my eyelids, and I knew he was recalling the time when they¡¯d been swollen shut. He¡¯d told me he¡¯d missed seeing my eyes, staring at me, and never wanted me to suffer like that again. I couldn¡¯t have agreed more.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to have a family with you either.¡±


    ¡°Me, too,¡± I whispered. Because I knew I¡¯d found my home. After drifting for so long, I¡¯d finally gotten to a ce I wanted to be.


    And that was with Bane by my side.

 Chapter 83

    EPILOGUE


    WREN


    One Year Later¡­ I PRESSED my hand to my stomach, then looked back at the stic applicator wand on the bathroom counter. I never thought two pink lines could mean so much to me, but apparently, they do.


    ¡°Wren, are you ready, babe?¡± Darcy called out from the other side of the bathroom door. We were in a hotel suite getting ready for my wedding to Bane, a day that was already amazing, but with this news too, it was starting to be more than I could¡¯ve imagined.


    I pulled open the door, my eyes darting to Darcy¡¯s pregnant belly first before returning to her face.


    ¡°Urgh, don¡¯t tell me. I look awful. I know. I¡¯m the size of a house, and I¡¯m not even halfway through yet.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re gorgeous, Darcy.¡± I sniffled, and that one sound put my best friend on high alert.


    ¡°What? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Pulling the pregnancy test from the pocket of my dressing gown, I held it up in front of me and shrugged. ¡°Looks like we might have kids who¡¯ll be best friends, too.¡±


    Her eyes widened before a giant smile formed on her mouth. ¡°Yes!¡± she shouted, pumping the air with her first. ¡°Yes, fucking yes!¡±


    I began tough, her enthusiasm was infectious. ¡°I¡¯ve just done the test, so you¡¯re the first to know.¡±


    ¡°What do you think Bane will say?¡± she asked, sobering a little. She led me to the dining room table in the suite, and we sat down.


    ¡°He¡¯s going to be ecstatic. He¡¯s been threatening to knock me up since we got engaged.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so Bane was the clucky one, then.¡±


    Fuck, she had no idea. Bane had been relentless in his need to put a baby in me. I did nothing to discourage him, enjoying how much sex we were having. I touched my t stomach and blinked the tears from my eyes.


    Darcy started to shake her head. ¡°Ah, no. Nope. No tears right now.¡± Snapping some tissues from the box on the table, she dabbed them under my eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve just finished getting your hair and makeup done, so this¡­¡± she gestured to my face, ¡°¡­ isn¡¯t going to work. No tears. Please.¡±


    Fuck, she was so right. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry.¡± I internally pulled myself together, then said,This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°Better?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Taking my hand, she squeezed. ¡°I¡¯m so fucking happy right now. When will you tell


    Bane?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I kind of want to get a blood test to confirm it first.¡±


    ¡°How long since you¡¯ve had a period?¡±


    ¡°Two months, maybe?¡±


    ¡°Tender breasts? Sensitive to smells? Sense of taste gone whacky?¡±


    I recalledst night when Bane had given a little too much attention to my breasts. They¡¯d been sore then and had been for a little while too. I chalked that up to Bane being relentless in his attention to my body, but maybe it was because of the baby instead. Then I thought a little harder. I had be a lot more sensitive to smells. Bane¡¯s cologne, which I loved, now made my stomach turn, and I¡¯d also gone off coffee.


    ¡°Shit. All of the above.¡±


    Darcy nodded like she was the smartest woman in the room. ¡°Yep, a ssic case of being knocked up.¡±


    Tears threatened to spill from my eyes, but I carefully brushed them away.


    ¡°Are they good tears or bad tears, Wren?¡± my best friend asked. She knew I didn¡¯t ever n to have children-it was something we constantly debated-so I understood her question.


    ¡°They¡¯re good, babe. I just¡­¡± I let my gaze drift down to the positive pregnancy test between us. ¡°I just wasn¡¯t expecting it, I guess. I kind of thought it wouldn¡¯t ever happen naturally like you and Baron experienced.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Wren, we¡¯re a fucking anomaly. It¡¯s my polycystic ovaries that fucked us up.¡± She ced a hand on her swelling stomach. ¡°I¡¯m just d the second round of IVF took, you know? I don¡¯t think I could¡¯ve gone through the stress of waiting and watching for a month only to find out it hadn¡¯t taken again.¡±


    My phone beeped with a message from Bane. I read it once, then read it again, this time unable to fight the tears.


    Darcy shoved more tissues at me. ¡°What did he say?¡±


    ¡°He said he can¡¯t wait to marry me.¡± I left off the bit where he said he¡¯d make my ass pink tonight before he fucked me in the sex swing.


    ¡°Aww.¡± Darcy¡¯s smile was whimsical. ¡°I remember when Baron and I got married. He used to send me messages like that. Then life got in the way.¡±


    ¡°You could always sext him during the day?¡±


    She stared at me for a beat before a huge grin appeared. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m going to do that right now. Is that eggnt emoji still a thing?¡± She waved her hand in my face. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll just talk dirty to him.


    Lord knows these pregnancy hormones make me want to fuck him six times a day.¡±


    I got up from the table, taking the pregnancy test with me, and went into the bedroom. A sense of grief washed over me then. My brother wasn¡¯t going to be here to see this-the wedding, his niece or nephew being born. Although a year had passed, and I¡¯d mourned the loss of him, there were moments when Hawk¡¯s memory mmed into me with all the finesse of a semi-trailer, and I was left floundering with that aching loss once more.


    ¡°Pull it together, Wren,¡± I muttered to myself. This was a happy day, and I knew my brother would be watching from wherever he was. I looked up at the ceiling like he would be floating up there or something. But he wasn¡¯t. He¡¯d never magically poofed into existence when I thought of him over thisst year.


    Turning, I looked at my dress hanging on a hook behind the door, the white garment bag swollen withyers of tulle. Bianca had helped me pick it out,ing to fittings with me when Darcy had had to go to an OBGYN appointment. We¡¯d grown a lot closer over the year, to the point where she felt like a sister to me.


    ¡°Are you ready to get dressed?¡± Darcy asked, breezing into my room.


    ¡°I think so, yeah.¡±


    ¡°Good. Oh, wait, that was a knock on the door.¡±


    She came back in with Bianca, who looked amazing in an emerald green gown that hugged her perfect figure. Her dark hair was up in a soft twist with soft tendrils framing her face. Her makeup was done tastefully, enhancing her natural beauty.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± she asked, pping her hands excitedly.


    I smiled. Ready to spend the rest of my life with her brother? ¡°Yes.¡±


    Together, my best friend and future sister-inw helped me into the Pnina Tornai gown. The top half was a corset with a sweetheart neckline and a few see-through panels along my ribs. The bottom half was a princess skirt withyers of tulle andce. It was stunning, and I felt beautiful in it. As Bianca moved behind me toce up the back, I stared at the floor, wondering what I¡¯d look like. Seeing it and trying it on in a shop was one thing, but to see it on with full hair and makeup, was som something.


    I sucked in a breath with the final pull of the corset, cing my hand on my stomach.


    ¡°You look amazing, babe,¡± Darcy said, looking at me.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± I ran my hands down the skirt. ¡°You don¡¯t think it¡¯s too much?¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± Bianca adds. ¡°My brother will love it because it¡¯s you in there. He was more difficult to deal with nning the wedding.¡±


    Iughed at that because I could see how Bane¡¯s controlling side would¡¯vee out. He¡¯d told me he wanted the start of our lives together to be perfect to make up for the shitty starts we¡¯d both had. I told him I simply wanted to be his wife, which, of course, had led to some of the hottest sex we¡¯ve had so far.


    The girls helped me slip on my shoes and then handed me my bouquet. It was almost go-time. We were meeting the photographer downstairs to take some shots before getting in the car and going to La Venta Inn, where we¡¯d get married overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The ceremony was going to be small-Bianca and James, and, of course, little Valentine, Darcy and Baron, and Bane¡¯s colleagues, Dagger and Andy, would be on hand for security.


    I didn¡¯t mind that it was such an intimate wedding. It was going to be nice to be surrounded by my favorite people, but the only thing that mattered at the end of the day was that I was going to be Wren Rivera.

 Chapter 84

    Bane


    FUCK, why was I so nervous? As I waited for my future wife to walk down the aisle, I did my best not to shove my hands in my pockets or thrust them through my hair. I was fucking wired, and that nervous energy was there for everyone to see.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be here,¡± James said into my ear.


    I turned to look at my brother-inw. ¡°I know. I just¡­¡± I didn¡¯t know what. I was nervous, not because I didn¡¯t think she¡¯de but because I wasn¡¯t sure I could control myself long enough to get through the ceremony before I had to take her cunt. We slept apartst night, and it had nearly killed me. After being together every single day for a year, waking up beside her, having showers with her, fucking sinking in between her legs at every opportunity, being apart for that one night had seemed like a death sentence.


    Turning around, I looked out at the ocean and breathed in deep. Our ceremony was smallpared to most of the Hollywood elites. Neither of us wanted to fill it up with people we hardly spoke to. We weren¡¯t even having a huge party afterward. Bianca had been granted ess to the La Venta kitchen, and she was going to be cooking us some of our favorites. I couldn¡¯t wait to sit down with my wife and my family to celebrate.


    ¡°Bianca just arrived,¡± James said, bouncing Valentine on his hip. My niece had grown so much in the past year. She looked a lot like James, but I could see my sister in her too. ¡°Darcy¡¯s here, too.¡±


    I turned my head quickly to take a look. Bianca gave me a thumbs-up before she epted Valentine onto herp, and Darcy rested her hand on her expanding stomach and smiled. I nodded at her, and a pang of longing shot through me at seeing that new life inside her. I wanted Wren pregnant. I wanted to see her grow with the life I put in there, but I also understood if she wasn¡¯t so quick to jump on the baby train with me.


    The music started, a piece I didn¡¯t recognize, and I turned around, my gaze firmly on the ce where Wren would appear. I sucked in a breath when I saw her. She looked like an angeling toward me, her cream gown making her tits and waist look fucking amazing. Baron was walking her down the aisle, her hand resting on top of his forearm as they made the slow walk toward me.


    Everything seemed to disappear. I couldn¡¯t see anything, hear anything, other than Wren and the sound of my heart thumping irregrly against my ribs. She was a vision. Baron gave her to me with a smile before taking his ce beside his wife.


    I leaned in and kissed my Little Bird. Fuck the traditions. Our friends and familyughed before the celebrant cleared her throat and broke us up. Wren blinked at me, then smiled.


    I tuned out what the celebrant was saying. We¡¯d opted for the traditional vows. Wren already knew how I felt about her, so she didn¡¯t need me to say those words again in front of witnesses. The only people who mattered knew the depth of our love, and I would love the fuck out of her for as long as I drew breath.


    Wren was looking at me expectedly, and I turned to the celebrant. She whispered, ¡°This is your line.¡±


    ¡°Fuck. I do.¡±


    I watched as Wren said her vows to me. We then exchanged rings, and I was kissing my wife. My fucking amazing, beautiful wife.


    James pped me on the back when Wren and I broke apart. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see the day,¡± he said. ¡°Congrats, man.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, brother.¡± Turning to Wren, I whispered, ¡°I want to get you alone.¡±


    She gave me a sexy smirk that meant she had the same idea. ¡°Let¡¯s allow the photographer to get his fill first, then we can sneak off.¡±


    Thirty agonizing minutester, the photos were done, and we were shuffling into the restaurant. I grabbed my wife¡¯s hand and tugged her away from the table everyone else was going to sit at, leading her back out the doors and into the garden. It was dusk now, the colors from the setting sun gone, leaving us in a warm twilight.


    I took Wren into a secluded spot and pressed her against a wall. My mouth was on hers a momentter, iming her in the kind of kiss I wanted to give her after we said our vows. My hips flexed into hers. I wanted her to know how much I wanted her.


    ¡°This dress is fucking amazing, Little Bird,¡± I said, trailing kisses down her throat. ¡°But it¡¯sing off as soon as we¡¯re in our room tonight.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she moaned, her hands going to the buckle on my cks. She flicked open the button and lowered the zipper, springing my cock and wrapping her palm around it. We both sucked in a hiss at the contact.


    ¡°Fuck, I love you,¡± I growled into her ear, flexing my hips so I was fucking her palm.


    ¡°I love you, too.¡±


    Something in her tone made me look at her. I ced a hand against her stomach. ¡°I want a baby in here. Soon.¡±


    She squeezed my cock, making my vision spotty for a moment. ¡°I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Holding my hand to her abdomen, she whispered, ¡°You already put a baby in there.¡±


    I stared at her, her smile telling me she wasn¡¯t yanking my fucking chain. ncing down at her stomach for a second, I looked back at her face, unable to form the words I knew I needed to say to her.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be a daddy.¡±


    That¡¯s when it hit me. Wren was carrying my child. I was going to be a father, and I was going to be the best damn father ever. I kissed her again, sweeping my tongue into her mouth. She pumped my cock, getting me harder while I swept her underwear out of the way and sank a finger into her wet cunt. We both groaned.


    ¡°Just fuck me already,¡± she whispered into my ear, biting down on the lobe. ¡°Fuck me like you¡¯re never going to let me go.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m never going to let you go, anyway.¡± But I did as my wife asked. I slid into her slick heat, her cunt weing me, squeezing the ever-loving fuck out of me. My thrusts were deep, just like our love was. She came a momentter, and if that¡¯s what pregnancy did for my Wren, I was going to be giving her multiple upon multiple orgasms for the entire pregnancy. Then I was going to knock her up again.


    She mped down on my cock once more, the sensation, the feelings, the news that I was going to be a father funneling down into my ck heart, making it expand with love. I came with a loud groan, burying my face in her neck. Her heart pounded against mine, our breaths mingling in the cool twilight air.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be a daddy,¡± I said.


    ¡°And I¡¯m going be a mommy.¡±


    I looked at her, brushing some hair from her face.


    Fuck, I loved her.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to be parents.¡±

 Chapter 85

    Author¡¯s Note: Hey readers, well well well, I appreciate y¡¯all firstly for stopping by to read thisption of age gap romance,  erotica, billionaire, and many others.


    Tightened up and enjoy every bit of the ride.


    Title: The Mafias Prisoner


    Corina


    The five people sitting at this table have abined worthrger than that of a small country, but the only person making me nervous is the man sitting opposite me. Dante Morelli. My boss. Or rather, my boss¡¯s, boss. I want to impress him. Make him see I am a valuable part of his business. And so far, I am fucking up royally.


    Round one begins with me spilling a drink as I deal with the cards. My hand knocks the ss, and it rolls down the table as the brown liquid spreads all over the ck marble. Luckily, Dante¡¯s deft hand grabs the ss before it crashes to the floor and Jesse, my only friend in this room,es just in time with a napkin to wipe the mess. I stole a nce at Dante and it was difficult to tell if he was angry or even bothered. His face is nothing but a nk te and when I mumble a sorry, he only grunts in response. Thankfully, the other yersugh. They seem to think it¡¯s funny and aren¡¯t bothered by the ident.


    But that¡¯s not all. The second time I attempt to deal the cards, I hear the yer to my left say, ¡°Four cards,¡± he raises the cards, ¡°And a bad hand at that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± I reply, taking the cards as fast as I can. I¡¯m so mortified I want to rush out of this room and never show myself again. How can I make such a rookie mistake? With this level of ipetence, he will ask Jesse to take my ce and kick me out, I¡¯m sure. But he says nothing. The guy on my right leans in and whispers, ¡°First time ying with the big boys?¡±


    I nod, afraid to say anything as I shuffle the cards.


    ¡°It happens to the best of us. Try imagining us naked.¡±


    It¡¯s at that moment I nce at Dante. His zing gaze is on me. The mask he had is gone and, in its ce, pure anger. Fuck. I¡¯ve fucked it up. I¡¯m so sure he¡¯s going to kick me out, but he says nothing, and the game continues.


    The second and third rounds go on uneventfully. I¡¯m gettingfortable now and my initial fear has dissipated to where I can listen to the conversation going around the table. Two tech bros came together, an NFL yer and the guy on my left, who is some sort of financier who works on Wall Street. From the way he speaks, he seems closer to Dante than anyone on the table and is bankrolling the NFL yer. The footballer is the first to be eliminated.


    ¡°You went all in too soon!¡± Wall Street guy says to him, ¡°Dante¡¯s going to drain us tonight.¡±


    Dante casually collects the chips and says nothing.


    ¡°I warned you, Hunter,¡± the football yer says, ¡°I¡¯m shit at poker.¡± He stands up and throws a chip at me. I catch the tip and thank him as he makes his way to the bar. It¡¯s a five-hundred-dor chip. Jesse winks at me as she brings in another round of drinks. Not bad for a first night, and there were probably more tips toe.


    The geeky tech bro is the second to go. He too loses to Dante, leaving him, the other tech bro, and Hunter.     As they y, I learn that the other tech bro, the one left at the table, is called Nate, the other is Justin and the NFL yer is Connor. His name does not ring a bell, but then again, I don¡¯t watch sports of any kind.


    ¡°Dante is killing us, Nate,¡± Hunter said.


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Dante mumbles, ¡°you¡¯re still at the table.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but you have a pile bigger than all of us. We¡¯ve gotta even the game a little. Give us a handicap.¡±


    Dante chuckles.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± For a moment I ignore Hunter thinking he¡¯s speaking to Nate, but when I notice that all eyes on the table are on me, I scramble for an answer.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I have a say in the matter.¡± ¡°Sure you do. A dealer is part of the game.¡±


    Why does it feel like there¡¯s more to what he¡¯s saying than what¡¯s obvious? I can¡¯t pinpoint what it is, but if I answer incorrectly, I might have my ass thrown out. From what I hear, Dante is unforgiving and takes kindly to employees who overstep their bounds. ording to Jesse, he once fired a girl after slipping a note to one of his friends. I nce at Dante for a cue. That nk mask is on again and I feel like they have thrown me into the deep end without a life jacket. I try to think of something that will put the topic away from me.


    ¡°That¡¯s for the host to decide.¡±


    Hunter smiles, ¡°Smart.¡± His eyes are still on me when he says, ¡°She doesn¡¯t want to jeopardize her job. I get it.¡±


    I shrug slightly, so slightly that I think no one will notice, but Hunter does, and he breaks intoughter. The game resumes once more and this round, Hunter takes Nate out. Leaving Hunter and Dante. Hunter¡¯s stack is half Dante¡¯s. The other three are casually watching the game while nursing their drinks.


    After I deal the hand, Hunter says to Dante, ¡°ying with money is boring, don¡¯t you think?¡± He spoke as if it was monopoly money and not millions of real dors.     ¡°Do have anything in mind.¡±     Hunter¡¯s gaze goes to me. There¡¯s a glint in his eye when he says, ¡°How about raising the stakes a little?¡±


    Dante took a sip of his drink and dropped the ss down slowly. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Come on. It will be more fun than ying with chips.¡±


    ¡°Leave my employees out of it.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t even ask her. What if she¡¯s game?¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

 Chapter 86

    Dante¡¯s icy gazends on me. His eyes narrow. My heart thumps a bit faster. ¡°Fine,¡± he says between sips, ¡°Ask her.¡±


    ¡°Corina,¡± Hunter says. I¡¯m too shocked to respond. How does he know my name? I¡¯m sure I never gave it, and I don¡¯t have a name tag or anything of the sort. ¡°What do you think about adding yourself to the pot?¡±


    ¡°Adding myself, I don¡¯t understand?¡± I nce at my boss, but I get nothing except a clenched jaw.


    ¡°How about,¡± Hunter leans in and grabs my hand. His is bigger than mine and while he¡¯s not as good-looking as the other person sitting at the table, he has a smooth baritone that is difficult to resist, ¡°we y for your lovely hand. Whoever wins gets to spend the night with you.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not a hooker,¡± Dante grunts.


    ¡°No, but anyone can be bought if the price is right. You won¡¯t lose out. You get to keep something of your own as well. How about ten thousand dors?¡±


    That¡¯s a lot of money for me. Even though I had already made a couple of thousand in terms of tips, there was no guarantee of my return to the private tables after my poor showing in front of the boss and his famous and rich friends.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I-¡± ¡°Twenty thousand.¡± ¡°I-¡±


    My gaze darts around the room. Connor, Justin, and Nate look riveted. Jesse is subtly encouraging me to say yes. Everyone¡¯s attention is on us except for the bartender wiping the counter as if something like this happens every day. I turned my gaze back to Hunter, who says, ¡°Thirty thousand. And don¡¯t think about him, between me and you,¡± he leaned and whispers into my ear, ¡°he¡¯s been eager to fuck you too, but is too shy to say it.¡±


    I nce at Dante. ¡°I doubt that.¡± Hunter sits back in his chair andughs.  ¡°She doesn¡¯t know,  does she?  This  is beautiful.¡± He nces back at Dante. ¡°It makes me want her even more.¡±


    ¡°How about this, fifty thousand dors? Final offer.¡±


    Fifty thousand dors is a life-changing sum for me. There is so much I could do. I could go back to school, and put down a deposit on a house. But I don¡¯t want to sleep with him. The thought never crossed my mind. To me, he is a client, nothing more. As tempting as his offer is, I can¡¯t bring myself to sleep with someone for money, especially a sum thatrge. What if he thinks I¡¯m horrible in bed and wants his money back? I just don¡¯t have the confidence to do it, I guess. I¡¯m about to give him my response when Dante cuts in.


    ¡°Let¡¯s y a game to see if you can win the opportunity to even ask her in the first ce,¡± he says. His tone is dull. You would think they are talking about a Rolex.


    ¡°You can¡¯t just change the rules!¡± Hunter exims like a small child denied a toy. Dante doesn¡¯t respond. The silence says, ¡®Yes I can and I¡¯ve just did.¡¯ Hunter¡¯s gaze is still on me and atst, he shes a cryptic smile and then says, ¡°Deal.¡± To me, he says, ¡°Give us the cards darling, and wish me luck.¡±This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    If I was nervous before, I¡¯m even nervous now that I¡¯m part of their game. This time, however, I made sure it would not show, acted as professionally as I could, and dealt.


    Just as they both pick up their cards, there is a knock on the door. I watch as Jesse goes to answer it and lets a giant of a man who always looked like he was about to burst into his suituitenter. Sal, the head of security at the casino. His eyes dart in my direction, unnerving me. He is part of ¡®security¡¯, but we all know what his actual job is and why he and other guys like him have unfettered ess to the casino. They weren¡¯t just security. They were also Family. That kind of family.


    Lately, Sal, who never cares for someone like me, has taken to leering at me whenever I¡¯m in proximity as he¡¯s doing now. The Family guys never interact with the regr employees of the Casino. Nevertheless, I¡¯ve heard stories. Stories of girls who couldn¡¯t resist the danger and got caught up in that part of the business.


    He hovers near the door, standing at attention as the game continues. Maybe it¡¯s only me, but he brought with him a tension that wasn¡¯t there before. The cards feel like lead as I deal with the river. Both Dante and Hunter have their poker faces on. If they are aware of the recent presence, they do not show it. I focus back on the game and notice that there is a potential for a flush and three aces of a kind. I shifted in my chair; the air suddenly dry.


    ¡°I think I have you beat this time,¡± Hunter said as he revealed his hand. A flush. My heart races. I hope he is wrong. Even though he offered me the chance to say no, part of me thinks it¡¯s an illusion. And who knew what he would do if I refused him? Hunter didn¡¯t look like the sort of person who took no for an answer. Dante however ces his hand on the table silently and Hunter, seeing what the other yer has, closes his eyes defeated.


    ¡°Royal flush,¡± Jesse squeals. She puts a hand on her mouth as soon as she utters the words.

 Chapter 87

    Sal takes this opportunity to make his way to Dante. It is clear in the deferential way he stoops down to whisper in his ear that he recognized Dante¡¯s power, not just as an employee, but so much more. As he speaks, Dante¡¯s gaze shoots directly at me, his face changing, the poker mask falling to reveal anger and revulsion. The longer he stares at me, the more constricting the room feels. As if the walls were closing in, removing everyone in it until it was just a small space with me and Dante. Dante nods once, says something back to Sal, and when his eyes are on me again, his mask is back in ce.


    As Sal is leaving, a malicious smirk shes across his face. Before I can parse its meaning, Dante stands up and says, ¡°Gentlemen, I think it¡¯s time I cash out.¡±


    ¡°Oh,e on,¡± Nate raised his hands. His words slur as he speaks. ¡°What happened to the ns?¡±


    ¡°Business that could not be put off came up.¡± ¡°And the sex, drugs, and partying all night?¡±


    ¡°You can have that without me. Jesse can show you where to get all of that. Sorry.¡±


    ¡°What about the game,¡± Hunter says. He seems more put off than the others.


    ¡°Are you that eager to give me more of your money?¡±


    Hunter sulks. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll hang out with these losers.¡± As soon as he says the words, a group of women, bottle girls, enter. They have with them sparkling champagne bottles and a mood to party.         The other guys get theints as they are led out by the girls, with Jesse in tow.


    Meanwhile, I collect Hunter¡¯s diminished pile of chips into a tray and hand it to him. He takes the tray, removes a two- two-thousand-dor chip, and ces it in my palm. ¡°Pity you could have much more than this,¡± he says and follows the others out. He is right, but it is more than enough for me. It¡¯s by far my biggest tip of the night, if not ever.


    As the room¡¯s numbers dwindle, I take to gathering the cards and arranging the rest of the chips, Dante¡¯s enormous pile of chips, when he says, ¡°You¡¯re staying.¡± To the bartender, he says, ¡°You can leave.¡± His voice sounds cold. Colder than I¡¯ve ever heard it before. It takes no time for the bartender to make his way out, leaving me and Dante alone. I continue with my job of putting the chips back into the trays as if there¡¯s nothing odd about being asked to stay whilst wondering why I¡¯m being singled out.


    ¡°Leave that,¡± Dante says, ¡°In fact, I don¡¯t want you touching anything in here.¡±


    Fuck. That anger could only mean one thing. He probably thinks a theft has urred. I gently ced the tray of chips back on the table and made sure they were nowhere near my chips. Mine total four thousand, easily exinable tips that can be verified by the cameras in the room. Heck, even Jesse can testify to my innocence. I am a little frazzled, but not bothered. Then Sal and the other bouncers who were outside the doore in and stand behind Dante. That shakes me up a little.


    ¡°Take a seat,¡± Dante¡¯s voice is cold and quiet. It chills me as I dip back into my chair. He remains standing. An imposing figure separated from me by only a table. He crosses his arms and stares at me for what feels like forever. If it¡¯s a way of breaking a person down, it¡¯s effective, because I am ready to blurt out just about anything so I can get out from under his gaze.


    ¡°You¡¯ve worked here for how long now? Three years, is it?¡± I nod, surprised he is aware of me at all until today.


    ¡°And in all that time, you¡¯ve worked on the lower floors until this year.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Interesting.¡±


    I can¡¯t parse out what makes a normal career jump interesting. I believe I have earned my right to work at the private tables. Granted, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve worked at the private of private tables, but was my work that bad? ¡°Did I do anything wrong? If it was the drink spilling, and the miscount, I swear it won¡¯t happen again¡­¡±


    He raises a hand, silencing me immediately. Even I must bow down to the invisible power he exudes. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to y games. Like you saw, I shouldn¡¯t be here right now. I should be in a lounge somewhere getting my dick sucked to high heaven and yet here I am. Having to take the trash out.¡±


    ¡°Take the trash out?¡± ¡°Yes, exactly.¡±


    I have heard the ¡®security¡¯ guys talk in that way. I have no idea what those words mean exactly, but it isn¡¯t good. People who had to be ¡®taken out¡¯, have nevere back. Whatever this is, it isn¡¯t a simple miscalction of funds or an employee performance evaluation. ¡°Mr. Morelli, I don¡¯t


    know what you think I have done, but I assure you I have done nothing wrong.¡±


    ¡°You speak like someone who has no idea who they¡¯re talking to. Do you know who I am?¡±


    Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I am fucking this up, no matter what I say. The more I talk, the deeper the hole I dig. I must tread lightly. ¡°My apologies Mr. Morelli.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    Everyone who works at the Grand Pzzo knows who he is and what he does. He is the head of the Morelli Family that owns half of the town, including this ce. And, for whatever reason, if I don¡¯t say the right words, he will kill me.

 Chapter 88

    Dante


    She is beautiful. I can¡¯t deny that. There is something about her that makes it hard to look away from her. She has a certain allure to her that makes you want to keep looking at her. She made it hard to concentrate on my game and I lost a few rounds as a result. Looking at her right now, the way her dress, a ck mini dress that all the dealers wear, clings to her body, and hugs all the right parts to highlight her curves, makes me forget the reason I¡¯m here. This must be why he chose her. She¡¯s a distraction. A good one at that. I have to give it to Sone. He knows how to choose his women. And to think I had half the mind to fuck her. If it weren¡¯t for Saling in at the end of the game, I might have tried to seduce her, which would mean breaking one of my rules. Never fuck employees.


    ¡°Please.¡± She speaks, pulling me back to reality. ¡°I know


    you think I must have done something, stolen something, but I assure you I didn¡¯t.¡± She leans forward. I don¡¯t fail to notice her breasts thrusting forward. ¡°I can prove it. The only money on me is my tips.¡± She pulls out four chips from herp to the table. ¡°You can check the CCTV.¡±


    Her obliviousness is quite convincing. If I didn¡¯t have hard evidence, I would believe her. She¡¯s stalling, but she has no clue that I¡¯m the one doing the stalling. I want to see what she knows, what she can give me before I reveal my hand. It¡¯s as if she doesn¡¯t seem to understand the severity of her situation. If she does, she wouldn¡¯t be acting like this. Or does she think she can y with me? What she doesn¡¯t know is that I¡¯m the master of this game. Interrogations get me hard. Luckily for her, I¡¯m in a yful mood tonight. If it weren¡¯t for the ten million I¡¯ve just won, her pretty face would be ck and blue and singing like a canary.


    ¡°Don¡¯t y games with me.¡±


    Her eyes widen to saucers. ¡°I ¨C I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    I sit down on the chair opposite hers and notice for the first time that her hands are trembling. It¡¯s a slight tremble anyone could miss, but not a poker yer like me. So, she¡¯s not as confident as her voice and the rest of her body says.


    ¡°Listen,¡± I say to her, ¡°if you want to keep your pretty little head on top of your neck, you better cooperate now or things will go bad for you starting this very moment.¡±


    She takes several deep breaths. The tremble in her hands increases and when she catches my gaze, she swipes her hands off the table. She looks even more beautiful, frightened. Maybe I should frighten her even more. I lean forward, staring into her beautiful doe eyes, ¡°Do you know what we do to women like you, Corina? Liars?¡± I wait for her answer. When she doesn¡¯t give one, I continue. ¡°We fuck her. All of us. Plus my other guys are outside this room until her pussy gives out. Then we cut off her tits and let her watch as the dogs feast on them. Sometimes, if the dogs are into the bitch, we might let them have a taste.¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know¡­¡± her eyes dart around the room as her voice trails away. She¡¯s not at the point of quaking, but her fear is now palpable. It makes me hard. It¡¯s so weird. And it¡¯s not as if I¡¯d do or have ever done any of the things I¡¯m saying, but I know that rumors of what we do to people float around the casino to my bidding. Imagination is an effective way of keeping people in check. And it seems to work on Corina. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve heard about me, but I have done nothing wrong, I swear. But if you think I¡¯m in the wrong, tell me what I did. At least I can defend myself.¡±


    Maybe this is the time to reveal my hand. But only just. ¡°So, you have nothing to do with the stolen money.¡±


    ¡°Money?¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying if we search your home, we will not find a stash of three hundred thousand dors hidden under the mattress?¡±


    Now she was shaking. More animated and slightly angry. ¡°Three hundred grand! No! You have the wrong person! I didn¡¯t steal your fucking money!¡±


    ¡°Do I? So, you must know the right person then? Your aplice?¡±


    Her voice bes steely when she says, ¡°I stole nothing.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    As if scripted, my phone rings at that moment. It¡¯s from Tiny. I put it on loud and his voice booms into the room as he says, ¡°We found it, boss, just like you said.¡±


    ¡°Did you know? no say in an exaggerated cadence, ¡°You would care to share video evidence?¡±


    ¡°Sure thing.¡± The call disconnects and a few secondster, he video calls. He¡¯s in what I can assume is a tiny bedroom. The bed takes up most of the space. On top of it is an empty duffel bag and a pile of cash spread next to it. ¡°That¡¯s all of it, I hear Tiny say. Three hundredrge. We found it in the closet.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± Corina bursts out.


    Meanwhile, Tiny¡¯s meaty hand lifts one bundle, and he brings it closer to the camera. ¡°Still has the casino bands and everything. Such a dumb thief.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s fucking lying!¡± She screams as soon as I cut the call.


    She was close to tears before, but now she¡¯s furious.


    ¡°Ah. There¡¯s the little hellion I was looking for. So tough to break.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m being framed!¡±


    Her eyes dart to someone behind me. I follow her gaze, which is on Sal. She must have figured he was the one who gave me the tip. How smart of her. Sal on the other hand is as hard as a rock, giving no emotion. I must give it to her, though. She¡¯s such a consummate actress. I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s doing on the casino floor when she should be in Hollywood.


    ¡°Why the fuck would I steal your money?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Why do people steal?¡± She looks defeated at this, and I think I¡¯ve got her, but she stays adamant.


    ¡°Why would I steal? I just made four thousand right now!¡± ¡°Which you weren¡¯t making before.¡±


    ¡°And I could have made fifty grand if I had gone with your friend.¡±


    ¡°No, you wouldn¡¯t. I wouldn¡¯t have let you.¡± That came out of nowhere. And it¡¯s true. When Hunter made that proposal, I knew he wasn¡¯t ying. His eyes kept wandering towards her the entire time. He wanted her. And he wasn¡¯t going to have her. He¡¯s lucky I saved him. Knowing what I know, I wouldn¡¯t trust her with any of my friends. However, I had to change tactics. If I¡¯m not going to spend time breaking her, I¡¯m going to let my absence do the work. I get up, adjust my suit, and say to her, ¡°I think it¡¯s about time you think about your situation since you choose to remain stubborn.¡±


    I get out of the room, followed by Sal and his underling. I leave her alone and let the other guys stand outside the door. ¡°Make sure she doesn¡¯t disappear,¡± I tell them.


    ¡°What are you going to do about her?¡± Sal asks as we make our way to my office.


    ¡°Get info. Get rid of her.¡±

 Chapter 89

    Sal nods, knowing exactly what I mean. I¡¯m usually not this cruel, and if her only crime was stealing the money, I might have given her a small punishment. She is too cute to die, but if you y with fire, you get burned. ¡°And about the chips that¡¯s left in the room. Get those too.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Sal says and immediately directs someone with those exact instructions into his earpiece.


    ¡°By the way, thanks for ratting her out. Are you sure she¡¯s working alone?¡±


    ¡°I might have to look into the roommate, but she seems clean.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± We enter my office, leaving the rest of the guys out.


    As far as being head of security, Sal is the best in the business and his job doesn¡¯t cover just security. It¡¯s also prevention and disposal. Both of which he excels at. It took him less time than I expected to hunt down Sone¡¯s nt and uncover that she was also stealing. The nerve. What makes it even more funny is that I would never have suspected her. She always seemed professional. She never flirted with the patrons and always set boundaries. Hell, I know all of this because I was watching her.


    Over the past few months, she has be an obsession of mine. I enjoy watching her. Her table is below my office and whenever I look down, she would be working. It was a ckjack table. She never slouches or yawns matter howte the hour was. She is always on point. And when she moves, she strides in a way that begs attention. She is mesmerizing, and I¡¯m sure a woman like her knows it and takes full advantage of it.


    At first, my thoughts about her were innocent. I would wonder what it would be like to go down to the tables and strike a up conversation with her. Or ¡®identally¡¯ bumping into her in the break room. But as time went on, they veered towards the explicit. Grabbing her hand and bringing her up to the office, ripping her dress, watching her tits fall out, and fucking her against the window with the entire casino floor in view. It is that obsession that made me rmend her for the private games. Looking at her from afar wasn¡¯t enough. I wanted to see her up close. And if it weren¡¯t for


    Sal, I would have gotten much closer. She could have. And Sone and his crew would have gotten their want in my bed.


    I make a mental note to thank Sal more substantially The man has saved my business more than once now.


    ¡°What¡¯s your strategy? Regarding the nt.¡± Sal asks as I take my seat.


    ¡°Ice her out. That should break her.¡±


    ¡°I mean if she doesn¡¯tply. I think we should act fast.¡±


    That¡¯s different. Even though he¡¯s ruthless, Sal is not bloodthirsty, and hihisanting to kill her immediately is odd. There could be more information she has that we don¡¯t know about and killing her would send a message to Sone that we¡¯re aware of his nt and he could change tact. ¡°We¡¯ll cross that bridge when we cross that bridge. In the meantime, I¡¯ve got some shit to do.¡±


    Sal gets the message and he and his men head out. I spend the next couple of hours seeing to business. A few stuff had piled up when I was gone, but it¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t handle. I even switch on the feed to see if things are going well. Even though it¡¯s not summer yet, the entire casino is full and humming. There are more clients today thanst week, and I can only guess there will be double that size next week. Business is thriving. As I switch through the feeds, I can¡¯t resist going to her feed. I want to know how she¡¯s feeling. Is she acting up? Pacing? Giving the middle finger to the camera? I get to hers and let it fill the screen. She¡¯s perched on the chair with her shoulders straight, fafacesorward, and arms on the desk. She looks so calm you would think the feed has frozen. Corina¡¯s just sitting. I move to the next feed before I lose hours staring at her. She might be still now, but she will break.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Another hourter leave the office and see what Hunter and the others are up to. They¡¯ve forgotten about me, I realize when I arrive. The lounge is a wild ruckus. They¡¯re sitting in a semicircle and there are two women on the small stage in the middle. They¡¯re all paired up, except for Hunter, who has two women on hisp. A game is in y on the small stage in the center. Two women are bncing full shot sses piled on their boobs, and a third woman, Jesse, is adding more sses. Everyone is cheering them on, including Justin, Nate¡¯s friend, whom I had taken before all to be an introvert. Hunter is the first to notice my presence.


    ¡°Oooh. Looks like I lost a bet.¡± When he says so, Connor takes his attention away from the girl who¡¯s giving him ap dancegncesat me and smiles. ¡°Pay up buddy,¡± Connor says to him.


    ¡°I for sure thought you were fucking our pretty little dealer¡¯s brains out. Where¡¯s she?¡± If only he had any idea how much I wanted that statement to be true, but the inverse was happening. ¡°She¡¯s back to her job because that¡¯s what she¡¯s paid to do.¡±


    Hunter squints an eye. ¡°I don¡¯t trust you. You fucked her, didn¡¯t you?¡± If anything, she fucked me. But he doesn¡¯t need to know that.


    I sink onto the couch next to Hunter. ¡°There were some emergencies I was taking care of, like I told you.¡± The girl on thep, the one sitting on his side, ces her hand on my thigh. It¡¯s an obvious beg for an invitation toe over to mine, and I feel nothing. I should be in the mood for fucking after such a big win, but Corina has temporarily soured my libido for anyone who isn¡¯t Corina. I make a slight shake of the head and she immediately withdraws her hand.


    Hunter leans in and whispers, ¡°Was it Casino business? Or that business?¡±

 Chapter 90

    Hunter is a friend of mine. We¡¯ve known each other since high school and we went to the same college together and majored in the same field. But he¡¯s not family. Nor is he part of my world, as much as he wants to be. Anytime he sees a glimpse, he goes wild with excitement. When we were in high school, I once showed him the gun my father had given me after my first kill. He grabbed it out of my hands, pulled the trigger, and almost shot a maid who happened to walk by. That was thest time I ever gave him a firearm. But to please him, from time to time, I let him in on the Mafia world just so he can stop constantly bugging me. So, I say, ¡°Yes.¡± His eyes widen and he leans in, clearly wanting to know more. ¡°That¡¯s all I¡¯m saying.¡±


    ¡°Come on.¡±


    ¡°Invisible wall, remember. You¡¯re too cute to go to jail.¡±


    He chuckles and lets it go. Hunter knows I¡¯m right. He handles the Grand Pzzo¡¯s finances and overall, I¡¯ve done my best to keep them clean. The only link this ce has to the underworld is Sal and his crew. Their job is to keep watch on any suspicious activities and steer away cheats and Rainmaker types from the gambling tables.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± I say to Hunter, ¡°I came to see how you guys are doing.¡±


    ¡°Everything¡¯s great,¡± he casts a nce at Nate, who¡¯s nowpping the cleavage of one of the girls as Jesse pours all the shots she was bncing. ¡°This will probably end up being the best weekend he¡¯s ever had.¡±


    ¡°Hardly,¡± I say. ¡°He¡¯s about to be a billionaire from his IPO. The parties are only going to get wilder from now on. Speaking of which, where are we on that front?¡±


    ¡°You never let go of business, do you?¡± He brings the girls on hisp closer to his face and says to them, ¡°Your boss is such a bore. He¡¯s always thinking about money.¡±


    One girl giggles. The other says, ¡°He¡¯s not my boss. We¡¯re private contractors.¡±


    Hunter raises his eyebrows at me.


    ¡°I did tell you; you aren¡¯t allowed to fuck the staff.¡±


    Hunter roars withughter. I take that as my cue to leave.


    My little iced-up princess must be ready to talk now.


    ¡°Dude, where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I have shit to deal with.¡±


    ¡°BoNo I shrug and continue to make my way out of the lounge. ¡°Boo!¡± he shouts as he leaves. He even gets the girls to join in the jeers although theirs are half-hearted and punctuated by giggles. I tell one of the bouncers outside the door to get me Sal and as I¡¯m making my way back to the poker lounge, I bump into him and two of his other guys.


    She jolts up when I open the door. Her eyes are bloodshot as if she had been sleeping. The little fucker. Here I am, thinking she¡¯s wing at the walls, but she was sleeping. I march over to her and she looks up at me like a student, unaware of why she¡¯s at the principal¡¯s office.


    ¡°Have you thought about it?¡±


    She sighs. ¡°I didn¡¯t steal your money.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Sal-¡±


    There¡¯s something within her that clicks when I say so. She straightens her spine, shifts in her seat, and leans forward. ¡°Let¡¯s leave this to the police. Call the police and I¡¯ll call mywyer. I¡¯ve done nothing wrong.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. There¡¯s a lot more you¡¯ve done wrong.¡± She frowns at that statement, but I continue talking. ¡°Plus, I don¡¯t just let people go.¡±


    ¡°Call the police. Let thew deal with me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re not doing that.¡±


    ¡°I could call the police.¡± Her threat is so funny, that I almostugh. Half the people in the city¡¯sw enforcement work for me, and that includes the police chief and a few prosecutors.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to do that.¡± She withdrew, clearly getting the implied meaning of those words. ¡°There are only two ways you¡¯re getting out of here. Confession or coercion. Personally, confession is less bloody, so I prefer that, but if you want coercion¡­¡±


    I let it hang in the air and I can tell the words are taking effect as her bravado slips and the slight tremble in her left-hand returns. I might have to off her. Which is a pity. I like her.


    ¡°What do -¡± My phone rings. I fish it out of my pocket. It¡¯s Gio.


    ¡°What up bro?¡± his voice booms from the phone. I hear odd moaning noises in the background. Then a sigh and a plop. Is he getting his dick sucked? He might be my brother, but he¡¯s one of the biggest manwhore I¡¯ve ever encountered.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡°Hi.¡±


    ¡°I heard you have a girl with you. One of Sone¡¯s people.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± I nce back at Sal. Why is he going around yapping about this?


    ¡°Don¡¯t get mad at him,¡± Gio says as if he read my mind, ¡°I asked Sal. The thing is, we need her. You might havended on a gold mine if my information is correct.¡± I turn back to Corina.


    ¡°What the fuck does that mean?¡±


    As Gio tells me, my outlook on her has changed might be the biggest asset I¡¯ve just stumbupostumblediuponGio is to be trusted, she has no clue how important she is. ¡°Thank you for telling me.¡± I cut the call and focused my attention on her. ¡°You¡¯re one of the luckiest people I¡¯ve ever met, Corina.¡±


    ¡°Really? Am I?¡±


    I go over around the table and grab her arm. She¡¯s so shocked sheplies, standing to her feet. ¡°You¡¯reing with me.¡±

 Chapter 91

    Corina


    His ce is like what I would imagine a modern-day


    Drac would live in. Big, dark, and intimidating. But also modern, and sophisticated. Everything is mostly ck or gray with a touch of white. ck marble floors, ck furniture, gray curtains, white vases. No wonder the few people at work who¡¯ve ever been here call it their. The penthouse is off-limits to everyone except a few trusted employees, and I was going to be one of those few. If only it was under better terms than the horror movie I am in now.


    He strides in front of me, while behind me are two of his hulking bodyguards. He leads us to a spacious living room with wall-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city skyline. ck sofas, of course, and the ck and white art pieces hanging on the walls. Talk about a drama queen.


    He stops in the middle of the room, takes off his jacket, and throws it on a sofa. My brain registers the way his back muscles ripple beneath his white shirt as he does so. To think that only a few hours ago I was attracted to him. Now. Well, I¡¯m still attracted, but what¡¯s left is purely physical. A body¡¯s reaction to a handsome specimen.


    He takes out his phone and starts scrolling, typing, gettingfortable in his own home as if he¡¯s forgotten about me. His bodyguards, too, have dispersed and are casing the room. Scanning the room? They move from corner to corner, lifting ornaments and looking underneath them as if they¡¯re inspecting. They move from the living room to other rooms and I stand there stupefied, not sure what else to do. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? I can¡¯t tell. A few minutester, they bothe back and announce, ¡°It¡¯s clean,¡± and leave the room. Bugs? Were they looking to see if the ce was bugged? Dante must be paranoid. But then, if you¡¯re in the business he¡¯s in, paranoia is necessary. Too bad I am currently caught up in histest bout of fear.


    When he used me of stealing, I thought it was a joke at first. It had to be. Otherwise, why would one of his goons find the money in my bedroom? But when he left me. The longer I sat there on my own, the more I had to consider a possibility. Maybe someone is framing me? That¡¯s the only exnation. But who would do that and why? It makes no sense, and I thought I got on well with everyone at work. I keep to myself. I work diligently and never engage the clients. No onees to mind as I rack my brain. And the longer I sat in that room, the more I realized there was no way out. I was sure he was going to kill me. Even when he brought me here, I thought he was sending me to my death. But he wouldn¡¯t kill me in his apartment, would he? He seems like the type who would hate to see blood taint his vase. Speaking of which, ¡°Why am I here?¡±


    He nces up from his phone, flicks it back into his pocket, and stalks towards me. Large and intimidating. I square my shoulders to show him he isn¡¯t getting to me. He stands inches away from me and says, ¡°Do you prefer to be somewhere else? The desert perhaps?¡±


    ¡°The Mafia¡¯s favorite backyard. Is that where all the bodies of people you falsely use are?¡±


    ¡°Fewer bodies and more¡­ body parts.¡± His tone is so casual you would think he¡¯s talking about chicken, but it¡¯s enough to make a chill run down my spine. I take a step back, subconsciously. He smirks at my reaction. ¡°You¡¯re here because I want you here. You¡¯re my prisoner, nothing more.¡±


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t steal your fucking money!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s only part of your crime. Which you¡¯re going to have to repay, by the way.¡±


    Part of my crime? He did say something about this before. ¡°What other crime are you piling on top of me this time?¡±N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    He shakes his head in apparent exasperation, which grinds my gears. ¡°You think you¡¯re so good, don¡¯t you? Your fake innocence doesn¡¯t work on me.¡±


    I step forward, deliberately getting into his space, ¡°What other crime,¡± I say, looking up at him. He breathes in deeply, his nostrils ring. An energy radiates between us, an energy I had ignored before but can¡¯t now. Not when I can see how dark his eyes are. Deep pools of ck that are mesmerizing. His perfectly structured face. His intoxicating musk and sandalwood scent. My awareness of it all ramps up my energy. I forget everything and wonder how his lips would feel on mine. He drops his head and moves closer. He feels it too. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s going to kiss me when at thest minute he takes a few steps back and the look of lust is reced with revulsion. ¡°If you¡¯re going to seduce me, you¡¯d have to do better than that.¡±


    It¡¯s like a p to the face and if I wasn¡¯t aware he had the same level of attraction for me as I have for him, he might fool me. ¡°You¡¯re the only one here thinking about sex, Mr. Morelli. All I want to know is what other crime you¡¯re using me of.¡±


    He res at me for a moment and then stalks over to the corner where a bar is located. He pours out a light brown drink from a decanter and raises it at me as an offer. I shake my head. He takes another ss and pours into it as if I had said yes. ¡°A little bird of mine,¡± he says casually, ¡°informed me of a spy within our ranks.¡±


    ¡°So, you have a spy tell you, you have a spy?¡±


    He stalks back to me with two drinks in his hands and hands me the other one. I shake my head again and he nudges the drink at me. I take the ss, but I don¡¯t drink. At this moment, I don¡¯t trust this guy at all. ¡°Not only that,¡± he says, ¡°the spy told me it was you.¡±


    A scoff escapes me. The idea is so ludicrous. Much more ridiculous than me stealing money. ¡°And you have evidence of this? Of me spying on you, on behalf of who exactly?¡±


    He takes a swipe of his drink and then says, ¡°You don¡¯t have to act oblivious. It won¡¯t work. I have evidence.¡±


    ¡°And where is this conclusive evidence you have against me? More nted shit? Who am I even spying for, ording to you?¡±


    He smiles. More like a smirk and pulls out his phone. With one hand he taps and scrolls for a moment then he shoves the phone in my face. On it is a picture of me entering through the back door of a club. It¡¯s one of the most exclusive clubs in town. And the owner of that ce is Sone. The picture looks to have been taken a year ago. It is me. I can¡¯t deny it, but it means nothing. I¡¯m about to say so when he scrolls to another picture. This one is of me with a group of guys. One has his hand around my waist. We¡¯re in the clubughing at something and there are drinks on the table. I look a little tipsy. Fuck. He scrolls again and shows me another photo. This time it¡¯s me with the same guy who had his arm around me. This time we¡¯re kissing. And another photo, with the same guy. He scrolls through more photos of me with the same guy ending with thest one where I¡¯m in an office with the same guy and another person, a middle-aged man with ck hair peppered with white, sitting behind the desk with his head slightly turned away. Thisst one looks like it was taken using a long-lens camera. This is the most damning one of them all. Although you can¡¯t see who that other person is, it is easy to tell from the angle. It¡¯s Sone.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you drinking? There is nothing in it, not even a truth serum, as much as I would want one right now.¡± He knows he¡¯s got me. And the images look bad,cking context.

 Chapter 92

    I take a sip of the drink. It goes down my throat smoothly and lights a fire in my body. Whatever it is, it¡¯s a high-quality cognac. It gives me the courage I need. ¡°It¡¯s not what you think.¡±


    ¡°No? Are you going to say these are faked, too?¡±


    ¡°It is me, but I¡¯m not working with Sone. The other guy, Hugh, is my boyfriend. Ex-boyfriend.¡± Our rtionship ended the day I caught him with another woman in his bed. Turns out, I was the only one who was being serious about our rtionship and he was cheating on me with two other women.


    ¡°I know about all of that. But I gotta say, I wasn¡¯t aware of the ¡®ex¡¯ part.¡±


    ¡°So, you understand that there¡¯s nothing more going on?¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m supposed to dismiss your meeting with Sone regrly?¡±


    ¡°It was one time! That time. The one you captured! He wanted me to-¡± I stop at thest second, realizing how he would misconstrue the end of that sentence. When Hugh got me the meeting with Sone. Which I gotta say was a surprise. Hugh didn¡¯t strike me as someone who connected to Sone. Even though he worked in hispany as a tech security expert, I assumed it was a low-level backroom job and not a high-level position. Hugh had told me Sone had a job offer for me and unfortunately, or should I say, fortunately, we never got to it and something came up for Sone. A few dayster, I found Hugh in bed with another woman and that severed my ties with that part of the world. Now that I think about it, the job offer was maybe to spy on Dante.


    ¡°What did he want?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    It¡¯s his turn to scoff and even though I did nothing wrong, I feel like I¡¯ve been caught in a lie. I take another sip of the drink to calm myself down. ¡°So why am I here if my crimes are so horrible? Not only am I a thief, I¡¯m also a spy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. You should be dead by now, but there¡¯s something special about you, Corina.¡±


    ¡°And what is that?¡±


    I hear the door close behind me. We both turn in time to see the guy he called Tiny. A giant of a man carrying three suitcases in his hand that look like purses in proportion to his body. I spot a familiar Hello Kitty sticker on one of the suitcases. Is that my luggage?


    ¡°Put them in the guest room,¡± Dante says to Tiny. Tiny nods and he marches out of the room.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be staying here from now on.¡±


    ¡°I-Why?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t have you going about your usual business, now, can we?¡±


    ¡°Until when?¡±


    ¡°Till we can work out what to do with you.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t just keep me prisoner!¡±


    ¡°Prison? Really? And here I was thinking my ce is one of the best in the city.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not staying here.¡±


    ¡°Do you prefer a cold room in the casino¡¯s basement? It can be arranged.¡±


    ¡°What about my ce? Can¡¯t you have your goons watch me if you think I¡¯m such a risk?¡±


    ¡°Nah. Someone like you would seduce them and bend them to your will. Isn¡¯t that what you did with Sone¡¯s guy? Work him so you could get to Sone.¡±


    ¡°You have a wild imagination. And you think I can¡¯t seduce you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m quite immune to your wiles, yes.¡±


    Why does he always have an answer for everything? ¡°What about my people? My friends. My family? How am I to exin it to them?¡±


    ¡°You have no family and as far as I can tell, you have one friend.¡±


    ¡°How do you know all that?¡± His cheeks flush. Whether it¡¯s from embarrassment at his stalker knowledge or alcohol, I can¡¯t tell. How the fuck does he know this much about me? The only exnation would be he has been spying on me for months. Years, if those images are anything to go by. All because I dated that cheating fucker.


    ¡°You¡¯re my employee and, as it turns out, my enemy. I make it my business to know both.¡±


    ¡°What am I supposed to tell my friend?¡±


    ¡°Tell her you¡¯ve quit your job and moved.¡±


    ¡°And you think that¡¯s a sufficient exnation?¡±


    ¡°As far as I know, Jesse, your roommate and friend, is a working girl. She¡¯ll understand.¡±


    ¡°You make it sound so simple.¡±


    He shrugs. ¡°Follow me,¡± he says and without waiting for a reply, he marches out of the room. I can¡¯t help myself; I follow him even though I want to run away, beat him ¨C anything. He leads me out of the living room, down the corridor, and opens a door. The bedroom we enter, I must admit, differs from the dominant ck and gray of the rest of the penthouse. This one is mostly white with ck ents. Like the rest of the ce, the room is vast. I¡¯m sure my entire apartment can fit in here. In the middle is an enormous bed and on top of it is my luggage and my phone.


    ¡°Your room,¡± he says and leaves. I truly do not understand the man. Left to my own devices, I take a turn about the room, taking it in. It¡¯s less a bedroom and more a suite. There are at least two sections. The bedroom section, with the bed, and then a lounge section with a table two stools, and a settee. There arerge windows on one side and double French doors on the other that lead to a balcony. I try to open the doors. Locked. The windows are locked too. I make my way to the other door in the room. This one isn¡¯t locked, and it leads to a spacious marble-tiled bathroom on one end. On the other is arge, empty walk-in closet. I doubt all my clothes will be enough to fill even a quarter.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°Give me your hand.¡±


    I jump, surprised by the unexpected voice, and turn to see


    Dante holding a tinum bracelet-looking thing in his hand. He waves it in my face. ¡°Your hand.¡±


    ¡°Whatever for?¡± He ignores me grabs my right hand and clips the bracelet on. I can¡¯t ignore the tendrils of electricity I feel when he touches me. His hands linger for a second and let¡¯s go almost caressingly. However, he quickly shoves them in his pockets after he¡¯s done, as if he¡¯s burned. ¡°What is it?¡± My voice sounds so hoarse I clear my throat.


    ¡°A tracker. In case you get any ideas.¡±


    I turn the bracelet around in my hand. It looks like normal jewelry, and there¡¯s even a ruby-looking stone in the middle. Beneath the stone, though, is a tiny flickering red light. ¡°You seem prepared. Is this what you do to every woman you wrongly use? Or, wait a minute, is this a fetish for you? use women of stealing, spying, whatever. Get them under your roof, so you can fuck them? Is that it?¡±


    He res at me and for a moment I¡¯m sure he¡¯s going to do something bad, but he says, ¡°You¡¯re thest person I would want to fuck, Corina.¡±

 Chapter 93

    DANTE


    She¡¯s a witch. The minute I leave her room and enter mine,


    I already want a drink. And a cold shower. Her mere presence put me under a spell so intoxicating it made me forget why she was here and what she¡¯s done and why I was cing a tracker on her. The only thing that remained in my head was how quickly it would take me to remove the luggage off the bed, drag her to it, and fuck her on it. The moment I touched her hand, I didn¡¯t want to let go. She felt smoother than I had imagined. Her skin was silky soft and warm. Reminding myself of why I was doing this made me leave. Otherwise, the worst could have happened.


    Speaking of which, I make my way to myptop to make sure the tracker is working. A red dot is shing on a map, giving me the coordinates of her room. Great. I check the app on my phone as well and it shows the same result.


    As long as she is in sight, I am calm. I still haven¡¯t gotten over what Gio told me. It is a game changer. I have an ace card under my roof and from what Sal has gathered so far; it didn¡¯t seem like Sone or any of his people are aware of who she is, even though she is working for them. But I must confirm this. Make sure they think she¡¯s dead and then see how they react. I make a call to Sal.


    ¡°Are you still connected to our link?¡± I say as soon as he picks up.


    ¡°Yes. Tell them she¡¯s dead.¡±


    ¡°Dead? Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°I want to see their reaction.¡±


    ¡°Right. Of course. What about her colleagues?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with that.¡± I end the call and call my manager and tell him she¡¯s resigned. He epts this without question. We have a high turnover with the dealers, anyway. Some choose to be strippers or enter other forms of sex work when they realize those avenues make more money in the city. So, it makes sense. The only other person who needs to be cated is Jesse, the roommate. That wouldn¡¯t be hard. Fuck. I rush back to her room and find her in the middle of typing something on her phone. I snatch it out of her hand.


    ¡°What the fuck!¡±


    ¡°Phone privileges are gone.¡±


    ¡°How am I supposed to tell Jesse the excuse, then? That¡¯s my homework, remember?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    She throws her hands in the air and shakes her head. I barge out of her room feeling like a brute. The feeling is inappropriate, however, when she is about to send a text to her apparent ex-boyfriend. ¡°Please¡­¡± That¡¯s all she texted before she could text more. Please what? Pleasee and rescue me. Please help me. I checked to see if she had sent something else. The only texts in this thread, for at least the past couple of weeks, are from this Hugh guy. A lot of ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± ¡°I love you,¡± and ¡°Take me back.¡± He even expresses the same sentiment in cringe-worthy stickers and gifs. Yikes, is my first thought, but what if it¡¯s code? I let that hang while I go to the other text messages. Apart from Hugh, nothing on her phone seems interesting. One would assume she¡¯s a boring person leading an average life.


    As for her roommate, they only talk about either covering each other for work, mostly Jesse asking Corina to cover for her, or whether one of them is sleeping elsewhere that night. Again, all being Corina asking Jesse and, from the looks of it, Jesse is the one with the nightlife. Corina¡¯s is non-existent for someone who¡¯s a nt. Even her work schedule suggests the opposite. She does nothing but work. But then again, if I was a nt, I would make sure I was at work all the time.


    She¡¯s an enigma. But I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll figure her out.     I woke up the following morning feeling like I hadn¡¯t slept at all. Something kept me awake, but I¡¯m not sure why and I¡¯m sure it¡¯s only a coincidence that Corina was in the next room and my thoughts kept drifting to her from time to time. Colin and Rob are already in the kitchen when I get there together with Vera. She¡¯s making breakfast while the two are on opposite corners drinking coffee. The picture is normal except¡­ Someone¡¯s missing. Corina.


    ¡°Where is she?¡± I blurt it out without thinking of the perfunctory greetings. Vera nces up from her cooking, ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s still in her room,¡± Colin says. I turn and make my way back to her room. As I leave the kitchen, I hear Vera ask, ¡°Is there another person I don¡¯t know about?¡±


    I reach her room and swing open her door. She stands opposite the vanity mirror touching up her face. She stares at me through the mirror nonplussed and goes back to applying her mascara. ¡°For all the barging in you like to do,¡± she says, ¡°You should just remove the door altogether. It seems to hinder you.¡±


    I step inside and shut the door behind me. ¡°We need to establish some rules. First: You should be up before eight and in the kitchen or the living room.¡±


    She cocks an eyebrow and drops her mascara pen. ¡°I was on my way. Where else am I supposed to be?¡±


    I thought you had escaped. But I don¡¯t say it aloud. The anxiety she put me through yesterday was something she wasn¡¯t supposed to know. She could take advantage of it, or worse, escape.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    She res at me once more through the mirror, drops her shoulders, and gets up. She looks beautiful. The makeup she was applying was soft and natural. Less like the dramatic night makeup she must put on as a casino dealer. The urge to tell her she looks lovely is on the tip of my tongue as she glides over to me. As we¡¯re walking to the kitchen she says, ¡°By the way, your man, Tiny, left some of my stuff,¡± she says.


    ¡°Tell me what it is and he will get it for you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s, uh, it¡¯s somewhere¡­  it¡¯s difficult to exin exactly where it is.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s kinda embarrassing.¡± I can smell her bullshit a mile away.


    ¡°Trust me, my ears are ustomed to hearing embarrassing things.¡±


    ¡°Promise me you won¡¯tugh.¡±


    ¡°I have no sense of humor.¡±


    ¡°I can tell,¡± she mutters under her breath. Louder, she says, ¡°There¡¯s a plush I need.¡±


    ¡°Plush?¡±


    ¡°Teddy bear.¡±


    I stop to stare at her. She¡¯s blushing, I notice. She seems genuinely embarrassed as she ys with the bracelet. ¡°A teddy bear?¡±


    She looks away. ¡°Yes. Whenever I feel anxious about things, like,¡± she waves her hands around, ¡°right now, I findfort in having my plushy around.¡±This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell Tiny to get your plushy,¡± I say, and march out in front of her. When I get to the kitchen, I feel a pull on my jacket. I turn to see her big watery doe eyes staring back at me. Fuck. How can I say no to this?


    ¡°Please. I tucked it somece where I¡¯m sure he wouldn¡¯t find it,¡± her head droops, ¡°It¡¯s kinda a secret of mine.¡±


    I want to say no. I want to tell her to fuck off and forget about her plushy, but I can¡¯t. If anything, I want to be the one to get that plushy for her. It¡¯s a weird mix of emotions bouncing inside me and surprises me. I say, ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll go get your toy.¡±


    She smiles and then it falters. ¡°We?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Tiny has shit to do, and I¡¯m free this morning.¡±


    Her smilees back again, but it¡¯s weary. ¡°Great.¡±


    We enter the kitchen, and I introduce her to Vera. She gives me a cryptic look as she gives me my breakfast. A look that I don¡¯t have time to decode. I¡¯m too busy trying to parse Corina¡¯s earlier conversation and whether I¡¯m walking into a trap. It¡¯s odd for an adult human being to be attached to a toy, but it¡¯s not anything I¡¯ve never heard of. I look up from my breakfast when I hear her moan and say, ¡°Holy shit, these are some good pancakes.¡± Her eyes are closed as she chews in a state of ecstasy. I almost feel jealous of the pancakes and Vera, wishing I was the one bringing out this kind of reaction.


    Vera seems to appreciate it and says, ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s not every day that I get someone who likes my cooking.¡± ¡°I like it,¡± I hear Rob say.


    She ps him. ¡°Not nearly enough.¡± To Corina, she says, ¡°If you want more there¡¯s some over here.¡±

 Chapter 94

    Corina smiles and nods. I wonder if Vera would be as friendly if she knew who Corina is and why she is here. I have a feeling she would make those pancakes with a huge dose of sand instead of flour.


    Ignoring the entire situation and my conflicting feelings that are souring my breakfast, I make quick work of it. After I¡¯m done, I wipe my mouth and stand up. Colin and Rob note the cue and straighten it. ¡°Are you done?¡± I say to Corina. ¡°We need to go.¡±


    She looks like she¡¯s about to throw a retort, but stuffs the rest of her food and chugs it down with juice. Vera is looking at me like I¡¯vemitted some grave sin while Colin and Rob are already making their way out.


    ¡°Let me go get my keys.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°How do you expect me to get in? Or do you want me to ask Tiny?¡±


    ¡°Be quick.¡± Instead of rushing, she struts back to her room, deliberately meant to antagonize me. When she had


    gone, Vera said, ¡°Your new girlfriend is lovely.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not my girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Who is she?¡±


    ¡°A liability and an asset.¡±


    ¡°That exins a lot. Here I was thinking you¡¯ve finally found someone you would want sleeping over.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s nothing of the sort, and she has her room. You should watch her. She¡¯s not supposed to leave the penthouse unless it¡¯s under my direction. What do you mean, ¡®it exins a lot?''¡±


    ¡°The way you are treating her. What is she guilty of?¡±


    ¡°A lot. You wouldn¡¯t like her if you knew.¡±


    ¡°Then don¡¯t tell me. She¡¯s such a sweet girl.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve only known her for five minutes.¡±


    ¡°I have an intuition about these things. You and her¡­¡±


    She never gets to finish her sentence because Corinaes in, dangling her keys and holding a purse. We leave, making use of the private elevator, which sends us straight to the basement and bypasses the hotel and casino. Corina¡¯s look of awe as she gazes out of the ss window that overlooks the entire city is fascinating. ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    ¡°The city.¡±


    ¡°You should see it at night. It¡¯s more beautiful.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Something is fascinating about the strip in the morning.¡± I take a second look. She¡¯s right. The unlit neon signs, the concrete buildings, and the way the morning sun hits the windows give it a sort of glow that is poetic. It¡¯s like the night¡¯s sin washed anew by the warm rays.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    The city disappears as the elevator descends into the basement, where ites to a stop. Colin and Rob have already brought the car in front of the elevator, and Rob is holding the door while Colin is at the wheel. We get in and the drive to her apartment takes a little longer than I expected. Itexpecteddle out of town, on the cheaper end of the city. The building looks good, but not what I expected from someone who¡¯s working two jobs and has been stealing from me. A tiny nab of doubt niggles at me. Maybe she is putting her money elsewhere. Saving up so she can get out of town. That way, she won¡¯t bring attention to herself as well as have enough to live on when she bails. That¡¯s what a smart person would do. Too bad she wasn¡¯t smart enough not to get caught. We enter her apartment building and she nces behind her when she sees me following her. ¡°You could wait in the car,¡± she waves her hand in the air, the one with the bracelet. ¡°It¡¯s not like you can¡¯t catch me if I go anywhere.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I have a hankering to see where you live.¡±


    She shakes her head and continues upstairs. We stop at her apartment door and once more she nces back at me. ¡°Don¡¯t expect much.¡± She unlocks the door and opens it. The ce is small, but quaint and tidy. The kitchen and living room have an open n structure that¡¯s supposed to make it feel bigger but somehow fails. Most of the furniture is eclectic and feels cozy. I almost want to sink into the stuffed loveseat and watch her as she moves around.


    ¡°You can take a seat while I go fetch it.¡± I¡¯m tempted to do so until I remember who I¡¯m with.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I want to see where you sleep.¡± Thates out more erotic than I intend, but she seems not to notice.


    ¡°Sure whatever.¡±


    We head down the small corridor and into a room. Hers, I assume. It¡¯s less eclectic and more organized. Everything is a version of yellow, white, and blue. She moves around the room, first looking under her bed, then opening the chest of drawers, which I note is empty.


    ¡°Do you need help?¡±


    ¡°No, but if you¡¯re going to stand there like a scarecrow, it¡¯s going to increase my anxiety.¡± If she expects me to fall for whatever trick she¡¯s trying to pull, she¡¯s got another thinging. Corina gets back to looking for the doll in her closet. She has to climb onto a stool to get on the top shelf, and that¡¯s when she whips out a beige and brown teddy bear. It looks worn but well-kept. One eye is missing and a simr-looking button is sown on instead, and the hairs on the doll are matted. It looks like something an adult would have had since they were a child. So, I guess she wasn¡¯t lying about the doll. Go figure.


    ¡°Right. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Even though she was telling the truth, there¡¯s something about the way she replies that makes my hair rise. Something is off, and I don¡¯t know what.


    ¡°Give me the doll.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I just want to check something.¡±


    ¡°What do you think-¡± I snatch the doll from her. ¡°Hey!¡±


    I ignore her as I inspect it. It feels heavy for a plush toy and when I shake it; I hear nothing. She raises her arms in exasperation. ¡°What are you looking for? It¡¯s not like there are any drugs in it.¡±


    ¡°Let me be the judge of that?¡±


    ¡°Oh. My. God. You think there are drugs in it.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the zipper?¡±


    ¡°There isn¡¯t any.¡±


    ¡°Why is it heavy?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe because when my grandmother made it, she used cheap stuffing?¡±


    I almost want to rip it apart to make sure. However, when I nce at her, she seems almost teary-eyed, and I stop myself. This ugly thing holds some sentimental value to her, and I would not be like every Mafia caricature that rips dolls apart. I hand it back to her. She grabs it and ces it under her arm while a small teardrop makes me feel like a route. What¡¯s up with me? It¡¯s only been a day of interacting with Corina and she¡¯s already twice brushed against my sleek exterior and exposed the animal within.


    ¡°Grab anything else you want and let¡¯s go. You won¡¯t be returning here.¡±


    Her eyes widen. ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    I do not know what it meant. It slipped out and my intention, which she must think, isn¡¯t because I will kill you, but rather, you don¡¯t deserve to live in a ce like this. As if part of my desire is to put her up in an upscale apartment as¡­ as what? My girlfriend? My mistress?


    Another tear falls and I close the space between us just as it reaches her cheeks. I brush it off with my thumb. Her silky soft skin feels amazing under it. I wonder what it would taste like and without thinking; I do just that. I kiss her cheek. Then the other cheek. I trail down until my lips meet hers. My tongue coaxes them open and when they do, I triumph, delving inside. Our tongues dance with each other as I pull her closer. Not only does she taste like heaven, she smells like heaven. Feels like heaven.


    Heavenes crashing down when I feel hardownteel against my stomach. I hear the cock of a trigger. When I pull away from her slowly, I see the teddy bear on the floor and a pistol pointing at me. The bear did have a secretpartment, after all. When I look up at her, the fear is gone. She has murder in her eyes.

 Chapter 95

    CORINA


    I didn¡¯t sleep the previous night. The longer Iy down in that luxurious bed with my head resting on that therapeutic pillow, the more I realized that if I was going to get out of this, I would have to use my head. I couldn¡¯t sleep. I kept tossing and turning throughout the night. It was only in thete hours of the morning when the idea came to me. The gun. The teddy bear has a secretpartment where I put my gun. I used to put the teddy bear on my bed when I stayed in a more dangerous part of town, but now that I was staying in a safer ce, I no longer needed it so I chucked the doll in the closet.


    I nned to get the teddy bear and then use the gun when an opportunity arose. I didn¡¯t think he would want to apany me. That made me change my ns. I had to think on my feet. It wasn¡¯t until we entered my apartment alone that I realized Dante wasn¡¯t with his goons. It was now or never. Then he kissed me. That was a surprise, but it gave me time to get the gun out and point it at him, which is where we are now. With my gun against him, but no idea what to do next.


    ¡°Stand back.¡± I nudge the pistol into his stomach. He moves, but only slightly.


    ¡°You¡¯re a ball of surprises, aren¡¯t you?¡± His calm demeanor is unnerving. He doesn¡¯t seem afraid of me or my weapon. He seems to view it as a game.


    ¡°I said stand back if you don¡¯t want me to shoot you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your n if you do? Colin and Rob are downstairs. If they hear a gunshot, they¡¯ll rush here and if they see me lying in a pool of blood, you¡¯ll be lying in your pool next to me.¡±


    He¡¯s right. Even if I outrun them, his Mafia family would be after me. They would probably kill me or my mother. Think Corina, think. I could use the fire escape and go through there. And it¡¯s not like I want to kill him, anyway. Just enough time to get away from him. ¡°Let me go,¡± I say.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one holding the gun.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not your thief. I didn¡¯t steal your money. I¡¯m not working with Hugh or Sone. Somebody is framing me.¡± ¡°Nah. I¡¯d say this situation begs to differ.¡±


    ¡°Please let me go.¡± The hand holding the gun trembles. Dante notices it. I grip the gun with both hands. But it¡¯s toote. He¡¯s already seen my weakness. I can see it in the way his lips twitch as if he¡¯s trying not to smile. He takes a step forward.


    ¡°Do it then,¡± he says when the gun touches him, ¡°Kill me.¡±N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    I can¡¯t and we both know it. Maybe if I duck and run away while I still have something of an upper hand. Before I could do that though, in one swift move, he pulled the pistol out of my hands, grabbed my waist, turns me around until my back was against him and he was now the one holding the gun to my temple. In my other ear, he whispers, ¡°Don¡¯t you ever, ever threaten me with a weapon ever again. Do you understand?¡±


    It¡¯s tough to process what he¡¯s saying through the fog of changing fortunes. Is he going to kill me? He¡¯s going to kill me, isn¡¯t he? I feel the gun move and swipe away a lock of my hair. ¡°Do you understand?¡±


    I barely nod.


    ¡°I need you to say it out loud.¡±


    My throat feels parched. The ¡°yes,¡±es out as a whisper. That seems to satisfy him. He drops the gun and puts both his hands in front of me as he opens the chamber and takes out the three bullets inside. As he¡¯s doing so, my pulse rate drops, and I notice things. He¡¯s holding me so close inside this bear hug I can feel his hardened cock. He¡¯s swaying us slightly so that if someone were to walk in, they would think we were a couple. What¡¯s worse, my body¡¯s positive response. I have to stop myself from leaning back against him as if I want to be in this position. To be his prisoner. As if the previous seconds mean nothing.


    ¡°I knew you were going to be difficult, but I didn¡¯t expect you to threaten me with a weapon.¡± The way his breath blows against my ear causes another bout of tumultuous emotions inside me. ¡°I should have seen it, though. You¡¯re one fascinating fireball, Corina.¡±


    Just as fast as he held me, he let go of me. Theck of support makes me stumble backward. His hand snakes out, and catches me before I crumble to the ground. He didn¡¯t let me go as he dragged me out of the apartment and back into the car. We drive back to the penthouse and throughout the entire drive, I can feel his anger vibrating around him, making it difficult to breathe. His grip on my arm is just as strong, too. When we enter the apartment, he sts past Vera, who looks aghast, and when we reach my room, he thrusts me inside and says, ¡°I hope you think about what you did.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to imprison me here?¡±


    He says nothing and closes the door. I hear the key turn and a momentter his footsteps recede. I rush to the door and sure enough, it¡¯s locked. It won¡¯t open. What¡¯s he going to do next, I wonder? Kill me? Maybe I should have shot when I had the chance, but I¡¯ve never used that gun. It was something I had for security. An intimidation tool. I¡¯m not even sure if the gun works at all. But he knows guns. He¡¯s probably used them thousands of times. And he probably knows what to do with disposing of a dead body as well. The thought sends a chill down my spine. It¡¯s the state I¡¯m in for the next few hours.


    This time, being alone with my thoughts is more terrifying thanst night. By the time it bes dark, I¡¯m ready to w at the walls as the fear creeps in. I want to get out. Not just out of this room, but out of my head, where several scenarios y. Dante chopping me up to pieces alive and then killing me. Killing me and then chopping me up to pieces. I prefer the second option.


    I hear footsteps outside from time to time. And each time the sound gets louder and closer, my heart thumps so loud I can¡¯t hear my thoughts, only for the sound to carry on down the hall. When it¡¯s fully nighttime outside, I hear two sets of footsteps along the hall. One louder than the other. When they stop at the door, I stand up from the bed and wait expectantly facing the door. Is this how I¡¯m going to be led to my death? The door opens and filling the frame is Dante, still looking as pissed as before, and slightly hidden by him, Vera, who¡¯s holding a covered silver tray. She brushes past him and walks over to the small table in the room.


    ¡°Supper,¡± he grumbles. ¡°If it were up to me, you wouldn¡¯t be having anything at all.¡±


    Vera opens the tray and on it is a delicious-looking te of fettine alfredo, another with amb chop and a ss of red wine. I haven¡¯t eaten since morning and the thought of food never crossed my mind until now and my stomach rumbles as hunger makes its call. Is this myst meal? I stare back at him. Is he trying to poison me? To make the death easier? Vera smiles at me and I mutter a thank you as she leaves. Dante is still at the door, his arms crossed.


    ¡°Eat.¡±


    ¡°Why? Is it poisoned?¡±


    He closes the door and stalks towards me. ¡°One: If I wanted to kill you, the poison would not be my choice of weapon. It wouldn¡¯t be satisfying. I would rather watch you bleed.¡± His words terrify me, but I won¡¯t give him the satisfaction of knowing the impact they have on me. I steel myself and raise my chin. ¡°Two,¡± he continues, stalking further until there¡¯s little space between us, ¡°That¡¯s an insult to Vera whose concern you don¡¯t deserve. If it weren¡¯t for her, you wouldn¡¯t be eating tonight. Or the next few days.¡±


    Something tells me he isn¡¯t lying. Maybe it¡¯s the look of offense he has for me suggesting he would poison me. Begrudgingly, I take a seat and draw the tray towards me. Dante also nts himself into the other chair. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Watching you eat.¡±


    ¡°Whatever for? Can¡¯t I do that in privacy? I¡¯m sure you have better things to do, like running a casino or a gang or whatever.¡±


    He res at me for a moment. I might have pushed a few buttons there at the gang reference. He seems to let it go and his gaze moves down to the steak knife on the tray. ¡°After what you¡¯ve pulled this morning, I don¡¯t trust you with that.¡±


    Damn. He¡¯s right. The thought never crossed my mind. I¡¯m too hungry to think, but now that he¡¯s suggested it, I would steal the knife.


    ¡°Now eat.¡± He sits back and pulls out his phone and starts scrolling. As if this is the normal thing in the world right now. I try to ignore his imposing presence and take a bite of themb chop. Holy shit, it is fucking amazing. It¡¯s so sulent and juicy I take another piece. Ibine the third piece with the pasta and the wine. Thebination is like fireworks in my mouth. The food is so delicious and in no time I¡¯m done eating. Both tes are empty and so is the wine ss. He notices this and soon as I put thest drop of wine down my throat, he gets up.


    ¡°What are you going to do to me?¡± I say, ¡°You didn¡¯t kill me before and you don¡¯t want to kill me now, ording to you.¡±


    ¡°Who says I won¡¯t do it, eventually?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather you get it over with. The suspense is killing me.¡±


    ¡°So you admit your crimes?¡±


    ¡°No. Because I have none.¡±


    ¡°You will admit it, eventually. I¡¯m a patient man.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you¡¯re keeping me alive? To see if I break?¡±

 Chapter 96

    He looks up to the ceiling as if thinking, then he turns his gaze down to me. ¡°I like toys. And I enjoy ying with you. So, I enjoy having you around.¡± Until you bore me. Thatst part left unsaid didn¡¯t need to be uttered.


    ¡°Did you have other toys before?¡± I nce around. ¡°Is that what this room is for? Your toy room.¡±


    He smiles for the first time today, but he says nothing. Instead, he collects my empty tray and leaves.


    His toy. Fuck me until he was bored with me. Is that what he meant when he said he wanted me to be his toy? Judging by my conduct this morning, I wouldn¡¯t say no. His kisses were good. His lips were surprisingly soft, and I wanted him to kiss me again and again. Pull me towards the bed and have his way with me. If I wasn¡¯t so confused by that out-of-the-box kiss, it might have happened. For a moment, he fogged my brain until I realized where I was and who he was. I should never forget that.     For the second night in a row, I do not sleep. My dreams are mixed with waking up in a bed of tangled silky ck sheets and waking up in a grave. By the time morninges, I¡¯m d to have an excuse to get out of bed and shower. As soon as I¡¯m done putting on my clothes, the door opens. It¡¯s him again. He looks like a dark angel in a charcoal suit and red tie. Dark rings mar his piercing ck eyes. He¡¯s not sleeping either. Unlike me, I¡¯m sure his reasons for not sleeping are of a more debauched nature. He was probably up all night having sex with an escort or ying poker with his friends. Or both.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    My pulse picks up. ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°Breakfast.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Right.¡±


    ¡°What did you think? Your death? Sorry to disappoint. I don¡¯t do morning killings.¡±


    ¡°Ha. Funny.¡± I march past him and immediately regret it. I also regret my choice of clothing, a red sundress that while red was tight around my chest and butt. As I walk in front of him, I can feel his gaze tearing through the dress.


    Colin, Rob, and Vera are already in the kitchen, just like yesterday. All in their exact positions, as if actors repeating a scene. Quickly, I rush to the kitchen counter stool and as I¡¯m about to sit; I feel a hand around my arm snag me away.


    ¡°What the hell,¡± I mutter, then I¡¯m whisked away towards the terrace. Dante shoves me down into a chair, and then he moves around the table to another chair. Everything is already set except for the coffee which Vera immediatelyes out holding.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± she says to me, ¡°I hope you slept well?¡±


    Since she¡¯s the only person who¡¯s shown any kindness towards me, I smile and reply, ¡°Very well, thank you.¡± It¡¯s a lie and she can tell. She res once again at Dante and drops the coffee jug on the table. The coffee sloshes as she marches back into the penthouse. At least I have one ally in this cursed ce.


    Dante picks up a piece of toast and begins buttering it. He takes one bite and then says to me, ¡°Eat.¡±


    ¡°And yet you refuse to admit you have a fetish for ordering me to shove food in my mouth.¡± Dante shakes his head but says nothing. I scan the dishes. Bacon, scrambled eggs, toast, mushroom, cheese, yogurt, five types of cereal, two types of fruit juice, coffee, and Vera¡¯s delicious pancakes. I stab my fork into the pile and pick two. If anything is calming me down, it¡¯s these pancakes. I wonder what she puts in them?


    After two delicious bites, I turn my gaze to Dante. ¡°You aren¡¯t up to dining with the help this morning, I see.¡±


    ¡°I wanted us to be alone.¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­ you make it sound romantic.¡± He detects the sarcasm in my tone and res at me but says nothing more.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I want to know.¡±


    ¡°Is this going to be another interrogation? If you must know, I¡¯m sticking to my story.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about that.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± My curiosity peaks. I have to wait for him to crunch down his toast and wash it down with a cup of coffee.


    ¡°Your mother,¡± He says as picks another slice and adds mushroom and eggs on top of it, ¡°how close were you to her?¡±


    ¡°Close enough. Why?¡± That¡¯s an overstatement. My mother was barely in my life. I have memories of her leaving me home alone while she chased a singing career that never materialized. When she finally realized it would never happen, she turned to drugs forfort, which made her even more distant.


    ¡°I just want to know what your rtionship was like.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this about? Are we on a date?¡±


    ¡°Do you know you go from sixty to zero in two seconds? I kinda like that about you.¡±


    ¡°I thought you wanted to know about your money and Sone. What does that have to do with my mother?¡±


    ¡°Were you close?¡± His eyes are like a lie detector. I look away from him and back at my te. There¡¯s too little syrup on my pancake. I add some more, and a dollop of cream. I don¡¯t think I can describe the rtionship my mother and I had as close. She was there, but that¡¯s it. ¡°We were mother and daughter.¡±


    ¡°I can tell.¡± Without me saying much, he seems to discern the truth underlying that statement. Our rtionship wasplicated. She was never there while I was growing up and died before her time.


    ¡°How?¡± I ask him. ¡°You didn¡¯t know her.¡±


    He fishes out my phone from his pocket and waves it.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    ¡°Ah. I see you¡¯ve gone through my old texts.¡± I blush at the thought of him seeing the many messages that I would send to her that went unread. And the ones that are replied to are only replied with one or two words. When she overdosedst year, I didn¡¯t know she was dead until the police came to the Grand Pzzo looking for me a weekter. She died alone. That part hurts the most.


    ¡°I had to check if you were talking to your mother and if it wasn¡¯t some coded message.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Thanks for telling me that my mother was absent. Is it your way of embarrassing me?¡±


    He seems wounded by this as if I hit a low blow. ¡°I know you see me as a big bad wolf, but psychological warfare is not my thing. I genuinely wanted to know.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    He looks like he wants to say more, but drops it and changes tact. ¡°What about your father?¡±


    ¡°What about him? I¡¯ve never met him.¡±


    This doesn¡¯t seem to satisfy him. His eyes narrow, as if trying to determine if it¡¯s a lie. Why he cares makes little sense, so I ignore him and continue eating. His gaze never leaves me the entire time.

 Chapter 97

    DANTE


    The more I try to understand, the more enigmatic she bes. Is she lying to me or is she hiding something? It makes sense in a way if I am to go by the information I¡¯ve gathered so far. She had broken up with her boyfriend like she said and even though he was begging her to reunite in texts; my people also saw him with several other women. Seems like he couldn¡¯t handle a woman leaving him and had nothing with him regretting not being with him. Add to that, Jesse didn¡¯t buy the exnation of moving in with a boyfriend and is constantly calling. That¡¯s why I need Corina to convince her friend that she¡¯s moved out.


    ¡°Jesse has been asking about you.¡±


    ¡°I thought you said you could convince her about my disappearance.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s been calling. I guess she wants to hear your voice.¡± I slide the phone towards her. ¡°You need to call her.¡±


    ¡°And tell her what? That I¡¯m being held hostage by her boss?¡±


    ¡°If you say that, there will be consequences.¡±


    She gulps as my words sink in. Good. Be afraid. I take the phone, dial the number of her friend and I ce it in the middle of the table with the speakerphone on. After four rings, Jesse answers. ¡°Corina!¡±


    She nces at me and then says in an overly cheery voice, ¡°Hi!¡±


    ¡°Corina, where the hell are you?¡±


    ¡°I, um, with a friend.¡±


    ¡°Please. The only friend you have is me. Is something wrong? What did Dante want with you? I heard he was interrogating you. Something about money?¡±


    She casts another weary nce at me. ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s nothing like that at all. The thing is¡­¡±


    ¡°Is something happening between you two?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    ¡°I knew it. That¡¯s why you¡¯ve been cagey, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°You found me out.¡± This time, her gaze has a more mischievous glint in it. ¡°I¡¯ve been seeing him for a short while now and uh, he sprang this surprise trip on me.¡±


    That little bitch. I shake my head, asking her not to suggest what she¡¯s suggesting, but she ignores me and continues, ¡°He¡¯s taking me out of the country and I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t tell you.¡±


    ¡°Wow. You¡¯re so lucky. I could tell by the way he was looking at you. I knew there was something going on.¡±


    ¡°Nothing gets past you, Jesse.¡±


    ¡°I wish I was you. But from woman to woman; how good is he in bed? I heard he knows how to make a girl forget her name. That¡¯s why you weren¡¯t answering my calls?¡±


    ¡®Cut the call.¡¯ I mouth. The conversation has already gone longer than necessary.


    Corina smiles. ¡°He¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t believe the rumors. But, hey, I need to go. I thought I should give you a heads up.¡±


    ¡°When will you being back to work? You know, if you y your cards right, you know he could be your sugar daddy.¡±


    ¡®Cut it.¡¯ I mouth again. And finally Corina says, ¡°I¡¯m not sure when I will be back.¡± Her tone is shaky when she says thosest three words, ¡°But I have to go, okay? Dante is begging me to hang up.¡±


    ¡°Wow. Have a pleasant trip.¡±


    ¡°Love ya.¡± She cuts the call and her smile falters when she sees the rage that is no doubt painted all over my face.


    ¡°What the hell was that?¡±


    ¡°An excuse? Isn¡¯t that what you wanted?¡±


    ¡°You were supposed to say you had gone on a trip with a boyfriend, not with me as your boyfriend.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, it wouldn¡¯t be believable. Jesse knows I¡¯m not seeing anyone. Why would I hide a normal boyfriend from her? But a boyfriend who¡¯s also my boss, a potential gateway daddy, now that makes more sense, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°You said that, so I am tied to your disappearance?¡±


    She pretends to be shocked. ¡°Why would I or anyone implicate such an upstanding person as yourself in my eventual missing persons case? Aw-abiding citizen who wouldn¡¯t imprison women in his penthouse?¡±


    I snatch the phone from the table and back into my pocket before she thinks of any thoughts. She¡¯s a nuisance. Tying me to her is smart. Not only do I have to deal with her, if anything happens to her, I would have to deal with Jesse and who knows who else she tells too. Fuck.


    ¡°What does a gateway daddy mean, anyway?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve never heard of that phrase? That¡¯s a sugar daddy that could be a husband or set you up nicely with an apartment and such. A gateway out of the rat race, if you will.¡±


    ¡°And is that what you do? Constantly look for gateway daddies?¡±


    ¡°If you gotta hustle, you gotta hustle.¡±


    So she is that type of girl. I don¡¯t know why I thought she¡¯s different even despite everything I know about her. Stealing money. Working for Sone. She is a hustler, as she says. Something about that puts a bitter taste in my mouth. It¡¯s a surprise that I even fell for her. Still feel something for her. At least, whatever it is, it¡¯s physical. It¡¯s crazy that as I sit here thinking of all the ways to have my way with her, I have to remember she is a terrible person who shouldn¡¯t be trusted. I still want to feel those lips against mine again. I want to take her in my arms, fuck her against the balustrade while the entire city watches.


    ¡°I warned you of consequences if you disobeyed me,¡± I say, as I try taking my mind off her delectable body and focus on her insolent character.


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t. I convinced Jesse not to go to the police and now she probably thinks I¡¯m having the time of my life. How


    much better of an alibi do you want?¡±


    She¡¯s right. Still, ¡°You¡¯ll pay for it.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do? Lock me up again. Put me in a gilded solitary confinement cage?¡±


    ¡°Actually, you¡¯reing with me.¡±


    She almost chokes on her food and has to wash it down with fruit juice. ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll soon find out. Pack your bags.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Are you defying me?¡± I lower my voice, stressing every word as I speak so she can tell I¡¯m serious. Corina, however, leans back and nonchntly crosses her arms. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening here,¡± she says, her gaze scanning the terrace thening back to me, ¡°but I know you won¡¯t kill me anytime soon. You¡¯re holding me for some twisted reason of yours that has nothing to do with what you are


    using me of. So yes, I am defying you.¡±


    ¡°Corina.¡±


    She ignores my warning. ¡°I kinda like this ce, actually. I would rather stay here. You must tell me where otherwise


    I¡¯m not going. And ask nicely.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this.¡±


    She cocked her eyebrow and turned her gaze towards the city. Did she realize the trouble she¡¯s putting me through? I have things to do, a lot of which were deals she had ruined with the information she sent to Sone. I¡¯m trying to clean up her mess while she¡¯s refusing to budge like a stubborn toddler.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°Fine. If that¡¯s the way you n on doing it.¡± I walk over to her and snatch her up from the chair.


    ¡°What the f-¡± I throw her on my shoulder like a sack of potatoes and march back into the house to the shock of Vera and the disillusioned stares of Colin and Rob. As Corina is pummeling into my back with her fists, I say to Rob, ¡°Get the chopper ready and tell the pilot we have another passenger to add on the list.¡± ¡°Right on boss,¡± Rob says.


    ¡°Put me down!¡± Corina screams.


    ¡°Vera, pack Corina¡¯s suitcase. Colin, bring me duct tape.¡±

 Chapter 98

    Vera looks at me like I have lost my mind and maybe I have. I¡¯m not thinking rationally, I know, but I can¡¯t stop myself. I take Corina to the living room and put her down onto the couch. The moment I let go of her, she bolts up, attempting to flee, but I grab her by the waist and pull her back. She struggles in my hold and kicks my shin. ¡°Fuck!¡± That hurts. I ignore the pain as I try to stop her from struggling, but she keeps on fighting me. Her body rubs against me and her thigh brushes my groin. I stifle a groan. If she doesn¡¯t stop, we might end up flyingter than sooner. ¡°Put me down!¡± she screams in my ear. Colines in at that moment, not only with duct tape but rope as well.


    ¡°There!¡± I throw her down on the couch with her face down and her ass up. Her dress rises, exposing her thighs. She tries to struggle up, but I hold her down and grab the tape from Colin and bind her hands. She kicks so hard, Colines over to help me hold her down. I take the tape, tie her legs, and when I¡¯m satisfied that the bonds are strong, I lift her up and make her sit.


    ¡°I should have done this a long time ago.¡± She spits in my face.


    I take the tape and cover her mouth.     The trip is not as long as I thought it would be. Most of the time I spent working interspersed with Corina screaming some curse at me. I had removed the bonds when we got on the ne after she promised to behave herself, but she couldn¡¯t stop cursing me from time to time.


    ¡°Strap in,¡± I say to her. ¡°We¡¯re about tond.¡±


    ¡°Land where?¡±


    ¡°Rio de Janeiro.¡±


    ¡°Brazil? You trafficked me to Brazil!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself. You¡¯re more of a liability than anything. Strap in.¡± She pulls the seatbelt with the aggression of a pit bull. I¡¯m surprised it doesn¡¯t break. A few minutester, wend in Rio¡¯s private hangar and a car is already there waiting for us.


    ¡°Compliments of Mr. Silva,¡± the attendant says as he leads us into the Mercedes V-ss. Pedro, one of Silva¡¯s closest confidants, is already inside when we enter. After the requisite greetings, I say, ¡°I was afraid, with everything that has happened, Silva would not want to entertain me.¡±


    ¡°He is angry, but he values your friendship. You are your father¡¯s son, after all.¡± Corina and I are sitting opposite Pedro and his gaze shifts from me to her. ¡°And who is the beautiful woman? I rarely see you in thepany of any unless you are, you know¡­¡± We¡¯re speaking in Portuguese, which I assume she can¡¯t understand, judging by her nk expression. ¡°She¡¯s my assistant.¡±


    ¡°Just an assistant? Nothing more?¡± Pedro is a handsome man. And a known phnderer. He¡¯s already looking at Corina as a potential conquest. I better get that notion out of his head. ¡°Don¡¯t get any ideas.¡±


    He gives me a meaningful look and in English he says, ¡°Wee to Rio, miss eh¡­¡±


    ¡°Corina. You can call me Corina. Thank you. I¡¯ve never been here before?¡±


    ¡°A beautiful name for a beautiful woman.¡± She blushes when he says so, and I almost want to roll my eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll enjoy your stay here. We have many wonderful ces to visit if you¡¯re looking for a tour guide.¡±


    ¡°Corina is only here for work,¡± I say to him with an eye that says, y off.¡¯


    He chuckles and seems to get the hint.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind having a tour of Rio,¡± Corina says. She enjoys inviting trouble.


    ¡°Trust me, you will be constrained,¡± I say.


    Her re says she gets the double meaning and looks away from me to the window. We drive on in silence until we reach the hotel where Pedro ushers us to our rooms. ¡°Silva reserved the best rooms for you. The penthouse suite.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Behind us, Colin and Rob stalk in, directing the bellboy where to put the suitcases.


    ¡°As for your assistant¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll be staying here.¡±


    ¡°Great. Silva will contact you.¡±


    After he leaves, Colin and Rob begin a sweep of the suite looking for bugs.


    ¡°Why do they always¡­¡±


    I shake my head at her to signal her to stay quiet. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll protest by screaming something, but she surprises me and goes silent. A couple of minutes into their sweep, they find a microphone, followed by two hidden cameras. When they¡¯re done, the table they were throwing the bugs on is now filled with fifty different recordings.


    ¡°Your father¡¯s son, my ass,¡± I say. Silva not only doesn¡¯t trust me, but was probably aware of the real reason I came here. I am after a new supplier and he wants to know if that is true, so he can what, sabotage me? I knew the hospitality was a cover. He still hasn¡¯t forgiven me. ¡°Do another sweep,¡± I tell them, ¡°To make sure.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit. Your enemies love listening in on you.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not my enemies. This is my business partner¡¯s doing.¡±


    ¡°Yikes. Do all your business partners bug your hotel room?¡±


    ¡°Why do you want to know? Do you have someone you want to ry that information to?¡±


    She shakes her head and turns away from me. She takes a tour of the apartment. It¡¯s all white walls, blue sea green antiques and beige rugs. It¡¯s meant to mimic the ocean view outside and it barely manages that. The main room is arge living/dining room and there are three open doors that lead to bedrooms. The middle one being the master bedroom. She stops her tour and stands in front of the wide windows staring outside. It¡¯s already nighttime. I doubt she can make out anything out there, but she seems fascinated with whatever she¡¯s looking at. It makes me want to know. Demand what is taking her attention away from me.


    After a while, she turns to face me and I feel like a stalker caught in the middle of ogling. ¡°Where am I sleeping?¡± I nod over to the room in the middle.


    Her face scrunches. ¡°And where are you sleeping?¡± I nod over to the same room. She res at me. ¡°We can¡¯t sleep in the same room!¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°How about there are three other rooms?¡±


    ¡°And there¡¯s four of us.¡±


    ¡°I doubt very much that Colin and Rob will sleep throughout the night, especially after the bug sweep you¡¯ve just done. Why are you doing this?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say I don¡¯t trust you. Not with the recent tricks you¡¯ve pulled.¡±


    ¡°I hate you!¡± She screams and marches towards the master bedroom.


    I can¡¯t help it. Iugh. Her ability to make me forget what she actually is has to bemended. I¡¯m half the mind to follow her there and the other half is telling me it wouldn¡¯t be a good idea. I¡¯m about to concede to the former when my phone rings. It¡¯s Nico, my other little brother. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m at your ce and you¡¯re not there,¡± he says.


    ¡°I¡¯m in Rio.¡±


    ¡°Reno? What the fuck are you doing in Reno?¡±


    ¡°Rio, you idiot. What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Ah. Trying to apply salve to Silva?¡±


    ¡°You have the worst puns.¡±


    He chuckles. ¡°The old man must be mad at you. I thought he dropped us.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t and besides, we can¡¯t afford it.¡± I try not to say more, just in case Colin and Rob missed some bugs.


    ¡°You think there¡¯s going to be a war?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡± And we need all the allies we could get. I must fortify all my rtionships before Sone can get to any of them.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡°I hate wars.¡±


    ¡°Me too. We¡¯ll try to avoid it, if possible. We have an ace.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, how is she?¡±


    My mind shes to the gun she pulled on me. ¡°A pain in the ass.¡±


    ¡°Interesting. Is she here at the Pzzo? I¡¯m curious to see her.¡±


    ¡°No. She¡¯s with me.¡±


    There¡¯s silence. A couple of beatster, he says, ¡°You like to keep your cards to your chest, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°You could say that.¡± I don¡¯t want to talk about Corina to Nico any longer. Even though he was thousands of miles away, he can read me more than anyone I know, including my other siblings, so I change the subject. ¡°When Ie back, we should have a family meeting. It¡¯s long overdue.¡±


    ¡°Should we? I have stuff to do.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°Stuff.¡±


    He was being evasive, but whatever he had nned would be trumped by the meeting. It¡¯s important. ¡°I don¡¯t care. Postpone it.¡±


    ¡°You know, you can be a little anal sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Tell Rico and Gio as well.¡±


    He groans and then cuts the call. I don¡¯t want to hold the meeting as much as him, but it has to be done, especially if I¡¯m sessful here. I want to make sure we are all on the same page before we strike. And to that end, I make a call to Sal. ¡°How are things there,¡± I ask as soon as he answers.


    ¡°Going on smoothly. Your brother is here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve just spoken to him. Treat him well and make sure he doesn¡¯t get into trouble.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, boss.¡±


    ¡°Do you have it?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The thing I ordered you to get.¡±


    ¡°Oh right. I have it.¡±


    ¡°Great. Send the document.¡± A few minutes after I end the call, my phone chimes. It¡¯s the document from Sal. And it confirms all my suspicions. Gio is right about Corina. I have to keep her close.

 Chapter 99

    CORINA


    I wake up in the middle of the night. The lights are out, even though I specifically remember leaving them on after crashing on the bed. Through the sleep fog, I notice I¡¯m not alone. Lying next to me is arge man breathing quietly. The moonlight streaming in provides enough light for me to make out his features. He looks so calm and unassuming in sleep. There is something about him that makes me want to lean in and nt kisses on his forehead, nose, and cheek. As the fog clears, I remember who he was. He¡¯s the reason I¡¯m in Rio and not back home in my tiny apartment. He¡¯s a monster. I need to remember that the next time I want to kiss him.


    As my eyes adjust to the darkness, I take in the vast room, trying to make out the shapes until I spot a couch on one end. Why didn¡¯t he sleep there? He probably chose the bed just to push my buttons. I nce back at him. He¡¯s still sleeping peacefully. Slowly, I sit up and lift the sheets as delicately as possible. Making sure he can¡¯t hear me, I slide one leg towards the end of the bed until it reaches the floor. I check again and he¡¯s still asleep. Another slight movement and I will be out of the bed. I shift my other leg and out of nowhere, his hand snakes across my waist and pulls me back.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± he mumbles. His eyes are still closed.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± My voice sounds a little more strained than I want it to be.


    ¡°You woke me up.¡±


    I scramble for something to say. ¡°I need a ss of water.¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t.¡± He strengthens his grip. ¡°Sleep.¡±


    I lie back, feeling defeated. It¡¯s not as if I want to escape. I just don¡¯t want to sleep next to him. I stare at the ceiling, trying to think of a way to get out of his iron grip. I decide toN?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    go with honesty. ¡°Can I sleep on the couch?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you.¡± I utter under my breath.


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    Wait, he heard that? I get answered by him waking up and shifting both of us, so he¡¯s on top of me and I under him.


    ¡°Wh-what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you want to fuck me?¡± He pins me down to the mattress with his body. I struggle beneath him, but his legs imprison mine, holding them together. When I try to push him off, he puts both of my hands into his and thrusts them above me. I stop struggling. He presses deeper and I feel his dick rubbing against my pussy. I shouldn¡¯t have worn a nightdress that¡¯s now riding up my thighs. He groans. Can he feel my wetness? Heat creeps into my cheeks, making me thankful for the dark.


    ¡°Get off me.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s what you want?¡± He rubs against me again. ¡°Your body says otherwise. Your hips are practically thrusting towards mine.¡± He¡¯s right. Subconsciously, I am responding to him and, embarrassed, I push him back. ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°Liar. Howe every word thates out of your mouth is a lie?¡± He leans down and bites my neck. I moan. I can¡¯t help it. His little bites are intoxicating. I forget where I am and who I am with as his lips and tongue move from my neck, trailing up to my mouth. He captures my lips and the feeling of his tongue is like magic on my lips, coaxing me to open my mouth and when I do, we both sigh. I don¡¯t think I have ever felt like this before. Dante is persistent, driving me to focus on nothing but him. All of him. His lips. His hands on mine. I feel his cock as his body presses deep into me. I want to tell him to do it. Rip my panties off and fuck me right now. When he lifts himself up, I think that¡¯s what he¡¯s going to do, but when I open my eyes, I notice something else. In the low light streaming in, I can see a smirk on his face. Gone is the seducer in my head. In his ce is the menacing man he always was.


    ¡°If I had known you were such a nympho, I would have fucked you a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°What makes you think I would have let you?¡±


    He doesn¡¯t respond. He chuckles as if the mere question is ridiculous. And in a way, it sort of is. He is my captor, and yet moments before I was writhing beneath him, tilting my hips towards his, aching for his cock. Heck, I still am. My face heats up again.


    ¡°If you want to fuck me, then get on with it then,¡± I spit back.


    ¡°I will. You can be sure of it, but not yet.¡± It¡¯s more of a statement than a promise. He is so sure of the oue and I can¡¯t refute him. He gets off on top of me andys back next to me with one hand holding my wrist. ¡°Get some sleep,¡± he orders.


    It¡¯s tough to do so with your captor lying next to you, your hand in his grip, but somehow, I do. The next thing I know, I wake up the following morning to an empty bed. I think he¡¯s gone and I almost smile until I hear the shower in the bathroom.


    I dreamed of nothing but him the entire night. At some point, he was chasing me. At others, he¡¯s locking me up in a cage like I¡¯m an animal. Those are tame dreams. There were other much more erotic dreams, where we did everything we almost didst night. I¡¯m still thinking about it when hees out of the bathroom dripping wet, stark naked, not even with a towel on. I¡¯m too shocked to look away and instead stare at him as he strides into the room as if it¡¯s the most natural thing. Even in my state, I can¡¯t avoid noticing how magnificent he looks. I felt his hard chest the night before, but I hadn¡¯t seen how sculpted it was. He looks like a man who took his workout routine seriously, but not serious enough to be arge bulking man. My eyes wander down to his groin. Holy shit. He is packing. In the morning light, I can¡¯t hide my blush. Dante nces at me for the first time and cocks an eyebrow. I look away.


    ¡°Judging from your reaction, one would think you¡¯ve never seen a naked man before.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve never had one sprung on me in the morning. Is the hotel out of towels or something?¡±


    He goes through his routine as if I¡¯m not in the room and when he¡¯s finally done putting on a suit, andbing his hair, he turns to me and says, ¡°You¡¯re staying in the suite until I get back. Colin will stay with you. Don¡¯t give him hell.¡±


    ¡°Oh no,¡± I feign regret, ¡°I really was looking forward to seeing Rio.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to tie you up to the bedpost? That¡¯s another solution.¡±


    I shake my head. I¡¯m positive he¡¯s capable of doing it.


    ¡°Good.¡± He walks towards the dresser, where he picks up a watch and clips it onto his wrist and goes over to the desk where a briefcase and papers are lying around. For someone who thinks he¡¯s currently housing a spy, he¡¯s quite cavalier with his documents.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Why do you want to know? So, you can tell your boss?¡±


    The idea of me being a spy for Sone is so ludicrous that every time he mentions it, I can¡¯t help but roll my eyes. ¡°Just making morning conversation.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother.¡±


    ¡°You seem to be in a bad mood.¡±


    He stops throwing things in his briefcase and stares at me. He looks like he¡¯s about to say something, then shakes his head and continues with his task, closes the briefcase shut and marches out.

 Chapter 100

    A couple of minutester, I hear him and Rob leave. It¡¯s as if a dark fog has cleared. I rush to the bathroom and shower. Only a few minutes before, Dante was here too. I wonder what it would be like to be in here with him. My body wrapped into his as he sensually scrubbed it. Slowly brushing my nipples and bringing me to ecstasy under the shower. But would he be slow? Dante struck me as the ster-you-against-the-shower-door-and-fuck-you-frombehind type of guy. No finesse, only brute force. Not at all what I would want. Like at all. So why am I getting aroused at the thought? ¡°Aaarh!¡± He was dominating not only my life, but my mind. This had to be his n. I needed him out of my head. I turn off the shower and walk out. A few minutester, I stroll out of the bedroom and into the suite. Colin is sitting on the breakfast table chair, busy on his phone, oblivious to the beautiful ocean view outside. The moment I enter, he looks up and stands to attention.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± he says.


    ¡°Morning.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Morelli told me to order breakfast for you, but I wasn¡¯t sure what you¡¯d want.¡± I think I like this Colin guy.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± I stroll over to the phone on the wall next to the table. ¡°I¡¯ll order.¡± He steps in front of the phone, blocking it.


    He seems a little embarrassed to have to make the move. ¡°Uh¡­ I was told to ce the order, you see.¡±


    ¡°Should have known. What¡¯s he afraid of? That I¡¯ll code room service that I¡¯m being held captive?¡±


    He looks down. ¡°I just do what I¡¯m ordered to do.¡± Shyness on a six-foot bulky man looks cute. I can¡¯t get mad at him. I almost don¡¯t want to be a nuisance to him.


    ¡°Do you have the menu?¡±


    He nods over to a booklet on the table. I nt myself on a chair and browse through the menu. ¡°Have you eaten yet?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it matters. ¡±


    ¡°So you haven¡¯t. What do you want? I feel weird eating alone.¡± He looks like he wants to say no, but then he orders coffee and a biscuit. I order arge breakfast just for the sake of it. Dante can afford it.


    When breakfastes, we eat it in silence. Colin is not much of a talker, I realize. Probably what makes him a good bodyguard?


    After we¡¯re done, he makes sure the tes are immediately taken back and then he cases around the suite once. ¡°I doubt there are any bugs you missed from your initial sweep,¡± I say to him. ¡°I¡¯m not looking for bugs.¡± He¡¯s staring outside when he says so, grabbing my attention. I march over to him. ¡°You don¡¯t talk much, do you? What are you looking at?¡± He gently nudges me backwards, his gaze firmly on whatever he was staring at outside. ¡°Step away from the window.¡±


    ¡°Why? Am I not even allowed to look outside now?¡± For a moment, I think he hasn¡¯t heard me until he nces back at me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he says, ¡°I thought I saw something.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Although I feel you¡¯re being a little too cautious. I¡¯m sure your job here is to make sure I don¡¯t escape and not to protect me from harm.¡±


    ¡°You never know who¡¯s out there. Mr. Morelli has a lot of enemies.¡±


    ¡°No way! Judging by the way he¡¯s been treating me, I wouldn¡¯t have guessed!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s better than other people, you know. If he were someone else, you¡¯d be dead by now.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, why aren¡¯t I? Dead, I mean?¡± Colin shrugs and moves away from the window to the living room area where he sits on the couch. I follow him and sit opposite him. ¡°I was sure he would kill me that first day.¡± Colin shrugs again.


    ¡°I see why he likes you. You do not slip up.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just doing my job the best way I know how.¡±


    Talking to him is like extracting water from a stone. Try as I might, he¡¯s giving me nothing. It¡¯s at a time like this when I would take out my phone and endlessly scrolling but since I don¡¯t have it, I pick up the remote and switch on the television. There¡¯s nothing on it but telenovs, ser, and news. After two hours of trying and failing to understand a Portuguese soap, I give up and switch it off.


    ¡°Do you have any idea when he¡¯ll be back? And if you shrug again, I swear¡­¡±


    Colin lifts his head from his phone and says, ¡°I can¡¯t tell you.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you can¡¯t. He must pay you a lot to be this dedicated to your job.¡±N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    ¡°He pays well enough.¡±


    No wonder Dante left me with Colin. He knew he would drive me crazy. I can¡¯t stand it anymore. I need to walk. Get out of the apartment. Do something. Anything. I get up and begin pacing around the suite. After two rounds of touring


    the entire suite, I ask, ¡°Where is your boss?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t tell you that either.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t fault a girl for trying. But I do wonder why he leaves you with me when you could be out there doing all the fun stuff.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not bothered by it.¡±


    ¡°I can tell.¡± I get back to the couch, and mindlessly watch the television. An hourter, the doorbell rings. Fucking finally. He must be back from wherever he had gone, but why would he ring the doorbell if it were him? Colin gets up, and walks over to the door with a hand on his pistol pointed downward.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± he asks as he gets to the door.


    ¡°Room service.¡± A strained voice answers. ¡°We didn¡¯t order anything.¡±


    ¡°Compliments of the hotel, sir. It¡¯s a spar treatment.¡± He nces at me and then he says, ¡°Not necessary.¡±


    There¡¯s a long silence and I¡¯m sure whoever was behind the door is gone. Colin seems to think so too as he retreats into the room, but suddenly the door bursts open. All I see are two men with guns in their hands. As they lift their guns, I hear Colin scream, ¡°Duck!¡±


    I dive under the couch just as a barrage of bullets rain down in the room. At the same time, I hear Colin return fire. Or was he already dead? I couldn¡¯t tell from the noise. It goes on for a couple of seconds and then it¡¯s over. From my vantage point behind the couch, I see shoes streaked with blood marching over to where I was. I dared not look up. Was Colin dead? Am I about to die? ¡°Get up.¡± A voice says. I can hardly hear him through the thumping of my heart and I¡¯m too terrified to make out if it¡¯s Colin or one of the intruders speaking. I feel a hand take hold of my arm and I scream.

 Chapter 101

    DANTE


    Silva did note to the meeting. The old man invited me to his offices and had me waiting, first in his lobby, then in a giant empty boardroom. His people kepting to me with excuses, all of which had me that much on edge. Something was off and even Pedro wasn¡¯t taking my calls. If the bugs were a sign, him skipping the meeting was a giant red g. It¡¯s as if he was keeping me away from the hotel room and when that clicked, I headed straight to there.


    Our arrival is timely. Just as the elevator doors open, in we see two men with guns in both hands crushing down the door. There¡¯s no time to think. I withdraw my gun and shoot straight ahead and so does Rob, who guns down one man as we reach them and I the other one. It takes just two bullets for them to fall, but I make sure they¡¯re dead by putting a couple more bullets into each of their backs.


    The suite is filled with broken ss pillow feathers and blood. Rob rushes to Colin and I immediately search for Corina. I don¡¯t want to think about her body lying in a pool of blood, mangled and bruised, but the image keeps shing in my head. And I can¡¯t find her anywhere. Where the fuck is she?


    Relief washes over me when I see her covering her head, cowering behind the couch. ¡°Get up,¡± I say to her. She¡¯s rolled into a ball like a porcupine. When I reach out for her arm, she shrieks, hands pummeling my chest as I lift her up. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s me,¡± I say as I wrap her in a hug. I¡¯m so d she¡¯s alive, I wee her hits. ¡°Calm down, it¡¯s me.¡± When it finally dawns on her who she¡¯s with, she whips herself out of my embrace. ¡°What the fuck!¡± She shoves my chest.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I mean no. What just happened!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re hurt?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    My racing heart slows down to a steady beat. It¡¯s because she¡¯s an asset that¡¯s why I was worried, I tell myself. Not because there was some other more personal reason. This is just business.


    ¡°Is Colin okay?¡± She says.


    I turn to Rob, who¡¯s helping Colin up. His right shirt arm is soaked red with blood. Rob leads him towards the couch andys him down. Beside me, I notice that she¡¯s disappeared. A momentter, shees out of the bedroom holding a first aid kit. For someone who was shocked frozen only a seconds ago, she¡¯s adept at responding to Colin.


    Immediately she kneels next to him and tears open his shirt. Blood spurts out, and she presses down on the wound to stop the bleeding. ¡°I forgot a towel,¡± she says.


    Rob rushes out andes back with several. I rush over to the door to close it and check on the intruders while they take care of Colin. The two men seem dead, their bodies are pretty much lifeless. This and another vacant suite are the only rooms on this floor, ording to Rob and Colin. However, I¡¯m sure someone below heard the gunshots and the police might be making their way soon. We best get out of here.


    Corina is tending to Colin¡¯s wound when I get back to them. ¡°It looks like the bullet scraped you,¡± she says to Colin. He mumbles something, and she smiles at him as if she understood. She finishes cleaning him up and while she¡¯s dressing the wound, Rob gives Colin what I assume are painkillers and washes them down with brandy. When she¡¯s done dressing the wound, she checks the rest of him, asking if there¡¯s anywhere he¡¯s hurt. Hearing her talk, you¡¯d think she¡¯s a trained professional.


    ¡°We need to leave. Now before things go south,¡± I say to them.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s already happened,¡± Corina says as she continues to examine Colin.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡°There¡¯s more of his peopleing. It¡¯s a trap, and it¡¯s closing in. We need to go.¡±


    She raises her head towards me. Her eyes are filled with fear. Something inside me wants tofort her. Tell her it¡¯s okay, and no one is going to hurt her. I almost do it. But Colin, good Colin, severs that connection by struggling up and sitting in a lopsided position to say, ¡°I think I can walk,¡± he says.


    ¡°Good.¡±


    A few minutester, we make it out of the hotel in a hurry. I had already called the pilot and told him to get the jet ready in the morning. I was expecting this trip to be short, not as short as it became, but still. Rob rushes past the traffic while Colin sits with his weight partially leaning against Corina. I nce back at them in the car, feeling a tight pang in my chest. Corina had insisted Colin sit in the back with her, much to my chagrin, and Colin¡¯s frank refusal, but she was persistent and we didn¡¯t have time to argue. Colin seems to enjoy it too, the bastard. He¡¯s leaning a little too close to her chest. It makes me want to rip his head away from her. Luckily for him, we arrive at the hangar in record time and the ne is ready when we reach it.


    I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll see Silva¡¯s people waiting for us on the ne, but nope, we arrive just in time. I only rx after the ne is out of Brazilian skies.


    Colin and Rob are in their seats in the back and Corina is in the front with me. She keeps ncing back.


    ¡°He¡¯s a big boy. He¡¯ll heal.¡±


    ¡°Who were those people?¡± she asks me.


    One mind is on not telling her. She knows too much already. The other is on telling her everything. I want to offload what happened to someone, and she seems like the perfect outlet. Is that what makes her a good spy?


    ¡°Payback.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°Essentially? Your meddling.¡±


    ¡°I didn ¨C what exactly did I do now? The entire time I was there, I was in the hotel. I can hardly say I visited Rio.¡±


    ¡°Not today.¡± I turn so I can face her. ¡°Silva wasn¡¯t happy with my giving information to one of his enemies. It was crucial info that tanked one of his biggest deals. Killing you was his revenge. At least that¡¯s what I think. ¡±


    ¡°Because I supposedly leaked this info?¡±


    Supposedly. I had to admire her ability to keep to her story. ¡°Because he thought you were my girlfriend. At the very least, a piece, and killing you was a way to hurt me, I suppose. He brought me all the way to Rio to fuck with me.¡±


    ¡°I ¨C it makes little sense.¡±


    ¡°Silva is impulsive. I doubt it¡¯s something he nned. Probably came up with after my meeting with hisckey.¡±


    ¡°Fuck.¡± She sinks back into her chair. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t do business with him.¡±


    ¡°No shit Sherlock.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you brought me with you? Did you think he would do that?¡±


    ¡°What? No! If You¡¯re going to die, it will be at my hands. Not as some revenge plot.¡± The shock on her face is enough to satisfy me. I¡¯m lying to her. Well, the first part is true, not thest. But she didn¡¯t need to know that. After a long bout of silence and long after I thought the conversation was over, she asks, ¡°Why would he think I am your girlfriend, side piece or whatever?¡±


    ¡°I told you. Hisckey told him.¡±


    ¡°What if you missed one?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°A bug.¡±


    It doesn¡¯t need to be said out loud, but the question swirls in my head. What if we missed a bug in the master bedroom? Our midnight spat would be more than enough to give anyone listening to the implication that we were sleeping with each other, even though it didn¡¯t happen. Then there was Pedro. Did he detect my possession of her from me? He didn¡¯t look like he bought my assistant¡¯s story. Whatever the case, at least she is alive and unharmed. At least I didn¡¯t blow that part up.

 Chapter 102

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have gone to Rio,¡± Nico says. I look around the room. Enrico and Giovanni nod their heads. Even I have to concede that he¡¯s right. I should have known he was looking for payback. Soon after I came back from Rio, I called a family meeting. Just my brothers. After I told them of the events in Rio, they were more than eager for it. And now, three dayster, here we are in my office discussing what to do next.


    ¡°What¡¯s done is done,¡± Gio says, ¡°But how did he know who she is?¡±


    ¡°Really brother? You wound me. He could have killed me.¡±


    ¡°But he didn¡¯t.¡±


    He¡¯s right. I live to fight another day. ¡°I don¡¯t think he knows. He thought she was my girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°Why would he think that? You¡¯re not fucking her, are you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± But I very much want to. It¡¯s been hard trying to avoid her ever since we came back. Because of the increased risk, I have to make sure I know where she is, and having to check the tracker app constantly is driving me crazy. My obsession has only grown. I can¡¯t stop thinking about her in inappropriate situations. My mind right now is half-upied with the thought of ending this meeting, going to her room, and wrapping myself in her arms. The Brazil trip has only intensified the tension between her and I. Every time we¡¯re in the same room together, the need to pull her closer to me and touch her, kiss her, run my hands down her hair only gets stronger. The onlyfort I get from driving myself crazy with her presence is knowing she feels it too. She tries to be discreet, but I¡¯ve seen the way she looks at me whenever she thinks I¡¯m not watching.


    ¡°Why does that sound like a lie?¡± Rico, who had been standing in the corner of the study nursing his drink, says, dragging me out of my thoughts. Unlike his more talkative twin, he preferred observing and rarely said anything unless he had to.


    ¡°I¡¯m not fucking her. But he thought I was, and that¡¯s why he targeted her.¡±


    ¡°Whatever the reason, one thing¡¯s right,¡± Nico says, ¡°We¡¯ve lost a supplier. If Sone starts a war, we¡¯re fucked.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. My ammo is running low,¡± Gio adds, ¡°And from what I gather, Sone is stocking up. He deliberately poisoned the well.¡±


    ¡°You should have killed that snitching slut when you had the opportunity,¡± Nico says. ¡°She¡¯s more of a headache than she¡¯s worth.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that,¡± I say, trying to sound as nonchnt as I can. Ever since Rio, the thought of seeing her dead brings a foul taste to my mouth. ¡°She¡¯s an ace. You never y your ace until you absolutely have to.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you say,¡± Nico relents and sits back to drink his cognac. Rico stares at me as if he can see more about what I¡¯m saying. I ignore him.


    Nico takes another swig of his drink. ¡°I hear she¡¯s a sweet piece of ass. Is that true?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not without her merits,¡± Nico says, taking out his phone and showing it to Rico. I had forgotten that I sent him some pictures of her when I discovered the rtionship between her and Sone.


    ¡°Damn,¡± Nico says. Rico removes himself from his corner to go look and he whistles. Nico looks up at me and says, ¡°You¡¯re definitely fucking her. I¡¯ll be all over that if I were you.¡±


    ¡°Not all of us lose our minds when we see a woman.¡±


    ¡°Where is she?¡± Rico asks. ¡°Are you hiding her?¡±


    What is it with these people? The moment they see a woman, their brains turn into mush. ¡°Don¡¯t we have serious things to discuss?¡±


    ¡°Is there anything left?¡± Gio says, ¡°I was sure this meeting is over.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you of all people want to see her too.¡± Even though Gio is younger than I, he usually acts more mature. And he, of all people, should understand why sleeping with her would be bad, but no, he¡¯s just as eager to see her as our younger twin brothers.


    ¡°Are you sure they¡¯re rted?¡± Rico says, his eyes still glued to the picture on the phone. I wanted to yell at him and stop gawking.


    ¡°Yes. We even did a test to confirm it, but definitive results aren¡¯t out yet.¡±


    ¡°Nico is right,¡± Rico says. ¡°I think you¡¯re lying to us. She is totally your type.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know I had one.¡±


    ¡°Sure you do. Petite. Blonde. Not too skinny. Bonus points if she¡¯s curvy. Corina ticks all boxes.¡±


    ¡°Whatever. She¡¯s more trouble than she¡¯s worth.¡±


    ¡°Has she been giving you hell, brother?¡± Nico says, ¡°I can take her off your hands?¡±N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    ¡°I think we should get back to-¡± A soft knock on the door interrupts me. It must be Rob. I don¡¯t mind the intrusion now that the meeting is about to wind down. ¡°Enter.¡±


    The door opens slightly. A head pops in. It¡¯s Corina. She looks like a lost child. Her enormous eyes widen as her gaze darts around the room and stops when it meets my own, no doubt furious one. She balks. ¡°Oh. Sorry,¡± she says, already drawing the door to a close.


    I can already feel from the tension in the room that this little peek of her has already peaked my brothers¡¯ interest in her and it won¡¯t go away. ¡°What do you want?¡± I drawl.


    ¡°Oh. I¡¯m looking for Colin. I wanted to, um, never mind.¡±


    She¡¯s about to close the door again when Nico smiles at her and says, ¡°Stay.¡±


    Her gaze darts to me again, uncertain. I nod. She gets in and shyly closes the door behind her. She¡¯s wearing white shorts and a tank top. Her demeanor is that of a naive church girl. Far from the fireball she usually is. All eyes are glued to her.


    ¡°Hi,¡± Nico says, walking over to her with an extended hand, ¡°I¡¯m Nolo, but my friends call me Nico.¡± She looks uncertain as she takes his hand. I almost want to roll my eyes. How does she pull off all these personalities? At one time she¡¯sbative and sarcastic, another a seducer, but now, she is a fragile doll.


    ¡°Corina.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Rico strides over to stand next to Nico. ¡°Enrico. You can call me Rico.¡±


    I get up from my chair, realizing that the meeting has ended. ¡°Meet my brothers.¡± I walk over to her and I put my arm around her. She nces at me, no doubt surprised. I¡¯m sure this is the first time since we came back that we¡¯vee into contact. ¡°They¡¯re twins,¡± I say to her, ¡°I don¡¯t know if you can tell.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to miss.¡± She makes a move to get out of my grasp, but I hold her firm.


    ¡°The youngest in our family. Right below that guy over there.¡± I nod to Gio, who stands up for the first time and says hi to her. He seems less struck by her, but no less curious. His handshakests longer than necessary. Even Corina catches on. She can tell there¡¯s something odd about the atmosphere and that it has to do with her. She keeps ncing at me, looking for reassurances.


    ¡°I now know why my brother has been hiding you.¡± Nico says.


    ¡°And why is that?¡± she asks.


    I don¡¯t give him time to respond. Nico could be reckless.


    He could say one wrong thing and it will all be over. ¡°Weren¡¯t you looking for Colin?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Colin will heal,¡± Rico says. ¡°He can enjoy herpanyter.¡±


    Corinaughs. ¡°It looks like you were in the middle of something important, so I am going to leave you to it.¡± She doesn¡¯t wait for a response and leaves the office immediately after. We all watch her as she walks out.


    ¡°Well, I get it now,¡± Gio says, looking at the door, ¡°Your obsession with her.¡±


    ¡°Obsession?¡± Nico says, ¡°What¡¯s this now?¡±


    ¡°Our eldest over there hasn¡¯t been honest with you two,¡± Gio adds.


    ¡°Come on, Gio,¡± I say.


    He continues like I said nothing. ¡°Dante has this weird thing for her. You should see the way he gawks at her from his office tower.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t gawk.¡±


    Nico looks at me like he¡¯s seeing something new. ¡°I never thought you¡¯d be interested in any woman more than just to fuck her.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Pity she¡¯s Sone¡¯s spy,¡± I say.


    They all sigh. That sours the mood a bit. Good. They should focus on who she is and not how hot her body is. ¡°Still,¡± Rico says after a while, ¡°She needs to be protected from further harm, but at the same time we need to make it look like she¡¯s not important to us.¡±


    ¡°And how do we do that?¡± Gio says.


    Rico shrugs. ¡°Business as usual. Sone probably has some spies around. I doubt he had just the one. Let him think she¡¯s just some girl you fucked once. Let her work back on the casino floor.¡±


    I shake my head. ¡°No. That¡¯s too risky.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a tracker on her?¡± Gio asks, ¡°I saw her bracelet.¡±


    I don¡¯t want to, but they¡¯re right. We need Sone to think nothing out of the ordinary regarding her. And besides, I need to confirm if she truly is Sone¡¯s spy. If she is, she¡¯s going to reach out to him and I will catch her. That would be definitive proof.


    ¡°Fine. You win.¡± I just hope we aren¡¯t making a big mistake.

 Chapter 103

    CORINA


    Coming back to work whilst still not being allowed to leave said workce building, still qualifies as being held under hostage. But I¡¯ll be lying if I say I didn¡¯t prefer getting out of that apartment and separating myself from Dante and his penchant for attracting bullets. It¡¯s been a few days since Rio and the image of those mening at me with guns zing is still burned in my memory. And to think work might be the one thing that might help me forget.


    But Dante saying I can work again is a mystery. Is it some sort of trap? Test me to see how I will react? Whatever his motives are, I decided a while ago not to parse them and just go with the flow. Even as I stand next to him now as the elevator descends to the casino floors; I wonder what gears are turning in that hard head of his. The more I wonder, the more distracted I get. Everything about him is distracting. His height, his scent, his ¨C


    ¡°What is it?¡± he asks as he remains looking straight ahead.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± I feel caught out again and I don¡¯t know why he always does that.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel like nothing. Say it.¡±


    ¡°Why have you changed your mind?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s changed. I feel like I¡¯ve been pretty consistent.¡±


    Why does he like to y at being obtuse? ¡°You know what it means. You¡¯re sending me back to work. I was sure you¡¯d be fine caging me in your penthouse.¡±


    He turns to face me. ¡°Do you want to be caged? I can chain you.¡± There¡¯s double meaning in his words that¡¯s confirmed by the re in his eyes. If chaining me meant chained to his bed, I wonder what that would be like. Naked and wanting, waiting for him toe from work and have his way with me. I blink away the thoughts. What¡¯s with me? Lately, I¡¯ve been having these dreams and, let¡¯s call them what they are, desires to be dominated by him. I should want to kill him and yet¡­


    I shake my head, afraid that if I speak, my voice would betray my thoughts.


    ¡°Good. It¡¯s not like it would be workable anyway,¡± he says,


    ¡°you¡¯d probably break the bedpost.¡±


    ¡°Oh. So, you were thinking of tying me to a bed?¡±


    He leans in and I¡¯m sure he¡¯s about to say something when the elevator doors open. Rob, who I had forgotten is in here with us, is the first to get out. Dante breaks eye contact and gets out. I follow them to his office, trying the best I can to keep in step with their long paces.


    To say the entire casino¡¯s eyes are on us is an understatement. People stop what they¡¯re doing to re at us. It gets worse when we enter the office floors and everyone pretty much peek from theirputers to gawk at me. I keep my head straight, chin up, and face aloof. I breathe a little sigh of relief when we reach the office. Rob stops outside and Dante and I walk inside.


    Dante, with the fluid grace of a leopard, glides over to his desk and buzzes in his assistant. A tall brte who looks like an Instagram model walks in. ¡°Good morning, sir,¡± she says.


    ¡°Get me Sal.¡±


    ¡°How was your trip?¡±


    ¡°Could have been worse,¡± he says. She seems to get his double meaning. I wonder who she is. She looks Italian like most people who are in his inner circle. Is she part of The Family as well?


    ¡°Anything else? Coffee?¡±


    ¡°Not now. Get Sal first. And the floor manager on the line.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± She struts out of the office and a few secondster her voice booms through the inte, ¡°I have Brian on line one.¡±


    ¡°Thanks Selena. Brian. Have you filled in Corina¡¯s position yet?¡±


    ¡°Uh. Not yet. Do you have anyone in mind? Because I was thinking -¡±


    Dante doesn¡¯t give him time to respond and dismisses whatever Brian was going to say. ¡°Put Corina back.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s back? I thought we fired her?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s here now. Put her back on the tables.¡±


    ¡°Right on. Including the private ones as well?¡±


    For the first time since we¡¯ve entered the office, his gaze goes to me. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Anything else?¡±


    They talk for several minutes, and my attention wanders elsewhere. His office is interesting. It¡¯s a mirror image of his penthouse. Giant ck marble desk. ck sofas in one corner and a ck table and chairs on the other. The only thing that isn¡¯t ck is the charcoal gray tiles. It¡¯s dark, like the man himself. One side of the office, where the door is, has solid walls with simr art as that at his apartment, and the opposite side is a floor to ceiling one-way ss window that offers a view of the casino floor. You can see practically everything that happens on the main floor. It doesn¡¯t even take me time to spot my former table. Jesse seems to be the one working on it now. Her eyes are on a hot guy who¡¯s walking by as she¡¯s raking in chips. Maybe I should text her, tell her to concentrate and spook her. Then I remember I don¡¯t have my phone and that idiot took it.


    The next thing I see is Saling over to her. I think he¡¯s going to walk past her, but he stops by her table. I can¡¯t hear what they¡¯re saying, but they seem friendly with each other. A little too friendly. He whispers something in her ear in a way that is inappropriate for two co-workers. Jesse hates advances of any kind. She ps anyone, yers included, if they do anything she doesn¡¯t like. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s what she¡¯s about to do when she instead smiles. I¡¯m taken aback. That¡¯s weird. Something is definitely going on between the two of them. I would never peg Jesse as one to date co-workers. She likes the high rollers, not the head of security with Mafia connections. But then again, I might misread things.


    ¡°What¡¯s so fascinating?¡±


    I jump at Dante¡¯s sudden presence, only a few inches behind me. ¡°You scared me!¡±


    ¡°Looking for your aplices?¡±


    ¡°My former work station, actually. I missed it. It¡¯s funny how easy it is to spot it from here.¡±


    His face reddens. Is that a blush? No fucking way. I doubt Dante has any red blood flowing through his veins. He¡¯s nothing but ice. As if to prove that assertion, he grabs my wrist and says, ¡°You see this little thing here,¡± as he rubs his finger on the bracelet, flicking it. My body, like clockwork, ignites into a series of electric shots running from where he touches me to every part of me.


    ¡°It¡¯s there to make sure you don¡¯t get any ideas,¡± he says. I roll my eyes. How many times does he have to tell me? He tightens his grip. ¡°I¡¯m being serious. If you step out of the casino, I¡¯ll notice and if I catch you, best believe a bullet is going to your head.¡±


    Standing like this, his on me, his cologne invading my nostrils, concentration on his words is hard, but the naked threat pierces through the veil. ¡°I understand. But if you want me toply, I¡¯m going to need something else in return.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not in the position to bargain.¡±


    ¡°I need my phone back. It¡¯s going to be weird to be back again without a phone.¡±


    His eyes narrow. He looks like he¡¯s about to spit some retort when we¡¯re interrupted by a knock on the door. Dante doesn¡¯t let me go. ¡°Enter.¡±


    ¡°I was told you needed me.¡± Sal marches in and stops talking when he sees us. A look of surprise passes over his face, but he immediately catches himself and sters his usual nk mask. ¡°I could give you more time if-¡±


    Dante drops my hand like it burns. ¡°Stay.¡± He goes over to his desk and sits in his chair. He¡¯s in business mode now. ¡°I wanted you to clear her security details.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Who else is in here? Corina. She ising back to work.¡±


    Sal stutters again, but he recovers. ¡°Whatever you say.¡±


    ¡°Great. And I¡¯m going to need someone else to rece Colin while he¡¯s on leave.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I heard about Rio, are you-¡± Sal¡¯s gaze goes to me. And so does Dante¡¯s. ¡°You can leave us now. Get back to work.¡±


    ¡°What about my phone?¡± I say.


    ¡°Get to work before I lose my patience.¡±


    ¡°Dick,¡± I mutter as I get out. Curious gazes follow me as I make my way out of the offices. I don¡¯t even have to see Brian. We bump into each other in the corridor and an hourter, I have my employee card back, my old table, and I¡¯m ready to work. Jesse is still there when I arrive. At least the table is empty. We can catch up.


    ¡°Corina! I thought you got a better gig now.¡±


    ¡°No. Still here. Thanks for minding my station, by the way.¡±


    ¡°Oh right. Of course. I just didn¡¯t expect you to, you know.¡±


    I perch myself on a chair. ¡°You seem a little flustered. What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    She shakes her head vigorously. ¡°What! No! It¡¯s just this thankless job that¡¯s it. You, on the other hand, have a lot you¡¯ve been hiding.¡±


    ¡°Uh. I hope people haven¡¯t been saying anything.¡±


    ¡°They weren¡¯t until you walked in with the boss¡¯s hand across your arm.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you heard, we weren¡¯t walking arm in arm.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still angry for you not telling me about your new boyfriend¡± There¡¯s something off about her tone and her entire demeanor. She sounds less like an inquisitive friend and more of a suspicious one, even though she¡¯s trying to put up an overly friendly tone. If only she knew half the truth. If only I could tell her. For all I know, Dante could be listening in on our conversation right now. He says the bracelet is tracking the device, but I doubt that¡¯s all it does.


    It could be a microphone for all I know.


    ¡°It¡¯s not what you think.¡±


    ¡°So, you two are not dating?¡±


    I think of the phone call. I told her it¡¯s Dante to piss him off. Now I¡¯ve put myself in a corner. ¡°We are. But keep it a secret, will you?¡±N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Half the ce already saw youing in with him this morning.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯re dating.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯ve practically moved out. You took most of your things.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s something only you know.¡±


    She leans in. ¡°So, are you, like, living with him?¡±


    He¡¯s holding me hostage. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Has he,¡± she looks around and lowers her voice, ¡°said anything about me.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Has anything about¡­ has he mentioned me in any way?¡±


    I doubt Dante barely noticed her. He barely noticed me until he decided I was his worst enemy. ¡°No. Why would he?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m probably overthinking it.¡±


    ¡°Jesse? Something wrong? You know you can tell me if there¡¯s anything going on.¡±


    She sters a big smile. ¡°Nothing is going on. I was just curious, that¡¯s all.¡± Her exnation is t and unconvincing. I can tell she¡¯s hiding something, but it doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯s going to tell me anything. I want to probe further, warn her not to get involved with the mafia, but I don¡¯t know how to do that without sounding like a hypocrite. I decide to blurt it all out.


    ¡°I know about the money.¡±


    Her eyes widen and she sters a weary smile. ¡°W-What money. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°Come on Jesse. Where the fuck did you get three hundred grand?¡± Her gaze dart around the room and down at the camera on the table. She looks guilty as fuck. I lower my voice. ¡°And why did you hide it in my room?¡±


    ¡°You found it.¡±


    ¡°Not me. Dante.¡±


    ¡°Oh. What did he say?¡±


    ¡°Did you steal it?¡± From here, I mouth.


    She sits there frozen. She doesn¡¯t need to say more. The answer is written on her face.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I need it to-¡±


    ¡°Corina.¡± We both turn to see Brian walking towards us. Jesse mutters a curse underneath her breath. My sentiments are simr to hers.


    ¡°I thought you had flown the coop,¡± he says as he stands in front of us. He has an odd way of invading your space. Standing too close as he was doing now, or being a little too handsy.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t and here I am.¡±

 Chapter 104

    He chuckles and leans in. I can smell his raw coffee and cigarette breath and it takes a lot for me not to wrinkle my nose. ¡°If I had known you had dick sucking skills that good, I would have asked you out earlier.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t suck anyone to get my job back, you asshole.¡±


    ¡°Really? So, youing down from the penthouse with the boss is a mass hallucination, then?¡±


    He¡¯s leaning so close to me I¡¯m forced to take a step back to keep some space between us until I feel the table behind me digging into my back.


    ¡°Is there any reason you¡¯re here? Or you¡¯re just a big gossip?¡± Jesse says.


    He turns his gaze away from me and towards Jesse. I feel a little relieved not to be under his leering gaze. ¡°You¡¯re changing tables,¡± he says to her, ¡°Now that she¡¯s here, Corina¡¯s getting her table back. You¡¯re going back to the blue room.¡±


    ¡°Why? Can¡¯t she get another table?¡±


    I feel heat creep up my cheeks. I hate how this looks. This is one of the best sections in the casino. It¡¯s nothing like the VIP rooms, but the red room has ckjack and poker tables. Poker and ckjack yers are big tippers. The blue room, however, is all roulette tables and yers of those tables are a little stingy inparison. Chucking her out of the red room was not what I wanted to happen.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there another table in here?¡± The minute I say it out loud, I realize how silly it sounds.


    ¡°No,¡± Brian says, ¡°As you can see,¡± he turns around, ¡°there is no vacant table.¡± Another pang of guilt strikes. This is all his fault. I¡¯m sure Dante insisted I get my table back, knowing full well that Jesse is there.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Jesse says, ¡°At least promise me you¡¯ll give me more VIP gigs.¡±


    ¡°What will you do for me?¡± Jesse res at him.


    ¡°I¡¯m just kidding! Damn, you girls can be so uptight. I won¡¯t forget you,¡± he lowers his voice. His next statement isden with innuendo. ¡°You¡¯re hard to forget.¡±N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Jesse gets off her chair and collects her tips. ¡°You¡¯re pushing your luck, Brian.¡±


    Brian raises his hands in mock surrender. As they leave, I mouth, ¡®sorry¡¯ to Jesse. Thankfully, she doesn¡¯t seem angry, which only makes me feel more guilty. I wait until they leave to take her ce. A few momentster, the casino bes busy and in turn, so do I. For a few hours, I push Jesse and Dante to the back of mind as I concentrate on my job. It¡¯s not as busy as the weekend, but busy enough that when it¡¯s time for my break, I¡¯m more than happy to grab a cup of coffee. I¡¯m on my way to the break room when I bump into Sal. ¡°The boss wants to see you.¡± He sounds like the words are being pulled out of his mouth.


    ¡°Okay. Do you have any idea why?¡±


    ¡°He wants to see you.¡± Either he doesn¡¯t want to say or he doesn¡¯t know. From his rigid demeanor, I figure he wouldn¡¯t tell me anyway, even if he knew. It¡¯s not hard to tell that he resents my still being around. And alive. ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Now.¡±


    I roll my eyes and make a u-turn towards the elevators. When Sal disappears, I make my way back to the break room and make my cup of coffee. If I wanted to make my coffee, I was going to make my coffee. Dante can wait. I sip it, savoring the delicious brew. After I¡¯m satisfied, I make my way to his office.


    His assistant, who¡¯s on the phone when I walk in, stops talking to whoever she was talking to and says to me, ¡°He¡¯s expecting you.¡± Of course he is, I think as I enter the devil¡¯s den.


    ¡°You¡¯rete.¡± He¡¯s eyes are on hisptop when he says so.


    He barely looks in my direction.


    ¡°The tables were busy.¡±


    ¡°No, they weren¡¯t. You were in the break room.¡±


    Ah. The bracelet. Why do I always forget? ¡°Were you tracking me minute to minute? Interesting. And here I was thinking you¡¯d be too busy running a billion dor criminal empire.¡±


    He shuts down hisptop with force and shoots up from his chair. He stalks over to where I¡¯m standing. Dante looks so angry. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s going to p me, shake me, or do something violent. He does none of that. Instead, he ms a phone in my hand. I¡¯m too shocked to do anything but


    examine it in my hand, surprised. ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You said you wanted a phone. You got one.¡±


    ¡°I said I want my phone. Not a phone.¡±


    ¡°Why? Is there something in particr you¡¯d want?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still my phone.¡±


    ¡°Get used to that one.¡±


    I take a deep breath. It is probably better this way. ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a tracking app in here, too.¡±


    ¡°Good guess. Do you want something to eat?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± The change in conversation gives me whish.


    ¡°Lunch. I assume you haven¡¯t had any.¡±


    I don¡¯t know how to say no. Or if I should. I am hungry after all, and I barely ate in the morning. ¡°Sure.¡±


    He grabs a menu that¡¯s on the sitting area table and hands it to me. I scan through it. All the dishes look expensive and most are stuff I¡¯ve never eaten. He fishes out his phone and calls the hotel kitchen.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± he says to me. I¡¯m having a hard time making a choice. ¡°Whatever you¡¯re eating,¡± I reply.


    He utters some French words to, however, is on the other end of the line and cuts the call. A few minutester, two waitersing wheeling in servings carts. They put the dishes on the boardroom table and leave but not before receiving hefty tips from Dante.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat,¡± he says, while walking over to the table.


    My stomach can¡¯t ignore the sumptuous dishes in front of me. It rumbles in response. I take my ce on the table.


    The dish is a steak, potatoes, and truffle sauce. It looks good and tastes even better. We eat in silence until halfway through the meal he says, ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with


    Jesse?¡±


    ¡°Why do you want to know?¡±


    He cuts into his steak and shrugs. ¡°Just curious.¡±


    ¡°If you think she has anything to do with whatever you¡¯re using me of, you¡¯re way off.¡±


    ¡°I said nothing of the sort.¡±


    ¡°Leave her alone.¡± My cutlery clutters into the te. I stare directly at him. ¡°Please. She¡¯s a good person.¡±


    ¡°Interesting.¡± He slides a piece of steak into his mouth. ¡°You¡¯re more defensive of her than you¡¯re of yourself.¡±


    I notice my hands are t on the table and I¡¯m leaning towards him. I lean back into my chair. He¡¯s right, but that¡¯s only because I feel like if anything happens to her, it will be my fault. There¡¯s something going on with Jesse and if it has something to do with the casino, I might endanger her. She probably won¡¯t tell me now because of my proximity to Dante, but there¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to betray her. ¡°So what if I am?¡±


    He smiles, as if he¡¯s caught me in some trap.


    ¡°Interesting.¡±


    ¡°What about it is interesting.¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    He¡¯s obviously hiding something. I hope whatever Jesse is into is not anything that will go against Dante. ¡°Please don¡¯t do anything to her.¡±


    ¡°Why is she your aplice?¡±


    ¡°No. But she¡¯s my friend and I don¡¯t want your wrath to extend to her even if I didn¡¯t spy or steal.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which. We never discussed how you¡¯re going to pay me back.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were fine with killing me after you¡¯re done toying with me.¡±


    ¡°That option is still on the table.¡± He cuts into his steak casually, as if he isn¡¯t currently ruining my life. He¡¯s lying. If he wanted to kill me, he would have done it by now. He wants me alive. Why? I don¡¯t know yet and I intend to find out.


    ¡°I love keeping my head on top of my shoulders. What do you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°You stole my money. How are you going to repay it?¡±


    I should have known this would be the discussion. ¡°I thought you got it all back when you raided my apartment.¡±


    ¡°Are we going to forget the other two hundred thousand you stole?¡±


    An additional two hundred thousand? What the fuck are you into, Jesse? Whatever the case is, I hope she has a good reason.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how I can repay that much money?¡±


    ¡°You should have thought of that before you stole.¡±


    ¡°You could dock my pay.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be enough. I might kill you before you finish paying your debt.¡± He grins. I roll my eyes in response.


    Should have seen that oneing. I could try working the VIP rooms and if I get enough tips, I could make it back in a month. But getting to them could be hard with him putting me on a tight leash and Brian no longer on getting me into the private tables. Even if I could, I doubt I could get high rollers as big and generous as Dante¡¯s friends from the other night. My brain scrambles for a solution. It¡¯s tough toe up with anything on your feet when the person threatening you is right there staring. Deep breaths. I tell myself. I take a few to calm myself down and his eyes go down to my chest. Well, there is one way I could pay him back. It would be unorthodox but not unheard of in this city of sin. Here, it¡¯s downright normal. And the chemistry was there. We can¡¯t deny it.


    ¡°What if.¡± My throat constricts. Saying it is more difficult than thinking about it. ¡°What if we coulde to an arrangement?¡±


    He straightens in his seat. ¡°What sort of arrangement?¡±


    ¡°I can offer services to pay off my debt.¡±


    ¡°What sort of services?¡±


    The fucker wants me to spell it out. ¡°Me. Whatever you want. Whenever you want.¡±

 Chapter 105

    DANTE


    I spent most of the morning thinking about her. She has a powerful grip on my mind. I barely listened during the meeting I had with Sal. My gaze was on her the entire time. There¡¯s something about the way she whipped her hair out of her face as she spoke to her friend. Her good friend if Sal was a reliable source. ording to him, he was sure Jesse wasn¡¯t part of the theft and that Corina had acted alone, but I don¡¯t know. There was something in the way they spoke to each other; not like two friends who hadn¡¯t seen each other in days, but more of two people in on a secret. I couldn¡¯t tell what they were talking about and I wish I could. Thatpulsivity to know what¡¯s on her conniving mind, what she¡¯s thinking, is what made me call her up for lunch.


    The simple ck dress looked scandalous on her more than any other woman who¡¯s ever worn it. The moment she walked in, I wanted to rip it off her, throw her on this table and have her for lunch instead. That¡¯s when I realized the tax she has on my mind. And my pocket. She had to pay for one. And surprisingly, shees up with a way to pay for both.


    When she suggests bing basically my fuck doll to repay me, I almost dropped the fork in my hand. Which brings us to now. Where I am still in a bit of a shock at what she just said. She shouldn¡¯t know that I¡¯ve been thinking about nothing else but her, so as casually as I can, I say, ¡°Really?¡± And pick up a fork and knife and cut into the steak like we are having a mundane business meeting. ¡°And how exactly would we go about this arrangement?¡±


    She looks up to the ceiling, thinking, and then says, ¡°We could put a price on the services and deduct them.¡±


    ¡°A price tag?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s say, five hundred for a blow job, two thousand for a full sexual act, and five thousand for any¡­ risque stuff.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a hefty price tag.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the going rate for the usual arrangement like this. A man like you should be used to prices like this.¡± Every time I think I have her figured out, again she surprises me. She reminds me of the fast women of this town. It brings a bitter taste in my mouth. Unlike what she thinks, I don¡¯t pay for services. I wonder if she¡¯s ever made offers like this. If she has, she must be a pro then. Her proposition should repel me, but instead I am relishing at the prospect of enjoying her bedroom skills. The boner I had when she came in has only gotten harder.


    ¡°What makes you think you¡¯re worth it?¡±


    ¡°I know you have a thing for me.¡± That¡¯s an understatement. My groin is tight at the moment and focusing on her words and not her tits is difficult. ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°You know I¡¯m right. You can fuck me whenever, wherever, however, as payback. And in turn, I get rid of my debt.¡±


    My earlier image of ripping her dresses rushing back. If something is being offered, I might as well. Her beautiful body, all to myself, is a very tempting offer. I unashamedly undress her with my gaze and she stares back with steely confidence. It¡¯s arousing. ¡°I can¡¯t just go into a contract without being aware of what I¡¯m buying.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean you agree?¡±


    ¡°Not until I taste the package.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fair. What do you want me to do?¡±


    ¡°Suck my dick.¡±


    Her face falters, but only slightly. She recovers quickly and gets up from her chair and walks around the table to stand in between me and the table. She gets to her knees and her hands move to my groin. My cock is already hard and a small smile, or is it a smirk, shes across her face when she sees my tenting pants.


    Slowly, she unbuckles the belt and unzips my fly. My cock springs out hard and heavy. She looks up at my eyes, then she takes hold of it. Her soft hands feel good on me. I bite a moan. The knowledge that I¡¯ve been ying this very image in my mind ever since I firstid eyes on her is not something she should have.


    Corina strokes it slowly, a little too slowly, as if she¡¯s getting acquainted with me. She dips her head and the second her sweet tongueps the head; my vision falters and my head falls back as I let her take me in her mouth. Holy shit, she feels so good. Her tongue strokes my cock as she sucks it like a piston. It takes all my strength not to grab her head and shove my cock down her throat. A groan escapes me as she works the shaft. She is so good every thought escapes and nothing but her mouth and its sweet wonders are all that upy my mind.


    Just when I¡¯m so close toing, I open my eyes and look down. Her dress is hiked to her waist and her free hand is deep inside her panties. The act is arousing to her. I don¡¯t know, but it makes it even hotter. An odd feeling enters. I want to please her just as she¡¯s pleasing me. Without thinking further, I grab her head and remove my cock from her mouth. She looks surprised and is about to say something, but I grab her by the waist and ce her on top of the table. I pinch my cock to slow down the release, then I rip her panties off her. She lets out a little scream and I catch it with a kiss. I can taste myself on her. It¡¯s oddly erotic. My hands are all over her. Her breasts, which I wish were free, her waist, her butter soft thighs and down to her wet center.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I moan inside her mouth. She moans in return as I y with her clit. I let go of her lips, open her thighs, and kneel to the floor. Her sweet pussy is only inches away from my mouth. I lick her lips and elicit another moan from her. She tastes as good as I expected. Even better. Her fragrance is so intoxicating I can¡¯t stop licking,pping, and sucking her clit. She¡¯s now thrashing on the table, so close toing. I¡¯m on the edge and so is she.


    I get up while stroking my cock as I stroke her clit and line my cock with her pussy. Even though I¡¯m dying to, I do not enter her. Not yet anyway. Instead, I brush my cock against her pussy and watch her as she moans. She¡¯s so close. She gets up to her elbows to watch. I know. The sight is erotic. The first burst of cum sshes on her pussy and Corina bites her hand to muffle her orgasm. Another spurt of cum covers her clit and another on the top her pussy and the final one across her thighs. Holy shit. She¡¯s like a work of art. I want to capture it. I rush over to my desk, grab my phone and go over to her and take a picture.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asks breathlessly. Memories. A souvenir. But I can¡¯t tell her that. There¡¯s a soft breathlessness in her voice that makes me want to kiss her. ¡°Coteral,¡± I grunt. When I¡¯m done, I throw the phone onto the table next to her. ¡°For our new agreement.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t renege.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t trust a thief.¡±


    She puffs. ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Now, get off my table and clean yourself.¡± I nod to the door on the left behind me. ¡°Bathroom¡¯s that way.¡±


    Whatever orgasm afterglow she had is hastening away. Her usual cynical mask reces her smile as she slips off the table. ¡°You¡¯re a piece of shit,¡± she says, walking away.


    ¡°Careful. You don¡¯t want me changing my mind.¡± I can¡¯t help it. She gave me the best blowjob ever, and she¡¯s currently rocking my world on its axis. Assholeness is the only thing I can grab on to.


    I make quick work of cleaning up myself and righting the office while she¡¯s in the bathroom. By the time shees out, I¡¯m sitting behind my desk and have gotten some of my self-control back. Or at the very least, the veneer of it.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my underwear?¡± She looks around and under the boardroom table.


    ¡°They¡¯re ruined. You can go back to work without them. Every time you feel air brushing your clit, I want you to think of what brought you to that state.¡±


    She res at me and then gives me the middle finger. I howl withughter as I watch her strut out. She doesn¡¯t need to know that I have them in my drawer and might stroke myself with themter.     I¡¯m still under the haze of the amazing blowjob I received earlier when the next meetinges along. Nico and Rico are here and they¡¯re updating me on their meeting with a new arms dealer they¡¯ve found. It¡¯s difficult to concentrate. Between reying the earlier encounter, details slip in and out. One thing is true about Corina; she¡¯s amazing. There is an artlessness about her that makes me doubt if she¡¯s a pro, but she did it with such enthusiasm that over and abovepensated for anyck of experience. No wonder that exboyfriend of hers went a little crazy after they broke up. From the new information Sal gave me, she was right. They broke up, but her boyfriend had been stalking her without her knowledge. I make a mental note to put a stop to that.


    Which makes me wonder if she truly is Sone¡¯s nt. And if she¡¯s not, then it¡¯s someone I don¡¯t yet know. There was also a third option, but it¡¯s impossible based on the current information. Whatever she is, whoever she is, I¡¯m going to make sure I enjoy every bit of her. Come to think of it, fucking her until I¡¯m tired of her would be the perfect revenge.


    ¡°Are you even listening?¡± I look away from the window to Rico. He seems a little pissed off. ¡°Yes I am. You found a Tuscan willing to sell us guns.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s got your attention? You¡¯re rarely this scatterbrained,¡± Nico says.


    ¡°Nothing. I was listening.¡± Something outside the window catches my gaze and I turn back to it. My gaze zones in on Corina. Her table is full, and she looks professional as she sits straight and deals cards. She looks like an ice princess. Stoic and unapproachable. You wouldn¡¯t think she came apart on the table across the room.


    Nico¡¯s gaze follows mine. ¡°Oh. Now I see why you¡¯ve been obsessed with watching over your empiretely. It¡¯s not the empire you¡¯re concerned with, it¡¯s the princess in the middle.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything else? How much ammo are we going to get?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you two aren¡¯t together? Everything else says otherwise.¡±


    ¡°No. The ammo?¡±


    Nico mumbles something under his breath, but returns to the topic of the meeting. I try to wipe her away from my mind and concentrate. ¡°I trust you¡¯re on top of this. Is the guy reliable?¡±


    Rico nods. ¡°Vanni. He¡¯s Dad¡¯s old friend. His business has been struggling for some time, but he¡¯s got it back on track.¡±


    ¡°Silva was Dad¡¯s friend. Besides we can¡¯t merge with Vanni. He¡¯s an enemy.¡± Vanni is an old friend turned enemy of Dad. They fought over territory which Dad won resulting in Vanni going back to Italy a wounded puppy.


    ¡°True. But this guy needs us more than we do him. But you¡¯re right we shouldn¡¯t trust him so he proposed a way to seal the deal.¡±


    ¡°Which is?¡±


    ¡°One of us marry his daughter.¡±


    ¡°I hope you didn¡¯t suggest I will agree to such a thing.¡±


    ¡°No. But he liked the idea of Gio being his son inw.¡±


    Well, that throws a wrench into things. I can¡¯t imagine Gio sacrificing his independence and love for women for an arranged marriage. ¡°What does Gio think about it?¡± ¡°He¡¯s down,¡± Nico says.


    ¡°Gio?¡±


    They both nod. ¡°We were as surprised as you,¡± Nico says,


    ¡°but I think Gio and the daughter might have some history.¡±


    If that¡¯s the case, we¡¯ll get more than enough ammo, ording to Nico, which is good. I need to retaliate for what they did to Colin. I can¡¯t just let that go. Silva had territory in this city that have been under our protection for a while. Drugs and gambling go well together and our rtionship was going well so far. We protected his racket; he provided ammunition at a discount via his contacts. His move to Sone is going to be one of the worst decisions he¡¯s ever made.


    ¡°Do we still have our men in Rio?¡± I ask.


    Rico is the one who replies. ¡°There¡¯s the hitman you once hired. He¡¯s reliable, and he¡¯s still there.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go with him.¡±


    ¡°Who are we going to hit?¡±


    ¡°Silva.¡±


    Nico whistles. ¡°That would be an outright deration of war.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the point. He came after me. He has to pay the price.¡±


    ¡°It might be difficult. He could be protected, since he knows we¡¯reing.¡±


    ¡°Not ording to our guy,¡± Rico jumps in. ¡°I asked him to keep tabs just in case we choose to do something and it seems like Silva is not hiding.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s underestimating us. He thinks since father died and you¡¯re now the head of the family, you¡¯re weak. He probably thinks Sone is about to take over our business.¡±


    ¡°Being underestimated is good. That way, your enemies will never see youing. Tell your man to get on with it.


    And tell him we¡¯ll pay him double his normal rate.¡± ¡°All right,¡± Rico says.


    ¡°It¡¯s about time we show those people not to mess with us,¡± Nico says.


    He¡¯s right. Showing weakness ends with us being dead. I know this is how father would do it. Silva was his long-time friend, but he threatened his son. Dad would never let something like that go. It¡¯s sad, because I liked the guy. But in this world, friends turn into enemies like a switch and that¡¯s just how business goes. Still, we will be exposed without him. This new guy better put up if we¡¯re going to counter Sone.


    ¡°So, did you speak to the old man?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. He agreed to the deal. He¡¯s more than eager to load off his problematic daughter and let her be someone else¡¯s headache. The wedding is on.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re sure Gio is fine with this?¡± They both shrug.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    ¡°I wonder why he¡¯s willing to marry her?¡±


    ¡°I mean, she¡¯s hot, but I hear she¡¯s more than a handful. I would rather die than be shackled to her, from what I¡¯ve learned about her.¡±


    ¡°Either way,¡± I say, ¡°marriage means we have a powerful alliance. That¡¯s something.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still not enough,¡± Rico says. ¡°Their numbers are dwindling and their business, while resuscitated, is still small.¡±


    Nico sighs. ¡°Thank you for the resounding positivity, Rico.¡± ¡°Just stating the facts.¡±


    I hope the facts change in our favor in time, or all of this will be over. The business. The empire. The family. Thinking about what¡¯s at stake was making me stressed. I whip out my phone and instinctually go to the tracking app. She¡¯s still in the casino at her table. Good. I tell myself that it¡¯s just a general check in and not a need for another round with her.


    Fuck it. Who cares? It¡¯s what she suggested, after all. I send her a text.

 Chapter 106

    CORINA


    The penthouse is empty when Ie in. The text he sent me earlier is still on my mind. It¡¯s time you pay off your debt. Penthouse:  8pm. I simultaneously feel aroused and frightened. The fear being less about him. That¡¯s dissipating. But rather, more about my potential shorings regarding the whole sex thing. I don¡¯t know why I even came up with such a bonkers proposal. I¡¯m not the type of person who can sexually satisfy someone like Dante. I could hardly satisfy myst boyfriend, who had to cheat on me with several other women. Whatever the case, here I am and I have to make sure that no matter what, he will not find me boring. That would be the death of me.


    Literally.


    With that in mind, I rush to my room, remove my clothes, and head for the shower. Might as well make myself as presentable as possible and preparing for the act might get my mind off the act. However, I can¡¯t help thinking about our earlier encounter in his office. I still don¡¯t know what I was thinking. All I wanted to do was get his mind and suspicions off Jesse, so offering myself was the first thing I could think of. And once I blurted it out, I couldn¡¯t take it back. And when he asked me to seal the deal with a blow job, I thought I would perform the act in a detached manner, but I was lying to myself. Simply having his dick in my mouth got me so wet I mindlessly acted like a nympho and had my hands in my panties just so I could ease the burning arousal. And then he flipped the script by throwing me on the table and ate my pussy like it was the steak he had been eating only earlier. I still can¡¯t believe we did all that while there were people a few feet outside the office.


    Fuck. Just thinking about it now is making me wet. I close the faucet, ignore the throbbing in my groin and go to the closet. The options are between three different lingerie and a negligee. I choose the ck lingerie and put on a pair of strappy stilettos. Just as I¡¯m done, I hear the door open and close. My pulse elerates. I take a deep breath to calm myself down and make my way to the living room. We enter at the same time. Him on one end, me on the other. He stops mid-step, his phone dangling in his hand, forgotten. That gives me a little confidence. I stride over to him.


    ¡°Hi,¡± I say when only a few inches separate us. I put one arm around my waist and extend the other. ¡°Is this what you wanted?¡±


    He raises an eyebrow. ¡°I would rather you had nothing on.¡± That should have been my third option. I remove one strap of my bra and, without warning, he throws his phone on the couch and grabs me with both hands. ¡°I didn¡¯t say you should remove it.¡±This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    He pulls me to him and gives me a long, hard kiss. Like other kisses, it is intoxicating. His hands are all over me all at once, igniting every part they touch. He moves forward and I backward along with him in a mindless daze infused by his lovemaking. Before long, I feel something cold and solid against my back, stopping my tracks. I open my eyes. Dante has me stered against the window. He withdraws from my lips and holds me at arm¡¯s length. He scans me from head to toe with a devouring gaze. His hands begin moving, caressing me as he removes the other bra strap and then goes behind me to unsp my bra. It falls down in a quiet whisper. I try hard not to cover my breasts.


    ¡°Turn around.¡± His voice is hoarse. I do as he says, smiling. It¡¯s good to know that he¡¯s as affected as I am. It¡¯s dark outside and the lights in here are on. The building opposite us, a hotel, looks just as busy as to be expected. A panic sets in. What if someone in there sees us?


    His hands slide down my body, down to my underwear, which he removes. I watch as they slip down to my knees. ¡°Someone could be watching us.¡± My voice is raspy with arousal. It¡¯s embarrassing how much I want him. He is silent as he slips the underwear all the way down to my feet, lifting each one to make sure I remove itpletely.


    ¡°That¡¯s the point,¡± he says as he stands back up. He gently pushes me against the window such that my breasts are stered against the window. He ces his lips on my neck and drops tiny nips and kisses, then he says, ¡°Do you see that top window? The eighth one from the left.¡±


    I look closely. There¡¯s movement there, and a sh of something like a mirror.


    Between kisses and bites, he whispers, ¡°A friend of mine likes to watch. I like to offer him a show from time to time.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I¡¯ve never been with anyone who was into exhibitionism.


    He chuckles. It¡¯s a deep rumble against my neck that turns me on and neuters my panic. ¡°Whatever. Whenever. However, remember.¡± He ces another kiss on my nape.


    When I said that, I should have put in some limitations. I didn¡¯t think a voyeuristic friend of his would share our first sexual encounter. ¡°Do you do this all the time? With other women, I mean?¡±


    ¡°Does it matter?¡± His lips and tongue on my neck make it hard to concentrate on his words, but I feel a tightening in my chest. Is that jealousy? No. Before I can examine it any further, Dante¡¯s hand slips down to my pussy and he strokes my clit. All of my thoughts flutter away as I let him y with me. His other hand goes to my nipple, and he flicks it, driving me crazy. I¡¯m now rubbing against him and I can feel his hard cock inside his pants. I want it out. However, when my hands go to his groin, he takes hold of both of my hands into his and ms them against the ss on top of my head.


    ¡°You do what I say when I say it.¡± He pinches my clit. I moan in response. I¡¯m putty in his hands as he continues his stroking. ¡°Open your eyes.¡± I didn¡¯t realize they were closed. I do as he says and I see another flicker. ¡°You see that sh? That¡¯s my friend¡¯s telescope. Say hi.¡±


    He waves my hand toward the supposed friend. Dante¡¯s lips leave my neck and he switches me around to face him. Then he ces his lips on mine and devours me with another earth-shattering kiss. I¡¯m now incessantly rubbing my pussy against his groin. The fabric separating his hard cock to my pussy feels like a barricade. He tightens his grip when I try to remove his pants. ¡°I need you,¡± I mutter against his lips. ¡°I need you inside me,¡± I say again.


    ¡°You¡¯re a greedy little slut, aren¡¯t you?¡± he bites my lip.


    ¡°And here I was thinking exhibitionism would turn you off.¡±


    ¡°Please.¡±


    Another chuckle rumbles against my lips. ¡°Fine. But only because I said so.¡± He lets go of my hands and I immediately unbuckle his belt, unzip his pants and his hard cock springs out. To hear him talk, you would think he¡¯s not as affected as I am, but his cock says otherwise. It¡¯s angry and weeping. Without thinking, I wipe the pre-cum with my thumb and I taste it. I hear him take a sharp intake of breath. It gives me confidence to kiss him back. He groans in my mouth. He likes it. My hand takes hold of his cock. He feels big. I had him in my mouth earlier this afternoon and I still haven¡¯t gotten over his size. I wonder how he¡¯s going to fill inside me as I pull him towards my pussy, but he pushes back and spins me around to face outside again. My boobs ster the window as he pushes one leg to the side. With one full stroke, he enters me, pushing me up. Fuck. He feels so full and so big. He groans and whispers, ¡°So tight.¡± With one hand against the window and another tight across my waist, he begins moving. Slowly at first, as if he¡¯s letting me get ustomed to his length. I want him to move faster. And when I push back against him, he increases his pace. He hammers into me like a madman and I, like a sex starved slut, take it in stride. My knees feel so weak I¡¯m sure I would have crumbled to the floor if his hold wasn¡¯t firm.


    As he¡¯s giving me his punishing strokes, he drops little kisses and nibbles on my face and neck. His presence has me rapt; I forget everything but him. All I want to feel is him.


    ¡°Open your eyes.¡± Themand is hard not to follow. I do as he says. The thought that someone else is watching is no longer scary. I want his friend to see. The knowledge increases the eroticism. He takes one hand of mine into his and directs it to where his cock enters my pussy. ¡°Feel that,¡± he whispers. I don¡¯t have the capacity to speak. I say something unintelligible. ¡°You¡¯re so wet, you¡¯re soaking me.¡± He directs my hand up to my clit and has my hand rub on it until I¡¯m quivering with an orgasm so powerful, I almost slip in his grasp.


    I¡¯m still shaking when I feel him slip out of my pussy and hise ssh over my lower back and butt. His breaths are as short and uneven as mine, I note, as hezily rubs his cum across my back. Holy shit. I¡¯ve never had sex this amazing, nor did I ever think it would be this good.


    My senses slowly return, and the surroundingse into sharp focus. The earlier embarrassment is setting in now that the eroticism is slipping away. I feel a wisp of air as he moves away from me. I turn to see him walk over to the couch where he slumps into it. His shirt is askew, and he doesn¡¯t bother zipping his fly. For the first time, I notice that I have nothing on while; he is still fully clothed except for his tie and jacket. He takes his phone and, just like that, I¡¯m forgotten. The man is done with me. I¡¯m just a toy, I remind myself. A deal I entered with eyes open. I shouldn¡¯t want more. And yet¡­


    Thoughts like that should be dismissed, I tell myself. Focus on the present. That means grabbing my underwear and getting out of here. I scan the room for it, feeling like it¡¯s the morning after a one-night stand. I gather my things and make my way back to my room. Just as I am leaving, he says, ¡°You should get ready.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡± I thought we were done here.


    ¡°There¡¯s a party I need to go to and you¡¯reing.¡±


    So that¡¯s it. I don¡¯t know what I expected to happen after, but it wasn¡¯t casual dismissal followed by another chore I should do. Whatever. I make my way back to my room and I take a shower. As the water cascades down on me, my mind wanders back to our earlier encounter. How brazen I had acted, how great it felt. Hell, I¡¯m still feeling the buzz of the orgasm even though this whole thing meant nothing to him. I am more of a cum dump to him. Fucked and forgotten soon after. Well, a cum bucket he asionally took to parties. Where were we going, anyway? A mafia meetup?

 Chapter 107

    When I go back to the living room, made up and dressed up, Dante is there waiting. He looks freshly showered and is now wearing chinos and a light sweater that shows a hint of his muscles. We¡¯ve just had sex and I already want him again. He looks up from his phone and¡­ Is that a double take? Can¡¯t be. Whatever it was, it disappears in seconds and his face goes back to the usual cool sardonic mask.


    ¡°Do I look okay?¡± I chose a ck, backless cocktail dress with a slit on the side. ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of party it is.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll do.¡± He turns and marches towards the exit. I have to walk-run in order to catch up and I do so only when we reach the lobby. Rob is already there waiting and so is another guy. New guy? Rob gives me a small smile. New guy leers automatically giving me the creeps. I miss Colin already.


    ¡°When will Colin be back?¡± I ask Dante as we enter the elevator.


    ¡°You care too much about that man.¡±


    ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I? He saved my life.¡±


    ¡°I thought I did that.¡±


    ¡°He almost died.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll remember to almost die next time.¡±


    ¡°Hrious. I¡¯m dying withughter.¡±


    That¡¯s what I get for asking. I should have known he would not tell me. I turn back to face the door and watch the numbers go down. After we drop a couple of floors, he says, ¡°Colin¡¯s fine. He¡¯ll be back in a week.¡±


    Surprise surprise. I didn¡¯t think he would tell me anything. I legit thought it was going to end with another one of his snarky non-replies.


    ¡°You can give him a thank you blow job then.¡± There it is. He never fails to deliver one. Sadly, I don¡¯t have any response for that. As a result, the car ride to the party was silent. He¡¯s on his phone. He¡¯s always on that thing, more so than any teenager I know. I turn to mine for the first time since he gave it to me. He had it severely restricted, I notice. It has no app store, no Inte browser, and most, if not all, social media apps are unavable.


    ¡°Is this a child¡¯s phone?¡± I ask him.


    He nces up from his. ¡°What¡¯s the problem this time?¡±


    Unbelievable. ¡°I don¡¯t know? How about there are hardly any apps here? What the actual fuck!¡±


    ¡°Oh that,¡± he¡¯s nonchnce is infuriating, ¡°I told the tech guy to make it child proof. I guess he went above and beyond.¡±


    ¡°Why would you do that? Where are my contacts? I can hardlymunicate with anyone.¡±


    ¡°That is the point. But you can call and text your friend. I checked. Oh. And wanna know what¡¯s cool?¡± He doesn¡¯t wait for me to respond. ¡°I can monitor everything you do on it.¡±


    He is crazy. He¡¯s legitimately crazy. ¡°You¡¯re out of your mind! You should be restrained! Put in an asylum!¡±


    ¡°Well, that was part of the deal, wasn¡¯t it? Don¡¯t forget that the reason you¡¯re here is that you¡¯re, in fact, my hostage. You can end it, by giving me my money back.¡±


    My eyes narrow. ¡°Does this mean you no longer suspect me of being a spy?¡±


    ¡°I never said that.¡± He says it so quickly, it makes me suspicious.


    ¡°I think in a way you did. Spying was the priority for you until now. What changed?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Your neck is still on the line and it¡¯s getting dangerously closer to the edge the more you pester.¡±


    I shake my head. I wish I had never met him. Never came to work at his casino. Frustrated, I look out of the window and mutter, ¡°Fuck you.¡±


    ¡°You already did.¡± I nce back at him and catch him trying to hide a smile. He must be having fun toying with me. It must be nice to be him.


    The rest of the car ride is in silence. Thankfully, there are games on it, childproof indeed, and I y those until we arrive at our destination, arge ranch on the outskirts of the city. I filled the entrance with guards with guns patrolling the perimeter. Security seems tight, but when Colin mentions Dante¡¯s name, the guards immediately open the gates to a white ptial ranch house at the top of a hill and below it is a Sprawling greenwn that must cost a fortune to maintain in this desert.


    The party is being held at the back of the house, a garden party, which is in full swing when we arrive. And it¡¯s the definition of a mafia party. All the women are either my age range or younger and the men are of two generations; Middle-aged or in their twenties. Most are in their twenties. The older men are dressed like young men and the young men dressed like the old. It¡¯s as if everyone is desperate to be who they aren¡¯t.


    As soon as we enter the crowd, the eyes of everyone in our vicinity fall on us. Dante¡¯s hand goes around my waist, drawing me closer to him as we walk. People give him away. Rob and the new guy don¡¯t have to do anything to give us space. It¡¯s as if they can sense his power.


    We make our way towards one gazebo, thergest one amongst a few sprinkled around, where a man about Dante¡¯s age is sitting surrounded by women and champagne. A few other men are standing guard outside the gazebo, looking jaded at the partying going around them.


    ¡°Dante!¡± The man stands up with his arms raised. He has a scar across his cheek, but it does nothing to mar his handsomeness.


    ¡°Sandro,¡± Dante says to him, smiling. He seems genuinely happy to see him and they hug.


    ¡°I thought you weren¡¯ting.¡±


    ¡°And miss your birthday? Never.¡±


    ¡°You missed myst one.¡±


    ¡°You were turning thirty-nine. Who cares about thirtynine?¡±


    Sandroughs, ¡°This guy,¡± he says to a girl beside him, ¡°he doesn¡¯t look like it, but he¡¯s aedian.¡± He turns to me and his demeanor changes to that of a seducer. ¡°And who is this lovely woman you brought with you tonight?¡±


    ¡°Alessandro meet Corina. Corina, Alessandro.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Alessandro,¡± I say, extending my hand.


    He takes it and kisses it. ¡°The pleasure is all mine, Corina. Please, call me Sandro. All my friends do.¡± Dante pulls me even closer to his side. Sandro doesn¡¯t fail to notice this and part of me thinks it¡¯s meant for him to see. Sandroughs and says, ¡°Nice to see you with someone, Dante. I hope he isn¡¯t giving you any trouble, this friend of mine. He can be a little possessive at times.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you have no idea,¡± I reply. ¡°He practically has me shackled to him.¡±


    He chuckles again. ¡°Please. Please. Sit.¡± He directs us to a spot next to him. I sit next to Dante, while Dante sits next to Sandro. He hands us two champagne flutes and then he motions to a waiter walking past, ¡°Two more bottles of Dom.¡± He turns back to Dante and says, ¡°I hope you brought me a gift. You¡¯ve been cking for these past birthdays,¡± he says to me, ¡°I always give him gifts, attend his parties if he has any, but this guy never. We¡¯ve known each other for ages. Going back since high school, but I have to beg for a present.¡±


    ¡°I did bring one,¡± Dante says.


    ¡°Where is it?¡±


    ¡°I left it at the registry.¡±


    ¡°Oh! You better not be pulling my leg now! I won¡¯t forget to check.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s there. A small box wrapped in silver with blue ribbon.¡±


    ¡°Is he telling the truth?¡± Sandro says to me, ¡°Did he really bring a gift?¡±


    I nod. Dante had indeed left a present at the registry when we came. Sandro stares at me as if he¡¯s looking to see if I¡¯m telling the truth, and for a second, I feel like I¡¯ve been put under the microscope. Then he says, ¡°It must be your influence. He would have never brought anything.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being too hard on me.¡± Dante says and for the next few minutes they yfully argue about their experiences and conflicting memories while I drink the wine and take in the surroundings. One girl sitting next to me is on her phone. The other two are talking to each other. Since I have nothing to do and no one to talk to, thepulsion to stretch my legs gets to me and I get up. Dante¡¯s hand slides to my palm, and he stills me. ¡°Where are you going?¡± he says.


    ¡°I want to dance. I will be over there.¡±


    His stare says no and I¡¯m sure he¡¯s about to voice an objection when Sandro says, ¡°Are you afraid she¡¯ll run into someone else¡¯s arms?¡± Sandro¡¯s taunt is enough for Dante to let me go. I can see that he doesn¡¯t like the suggestion that I¡¯m his girlfriend, but it seems as if he doesn¡¯t want to correct his friend. Whatever it is, I like the tight position he¡¯s put himself in and I exploit it, ¡°Don¡¯t worry darling. I won¡¯t go far.¡± He scowls and drops my hand like it¡¯s a piece of hot coal.


    I breathe a little easier when I get to the grass, where a lot more people are mingling around. The music is exciting and in no time I am dancing to the beat. Even though I am dancing alone, I can see Rob in the corner of my eye, blocking any men froming closer to me. It must be an instruction from Dante. I don¡¯t care. After a while, I forget about it all and concentrate on nothing but the dance and the music. I dance and dance until I tire. When I get back to the table, Dante is still talking to Sandro. Their tone is a little more serious now, but still just as friendly. If Sandro¡¯s smile at me when I rejoin them is anything to go by. Dante merely nces at me and immediately forgets I¡¯m there. They¡¯re talking business, from what I can gather. Boring business. They might as well be in a meeting and not a party. I turn to my ss and drink more. A waiteres along with a tray of beautiful canapes and takes a couple. They taste even better. I gobble that down with more champagne. And soon enough, I need the restroom.


    ¡°More dancing?¡± Dante asks when I get up again.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to thedies¡¯ room.¡±


    ¡°Rob will take you there.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I shake the bracelet at him to say, ¡°if you want to know where I am, you can always check.¡± He relents and says, ¡°Fine.¡± All of this doesn¡¯t escape Sandro¡¯s notice who¡¯s now even more amused by us.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I say to Sandro. ¡°He is a little possessive. It must be love.¡± Sandro bursts outughing and I can¡¯t help smiling. Dante, on the other hand, is fuming, throwing daggers with his gaze.


    ¡°I like her,¡± Sandro says, as I leave them, ¡°I hope you keep her around.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t count on it,¡± I hear Dante say, and then they¡¯re out of earshot.


    The inside of the house is just as grand as the outside. Everything is expensive and shy, but not too much to be garish. It¡¯s as every bit like the owner if the little I¡¯ve gathered about him is anything to go by. I make my way to the bathroom, touch up my makeup, side step a couple of girls rushing in to throw up, and return to the party.


    ¡°Corina?¡± The music is loud, but not enough to drown the familiar voice. I turn in its direction and my worst fears are confirmed. It¡¯s Hugh. What¡¯s worse, he¡¯s not alone. He¡¯s with her. I know her alright. She¡¯s the woman who was riding his dick when I walked in on them. It¡¯s hard to forget that curly brown hair. She blushes when she recognizes me. At least she has the decency to be embarrassed.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± His question sounds like an usation. As if he doesn¡¯t think I¡¯m too low on the totem pole to enter a ce such as this. I recall our breakup conversation. ¡°I¡¯m a high value man,¡± he had said, ¡°and I need a high value woman. You¡¯re not it.¡± The wimp, small dick, two-minute man, had the gall to say that to me.


    ¡°I¡¯m here with a friend.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± He seems confused at first, and then understanding dawns on him. ¡°Oh.¡± He must think I¡¯m a bottle service girl. I want to roll my eyes.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    I throw a punch of my own. ¡°What brings you here? This doesn¡¯t seem like your scene.¡±


    ¡°I got a new job. I¡¯m working at the Silver Pce now. It¡¯s my boss¡¯s birthday, he invited me,¡± he smirks. ¡°Surely you must know this is Alessandro Giordano¡¯s birthday party, right? Or did your handler not tell you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am aware.¡± Fuck this ass of a man. I want to get as far away from him and his sad new girlfriend as possible.


    ¡°It¡¯s been nice seeing you.¡±


    ¡°You know, it¡¯s sad to see you stoop so low. If you have money issues, I could have helped you if you asked.¡±


    ¡°So low? Why do you think I¡¯m here?¡±


    ¡°Come on. I think we all know why. All you casino girls are the same. It¡¯s toughpetition chasing men in this city, especially someone like you.¡± I clench my fists to restrain myself from punching his square face. I have no idea why I even thought a repulsive guy like him is handsome.


    ¡°For your own information, I was personally invited.¡±


    His smirk grows even wider. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Really.¡± I sound like I¡¯m trying too hard to convince him, and I hate it. I want to get out of here and away from him.


    ¡°You should-¡± His gaze flicks away from me to behind me. ¡°Mr. Morelli.¡±


    I feel Dante¡¯s hand wrap around my waist, and I wee it. Hees to stand beside me. ¡°I was wondering what was taking you so long,¡± Dante says. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were with friends.¡±


    ¡°Dante meet¡­¡± Dante is ahead of me, ¡°Hugh, I


    understand,¡± he says to him, ¡°The ex-boyfriend.¡±


    ¡°You two are¡­¡±


    ¡°Dating,¡± Dante says confidently and pulls me in against him. ¡°I¡¯m the new boyfriend.¡±

 Chapter 108

    DANTE


    She looked so pathetic I had to save her. At least that¡¯s the excuse, I told myself. It¡¯s not at all because of the jealousy I was feeling the entire night. The impulse to punch all the leery men who were ring at her while she was dancing. Nor was it the jealousy I felt when I saw her talking to him. I made my way to them without thinking. And when I got closer, it wasn¡¯t the rage I felt at hearing what he was saying to her. No. Not that. But the shock on his face right now is enough satisfaction for me to continue. ¡°I was looking for you,¡± I say to her. She too, is frozen. I lean in whisper, ¡°Shocked that I came to your rescue? Now let¡¯s leave them, while they¡¯re still stunned.¡± For good measure, I kiss her ear, making it seem like I was whispering little sweet nothings and lead her back to the gazebo.


    I look back at the other couple. What she saw in him I have no idea. He is handsome, yes, but in the most generic way possible. There¡¯s nothing about him that stands out. He looks like a thumb. A very dull thumb.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she says. ¡°You remembered he was exboyfriend?¡±


    ¡°I know a lot about you. Why did you break up?¡±


    ¡°I caught him fucking that woman he was with. How much do you know about me?¡±


    ¡°A lot. But not enough, it would seem.¡±


    Her eyes narrow. ¡°Is that why you no longer think I¡¯m your spy? Because you finally know that I was only dating a person from Sone holdings.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s part of it.¡± It was the whole, but she didn¡¯t need to know that I had initially received bad information. That would need to be rectified. As we enter the gazebo, I say, ¡°Now I know you¡¯re only just a thief.¡± She res at me, but like a guilty person, she has no response. Of course she doesn¡¯t. ¡°Why did you do it? Save me, I mean. When you act like you didn¡¯t want to.¡±


    Because I feltpelled to and I don¡¯t understand it. ¡°Because you¡¯re here as my woman and no one disrespects my woman.¡±


    ¡°So, you did it for your ego?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± She looks disappointed and she wouldn¡¯t be if she knew the true nature of my feelings. She would probably be happy knowing she had, no matter how small, a grip on me. Hell, the orgasm she gave me, not just this afternoon, but this evening as well, is driving me crazy and over possessive. So much so that even Sandro noticed it in a matter of seconds. He was more than happy to rib into me every time I nced at her as she danced. When she left for the restroom, I was half in the mind to follow her. And when she took what seemed to me longer than necessary, I got up, telling myself, it¡¯s because she might have ran away even though the GPS tag on my phone said otherwise. When I saw her speaking to her ex, I marched over there so fast I must have roughly bumped into a few people. The truth of the matter is, I¡¯m slightly rocked off my axis and I can¡¯t let her have that knowledge or she¡¯ll only use it against me.


    I turn my attention to Sandro, who nces up when he sees using in. ¡°Sandro. It¡¯s been a pleasure.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving already?¡±


    ¡°You know I like to leave a party early.¡±


    ¡°Your loss,¡± he says as he gets up. ¡°But thanks foring, anyway.¡± He takes Corina¡¯s hand and raises it to his lips, ¡°It¡¯s been nice knowing you Corina. I wish you could have stayed, but I think I know why Dante wants to keep you to himself.¡± Again, I fight the impulse to swipe his hand away from hers and punch his smug little face. Add another scar next to the collection. What¡¯s with my irrational reaction? It can¡¯t just be the amazing sex I had with Corina that¡¯s making me act like a jealous monster.


    ¡°That was fun,¡± she says as the car pulls out of the gates and back to the city.


    ¡°Meeting your ex was fun?¡± I want to p myself for blurting it loud. It shows that I¡¯m still thinking about who fucked her before me. That I care. Luckily, she seems not to notice. ¡°I mean the party. And Sandro. He¡¯s fun.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Now I have shown myself. She seems surprised at first until it dawns on her. ¡°You mean fucking him!¡± She bursts outughing.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡±


    She continues tough. She catches her breath after a few more gasps and says, ¡°Thepetition alone. I would have a hard time getting noticed at all among those girls.¡±


    ¡°No way. You¡¯re hotter than all of thembined.¡± She stopsughing and stares at me, startled. Even in the low street light, I can tell I have said something I shouldn¡¯t.


    ¡°I very much doubt that. Not that I¡¯m fishing forpliments, but I know this city and where I stack up on the totem pole of hotness. Hot enough to enter the club, but not enough to get a free drink, as they say, but thanks for the self-esteem boost Deepak Chopra.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not lying. And I don¡¯t hand outpliments easily.¡± The statement stuns her this time. I definitely shouldn¡¯t have said that, but it¡¯s true. I don¡¯t know how many times I¡¯ve stared at her at work for what are probably endless hours. Everything pales and only Corina remains in focus. There¡¯s a natural beauty about her that¡¯s both understated and unforced. A face with an elegance that can¡¯t be feigned and a body that promises nothing but sin and sex. A promise fulfilled; I must add. I was half in the mind to rip her sexy dress and fuck her while Rob and Bruno pretended not to notice. My body, as if acting on its own ord, leans in and I draw her to me. She¡¯spliant. My lips touch hers and my body exalts as if I hadn¡¯t kissed her twice already today. The champagne on her breath only makes the kiss more potent. I draw her further in, one hand going up the slit of her dress to feel her soft thighs in my hands. I recall thest time, only hours ago, when I was holding more. My cock gets harder thinking about sinking into her again. She¡¯s just as responsive as every other time we kiss. Her hands are all over me at once, although there¡¯s a hesitancy I sense about her. I finish the kiss, but I don¡¯t let go of her. I want to ask her what the issue is when she nces at the two people in the front seats.


    Ugh. Of course. She must think exhibitionism is my kink. Little does she know I was lying to her earlier. I just saw a flicker of light shing on the other end and thought it would be fun to freak her out thinking we¡¯re being watched. In the end, the fantasy turned into a really hot act. And what was I doing trying to fuck her in an upied car? This isn¡¯t me. I immediately detach myself from her.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she sounds surprised.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± I fish out my phone and check my messages. Anything to get my mind off her. Maybe Gio is right. Indulging in one¡¯s obsession is never a good idea. Especially one so important. I must do something about this. A message pops up. It¡¯s from one of my long-time friends, Leah. She¡¯s in town and she¡¯s asking to meet. Leah¡¯s nice enough, a little too vapid, but okay to be around. Also, she¡¯s not a thief sh asset sh employee. She¡¯s baggage free. And maybe the best person to help me purge Corina out of my system. When we arrive at the Pzzo, I tell Rob to stay with Corina.


    ¡°You¡¯re noting?¡± She asks.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°More business stuff?¡±


    ¡°Stuff that doesn¡¯t concern you? Yes.¡±


    ¡°God damn it. I was just asking to ask. No need for the animosity. Anyway, thanks for the evening.¡± I didn¡¯t expect that, and it thaws my barrier. I feel bad for leaving her and going to another woman until I check myself. Holy fuck, what am I turning into? She is not in a rtionship with me. Our rtionship is transactional at best. I shouldn¡¯t feel guilty.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°It was just an outing. I felt like you needed one.¡±


    ¡°Thanks anyway.¡± She gets out of the car and I watch as she and Rob enter the building while Bruno switches over to the driver¡¯s seat. I might as well get to Leah now, before I jump out and follow her. I must purge her out of me one way or another.


    Leah¡¯s apartment is on the other side of town and with all the traffic, it takes longer than I expect reaching it. She¡¯s in the middle of drawing ns for a new show when I arrive. Leah has directed several popr shows and from the looks of the sketches she¡¯s drawing up, this too will be just as sessful. I refuse the dinner ns she offers and instead we talk over a bottle of wine. Throughout the conversation, I keep getting reminded of something Corina said. I see her face in Leah and can¡¯t, for the life of me, stopparing the two, which is ridiculous because they¡¯re both different women. Leah is cute and fun, Corina is¡­ well, Corina. Infuriating, independent, headstrong, rough. Things I shouldn¡¯t want in a woman and yet, here I was thinking about her. Even Leah picks up on it. She doesn¡¯t throw me out, but she gives me a big enough sign that I¡¯m not present and would rather be with someone who is. I leave her and go back to my hotel, frustrated.


    Corina¡¯s asleep when I return. Sleeping peacefully, while I¡¯m in torment. I go to my bed and knock out as soon as Iy my head down. Of course I dream of her. When I wake up the next morning, Ie up with a resolution. Stay away from Corina as much as possible and only be with her when necessary. The next time I we fuck again, because we were still going to, I won¡¯t be as obsessed.

 Chapter 109

    CORINA


    I don¡¯t know what I did wrong or right. Or whether it was right or wrong. Whatever I did, it made Dante push me away. I didn¡¯t catch on at first. The morning after the party; I was happy to enter a kitchen upied only by Rob and Vera and Rob, telling me that Dante had already gone to work. At least I didn¡¯t have to endure his presence, I thought. For the next three days, I was even happier. I came into the kitchen the same way. I only started to wonder if he was avoiding me when he barely acknowledged me at work as he passed me by. He didn¡¯t even spare me a nce, which I thought was unusual. That¡¯s when the doubts crept in. He finally spoke to me after five days of silence and it was only to tell me he was going out of the country for a business meeting and that I was not supposed to go anywhere without Rob and Bruno. Which wouldn¡¯t be so bad if it was only Rob, but Bruno was a pain in the ass altogether. He hated having to be my bodyguard, and even though he never said it; he made it clear through grant insubordination and annoyance. One day, when I got ready earlier than usual, I heard them talk about me as they waited. Bruno sounded irritated when he said, ¡°I don¡¯t understand why I have to look after his whore. I have better things to do, you know.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t wonder about things that don¡¯t concern you,¡± Rob replied. ¡°Do your job. You don¡¯t know what she means to him.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s just another fuck hole. I heard the boss say as much. Anyway, he has other fuck holes all over town. She can¡¯t be that special. He even visited one after the party.¡± I wanted to punch him for referring to women as holes, but I was held back by what his statement revealed. Dante had another woman? A mistress? A girlfriend? I didn¡¯t know what to do with that since I assumed I was the only one, but why would I think that? I didn¡¯t even qualify as the one. As Bruno said, I¡¯m just a hole. That didn¡¯t mean it didn¡¯t affect me, though. I felt jealous of this other woman. Did he go on his business trip with her this time instead of me? Did he even go on a business trip? Why do I care?


    It¡¯s day eight now, the day he¡¯s supposed to be back, and I am now wishing he was here. I even contemte calling him, but I¡¯m saved from humiliating myself at thest minute by Jesse, who calls and asks toe up. ¡®I want to see where you¡¯re staying,¡¯ she says. I invite her over. What¡¯s the harm in it, anyway? After all, I¡¯m in dire need of a friend.


    A few minutester, I hear a knock on the door. It¡¯s Jesse. I usher her inside. As soon as we enter the living room, she exims, ¡°Wow! Holy shit! No wonder you don¡¯t want to go back to our old apartment. I would stay here forever if I were you.¡± She wanders towards the window view of the city. The same one Dante stered me against as he fucked me senseless. ¡°I can see the entire town from here!¡± she says, looking out.


    ¡°There¡¯s a French door over there, if you want to go to the balcony,¡± I say as I stride over to it and open it. She follows me outside and we leave Bruno and Rob who have been basically us ever since we came in and were now sitting on the sofas. ¡°You should see it at night,¡± I add.


    ¡°No wonder you didn¡¯t speak to me for an entire week. You probably didn¡¯t want to be reminded of our sad existence.¡±


    ¡°Come on, you know that¡¯s not why. I told you I was in Rio.¡± I was in Rio for only two days maximum, but going there provided me with enough cover to say I was there the entire time he had me cooped up in here.


    ¡°That must have been something.¡±


    Oh, it was something alright. I want to tell her so much. I want to tell her everything, but I¡¯m afraid if she knows, or even gets a glimpse of what is happening, Dante won¡¯t hesitate to get rid of her. I doubt she has the same protection I have that¡¯s holding back Dante from offing me. ¡°It was okay.¡±


    ¡°It was okay? A trip to Rio in a private jet is just okay for you now? I¡¯m so jealous.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be.¡± If only she knew. ¡°Do you want to see the rest of the house?¡±


    ¡°I am dying to see where the two of you,¡± she nudges me in the ribs, ¡°you know, get it on.¡±


    I give her a tour of the rest of the ce. First, I show her the gym which I¡¯ve seen Dante use twice since I woke up earlier than him. I move past my bedroom. I¡¯m not ready to exin that yet, and we enter the master bedroom. It¡¯s my first time being here, and I feel like a kid sneaking into a ce where she¡¯s not supposed to be. Therge bed at the center is covered in coal gray, silky, sensual bedding. Like the rest of the house, it¡¯s decorated in ck and ents of white. There¡¯s a ss door, which I assume is the closet. I open it and it actually leads to a bathroom suite on one side and a closet on the other.


    Jesse walks over to the ck marble tub at one end of the bathroom. On the other end is a shower big enough to fit two people. ¡°That is probably the biggest hot tub I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± She jumps into the tub and sits. ¡°I can swim in here! Corina! How did you do it?¡±


    I know what she¡¯s asking. How did I nab him, she means? ¡°He asked me out, and that was it.¡±


    ¡°After poker night?¡±


    I nod. It was practically the truth.


    ¡°I sensed it, you know. He¡¯s always looking at you.¡±


    ¡°Is he? I doubt that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know for a fact he¡¯s had a thing for you for at least a while now.¡± Highly unlikely, I think to myself. Dante was probably wondering whether I was the spy he was looking for. ¡°Looking back at it now. I should have known.¡±


    ¡°Known what?¡± She looks like she¡¯s said something she shouldn¡¯t have said. But she gathers herself quickly. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the closet!¡± she scrambles out of the tub and rushes out of the bathroom. ¡°I want to see all the clothes he bought for you.¡± I don¡¯t have the time to stop her. She¡¯s already opening and closing drawers. Each time encountering his clothes.


    ¡°Where are your things?¡±


    Before I can reply, we¡¯re interrupted by Rob. He looks a little apologetic. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were here.¡± He leans in my ear and whispers, ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to be in the boss¡¯s bedroom when he¡¯s not around, ording to his orders.¡±


    ¡°Right. Thanks for that.¡± Behind him, I see Bruno looking a little more aggressive than Rob. Fuck. I hope I don¡¯t get into trouble when Dantees back. With that in mind, I take Jesse¡¯s hand and lead her out of the closet. ¡°I have my room,¡± I exin to her.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Bruno res at us as we pass by him. He barely gives us space to pass through as he is filling the doorway. ¡°Excuse me, what¡¯s your problem?¡± Jesse says as we squeeze past him.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I say, ncing at Bruno. He looks like he has barely suppressed contempt. I fucking miss Colin already. At least he was a block of zero emotion. ¡°Please don¡¯t antagonize them.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Jesse looks up at Bruno, challenging him. ¡°they¡¯re your bodyguards, right? They should do what you want them to do, not the other way round.¡± I hear Bruno scoff, and I almost want to cringe.


    ¡°Come on Jess, you wanted to see my clothes, didn¡¯t you?¡± Jesse is giving him dagger eyes and I have to nudge her forward for her to walk.


    ¡°You should show them who¡¯s boss, you know,¡± she says as we enter the hallway. ¡°You¡¯re his woman. They should respect that.¡± I almostugh. He is probably with his real woman now and Bruno knows. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I reply.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°Jesse.¡± My tone says leave it alone, and she sighs and raises her hands in surrender just as I open the door to my bedroom. Her jaw drops. ¡°Wait? You have your own room?¡±


    I shrug. ¡°He likes his own space.¡± This mollifies her. Maybe this is a normal arrangement within the sugar daddy/sugar babe world. I watch her as she walks around, taking in the white and cream that¡¯s more dominant in this room and strikingly different from the rest of the penthouse. A sharp contrast to the rest of the apartment. ¡°It¡¯s so you? If I didn¡¯t know any better, I would have thought he made this room especially for you.¡± That was odd. Since entering this ce, I have never thought about it like that. I was fearing for my life and not at all thinking about the decor. I take a second look and notice what she¡¯s saying. It is decorated to my tastes. Probably a coincidence. He¡¯s probably had a string of girlse in and out of this room, and I¡¯m just thetest.


    ¡°Corina!¡± I look around for her. Where did she go? She calls again. She¡¯s inside the closet. ¡°You¡¯ve gotta lend me some of these clothes,¡± she adds. ¡°Do not restrict yourself,¡± I say when I enter the closet. She¡¯s holding a cocktail dress against her body and admiring it in the mirror. ¡°Your boyfriend will probably gut me on the casino floor if he sees me wearing your things.¡± She returns the dress back onto the rack. Her face is serious when she faces me. ¡°Did he say anything about the money? I heard from Sal that he was looking for a thief.¡±


    ¡°You and Sal talk?¡± I¡¯m d she¡¯s the one to bring it up first, because I had no idea how to confront her about that. However, this Sal thing is new.


    ¡°We talk asionally. But he came to me wanting to know if I knew about you stealing. What did Dante say?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you two are fucking. Just thought it odd, but you know what, never mind. I told him I took it. He was a little angry at first. But he¡¯s forgotten about it.¡±


    Her eyes widen. ¡°Really?¡± A mischievous glint shes in her eye. ¡°Or did you suck his memories away?¡± I blush. In a way, that happened, wasn¡¯t it? I don¡¯t even need to say it. She can easily read my face. ¡°No fucking way?¡± She giggles. ¡°You should stop hanging around me. I am teaching you to be bad.¡±


    ¡°Can we talk about something else, please? My cheeks are about to me up.¡±


    ¡°Thanks anyway. I don¡¯t know what my sister would have done without you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. But you should have told me it was for your sister. And how much money did you steal, anyway? Apparently, you¡¯re on the hook for,¡± I lower my voice, ¡°five hundred grand.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to! Take that much at least. But with Jackie¡¯s mounting medical bills and the debt from her previous hospital stay umting, I had to do something.¡±


    ¡°You should have told me!¡±


    ¡°I tried to, but it was hard. I hated living with the secret.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

 Chapter 110

    You practically saved her life. I don¡¯t know what I would do if I was caught.¡± Jesse looks remorseful enough for me to want to forgive her. She has such a burden when ites to Jackie, who is constantly in and out of hospitals due to her chronic illness.


    ¡°How is she? Is she doing well?¡±


    Jesse nods. ¡°The new treatment and the rehab ce is working wonders. She even says she likes New York now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing! But won¡¯t you need more money? Because he took three hundred from the apartment.¡±


    ¡°Oh that. I need a hundred more, which I¡¯m sure I can get from another source.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I was thinking when I did it-¡±


    ¡°You were thinking of Jackie,¡± I cut in, ¡°And that¡¯s all that matters.¡±


    She must be embarrassed that she had to resort to stealing to pay back those debtors. She¡¯s not telling me, but if I have any idea, the people she borrowed from were threatening her. I can see how the topic is hard for her. I don¡¯t me her. Loan sharks were some of the worst types of human beings to ever walk on earth.


    ¡°Did you pay them everything?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Good. Promise me to never do something that stupid.¡±


    She raises her little finger. ¡°Pinky swear. I think it¡¯s my turn to say let¡¯s not talk about this anymore.¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡°How did you do it though? Steal the money, I mean. Where are you swiping?¡± That¡¯s how most dealers steal. Taking a few of the chips that the customers have won before handing them. But still it wouldn¡¯t exin how she got that much money unless she¡¯s been doing it for a while. And I doubt Dante would know the exact figure as he did when he questioned me. Jesse doesn¡¯t respond. She shrugs. ¡°I¡¯m embarrassed by it as it is,¡± she says to me, ¡°I don¡¯t want to distress you anymore.¡± She is right. Talking about this here when Rob and Bruno are in the next room is not wise.


    ¡°I wanna know more about you and Sal,¡± I say, changing the subject. ¡°I don¡¯t get how you two would talk.¡±


    ¡°Well, not talk, talk. You know, he¡¯s not the ghoul people make him out to be.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine what you would have inmon. Since when did this friendship blossom? I feel like I should have known about this.¡±


    ¡°As if you ever told me about this?¡± She waves her hand around the room. ¡°I¡¯m starting to wonder if you two were seeing each other longer than you made it out to be.¡±


    ¡°Come on.¡±


    ¡°Come on what? I¡¯m not the only one who¡¯s saying it. I just think you should have told me that, after all.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t my choice. He didn¡¯t want us to be public.¡± She looks like she doesn¡¯t believe me and I get it. I don¡¯t sound convincing at all. If I were her, I wouldn¡¯t believe me too.


    Jesse strolls around the closet and stops at the shoe rack. She picks up one ankle boot I hadn¡¯t worn yet, examines it, and ces it back. ¡°And now he¡¯s taking you to all the best parties in town.¡±


    Now I¡¯m apologizing for something that¡¯s out of my control. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Jesse. I know how much you love to party, but I wasn¡¯t exactly invited. Only a plus one.¡± I take her hand and put on a mock pout. ¡°What do you want me to do to atone?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± She turns back to face me, a smile stered on her face. ¡°You¡¯ve already done enough. Thanks again.¡±


    ¡°Anytime. But I wish you had told me it was a lot more.¡±


    Her cheeks redden. ¡°What did he say? Did he get angry?¡± Did he? He doesn¡¯t seem to get angry when confronting me about the money or any other perceived transgression. He looks more¡­ disappointed than anything else. I shake my


    head. ¡°I just wish you had told me the truth.¡±


    She looks away. ¡°I was embarrassed.¡±


    I feel terrible for dragging that out of her. Jesse is not the type to look for help from other people. She would rather scrape and hustle until she got what she wanted. I want to tell her it¡¯s okay. She cane to me anytime, but just as I¡¯m about to stumble through the words, she nces at her phone and screams. ¡°Oh god! My break is over. I should get back.¡±


    ¡°Already?¡±


    She pouts. ¡°I know. I wanted to sip a mimosa with you while we chilled on the balcony watching the plebs below


    us, but I have to go. Brian will have my head.¡±


    ¡°Thanks foring.¡±


    ¡°Sure babe.¡±


    We bid each other goodbye, and in a few minutes, she¡¯s out of the apartment. I¡¯m left alone again with Bruno and Rob and the boredom sinks in again. I wasn¡¯t expecting to spend my off day in the apartment, but I don¡¯t have thepulsion to do anything else. Maybe if I take a walk down the street, it would change my mood. I only need to tell Rob and Bruno to apany me. After changing into suitable clothes, I go over to them. They¡¯re in the living room chatting.


    ¡°I¡¯m going for a walk.¡±


    They both stop talking and turn in my direction. Rob is already getting up, but Bruno stays seated. ¡°Right now?¡± Rob asks. I nod. ¡°I need some air. I¡¯m feeling cooped up and constricted.¡± Rob seems unsure. ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to go further than five miles away from the casino.¡±


    ¡°I get it. I wouldn¡¯t want to put you boys into trouble.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere,¡± Bruno interjects.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Bruno doesn¡¯t look away from his phone. His frame is tilted away from me as if I don¡¯t warrant enough attention to him. ¡°I said you¡¯re not going anywhere. You¡¯re staying here. Those were the orders.¡±


    I nce at Rob, who¡¯s gaze jumps to Bruno. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with her going out for a walk,¡± Rob says.


    ¡°But there is. The boss says she¡¯s only supposed to go to the doctor, and she already did that. There was nothing mentioned about walking.¡±


    ¡°Come on. It¡¯s just a walk!¡±


    He jumps up, shocking me and says, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare raise your voice at me, you slut!¡±


    Rob¡¯s eyes widen. He seems more shocked than me. ¡°Calm down, Bruno.¡±


    ¡°No. Tell that to the whore.¡± Bruno¡¯s gaze is squarely on me. The disgust I had been sensing before was apparent in the curl of his lip. ¡°A whore doesn¡¯t tell me what to do. I tell her what to do. And what she should be doing is sitting her ass down.¡±


    I can¡¯t help shaking my head. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure this is supposed to work the other way round. You¡¯re supposed to be my bodyguard.¡±


    Bruno bursts out inughter. I feel my cheeks redden. He stalks over to me and stands right in front of me so that I have to look up to face him. I suddenly realize how big he is. He¡¯s over six feet, muscr and has arge build. He could lift me up and toss me out of the window like a sack of flour. ¡°What makes you think you¡¯re so precious? You¡¯ll be dead in the next couple of days, anyway. The boss is only keeping you alive so he can fuck you.¡± He closes into my space. I


    step back, heart hammering against my chest. There¡¯s a menacing look on his face and a sh of lust in his eyes that freaks me out. ¡°Make no mistake, just because he¡¯s keeping you around, doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re anything special. I¡¯m pretty sure once he¡¯s done with you,¡± he grabs a lock of my hair and lets it slide in his hand, ¡°he will pass you around to us.¡±


    ¡°Bruno,¡± I hear Rob behind us say. It sounds like a tentative warning.


    He can intimidate me, but he can¡¯t scare me. ¡°Whatever.¡±


    I look at him square in the eyes, ¡°But I¡¯m here now, aren¡¯t I? And as far as I can see, I¡¯m above you.¡±


    What happens next, I don¡¯t seeing. It happens so fast that I¡¯m too shocked to react. All I see is the contortion of Bruno¡¯s features and feel a sudden and hard impact on my cheek. I stumble to the floor on my side and my vision blurs as the pain moves from my cheek to my temple and spreads down to the side of my neck. I¡¯ve never been punched. Maybe a long time ago in kindergarten, but I don¡¯t remember it being this painful. When my vision clears, I see Rob tackling Bruno to the ground. He¡¯s screaming at him. I¡¯m trying to get my bearings straight. ¡°What the fuck!¡± I


    hear Rob say. ¡°You¡¯ve fucked up, man!¡±


    Brunoughs. ¡°You¡¯re being hysterical!¡±


    Rob rushes over to me and helps me stand up. I feel a throbbing in the back of my head. Holy shit, he packs a punch. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Rob says to me.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    He turns to Bruno. ¡°What is wrong with you?¡±


    Bruno is making his way back to the couch where he sits back and takes hold of his phone. ¡°Stop acting like a bitch. It was just one smack.¡±


    Rob looks me over. Panic is setting in his features. ¡°He¡¯s not going to like this at all. You¡¯ve really fucked up, man.¡± To me he says, ¡°Let¡¯s get you an icepack,¡±


    As Rob is helping me get up, we all hear the door open and close. Dante marches in and immediately takes in the situation. He first nces over at me, then to Rob, then to Bruno. ¡°What the fuck just happened here?¡±

 Chapter 111

    DANTE


    Even though the trip went well and the deal was done, I still feel anxious. It feels like the ne is moving backwards instead of forward. I want to say I don¡¯t know why I feel this way, but I do. It¡¯s because of her. Her body, that is. After spending time away from her, I¡¯ve finally figured out what¡¯s driving me crazy. Sex with Corina. Thing is, I had an obsession thatsted for a year and now that we¡¯ve finally slept together, that obsession has ratcheted and the only way to be rid of it is to fuck her until it¡¯s over. That¡¯s my new mission. And that is why I¡¯m eager to get back home. It has nothing to do with missing her. I don¡¯t miss her contentious manner, which I hate, or her stubbornness, which I hate even more.


    The car ride back to the casino feels like forever. I sent her a message as soon as the nended that I¡¯m back, but she hasn¡¯t responded yet. Whatever, I¡¯m sure she¡¯s seen it. I don¡¯t want to bother with a call or another message. It will seem a little needy and I am not that needy, I assure myself.


    When the car stops in the parking bay, I get out, not even waiting for my men. The elevator also feels like it¡¯s dragging and not going at its normal speed, and after what feels like forever, it dings and the doors open. Fucking finally. I enter the apartment slightly exhrated. I can¡¯t wait to see her again. I check the app. She¡¯s in the living room. Great. We might even start there. Have sex on the couch and then carry it to the bedroom. Hers or mine, I don¡¯t care. Maybe mine. It was time we gave the bed a christening. I wonder how she will feel when she sees me again. Happy? Sad? She would probably give me her usual bored look. Acting as if she isn¡¯t as affected as I am. That¡¯s her style, but that is not how she reacts when I enter the living room.


    A rush of jealousy and the need to remove Rob away from her ovees me until I look at her face. She looks relieved to see me, but also hurt? Her face is swelling. Rob looks relieved to see me too. Not guilty. The guilty looking one is Bruno, who gets up from his seat. ¡°What the fuck just happened here?¡±


    ¡°Dante,¡± she almost slumps in the shoulders of Rob. Why was he holding her? And what happened to her face? I don¡¯t realize I¡¯ve said thest sentence out loud until Rob responds. ¡°She was hit.¡±


    ¡°By who?¡± Both Corina and Rob cast their gazes on Bruno. I rush over to her. Rob immediately lets her go as I take her face into my hands to examine it. She looks like she has been punched and her face is swelling rapidly. I rub her temple, and she winces. Rage builds up inside me like a rumbling volcano. I can barely keep it down. It roughens my voice. ¡°Who touched you?¡±


    She nces again at Bruno and says, ¡°It was a misunderstanding.¡±


    ¡°Who hit you?¡±


    She sighs. ¡°Bruno.¡±


    Bruno shes a faltering smile. He doesn¡¯t seem to take it seriously. ¡°Why did you hit her?¡±


    ¡°Listen. She was acting all crazy man. She was disobeying orders.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to go for a walk and things weren¡¯t out of control. I swear I¡¯m okay.¡± Corina is adamant to make excuses for him. I don¡¯t get why she thinks she has to. I ignore her and focus on Bruno.


    ¡°What orders was she disobeying?¡± Bruno must have sensed my anger. His demeanor changes, the cockiness is now gone. ¡°You said she¡¯s staying here, and she didn¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°And you punch her? Your job is to protect her!¡±


    ¡°Yes. But¡­¡± I don¡¯t give him time to finish. I¡¯m so blinded with rage, I punch him in the gut and he falls to the floor. It doesn¡¯t stop me. I pummel him as he¡¯s on the floor. He rarely fights back as I throw punch after punch in his face. I hear Corina screaming in the distance, telling me to stop. I feel hands on my arms, and turn around to see that it¡¯s her.


    ¡°Stop!¡± she says. It¡¯s not her words, but the horror in her face that gives me pause. She looks terrified. I look at the person I was pummeling mere seconds ago. His face is bloody and so are my fists. In my rage fueled quest, I didn¡¯t even notice how much hurt I caused. All I want is to make him pay. I straighten just as Colin and Tiny enter. ¡°Take him to the basement.¡± The guys do as I say, taking him by the arms and dragging him out of the apartment. They don¡¯t seem as shocked as Corina. Even though I¡¯m not one to blow up like this, they seem to understand.


    With everyone gone, I concentrate on Corina. She still looks a little shocked. It makes me feel like a brute. My carefully cultivated suave act is in shambles right now. ¡°He shouldn¡¯t have hit you.¡± I say it as if to justify my disy of violence. This isn¡¯t how I wanted to start my day back in the city.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not a big deal.¡±


    ¡°But it is. No man should hit a woman. No man of mine should hit a woman of mine.¡± Ites out before I can take it back. Her eyes widen. ¡°What I mean is, he¡¯s supposed to protect you. I¡¯m the one who decides what happens to you.¡±


    Her mood detes. ¡°Right. Of course.¡± She closes the distance between us and takes my hand in hers, examining it. ¡°Let¡¯s clean you up,¡± she says. I let her drag me to the kitchen. There, she washes my hand under the cold tap water. None of the blood is mine, so it doesn¡¯t take long to remove it. With clean hands, I gently take hold of her chin and examine her.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who needs to be cleaned up. Your face is turning into a potato.¡±


    Sheughs. It¡¯s sweet and cute and I want to hear that sound often.


    ¡°He shouldn¡¯t have done that.¡± She looks up at me with her big doe eyes. I want to kiss her, but not yet. I let go of her, go to the refrigerator, and take out an ice pack. She¡¯s still standing next to the sink when Ie back and press the pack to her cheek. She¡¯s still looking at me with that softness. It¡¯s unnerving. When she speaks, I¡¯m happy to respond, so I don¡¯t have to think about why she¡¯s looking at me like that.


    ¡°How was your trip?¡±


    ¡°Good. I got what I wanted.¡±


    ¡°That sounds nice.¡±


    ¡°How was your stay, besides being punched in the face?¡±N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    ¡°Okay. I went to the doctor like you asked.¡± She says it as if I was asking for a report, but I was actually asking if she spent her time well. I know she went to the doctor to get birth control. He¡¯s under my payroll and he himself sent him the report. He was even ready to divulge her medical information until I had to stop him. I want to ask her more about herself and what she was up to when I was away.


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking about that.¡±


    ¡°What do you want to know?¡± Again, like I want a report.


    ¡°Never mind.¡± We enter afortable silence for a few minutes as I roll the pack against her cheek gently. After some time, she says. ¡°What¡¯s going to happen to him?¡±


    ¡°The man who punched you in the face? What he deserves.¡±


    Her eyes widen. ¡°You will not kill him, will you?¡±


    ¡°Whatever you may think of me, a monster is not one of them.¡±


    Her demeanor changes from shock to skepticism. At least this I can handle. ¡°Says the guy who¡¯s always dangling murder over my head.¡± What can I say to that? If only she knew that I have never had, nor will I ever want to kill her, but it¡¯s toote to disabuse her of that notion. I roll the pack on her face again and remove it. The swelling has decreased, but it¡¯s still there. She¡¯s going to have a ck eye. Now people are going to think I¡¯m the cause.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you can go to work tomorrow. You¡¯re going to have to skip.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m off today and tomorrow.¡±


    I don¡¯t know why, but it¡¯s great news to me. It¡¯s probably because I spent the entire week missing and obsessing over her and I would love having her all to myself. ¡°Good. You need the rest.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever been punched before. It feels¡­ not good.¡±


    ¡°And no one should. Especially my men. I shouldn¡¯t have gone with Colin. I should have left him instead.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not!¡± I don¡¯t intend for it toe out so forcefully, and I don¡¯t know what to do with myself now. ¡°Do you still want to go for a walk?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°When I came, you said he hit you because you wanted to go for a walk. Do you still want to?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± She chuckles. ¡°Nah. The walk has been punched out of me.¡±


    This time, I¡¯m the one whoughs. She says something about wanting to take a shower instead. ¡°I want one myself.¡± I take her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡±


    ¡°T-together? Don¡¯t you have other stuff to do?¡± ¡°Not really.¡±


    I lead her to my bedroom and to the shower. ¡°Take off your clothes,¡± I say to her as I remove my jacket and unbutton my shirt. She looks a little dumbstruck. Is she being shy right now? ¡°You know, we have seen each other naked before. This is nothing.¡±


    She shakes her head as if ridding herself of something and then galvanizes into removing her own clothes. In no time, we¡¯re both naked and under a torrent of warm water. My hands move to her body on their own. I had no idea how much I had missed her until now. I draw her closer to me and let my hands slide down her silky-smooth skin. She feels like heaven. Her hands imitate mine as they roam from my shoulders and slide down my chest. Her touch ignites tiny sparks of electricity inside me.


    ¡°You have a beautiful chest,¡± she says when her hands touch my nipples.


    I cup her breasts. ¡°So do you.¡±


    Sheughs and then hisses when I flick one nipple and then the other. I want to y with her nice and slowly this time around. Not like the rube I wasst time when I basically fucked her like an artless caveman. I remove my hands away from her chest and she moans in disappointment. She cries again when I take the scrub to them and stroke each nipple with it. Her hands move down my chest to my groin where a hard cock is waiting. She grasps it. I moan when she rubs the head and then strokes my shaft. Her small hand feels good on me. I want her to feel her mouth again and, as if she read my thoughts, she goes down onto her knees and takes me into her mouth. She licks my cock first and then takes as much of me as she can down her throat. ¡°Fuck.¡± It takes all of my willpower not to grab her head and hold her right there and then. She draws back almost to the end and looks up at me. My hand caresses her cheek as she sucks me. Her mouth feels like a suction eager to draw my balls empty. And just likest time, she has her hand on her clit. Nothing is more erotic. If I don¡¯t take my dick out of her mouth, I wille down her throat. And I don¡¯t want to do that. I want toe inside her pussy.


    I remove her head and draw her to her feet. ¡°I don¡¯t want toe just yet,¡± I say before kissing her. The taste of my pre-cum on her mouth is heady. My initial idea was to kiss her, get out of the shower and have sex on the bed, but not anymore. I lift her up and ster against the shower door. She grasps my head and kisses me back just much as I am kissing her. She is too much.


    I ce my hand on her pussy and insert a finger. She¡¯s just as wet as I thought. I rece my finger with my cock and she moans; her face contorting with pleasure. ¡°God, I had missed you,¡± I whisper against her lips. She moans in response. I thrust into her pussy like a man demented and, in a way, I think I am. She feels so snug I want to stay inside her forever. When I feel like she¡¯s about to slip, I let her slide down to her feet and spin her around so she¡¯s facing the ss. I enter her again and thrust into her with the same relentless energy.


    I open my eyes and I notice something. ¡°Look,¡± I say into her neck. She opens her eyes. Our carnal act is reflected in the bathroom mirror opposite the shower. Her breasts are pressed up against the steaming ss and they brush up against it with each thrust.


    ¡°You feel so good,¡± she says. My hand goes down to her clit, and I rub it. She leans into me and uses one hand to support herself against the ss. Mine goes over hers. I can feel her orgasming and I increase the speed of my thrusts. She screams as shees like a rocket. Ie soon after with a force that renders every part of my body weak. We both copse to the floor and let the water wash over our bodies and wash the aftermath of our passion.


    ¡°That was amazing,¡± she says after a while. Her voice is shaking with pleasure. I don¡¯t think I have the strength to say anything. Instead, I brush strands of her hair stered on her face and kiss her. This is what I was waiting for the entire week, and it was only the beginning.


    After a while, we both get up and finish showering. I turn the faucet off and dry her body. After that, I dry mine and I take her into my arms and throw her onto the bed.


    ¡°What are you¡­¡± she goes silent when she feels my mouth on her clit. I eat her up like she¡¯s lunch. In no time, she thrashing on the bed, her hands gripping at the sheets. Shees apart again. There¡¯s something about her orgasming that makes me feel like I¡¯ve achieved some sort of aplishment each time. Like I have attained an award I want to proudly disy. After enjoying the sight of her limbs shaking because of the pleasure I gave her, I get up on the bed andy next to her.


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± she says when she sees my hard cock, ¡°We¡¯re doing it again?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to fuck you until you¡¯re sore.¡± I grab her waist and put her on top of me so she¡¯s straddling me. ¡°Unless you don¡¯t want to?¡± She shakes her head. ¡°Good girl.¡± I thrust inside her. She sighs and sinks down on my cock. Fuck, I think as her snug pussy sps my cock, my obsession is never going to end.

 Chapter 112

    CORINA


    I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever had this much sex in one day. By the time eveninges, I¡¯ve lost count of the number of times we¡¯ve done it. And that¡¯s not counting all the fooling around we did in-between. Speaking of which, I should probably take note so I can urately deduct my debt. But I doubt I will be able to keep score. Dante is insatiable. And even though I never thought of myself as such, apparently so am I. I can¡¯t seem to get enough of him. From the moment he took me to the shower, till now, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever been able to think or focus on anything except him. Even as he¡¯s gone and left me alone, I¡¯m still thinking of him. My pussy is sore from all the pounding, but it¡¯s still tingling for more.


    ¡°How¡¯s your cheek?¡± I hear him say as he wheels in a cart filled with food and a bottle of wine on ice.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re asking now after all that sucking I did. But it¡¯s fine. It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± Must be all the orgasms.


    ¡°Your food is ready,¡± he says, opening a tter. With nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist, he looks like the porn version of a waiter. My stomach rumbles when the smell of the food wafts into my nostrils, making it even more tempting. I might as well put on some clothes so I can eat and get off the bed with that thought in mind when he pauses at my movements and asks, ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°To the bathroom. To grab my clothes.¡±


    ¡°Sit,¡± he says as he ces the food onto the table in the suite. ¡°No one needs clothes to eat.¡±


    ¡°You say that while you have a towel wrapped around your genitals?¡± He removes the towel in response and sits down on the chair, naked. ¡°Sit.¡±


    There¡¯s something about his confidence that gives me a boost in esteem. I steel my nerves and stride over to him and sink in the opposite chair. He passes me a welldecorated te that makes themb chop, potatoes and sauce look like an art piece. ¡°It¡¯s tough to eat something so good looking,¡± I say, adoring the te.


    He looks at me with a fork, a knife on the ready. ¡°Why not? It¡¯s meant to be eaten.¡±


    I wonder if getting served food like this all the time makes you oblivious to the artistry. The more time I spend here, the harder it bes for me to connect back to my world. It¡¯s hard to remember who you¡¯re with when they are giving you amazing orgasms and delicious food afterward. It lulls one¡¯s brain. I make a resolution. Never to forget or be tempted by the trappings. It could alle crashing down at any moment. I look up at the handsome man opposite me. My captor. The one who¡¯s put me in this position and I find it hard to hate him as much as I used to. There¡¯s something about him, about us, that changed sometime between the punch and now. Is it the sex? It can¡¯t be just that?


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± I¡¯m caught staring at him and I feel like I¡¯m gawking.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I say.


    ¡°I was thinking of going out tonight.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Disappointmenting out of nowhere sets in. Was he going to his other women? Or was he attending a function with them? And why did I care? It¡¯s not as if I was one of them, nor did I aspire to be.


    ¡°You¡¯reing with me.¡± tion. And immediately I want to p myself. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to pout,¡± he adds.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t pouting! I was just surprised that you wanted to go somewhere after justing back. Aren¡¯t you tired?¡±


    ¡°I thought¡­¡± he looks at me with that inquisitive eye of his. As if I said or did something unexpected, ¡°I thought you would be bored and wanted to go out.¡± That was before he came. Now I don¡¯t feel like it. ¡°Can we stay in? You¡¯ve drained me of all the energy I previously had.¡±


    He smiles. ¡°It¡¯s not as if you haven¡¯t drained mine as well.¡±


    My cheeks heat up. I return my gaze to my food and cut a slice of the meat. It tastes so good; I have to bite my lip so I won¡¯t moan. It doesn¡¯t take much for me to devour the te, followed by a sumptuous dessert that I eat with as much vigor.


    After we finish our dinner, Dante and I take another shower. This one is less erotic than thest one but no less sensual. We settle into our robes; he didn¡¯t want to wear clothes and sit on a bench on the balcony with a bottle of wine. The wine makes me more talkative than usual and I find myself telling him things I rarely tell people. At one point, he asks how I came to the city and the industry.


    ¡°I was looking for something that would pay the bills that weren¡¯t in the sex industry or the food industry.¡±


    ¡°And you thought you¡¯d try the gambling industry?¡±


    I shrug. ¡°What about you? What brought you here?¡±


    ¡°Family business.¡±


    Iugh. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have asked that.¡±


    He looks down. ¡°My father wanted me to be awyer. I hatew. I went to one prew ss and changed my major. He didn¡¯t know I didn¡¯t n to go tow school until graduation when he found out I got a degree in business and finance and not in poli-science, like he thought.¡±


    ¡°On graduation day?¡±


    ¡°Yep. I mean, part of that is his fault for not constantly checking on what I was doing with my life, which, frankly, I¡¯m happy with. He even tried to enroll me at Harvard Law School. He got a ce for me there, but by then I was already embroiled in the business.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I find it surprising that the head of a mafia family didn¡¯t want his first-born son to head it too, at some point.¡±


    ¡°I think he wanted Gio, my brother, to take over. He thought I didn¡¯t have what it takes.¡±


    ¡°The second oldest?¡±


    He nods. ¡°Which is kind of funny,¡± he chuckles, ¡°because Gio isn¡¯t asmitted to it as I am.¡±


    ¡°What about your mother? What did she think about your father¡¯s meddling?¡±


    I feel him tighten. He goes silent and I think he will not say anything more, but then he says, ¡°She died when I was young.¡±This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°It was a long time ago.¡± His tone goes from casual to wooden and matter of fact. It¡¯s a cue to not inquire further, and I don¡¯t.


    ¡°Well, whatever he thought, he was wrong.¡± I find the idea of someone thinking Dante wouldn¡¯t be able to head a criminal enterpriseughable. To me, he¡¯s the definition of the Mafia.


    ¡°And you know this how?¡±


    ¡°The way you do your things. You seem very dedicated to whatever it is you do.¡±


    He looks up at me with a glint in his eyes. ¡°Do I?¡±


    ¡°I tell it like I see it.¡±


    He smiles. ¡°My sister would have liked you.¡±


    ¡°You have a sister?¡±


    ¡°Had.¡± His mood darkens. ¡°She died when she was just a teenager.¡±


    ¡°Oh my god, I¡¯m sorry. Was she sick?¡±


    He shakes his head. ¡°Sone¡­¡± he trails off and nces away from me. Did Sone do something to her? Is that why Sone was his enemy? When he faces me again, the mood has shifted. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about something else.¡± His hand slides up inside my robe andnds on my thigh. He caresses my thighzily, almost as if he¡¯s unaware that he¡¯s doing it. Iy my head on his shoulder as we watch the stars and listen to the distant buzz of the city. It feels so natural andfortable. I want the moment to go on forever.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me about your daddy issues,¡± he says.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have them. I never knew my father. I wish I did. You know what, on second thought, I¡¯m d I didn¡¯t otherwise I would have the same troubles you had.¡±


    ¡°Only if he¡¯s a mafia boss.¡±


    We both chuckle. My gaze wanders to the opposite building. I see that same sh of ss again and my mind immediately goes to the first time we had sex. ¡°Is your friend watching us now, by any chance? We must be giving him a boring show if he is.¡±


    He turns to face me. ¡°Why? Do you want to give him a better one?¡±


    ¡°No. I just saw the sh of his telescope again.¡± A rumble ofughteres out of him.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a telescope and there is no friend in that building.¡±


    My jaw drops. All this time I thought some stranger had seen us having sex and all this time he was ying with me. I was dreading the day, if it ever came, when I would have toe into contact with this friend of his. ¡°I¡¯m speechless.


    Do you enjoy making a fool out of me?¡±


    ¡°I remember you getting extremely aroused by the idea.¡±


    ¡°Whatever the case, I¡¯m not ruling it out of my book as an exhibitionist act. It felt like one.¡±


    He pulls me by my thigh towards him and I slide willingly until my side is stered against his. ¡°I see you¡¯re keeping score.¡±


    ¡°I have to if I want to be free.¡±


    An emotion shes in his eyes. In this low light on the balcony, it¡¯s tough to tell what it is. I discard my attempts to decipher what it was when his hand makes further travels up my thigh. I jump when I feel the tip of his hand on the apex of my groin. His other hand goes around my back to hold me down. ¡°Who says you¡¯ll be free of me after your debt is paid?¡± He drops his head down on my neck and bites at my nape.

 Chapter 113

    I try to ignore what his hand is doing to my pussy and what his lips are doing to my neck and try to concentrate on what he¡¯s saying. It can¡¯t be some twisted deration ofmitment. It must mean something else. ¡°I doubt you want me shackled to you forever.¡±


    His chuckle vibrates against my skin. ¡°If you knew what I really want, you would run away. What I¡¯ve wanted for a long time.¡±


    Why do I feel we¡¯re talking about two different conversations? ¡°And that is?¡± He ignores my question as his lips travel up my neck to my mouth. His tongue coaxes my mouth open just as he inserts a finger inside me. My pussy responds with a gush. He inserts another one and mimics an act I want his cock to do to me. Whatever I was asking him, whatever cryptic sentences I was trying to decode, are forgotten as I focus on nothing but his lips and his fingers.


    I grab hold of him to steady myself at first and eventually my hands slide inside his robe all over him at once. I untangle the loose knot he had tied. He does the same to mine and lifts me off the bench to straddle him. Somewhere on the floor, I hear a bottle and wine sses clink and roll. My robe falls down to the ground in one swoop while I push him down to his waist. He draws me in such a way that his cock is rubbing my stomach, hard and ready. He lifts me up and slides me down on his thick shaft. We both moan at the same time. I take his face in my hands and drop a kiss on his lips. His thrusts are slow at first and then ratchet up as he fucks me like a rag doll. I let go of him and hold on to the bench so as not to fall. I shouldn¡¯t be afraid, though; he holds me tight as he fucks me. I look down at him. He¡¯s biting his lip as if trying not toe. And as if to hasten me, he pinches my nipple. I moan.


    ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful,¡± he whispers before taking the other nipple in his mouth. He lets go again as I¡¯m about toe and fucks me so hard until I hit that pinnacle. I have to grip the bench as the wave of the orgasm hits. Dante follows soon after and almost lifts the both of us off the bench when he erupts inside me. I wrap my arms around him and he wraps his around me as we let the tremors pass. He uses his head to nudge mine so his lips can meet mine for another kiss. I¡¯m now certain I¡¯ve never felt like this. This is on another level.     The light streaming in must have woken me up. I lose my bearings for a second when I see myself in dark silk sheets, a darker, unfamiliar room than the one I usually wake up in, until I remember where I am. And who I¡¯m with. I turn to look at the other person in the bed next time me. He sleeps so peacefully, I¡¯m afraid any slight movement will wake him up. He had taken me here after our time on the balcony. We must have slept immediately after, but I remember him waking me up again in the wee hours of the morning to make love. Nope. Not making love, have sex. Fucking, falling back to sleep again, and me to be the first to wake up.


    What was the etiquette of having passionate sex with your boss sh captor, and waking up in his bed? Do you just sneak back to your own room? Or do you wait for him to kick you out? I think sneaking back is the better option. I don¡¯t want to find out if his mood has changed from what it wasst night.


    Slowly I lift the sheets and shift to the other end of the bed. The movement alone is enough to wake him up. ¡°Where are you going?¡± His voice doesn¡¯t sound as groggy as I expected for someone just opening his eyes. Was he already awake?


    ¡°Good morning.¡± It sounds so formal I almost wince with embarrassment. Thing is, I don¡¯t know what to say. In the light of day, I¡¯m not as wanton and confident as I was the night before. All of that has evaporated. I clear my throat. ¡°I


    was going back to my bedroom.¡±


    ¡°Why? For more sleep? It¡¯s like eleven o¡¯clock?¡±


    I grab the only phone in vicinity. His. It¡¯s on the bedside table on his side. He rumbles with excitement when my boobs run over his face as I reach over to grab it. He¡¯s right.


    It¡¯s half past eleven. ¡°Don¡¯t you have work to do?¡± He sits up on the bed. ¡°Not really.¡±


    I throw the phone back at him and get off the bed.


    However, I¡¯m still feeling a little shy but ignore it as I quickly scramble for something to put on. I can¡¯t find anything. We left the robes on the balcony and the clothes are- I rush to the bathroom ande back wearing his shirt. He woke up on his good side today.


    ¡°Are you so eager to leave me after we fucked?¡± he asks me as I¡¯m making my way out of his bedroom.


    ¡°No.¡± He gets up from the bed in all his naked glory and stalks over to where I am standing. His ability to unnerve me with the most mundane of acts is stronger than before. ¡°Like you said, it¡¯ste in the morning and-¡± I trail off as my eyesnd on his chest. There are red scratches on it. Like he was ying with a cat. Did I do that? When I meet his eyes, his eyebrows are raised as if to say, yes, you did that.


    He shes a smile. ¡°By the way, before I forget, you need to put a date on your calendar.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°You and I will be going on a trip next week. I don¡¯t trust you to leave you alone and after what happened yesterday,


    I don¡¯t trust my men to stay with you.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything.¡±


    ¡°I know that.¡±


    His response surprises me. I was sure he ced some me on me for what happened. It was all Bruno acting out. I wonder where he¡¯s gone. Even though we spent all night in erotic bliss, it didn¡¯t escape my notice that we were alone the entire time and none of his men came back yesterday.


    ¡°What will happen to him,¡± I ask.


    ¡°You mean Bruno? What he deserves.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to harm him are you?¡±


    ¡°I want to kill him.¡±


    ¡°What! Don¡¯t!¡±N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    ¡°No one touches what¡¯s mine Corina. I made that in to all my men and he should have known.¡±


    I hear nothing else beyond those first five words. ¡°Yours?¡±


    ¡°You are in fact my captive aren¡¯t you.¡±


    The flickering little me dies instantly. I don¡¯t even understand why or what I was hoping for. That ¡®mine¡¯ meant anything more beyond being under his yoke? I am his little ything, nothing more. And shouldn¡¯t forget that when he acts nice. To assert that position I say, ¡°More like thrall. Shouldn¡¯t I also add being your escort to the deal?¡±


    His eyes narrow as a cryptic emotion flickers across his face for a millisecond and then it¡¯s gone. ¡°Don¡¯t count on it.


    You should have thought of that when we made the deal.¡±


    ¡°Where are we going anyway?¡±


    ¡°A wedding.¡±


    ¡°Wedding?¡± I find it hard to associate Dante and weddings. Funerals maybe. But not weddings.


    ¡°Who¡¯s getting married?¡±


    ¡°Gio.¡±


    ¡°Really? Who¡¯s the unlucky woman?¡± He chuckles.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the wedding?¡±


    ¡°Tuscany.¡± Another overseas trip. I remember thest one we took that basically ended with a gun fight. Will this one be the same? Or is there a worse ending waiting for me in Italy?


    He smirks when he sees my worried face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t dispose of you out of the country.¡± He grasps my chin. ¡°Not after the night we had. I still have use of you yet.¡±

 Chapter 114

    CORINA


    ¡°Stop doing that.¡± I turn my gaze away from the scenic view of the Italian fields through the car window to Dante. He¡¯s looking down at my fingers tapping the seat. I clench my hand and ce it on myp. ¡°I¡¯m nervous.¡±


    He raises an eyebrow. ¡°Why? You¡¯re not the one who¡¯s getting married.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯ve never been to a Mafia wedding.¡±


    He rolls his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t be bathing the bride in the blood of her enemies as part of the ceremony.¡±


    ¡°You know what I mean.¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about the twenty-one-gun salute we would do for the bridegroom?¡±


    Images of men in tuxedos shooting at the sky filled my mind, followed by Dante with an ostentatious, gold-ted semi-auto in his hand, spraying his own barrage of bullets. ¡°Will you be taking part in it?¡±


    Heughs. ¡°No! Mafia weddings, as you like to call them, are just like any other weddings. Boring and full of rtives you¡¯d rather avoid.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if your brother would appreciate calling his wedding boring.¡±


    ¡°I doubt he minds.¡±


    ¡°Gio is the one who¡¯s getting married, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    I think back to the meeting. He seemed more like a calmer, more inquisitive version of Dante. He was less talkative than the others, but I couldn¡¯t glean much more from such a short time of knowing him. ¡°He must love Tuscany if he¡¯s getting married here,¡± I say absent-mindedly. I still can¡¯t get over the gorgeous scenery.


    ¡°He¡¯s getting married here, because it¡¯s our ancestral home.¡±


    ¡°You have an ancestral home?¡± ¡°Why? Is it such an odd thing?¡±


    ¡°No. But I¡¯ve always pictured you as someone who¡¯s more modern. Less obsessed with, I don¡¯t know, roots.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t really care about the house that much. We keep it up in memory of our father.¡± This is the first time in a week he¡¯s mentioned his family. Ever since the night of the punch, Dante who had opened up had closed back up and shuttered himself from me. Just when I wanted to learn more about his family. His father and his sister and this thing with Sone. I want to know more, so I tread carefully, hoping he¡¯ll share. ¡°You must have loved your father.¡±


    His face goes nk, and he looks away. Fuck. I blew it. He ignores my statement and says, ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±


    I look out the window. The car is approaching arge terracotta vi on top of a hill. The corrugated iron gates open immediately after Colin gives them Dante¡¯s name over the inte. As the car drives up to the house, I look in awe at the beautifulndscape and the marble statues that are in the vast well-made gardens, blooming with flowers and carefully manicured shrubs. The vi itself is beautiful. It has an understated quality to it. Like it¡¯s been there for centuries as the world around it changed.


    ¡°Wow.¡±


    ¡°d you like it.¡±


    I¡¯m embarrassed I said it out loud. ¡°You never told me you were Tuscan royalty?¡±


    He chuckles. ¡°Nowhere near. My father took it from an enemy of his in the eighties.¡±


    ¡°But I thought¡­¡±


    ¡°He earned it, ording to him anyway, and it was Italian, so it became the ancestral home.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± I don¡¯t know why I was expecting some story about how his family is old Italian royalty going all the way back to the renaissance period, but this story somehow suits him more. ¡°Pretty much,¡± he says as the cares to a stop.


    We arrive on the day of the wedding, and some guests are already here. As soon as we get out, we¡¯re are greeted by two valets, one who asks to take our bags but is blocked by Rob, and another who offers us flutes of champagne. The valet leads us to the back of the vi, where the wedding is to take ce. It looks almost like a fairytale.


    ¡°I wish I could have been there for the engagement party,¡± I blurt out.


    ¡°There wasn¡¯t one.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not exactly what I would call a love match. Both the bride and the groom want to be over with it as soon as possible.¡±


    I frown. Just as I¡¯m about to ask why, Nico and Rico approach us. They look dapper and almost indistinguishable in their wedding clothes. They don¡¯t look as festive as I thought they would be. Like Dante, there¡¯s a cloud of uncertainty about them. Do none of them not want the wedding?


    After the brothers greet each other, Dante takes them to the side and says something to them. I can¡¯t hear what it is. They¡¯re too far away for me to eavesdrop in, but asionally, each brother nces at me. Whatever they¡¯re talking about, I¡¯m a topic of the conversation. He leaves them walking away while the twins make their way to me. ¡°Where is he going?¡± I ask them as we take our seats, just as everyone is taking theirs. ¡°To the groom,¡± Nico replies, his gaze squarely on me. Both keep ring at me in a way that makes me feel like I¡¯m under a microscope. Being sandwiched between the two of them also doesn¡¯t help matters.


    It takes five more minutes of scrutiny for me to say, ¡°Do I have something on my face?¡±


    They don¡¯t respond for a moment. They both have identical grins that I want to wipe off with a fist. Nico is the first to speak. ¡°You know, there¡¯s something about her face that is simr to him, right?¡±


    Rico responds, ¡°There¡¯s something there.¡±


    I swerve my head between the two of them. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Do you like my brother?¡± I turn to Rico. I can¡¯t tell if he¡¯s seriously asking, or he¡¯s just ying with me. I shrug. ¡°I like him.¡±


    Nico leans forward, twisting his body towards me. Rico does the same. ¡°We mean like him, like him,¡± he says. They both want to intimidate me into telling them the truth. ¡°Why do you want to know?¡± I say.


    ¡°He¡¯s our brother, I think we deserve to know,¡± Nico says.


    ¡°We don¡¯t want him to get hurt,¡± Rico adds.


    I can¡¯t stop theughter that bursts out of me.


    The idea of Dante being affected in any way by our rtionship is ludicrous. He has a higher chance of hurting me than me hurting him. ¡°I doubt I have that much power.¡± When this thing ends, he might miss having a woman in his bed all the time, but I doubt he will miss me in particr.


    They both exchange a look. ¡°She has no clue,¡± they say at the same time. ¡°What?¡±


    Nico is the first to speak. ¡°Dante has had a thing for you.


    An obsession. For years.¡±


    ¡°No way.¡±


    ¡°Way,¡± Rico says. ¡°He¡¯s mentioned you to us before, but never by name. We had to deduce it ourselves.¡±


    ¡°And you came to the wrong conclusion.¡±


    ¡°Nah.¡± Nico shakes his head. ¡°Otherwise what are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Did you know, he¡¯s never brought a woman to a family gathering?¡± Rico adds.


    ¡°Never.¡± Says Nico.


    ¡°You reading too much into this,¡± I say. ¡°I¡¯m just a prisoner of his until I pay back his dead.¡±


    It¡¯s their turn tough. ¡°Take care of him, will you,¡± Rico says, ¡°I never thought I would say this, but Dante¡¯s is a better person when you¡¯re around.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    I frown. I want to ask him what he means by that, but before I can utter a word, I see Dante striding toward us. He instructs Rico to take the seat next to his brother. Rico obliges, but not before winking at me. The second Dante sits beside me, my entire body changes. It always does that, I notice. He doesn¡¯t turn to face me but looks straight ahead, program in hand as he says to me, ¡°What were you three talking about? You seemed animated.¡±


    ¡°You.¡±


    He whips his head at me. ¡°I hope they weren¡¯t filling your head with lies. Believe nothing they say.¡±


    Rico and Nico chuckle. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Rico says, ¡°we couldn¡¯t find the time to tell him all the nasty things you did as a kid. But we will in time, won¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. We have so much to tell you.¡±


    Dante gives them a look that shuts them up. Satisfied with his dominance, he turns his attention back to the front, where the groom is already standing. Gio looked handsome in a ck and white suit. Soon the herees-the-bride song started ying and everyone stands up. The bride, being led by a middle-aged man, whom I deduced as her father, looks beautiful in an elegant gown. As she passes us, I can tell from beneath her veil that she looks sad. Or is it angry? Whatever the emotion, it was not happiness. I turn to the groom. He, too, has a look of apprehension.


    I lean into Dante and whisper, ¡°Why do they both look like they don¡¯t want to do this?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because they don¡¯t.¡± It¡¯s not Dante who answers, but Nico.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Marriage of convenience. They have to. We need allies.¡±


    My eyes widen and look back at the couple. A lot of things start to make sense. The abruptness of the wedding. Theck of bridesmaids, the low number of people in attendance, and the general mood, which was far from happy. It isn¡¯t somber; it isn¡¯t jovial either. There¡¯s a tension in the air that I can¡¯t exin, but it¡¯s present.


    ¡°Why are you forcing them to get married?¡± I ask Nico.


    He shrugs. ¡°They both agreed to it.¡± He nods at the father. ¡°He wanted her to marry any one of us. The bride didn¡¯t like the idea at first. She only agreed after Gio said he would take his brother¡¯s ce.¡±


    ¡°Who is she?¡±


    ¡°In a few minutes, my sister-inw.¡±


    I mean what her name is and what she means to the family, but before I can even say anything more, Dante tells us to be quiet. I observe the rest of the ceremony in silence. It goes on without a hitch. I also notice that the priest doesn¡¯t ask the groom to kiss the bride. I lean over to Nico


    again, ¡°is that normal in this part of town?¡±


    He smiles. ¡°No.¡±


    Dante res at us again, and I sit back. The more I learn about this family, the weirder things I discover. For what it¡¯s worth, the newly wedded couple do seem like a fit. There¡¯s something between them, like a connection that they both share, that wouldn¡¯t be apparent if you weren¡¯t paying attention.


    After the ceremony is over and the bride and groom leave,


    Dante says, ¡°Don¡¯t you ever stay quiet.¡±


    ¡°Our voices were low. I doubt anyone heard us.¡±


    As people begin to leave, he takes my hand and begins making his way out of the pews. ¡°Still, can¡¯t you sit still for longer than two seconds?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your issue? I was just asking questions you didn¡¯t want to provide, but Nico was more than ready to.¡±


    ¡°Asking questions, huh? Is that why you were almost kissing his neck?¡±


    ¡°I was not-¡± I¡¯m about tounch into a defense of my conduct until I realize the meaning behind what he¡¯s saying. ¡°Is there anything wrong with talking to your brothers? Where are we going, anyway?¡± I notice for the first time that we¡¯re making our way away from the garden and the wedding party.


    ¡°You¡¯ll find out. And no, there¡¯s nothing wrong, but it¡¯s the way you were talking to them.¡±


    There it is. ¡°And what way is that?¡±


    ¡°You know what I mean.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be jealous, can you?¡±


    He halts, and I almost bump into him. ¡°I¡¯m not jealous.¡±


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°So, you don¡¯t mind my bing Nico¡¯s girlfriend after I pay your debts? That¡¯s what he was asking me.¡±


    His voice sounds strained with anger when he says, ¡°He and Rico like to share. I¡¯m not sure you can handle that.¡± We are far away from the wedding party now and seemed to have entered some sort of hedge maze that looks so old it might have been built during the Renaissance and has been maintained since then. ¡°Two cocks to please can be difficult, but I can take it.¡±

 Chapter 115

    He whips me around to face him, but he does it so quickly that I¡¯m mmed into his chest. I look up into his eyes and there¡¯s liquid fire burning within. Rage doesn¡¯t describe


    what I see. ¡°You won¡¯t be doing that.¡±


    ¡°Only if you admit that you¡¯re jealous.¡±


    He breathes deep, looks away from me and to nothing in particr and then back to me. ¡°Fine. I am jealous. Is that what you want me to say? No, stop seducing my brothers.¡± It¡¯s tough holding back theughter bubbling inside me as I have to clench my lips. ¡°I¡¯m being serious.¡±


    Iugh. ¡°God,¡± I punch his hard chest. ¡°I¡¯m not going to fuck your very handsome brothers. I was just ying with you. I wanted you to agree that you¡¯re in fact jealous, and I got that. Now I can die happy.¡±


    ¡°So, what were you three talking about?¡±


    ¡°The wedding. You know, the thing we were witnessing? I was just asking Nico a few questions since you didn¡¯t want to entertain me.¡±


    ¡°And when I left you?¡±


    ¡°You, actually. If you can believe it.¡±


    He sighs. The next thing I know, he¡¯s grabbing my chin and drawing me to his mouth for a punishing kiss. It¡¯s too hot for me not to ept. He nips and bites my lip, and like a masochist, I ept the pain he¡¯s inflicting on my lips. When I moan, his tongue slips into my mouth and caresses my own, driving me wild with desire. After a while, he lets me go. When I open my eyes, he¡¯s staring down at me. ¡°What will I do with you, Corina? You drive me crazy.¡± This is the first time he¡¯s ever said anything close to acknowledging he has feelings for me. It¡¯s not an outright deration, but it shows me that he isn¡¯t just an emotionless block of wood. He feels something for me.


    ¡°You¡¯re not the only one. You make me lose my senses, too.¡± My voice is gruff as I speak. Even now, as we¡¯re standing holding each other, I feel like I¡¯m in my little heaven. It¡¯s addictive and I must remind myself there¡¯s a deadline to this. There will be a time where he will no longer be mine.


    He holds me in his embrace and says, ¡°Never give Nico and Rico any ideas.¡±


    ¡°I doubt they think of me in that way at all.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡±


    ¡°Fine. I won¡¯t let them get any ideas. But trust me, they had none.¡±


    He drops another kiss on my lips. This one is sweeter than thest. ¡°Corina, Corina,¡± he whispers against my lips. He makes my name sound like an endearment. I want to hear him say it like that again and again.


    A sound from the bushes outside the maze breaks the spell, and we disentangle from each other. We make our way back to the reception, hand in hand.


    The reception is being held in the vast garden just like the wedding, but on the other side of the vi. Two parallel long tables have been set and one small table lies across them, which I assume is where the bride and groom will be. We¡¯re led to the front of one of the long tables where, I notice, is where everyone who¡¯s the Morelli family is. The other table is, I assume, for the other family.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you all be mixing now that you¡¯re all family?¡± I ask him. He¡¯s never responded to anything I ask about his business or his ¡®family,¡¯ and I assume this too will fall on deaf ears, but he says, ¡°Too soon. There¡¯s still some bad


    blood between us, for that to be possible.¡±


    ¡°That much?¡±


    ¡°If my father knew our family was joining the Vannis, he would be spitting on the ground. He¡¯s probably rolling in his grave as we speak.¡±


    ¡°So why are you uniting now?¡±


    His gaze goes to the father of the bride, who¡¯s sitting on the other table opposite us. The man raises a ss of champagne at Dante and Dante responds the same way.


    ¡°We need all the help we can get.¡± ¡°To defeat Sone.¡±


    His brow furrows while giving me an inquisitive look. ¡°How do you know about that?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Sone your sworn enemy? Isn¡¯t he the one who tried to kill you in Brazil after he took your arms dealer away from you?¡±


    ¡°You know way too much about me and my business.¡±


    ¡°How could I not when I spend so much time with you?¡±


    ¡°Who told you all of this? Colin? Nico?¡±


    ¡°You.¡± ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°When you were talking too loudly on your call the other day.¡± He stares as if he¡¯s seeing a brand new me. ¡°I¡¯m not as dumb as you think, you know.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never thought you were.¡±


    Thepliment surprises me such that I have nothing to say except to stare at him.


    ¡°Who would have thought that anything like this would happen?¡± I turn to the sound of the voice to see the father of the bride standing behind us, specifically behind Dante. He stands up and so do I. ¡°My father wouldn¡¯t have thought so too,¡± Dante says, ¡°But times have changed.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I look forward to our partnership.¡±


    Dante turns his gaze to the opposite table. ¡°Do the others think the same way as you do? I¡¯ve heard you have some dissenters in your family?¡±


    ¡°Nothing I can handle. Mostly men who thought they could take over my business by bing my son-inw.


    They wille around.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope so.¡±


    Vanni¡¯s gazends on me, as if noticing me for the first time. ¡°And who¡¯s the lovely youngdy with you?¡±


    ¡°Corina, meet my new business partner, Pietro Vanni, head of the Vanni family.¡±


    ¡°Vanni meet Corina.¡±


    Vanni takes my hand and kisses it. ¡°Out of all the flowers present here today, you, my darling, are the most beautiful.¡±


    I can¡¯t help smiling. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    He lets go of my hand and turns his attention to Dante. As they converse in mostly Italian, I notice his gaze keeps wandering to me. After a while he says, ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s just you remind me of someone. Could it be¡­¡± he trails off as if catching himself.


    ¡°Who do I remind you of?¡± I say.


    Vanni nces at Dante, and then says, ¡°I must be mistaken, never mind.¡± Vanni¡¯s phone rings. He looks at it, turns it off, and says, ¡°Dante, it¡¯s been nice meeting you. You too Corina.¡± He draws Dante away and whispers something in his ear. Dante nods as if in agreement. Vanni pats his back, takes another look at me, and leaves.


    ¡°What was that all about?¡± I say to Dante as he¡¯s getting back into his seat.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± His tone indicates, ¡®don¡¯t ask anymore questions.¡¯ And here I was thinking he¡¯s now being more open. Whatever they were talking about, I can tell that I was at least one percent of the conversation. A little pissed off with him in general, I decide to get up and walk around. ¡°Where are you going?¡± He asks when he sees me standing up.


    ¡°The powder room.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯lle with you.¡± He says, about to stand.


    ¡°To the powder room?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± He gets back into his seat.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    I don¡¯t go to the vi. Instead, I take a stroll around the garden, admiring the beautifully manicuredndscape. I spot an old-looking fountain of two angels with their hands in the air and I make my way there. The angels look like they¡¯re holding the water as it shoots out of their hands. It¡¯s a mesmerizing piece, and I get lost in watching the flow of the water when I hear, ¡°It was made during the Renaissance around the fifteen hundreds, but I can¡¯t remember.¡± I turn around to see Nico standing in a casual pose with him in his pocket.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful. Dante told me your father bought this house in the eighties.¡±


    ¡°You mean killed the owner and made it his own? If so, yeah, he bought it.¡±


    I chuckle. ¡°I was trying to sanitize it.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to. I know it¡¯s a spoil of war.¡± He looks up at the vi. ¡°I like this ce. You never know what you might find. I¡¯m the only one who bothered to tally the


    priceless art that¡¯s around here.¡±


    ¡°Priceless art?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s like a few Bellinis, and a Raphael confiscated from the Vatican in that house.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit.¡±


    ¡°I know. Do you want to see? I can give you a tour.¡±


    ¡°Maybe next time. I think I should get back to Dante.¡± I don¡¯t want him to think I¡¯m grantly disobeying him, like he thinks I usually do.


    Nico grins. ¡°Did he say something? He seemed pretty pissed when you two left.¡±


    ¡°A little.¡±


    He chuckles and offers me his hand. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t give him even more ammo then. He might break my neck.¡± I take it and we stroll back to the direction of the reception, walking slowly with little conversation passing between us. We pass by two women who see us and jump into the other path as if we¡¯re a couple of snakes. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever been to such an awkward wedding.¡±


    ¡°Things are about to get even more awkward considering we¡¯ll be fighting your father.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen him flushed, but his face is red right now. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you said your father.¡±


    He looks away from me, picking up pace. I keep up with him. ¡°You misheard me.¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°Uh,¡± he looks around, as if searching for an exit. ¡°Nothing. Nothing at all.¡±


    I scan the area for Dante. If Nico will not give me an answer, Dante will. He¡¯s still at the table. Food is getting served. The father of the bride is about to give a speech. I increase my pace, making a beeline towards Dante. Nico is behind me, swearing and calling me toe back. Dante sees us and before I even ask, he looks like he knows what I¡¯m going to say. ¡°What does Nico mean when he says you¡¯re fighting my father?¡±

 Chapter 116

    DANTE


    When Vanni referred to her heritage and she didn¡¯t catch on, I thought the fear of her finding out had passed. I thought it was over until I see her marching over to me, with Nico a few steps behind her. I don¡¯t wait for her to say more. Without thinking, I take her hand and lead her to the vi. The vast dining room we¡¯re in doesn¡¯t feel private, but I make sure it is by closing the doors. When I turn back at her, she has her arms crossed, still angry and confused. She looks like she wants to harm something, probably me. I would want to kill me too if I were her. If only Nico hadn¡¯t run his mouth. If only I didn¡¯t leave her alone with them.


    ¡°Well?¡± she says. ¡°Are you going to exin yourself?¡±


    Exin. What should I tell her? I could deny it. Tell her Nico is talking out of his ass and knows nothing. I doubt she would fall for it, especially considering my initial reaction to the possibility of her finding out was to make sure we talked about it in private. Nor would she fall for a lie that it has nothing to do with her. That there¡¯s another daughter, and it¡¯s not her. Anyway, that wouldn¡¯t exin why I kept her close to me. Why she¡¯s my ace card.


    ¡°What did Nico tell you?¡±


    ¡°Some bullshit that I¡¯m Sone¡¯s daughter, except,¡± her eyes narrow, ¡°It can¡¯t be bullshit right, because that would exin everything. The tests you had me take specifically by your own doctor, the,¡± she waved the wrist with the tracker bracelet in the air, ¡°monitoring, hell, the reason you¡¯re interested in me in the first ce. The reason I¡¯m here. But it must be bull, right?¡±


    The desperation in her eyes makes me want to like her. But I can¡¯t. ¡°I wanted to tell you soon. After the wedding.¡±


    She vigorously shakes her head. ¡°It can¡¯t be true. We¡¯re not rted. There must be some mistake.¡±


    ¡°There isn¡¯t. I had the samples tested with three differentbs. They came to the same conclusion. You¡¯re Sone¡¯s daughter.¡±


    ¡°Liar.¡± Even as she says it, it¡¯s obvious she doesn¡¯t believe her words. ¡°Why?¡± she asks next.


    ¡°A few years ago, Sone killed my sister. I was in college back then and I couldn¡¯t do anything about it. It was a senseless killing. She was using my father¡¯s car when she was gunned down at a traffic stop. My father was the intended target. Obviously, this knowledge killed him. Slowly, but living with the thought of being responsible for his daughter¡¯s death was too much for him to live with. He died of a stroke a few yearster. I couldn¡¯t do anything about that either. I hated Sone and everything that he represents. I still do. And ever since then, I¡¯ve vowed revenge against him.¡±


    ¡°And where do I fit in?¡± She sounds cold, deliberately so. And even though I¡¯m not looking for sympathy points, herck of acknowledgment for revealing a part of me I¡¯ve never let anyone see before is a blow on its own. I push through it. ¡°You¡¯re his daughter.¡±


    ¡°So I die to avenge your sister?¡± Her t tone is unsettling. It¡¯s as if she¡¯s closed off herself from me. ¡°Is that the n? Kill me while he sees? Too bad, because Sone doesn¡¯t know me and doesn¡¯t care. So it would be futile to do such a thing.¡± There¡¯s never been a time when I wanted to kill her despite what she thinks and what I¡¯ve led her to think. Finding out that she was Sone¡¯s progeny made me hate her, but that was then. The thought of seeing her dead now is unsettling to me.


    ¡°He¡¯s looking for you.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re keeping me as what? A bargaining chip?¡±


    Maybe in the beginning, but not anymore. But how do I say that in a way she will believe me? It¡¯s hard for me to exin even to myself. ¡°I don¡¯t know any more.¡±


    ¡°But I was initially a bargaining chip.¡±


    ¡°Truth is, I knew there was a daughter of his he was looking for and I thought I look for her at the same time. In that abstract construct, you were nothing more than a pawn, until I found out it was you.¡± She doesn¡¯t believe me.


    She¡¯s still stone cold. ¡°So, what are you going to do to me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to kill you.¡±


    ¡°I can breathe a sigh of relief, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Corina.¡± I take a step towards her. She flinches. I step back. She¡¯s now practically hugging herself and I want tofort her, but I don¡¯t know how, when I¡¯m the one plunging the metaphorical knife in her back.


    ¡°How am I supposed to react to just finding out that not only who my father is, but he¡¯s your enemy you intend to kill?¡±


    ¡°I was nning on telling you.¡±


    ¡°Why do I find that hard to believe?¡±


    ¡°I know how it looks.¡± I take another tentative step towards her. ¡°I know it looks bad, but I really wanted to tell you. I just didn¡¯t know how.¡±


    ¡°Do you expect me to believe that?¡±


    I don¡¯t know what to say. I¡¯m angry at Nico for telling her. I¡¯m angry at myself for not. Maybe if it hade from me at first, she wouldn¡¯t have reacted like this. I say the only thing I can think of at the moment. Something I¡¯ve never said to anyone in my life. At least not sincerely until now. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°I need to be alone.¡± It¡¯s as if she didn¡¯t hear me.


    ¡°I can¡¯t let you do that.¡±


    Her eyes widen, and her face changes from shock to hurt to hate. I almost want to take it all back, but I can¡¯t. I¡¯m afraid I will lose her. She has tried to run away before and there¡¯s nothing to stop her from doing the same thing now and especially in a foreign country. Not to add the new intel I got from Sal, which could mean that Sone might know that I have her. ¡°Can you at least give me five minutes?¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± Reluctantly, I walk out of the room and stand outside the door. As soon as I¡¯m out, I hear her sobbing. The sound is low and muffled, but loud enough for me to hear. It grips at my heart. I harden it. All of this is water under the bridge. She might think my n is to kill her while her father watches, but in truth I don¡¯t know what I want to do.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    After what feels like five minutes, shees out of the room looking stoic and resolved. If she hated me before, she despises me now.     We return to the reception in silence. Everything has changed between us and it¡¯s palpable. Even Nico, who was still standing outside the vi, looking apologetic when wee out, can sense it. Corina has said nothing to me since then and I have found nothing sensible to say. Our fractured state is a mirror image of the wedded couple. Gio looks angry and so does his bride. I don¡¯t know what happened when we were away, but whatever it is, seems to have soured the mood of the festivities even more.


    Gio¡¯s gaze meets mine, and he smiles slightly as he leads the bride to the center of the area between the tables for their first dance. They look great together and move to the music in sync you¡¯d think they¡¯ve been dating for years. After a while, the floor is opened to all the other couples and


    I turn to Corina. ¡°We should probably dance.¡±


    I expect her to scream, say something snarky, retort. But she stands up silently and we make our way to the floor. We move to the sound of the music along with other couples. Even with the tension between us, I want to pull her away from the crowd and make love to her. She, however, is deliberately gazing away from me, focused on the spot above my right shoulder. I know she can feel my hardness. It¡¯s apparent and yet she¡¯s so rigid it¡¯s as if I¡¯m dancing with a nk. There is something about herck of reaction that makes me want to provoke her into saying something. Anything.


    ¡°We have to say something to each other. People are staring. Soon they¡¯ll begin wondering why we aren¡¯t talking.¡±


    ¡°I doubt anyone cares whether you talk to the woman you came with.¡± Maybe before. Maybe if it was someone else, but things have changed. Even Vanni noticed I cared for Corina.


    ¡°I,¡± it¡¯s difficult to say out loud, but I feel like I¡¯m losing her, so I say it, ¡°care about you.¡±


    For the first time since we started dancing, she looks directly into my eyes. Is she trying to assess if I¡¯m telling the truth? I stare right back, open like a book. Her face changes, her features softening, and for a moment I think I have melted the ice and my heart warms up, but then she looks away.


    ¡°What about your girlfriend?¡± she says.


    I frown. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were going to deny it, but I guess that¡¯s one way of doing it.¡±


    I¡¯m dumbfounded for a second, trying to figure out what or who she could be referring to. Ever since she came into my life, I haven¡¯t thought about anyone but her. I say the only thing I can think of to assuage her fears. ¡°The only woman in my life right now is you.¡±


    ¡°So the girlfriend you visited that time after the birthday party does not exist?¡±


    Fuck. Of course. ¡°Did Bruno tell you about this?¡±


    ¡°Surprised that I know something that isn¡¯t filtered through the walls you¡¯ve built around me?¡±


    ¡°So it came from Bruno. If you should know, Leah is a friend of mine and that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°Dante and Leah have a nice ring to it.¡±


    I¡¯m about to bite back when I realize something. She wouldn¡¯t be bringing this up if she wasn¡¯t feeling anything.


    Hope swells inside me. ¡°Are you jealous?¡±


    ¡°What? No!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to feel something for me. I feel something for you too.¡± I lower my hand to her waist and draw her closer to me, letting her feel my cock, ¡°This,¡± she tries to wriggle free, but I hold her firm, ¡°is how I¡¯ve felt ever since we¡¯ve been together and you¡¯re the only person who¡¯s done this. No one but you has ever made me feel like this. And no, I did not fuck Leah that night. In fact, I went there wanting to sleep with her.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you admit it?¡±


    ¡°Wanting to sleep with her in an effort to wipe you out of my mind, but I failed. I didn¡¯t even touch her. I couldn¡¯t. I wanted no one but you. I want no one but you.¡±


    Maybe it¡¯s the force in my voice. Maybe it¡¯s that I¡¯m trying my best to convince her, but something seems to seep through. She staring at me; her pretend aloofness gone. She¡¯s stunned into silence. Right there and then I realize I would do anything for her. Before I can tell her this, however, Nicoes over. He asks to speak with me alone. I don¡¯t want to leave her, so I move a little away from her from a spot where I can still see her and listen to what Nico has to say.


    What he tells me shocks me to the bone. I turn to face Corina. She must not be here.

 Chapter 117

    CORINA


    I was rocked by finding out that Dante¡¯s enemy, the person he swears he hates, the person who killed his sister, is my father. I don¡¯t know how to process it and don¡¯t think I ever will. My mother never told me who my father was, and she died without telling me. I used to ask her about him, but she would either not respond or tell me to shut up. I was even angry at her about that for a long time. But by the time I was old enough to do something about it, I no longer cared about him. I figured if he cared about me, he would have looked for me, but he didn¡¯t. Over time, he became just a sperm donor to me.


    What shocked me more, however, is that Dante knew, and he never told me. It had toe out by ident. All the time, he knew who I was and never bothered to tell. There was something about it that bothered me more than anything. The ruthlessness, the cold calction one has to go under in order to be with your daughter¡¯s enemy, the progeny of the man who killed your sister and not explode. Or maybe that is his intention. Defile his enemy¡¯s daughter for his pleasure. Whatever his motives are, I am just a pawn to him and I can¡¯t believe I had forgotten that.


    With those scales removed from my eyes, I am able to see him for what he is. An opportunist. All his pleas don¡¯t affect me. His apology, or should I say none apology, means nothing to me. I can tell that it¡¯s just another weapon in his arsenal. When he saw that it wasn¡¯t working, he changed tactics. Using his seduction while we were dancing, and that almost worked on my weak-willed body until his brother came over and took him away.


    I watch them now as they talk. I can¡¯t hear what they say, but Nico seems to be talking fast and making frantic hand gestures. Dante is stone-cold absorbing whatever he¡¯s saying with a cool demeanor that betrays none of his emotions. The exact opposite of Nico. A few momentster theye towards me. Nico looks worried. Dante only slightly so. If you didn¡¯t know him or look closely, you wouldn¡¯t notice.


    ¡°You need to leave,¡± Dante says. He doesn¡¯t give me the chance to respond. He railroads through. ¡°Go with Nico. A helicopter is waiting for you a few minutes away from here.¡±


    ¡°Am I allowed to ask why?¡±


    His features soften. ¡°Can you do this one thing please. It¡¯s for your sake.¡±


    ¡°Sure, whatever. It¡¯s not as if you telling me will change things anyway. I¡¯m still going to do what you tell me to do.¡±


    ¡°Corina.¡± His voice is soft and pleading, and his eyes are warm. It¡¯s disarming and I almost give in. Almost. He¡¯s a hard man, I remind myself. ¡°Fine.¡±


    ¡°Go with Nico.¡± He puts a hand on Nico¡¯s shoulder and whispers something in his ear. Nico looks at me as his brother speaks. I look away, feeling a little under the microscope. I wonder what he¡¯s saying to him. ¡°Make sure she doesn¡¯t run.¡± Or something to that effect.


    I feel a tap on my shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Nico says. I follow him as we go to the parking lot with Rob trailing behind us and we enter Nico¡¯s car. A few minutester, we are on an open airfield where a helicopter is waiting for us. He leads me in and a helicopter rideter we¡¯re at the airport and the jet is waiting. ¡°We¡¯re going back?¡± I ask as we enter the jet. ¡°Yes,¡± Nico replies. ¡°Something came up.¡± Behind him Rob is giving instructions to the pilot.


    I take my seat and Nico does the same, sitting opposite me. I still can¡¯t get over how simr he looks to his older brother. His features are a little softer, a little more boyish, but that Morelli gene that runs through all of them is distinct and present in his features. ¡°You know you could have told me that back at the wedding and not make it into a whole cloak and dagger event.¡±


    Nico frowns. ¡°Dante didn¡¯t tell you anything?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    He shakes his head. ¡°I¡¯m sure he thinks it¡¯s for the best.


    He received the news so sudden. He wants to protect you.¡±


    I scoff.


    ¡°It¡¯s true. You may not think so, but my brother cares about you.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen him act the way he does with you, when he is with any other woman.¡±


    ¡°Doubtful.¡±


    ¡°The way he looks at you. I¡¯ve never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? It¡¯s not because he¡¯s making sure his pawn doesn¡¯t escape.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the first woman he¡¯s ever brought to a family event.¡±


    ¡°Then why did he lie to me, if he cares so much?¡±


    Nico shrugs. ¡°I hope you¡¯re not mad at me. I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t want to find out the way you did. About your father, I mean.¡±


    I sigh. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± He was just an idental messenger, after all. There was something about his sad eyes that made want to forgive him. Besides, it isn¡¯t him I¡¯m mad at after all.


    ¡°He¡¯s doing all of this to protect you, remember that,¡± Nico says.


    ¡°From himself? That makes sense, I guess.¡±


    ¡°No, from your father.¡± He swears under his breath.


    ¡°What did Sone do now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already said too much.¡±


    ¡°You might as well say it all, then.¡±


    He takes a deep breath and I almost think he¡¯s not going to tell me until he says, ¡°We got intel that Sone knows who you are and ising after you.¡±


    I don¡¯t know what to do about that, especially knowing what I know now. ¡°So he¡¯s trying to protect me from my father? Funny that.¡±


    ¡°Sone is a bad person.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re not? And Dante is not?¡±


    ¡°Dante doesn¡¯t run a sex trafficking ring.¡± That gives me pause. He continues. ¡°I know what my family does. We color outside the lines, but we do not kidnap and sell women. Sone does and even though you¡¯re his daughter, we don¡¯t know what he wants to do with you.¡±


    ¡°Maybe he just wants to get to know me, father to daughter.¡±


    ¡°Maybe. But you¡¯re not the first progeny of his that he¡¯s looked for and found.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Nico takes a deep breath. ¡°He has other children. Well, we know at least one. We grew up with her. She was in the same ss as my sister. And then one day she told us, my sister at least, that she her father was looking for a match for her. She didn¡¯t want to marry the guy, of course, but he forced her into the marriage.¡±


    ¡°Oh, kinda like how the bride of the marriage we just attended was forced into the marriage.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s different. Vanni¡¯s daughter could have said no and we would have respected it. That girl wasn¡¯t given a choice. The man she married was old and abusive. She was young. Very young. Barely eighteen. A few monthster, she died.¡± There¡¯s anger in his words that¡¯s hard to miss. I don¡¯t need him to tell me he cared for this girl, whoever she was.


    ¡°Sone doesn¡¯t respect women,¡± he adds.


    ¡°Nico.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a bad man. You may hate us, you may hate Dante, but you must know that when ites to Sone, he has his reasons.¡±


    ¡°And you. You must hate him, too.¡±


    ¡°I loathe the man.¡± His voice shakes with anger. He grips the seat so tight, I¡¯m sure the leather will break. Now I understand why Dante wants revenge so badly. If I were in his shoes, I would be just as driven to anger and hatred as well.


    ¡°You must hate me too.¡±


    He shakes his head. ¡°You and him are very different people. I could never hate you. Dante doesn¡¯t. We all don¡¯t hate you.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that.¡±


    ¡°I do. Dante doesn¡¯t show his emotions, but from what I


    can see, all I see is a man who cares deeply for you.¡±


    ¡°So, what are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to make sure Sone doesn¡¯ty a finger on you.¡±     I was alone with Rob back at the penthouse, feeling like I was in perpetual limbo. Nico stayed for a few hours, got a call, and then left. But not before reassuring me that I would be safe with Rob. ¡°The casino is practically a fortification.


    Dante made sure of that.¡±


    ¡°Do you know when he¡¯sing back?¡± I ask.


    ¡°He¡¯ll call you.¡± Nico leaves before I can ask any more questions. I wander around the house after he¡¯s gone, feeling restless. Calming down is difficult when you know that your sex trafficking father is out looking for you. Maybe if I call Jesse and ask her toe over. She certainly enjoyed being herest time. She sounds more than happy toe over when I ask her and, in a few minutes, the doorbell rings. Rob, who¡¯s sitting with me in the living room while I watch tv, looks up from his phone. ¡°Did you order room service?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably a friend of mine,¡± I say, getting up. He does the same. ¡°You weren¡¯t supposed to call anyone.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Jesse is a threat. She¡¯s been here before.¡± Rob stares at me, unsure of what to do. He looks like he¡¯s trapped and I hate that I put him in this position. ¡°I¡¯m bored, and I need someone else to talk to. Are you going to be that person?¡± His face falls at the idea of chatting up with me. ¡°Fine,¡± he puts a hand to his gun tucked in at his back. ¡°But I¡¯m the one who opens the door.¡± He marches over to the foyer with me right behind him. Jesse is standing there when he opens it. He looks out behind her and when he sees that she¡¯s alone, his posture melts and he ushers her in. Jesse is surprised by this and immediately says, ¡°What is going on?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s being a little cautious, that¡¯s all.¡± I take her hand and lead her to my room.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be at some super exclusive rich people¡¯s wedding in Tuscany or whatever?¡±


    ¡°I was. Now  I¡¯m back. Wait? How did you know I was in Tuscany?¡± She¡¯s in the middle of picking at the dresser, picks up a bottle of perfume, and shrugs. ¡°Isn¡¯t itmon knowledge?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    She shrugs. ¡°Maybe not to you. He probably wanted to keep it a surprise, a romantic gesture of some sorts. But the entire casino knew. Well, the top floor, at least. How was it?¡±


    I called her here, wanting to tell her about my father and who he was, but as she stands there now, a niggling part of me is saying I shouldn¡¯t. ¡°It was okay.¡±


    ¡°Okay? It had to be more than that, I¡¯m sure. I heard that the who¡¯s who of the,¡± she leans in and whispers, ¡°underground mafia world,¡± then raises her voice again, ¡°was there.¡±


    ¡°Well, not exactly the who¡¯s who, but a lot of people were there.¡±


    ¡°And is it true about the whole arranged marriage thing? I think it¡¯s a little archaic, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°You seem to know a lot about this?¡±


    ¡°Uh. Sal told me about it.¡±


    ¡°Sal?¡± She looks like she¡¯s said something she shouldn¡¯t have said and puts down the perfume bottle she¡¯s been ying with. ¡°Are you dating Sal?¡±


    Her shock says more than I need to know. ¡°Why would you say that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m right, am I?¡±


    Her face falls. ¡°Who told you? Did Dante tell you?¡±


    ¡°No one said anything to me, I¡¯m just wondering why you never said anything about it.¡±


    ¡°What about you? You hid a lot more from me.¡±


    ¡°You hid your money from me! I got in trouble because of you!¡±


    ¡°Ohe on, I doubt your boyfriend cared that much.¡± I wish now that I had told her about the true nature of my rtionship with Dante and not created this facade. ¡°He did care,¡± I tell her.


    ¡°And did he punish you? You¡¯re still alive.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. I think you should have told me about Sal, that¡¯s all.¡± Now why am I feeling like I¡¯m the one in the wrong? She¡¯s the one who hasn¡¯t been forting about anything at all. However, her mood changes and she marches over to me. ¡°You¡¯re right. I should have told you. What should my penance be? Coffee at the cafe downstairs?


    I could tell you all about it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can leave right now.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Come on, why not? It¡¯ll only be a few minutes.¡±


    I¡¯m still thinking of a way of telling her no without making her suspicious when I hear voicesing from the living room. They sound like they¡¯re arguing. They sound familiar.


    ¡°Wait? Did Sal follow you here?¡± I ask Jesse. ¡°No,¡± she looks away from me, ¡°Why would he?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that him arguing with Rob?¡± I say.


    She shrugs. Something is off. Off with her. Off with her mannerisms and the way she¡¯s speaking.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°Are we going out or not?¡± Jesse says.


    ¡°Wait here for a sec,¡± I tell her. ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡± She doesn¡¯t do as I say. She follows me to the living room, where we find Rob and Sal arguing.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± They both turn around at the sound of my voice.


    ¡°You see,¡± Sal says pointing at us, ¡°she¡¯s with her friend. She knows what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°What is going on?¡± I turn to Jesse, but her face is cryptic and turn back to Rob. ¡°What¡¯s he talking about?¡±


    ¡°Apparently, the boss called and said you should leave with Sal. I don¡¯t believe him.¡± I turn my gaze to Sal. There¡¯s something about him that I¡¯ve never liked, and it¡¯s apparent now more than ever. Something at the back of my mind, or maybe it¡¯s Jesse change in mood, telling me not to trust him. ¡°Did Dante say anything to you?¡± I ask Rob. He shakes his head.


    ¡°Dante said I should stay here, so I¡¯m going to stay,¡± I say to Sal.


    Sal looks exasperated. ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this. I¡¯m doing this for your sake. If it weren¡¯t for the boss asking me to take care of you, I wouldn¡¯t be here right now. I have better things to do than protect Sone¡¯s daughter.¡± Jesse¡¯s eyes widen.


    I cross my arms. ¡°I¡¯m staying here.¡±


    Sal looks down, shaking his head. ¡°Fuck it, you gave me no choice.¡±


    The next moment happens so quickly and yet so slow. Sal takes out his gun and shoots Rob in the head. I can¡¯t do anything but scream as I stare at Rob¡¯s lifeless body crumble to the floor. Then Sal marches over to me and knocks me in the head with the butt of his gun. Thest thing I hear is Jesse screaming.

 Chapter 118

    DANTE


    As soon as she leaves, I immediately want her back. Even when she sees me as a vile human being, more than she did before, I still want her. Not only that, but having her close to me gives me assurance that she¡¯s okay. But what¡¯s done is done. Regardless of how I feel, it¡¯s better this way. I look around the garden for Gio. He¡¯s at the head of the table next to his wife, who¡¯s receiving gifts from the guests. I make a beeline towards the long queue and wait my turn. After a few minutes, Rico joins me. ¡°I can¡¯t find Nico. Have you seen him?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s-¡±


    ¡°And your girlfriend?¡± Rico, wiggling his eyebrows, adds,


    ¡°Suspicious, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve gone back home together.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°I made him go. Nico heard Sone is about to crash the wedding.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Do you think he¡¯s looking for her?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. It could be a coincidence, or it could be he knows I have her. Either way, I made sure she was gone,


    so we don¡¯t have to find out if it¡¯s thetter.¡±


    ¡°Good thinking.¡±


    The line is moving fast enough and in no time, I¡¯m standing in front of the bride and groom. They make a beautiful, picturesque couple. Like models in wedding catalogue. They also look like they don¡¯t want to be here. Why they¡¯ve agreed to it still makes no sense to me, but it¡¯s a good thing that they did. I feel like I owe them for their sacrifice. ¡°Congrattions,¡± I say to both of them and I kiss the bride on the cheek. I hand her the envelope. Gio is impassive. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± she asks.


    ¡°A deed to your new home. It¡¯s the least I could do.¡± She seems genuinely surprised and happy. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t have to.¡± Gio says.


    ¡°I did. It¡¯s your wedding. You deserve a gift from your brother.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a wonderful gift,¡± she says. ¡°Besides, if we don¡¯t like it, we can sell it and split the profits.¡± Behind her are two boxes with envelopes. One, a small pile and the other a much bigger pile. She ces the envelope in the smaller pile. She must be separating the big gifts from the small ones. Smart woman. Gio will have his hands full if he¡¯s not careful.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Corina,¡± Gio asks.


    I look around. There¡¯s no one behind me except for Rico. ¡°Can I talk to you for a minute?¡± I pull him to the side, away from his bride¡¯s keen ear. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I can¡¯t hide my anxiety from him, it seems. ¡°I hear Sone ising.¡± ¡°Fuck,¡± he mutters.


    ¡°I was maybe a little overly cautious, but I sent Corina away with Nico.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not being too cautious. Sone has a rtionship with the Vanni family. They¡¯re inws or something. He might drop by.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t let him in.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s tough considering we¡¯re basically fighting a cold war at this point. My new father-inw is on our side, of course, but he might not be able to not let Sone in.¡±


    ¡°Fuck.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think anything will happen. I mean, she¡¯s not here anymore.¡± Gio looks past me and then says, ¡°Speak of the devil.¡±


    I turn in the direction of his gaze and see Sone greeting an embarrassed Vanni. His gaze wanders over to us, unsure of what to do next. ¡°Get your bride out of here,¡± I tell Gio. ¡°I have a feeling things are going to take nasty turn.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t turn this into a blood wedding.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t draw fire if he doesn¡¯t.¡± I tap his shoulder to reassure him and leave him for the person who was now staring at me as if he wants to rip me apart. It¡¯s the first time in a long time, I¡¯ve seen him in person. I always thought him taller and more menacing. A viin of my nightmares. The original is disappointing. He¡¯s shorter, older, fatter, and balding. His skin is worn from hard living and frail with age. If I didn¡¯t know him, I would think him harmless.


    ¡°Sone,¡± I say to him. ¡°Never thought we would see you here.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to congratte my friend on his daughter getting married.¡±


    Vanni looks unsure. He nces back and forth between me and Sone. He¡¯s looking for a cue from me on how to handle this, I realize. If I ask Sone to leave, he might refuse or, worse, turn this into a gunfight. Maybe he is asking for a gunfight and will seek it out either way. I have to tread carefully. Sone didn¡¯te alone. He has at least about four bodyguards with him. We could easily take him down if he chooses violence, so he¡¯ll probably not. I smile at both of them. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were friends.¡± Vanni waves a hand. ¡°Old friends. Very old. His cousin was once married to my brother. Marriage didn¡¯t work out, unfortunately.¡±


    ¡°Here¡¯s to hoping this one does,¡± Sone says. The hidden meaning behind his words is obvious. He wishes the opposite. ¡°Where¡¯s the bride and groom?¡± he looks around and I do too. Gio and his bride are no longer at the table. They aren¡¯t in the crowd either. Good on Gio hiding her away. ¡°I want to congratte them,¡± Sone adds.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell them you wished them well.


    He bares his teeth and doesn¡¯t say anything. A stare contest ensues for a few seconds until he relents and turns his attention back to Vanni. ¡°I see that I¡¯m not wee. I¡¯ll take my leave, Vanni.¡±


    ¡°Please stay,¡± Vanni replies. It sounds less like a plea and more like an obligatory manner of speech. Sone reads this urately and replies, ¡°No need. Give my regards to the bride and groom.¡± He gives me one more icecold nce and then leaves.


    Vanni lets out a deep sigh. ¡°I had no idea he was going toe.¡± He seems remorseful enough to convince me that this wasn¡¯t his doing.


    ¡°I understand. He probably did it to get a rile out of me. The old man can¡¯t resist.¡± I leave him and take out my phone. ¡°He¡¯s gone,¡± I say in a text to Gio. I don¡¯t wait for him to respond and instead call Nico. ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°Boarding the ne,¡± he responds.


    ¡°Sone came.¡±


    ¡°Did he do anything?¡±


    ¡°No. But Nico, I think he knows.¡±     The apartment has a chilling silence when I get back. Immediately, I know that something is wrong. Everything is immacte. Clean. Too clean. Odd. That onlypounds my worries. Corina hasn¡¯t been responding to my calls or texts. I call Rob. Nico told me he left her in his care. Rob¡¯s not answering. There¡¯s a phone ringing inside the quiet apartment. I make my way towards it. It¡¯s in the living room, buried a little into the couch. It¡¯s Rob¡¯s phone.


    A chill runs down my spine. He never leaves his phone. Ever. I turn to Colin. ¡°Look around and see if we aren¡¯t the only ones in here.¡± He nods and takes out his gun. I take out mine too and try Corina¡¯s number again. Voicemail again. I make my way to her room. No one¡¯s there and neither is there any sign that might point me to where she could be. I try to hope for the best. Maybe they¡¯re out and left their phones. I¡¯m going to be very mad if that¡¯s the case. They both should know better. I concentrate on that anger and thefort it brings. I get out of her room and meet Colin in the hallway. He shrugs.


    ¡°No one?¡±


    ¡°None.¡±


    I take out my phone and open an app I hadn¡¯t used in quite a while. Her tracker is on and working. It is on her body too, ording to the app. I breathe out a sigh of relief. She¡¯s in the building, the tracker says. Another deep sigh.


    ¡°She¡¯s at the casino. I¡¯ll go get them both.¡± Thatforting anger builds up again as I enter the elevator and push the button to the casino floor. She¡¯s going to get it when I see her. Being mad at me didn¡¯t give her the right to wander off to wherever she wanted, especially in a public ce such as the casino. And Rob was going to be in hot water for letting her out. He should know better instead of being swayed by pretty eyes.


    The doors of the elevator open to a sparse floor. It¡¯s not as busy as other days and this gives me some relief. Large crowds can be used to hide spies. Smaller crowds also make it easier to look for her. I turn down to my phone to check exactly where she is. It looks like she¡¯s at one of the ckjack tables. Is she ying ckjack? Maybe she was bored and chose to y at the tables for some time. That could be forgiven, I guess. Either way, the close I get to the tables, the more I yearn to see her again. A day away from her and I miss her so much to forgive her for any slight.


    The day away from her had given me space to see things from her point of view. She was right about me not telling her about her father. I shouldn¡¯t have done that. She didn¡¯t deserve the hurt I brought on her and I was willing to do whatever it takes to earn her forgiveness. I no longer want to hurt her as a form of revenge. To think about it, I don¡¯t think I ever wanted to do any harm to her. The thought of seeing an inch of her body hurt is anathema to me.


    I reach the ckjack tables and scan the room. I can¡¯t find her. The app says she¡¯s here. My heart races. I can¡¯t find Rob, whoserge frame should be easy to spot in a ce like this. I nce down at my phone again. The red dot is pinging at about twenty feet away from me. I look up. Twenty feet away is¡­ I rush over to the ckjack table where she¡¯s supposedly is. Except she isn¡¯t there, her friend is. Without thinking, I grab her wrist and raise it to her face. She has the bracelet on. Her eyes are wide with shock and so are the people at the table. I don¡¯t care. There¡¯s only one thing I want to know. ¡°What have you done to Corina?¡±N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.

 Chapter 119

    DANTE.


    She looks scared for her life. As she should because I¡¯m on the edge of doing the worst. ¡°You better speak if you want to keep your hide.¡± She starts shaking. Gone is the false bravado she likes to put out. She is like a little girl lost and it almost makes me sympathetic towards her until I nce down at the bracelet on her wrist and the possibilities that came to mind as to how it could havended there. I strengthen my resolve. I dragged her to the interrogation room without thinking about anything else except to find what happened to Corina. I should focus on that.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to ask this once and only once. It¡¯s your choice to tell me the truth. If you lie, and I am going to find out that you¡¯ve lied, I will torture you, cut you up to pieces, and throw you in the dumpster.¡± Tears stream down her face. Good. At least she has emotions. ¡°Where is she?¡±


    Jesse gulps audibly. She looks away from my face to behind me. Sal, who¡¯s standing next to Colin, came soon after, probably having seen me dragging her over here. I follow the direction of her gaze. Sal jerks in surprise, but only slightly. Anyone could have missed it, if they didn¡¯t know Sal like I do.


    ¡°Are they intimidating you? They can do much worse than standing there. I could instruct them to break your fingers one by one until you talk. Do you want that?¡± She shakes her head.


    ¡°No? Good. Now, tell me why you have that bracelet on your wrist.¡±


    She nces again at Sal. This time I notice something. It¡¯s as if they¡¯remunicating with each other. A new perspective dawns on me as a lot of pieces fall into ce. It¡¯s so obvious now, I should have seen iting. I think back to the intel I got about Jesse¡¯s sister¡¯s medical bills and the expensive clinic she in. And a lot more than that. Which means one thing that is so obvious, but I had missed. Jesse is the thief. Not Corina, who covered for her. Without turning my attention away from Jesse, I say to Sal, ¡°Can you bring me the pills?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you want to do that?¡± The hesitance in his voice confirms my suspicions. ¡°Go get the pills, Sal.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, boss,¡± he says and leaves. I take a seat opposite Jesse. She is pretty. She reminds me of a lot of the many beautiful women in this city. Generically attractive in a boring way. ¡°How long have you been stealing from me?¡±


    ¡°I never stole anything!¡±


    ¡°Remember what I said to you. You would be better off telling the truth.¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°Are you? Are you going to tell me about your rtionship with Sal or are you going to lie about that too?¡± Shock renders her silent. She looks like she¡¯s thinking over what her next response should be. Before she can say anything, I add, ¡°I know a lot more about you than you realize and that boyfriend of yours, Sal, let me just say you¡¯re not the only one. He¡¯s not as loyal to you as you are to him. Before you put in your lot with him, know that he won¡¯t do the same for you.¡± I don¡¯t know, of course, if any of what I said is true. I bluff my way into interpreting the type of rtionship they have and hope if I¡¯m right. ¡°I¡¯ll ask you once again, where is she?¡±


    She looks again beyond me to Colin and then starts crying outright. Her reaction worries me even more. What have they done to her? Corina, wherever you are, I hope you¡¯re alright. ¡°Jesse?¡±


    ¡°I swear I had nothing to do with it! I didn¡¯t know what he was going to do!¡±


    ¡°What did he do?¡±


    In between sobs, she starts her tale. ¡°I was supposed to lure her in. That was my job. He told me it was only going to be a minor kidnapping, and you were going to pay her ransom and no one was supposed to be harmed.¡±


    Colin jumps in. ¡°What happened Rob?¡±


    She looks up at him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she says shaking her head, ¡°No one was supposed to get hurt, and I was supposed to get Corina out of your apartment, but she refused and Rob stopped us and¡­¡±


    ¡°And what!¡± I could feel my blood boiling.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Sal¡­ Sal killed him. You have to understand that he was in the way.¡±


    ¡°So you decide to kill him.¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t happen like that!¡±


    ¡°Where is she?¡±


    ¡°Well, we, uhm, incapacitated her and Sal took her to


    Sone.¡±


    ¡°So she¡¯s alive?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Or at least I think she is. It doesn¡¯t seem like he wants to kill her.¡±


    Relief washes over me. I could think about nothing but the worst and hearing she might still be alive calms me down a bit. But only a bit. She could still be alive because he had other, much more horrible ns for her. Then there¡¯s Sal. His betrayal, which I had only suspected, was now confirmed. The man pretending to look for the spy is actually the spy. How could he do something like this? My vision goes red as my blood boils. Sal is one of the few people in the entire Family I trusted. His betrayal hurts more than it angers me. And for what? More money from Sone? He had to be the spy. That was the only way it made sense. He was the only person capable of leaking the kind of information that had gone to Sone and, at the same time, cover his tracks sessfully.


    There¡¯s a knock on the door, alerting everyone in the room, including Jesse, who sits up straight and stares at it. Colin looks at me for what to do next. I nod. I know who it is and when Colin opens the door, it¡¯s the person I expect. Sal walks in holding a white bottle which he ces on the table and says, ¡°I got them.¡± His demeanor is casual. He must think he¡¯s still ahead of the game. He plunges his hands in his pockets and asks, ¡°Has she said anything yet?¡±


    ¡°You should tell us. She says you know.¡±


    With his hands still in his pocket, he shrugs. I scoff. If Sal thinks he can bluff his way through this, he¡¯s lying to himself. He¡¯s one of the most easy-to-read people I know.


    ¡°Who is she?¡±


    ¡°We know you two are fucking, so you can drop the act.¡±


    There¡¯s shock on his face that shes only slightly. He looks down at Jesse, then back at me. ¡°Fucked. Not fucking. I had forgotten about her. If this is about fraternizing with the employees, then I¡¯m sorry about that. It¡¯ll never happen again.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care which hole you stick your dick in, so long it¡¯s consensual. What I do care about is what you do with that hole. The little schemes you get up to.¡± He nces at Jesse. I turn to her. Her gaze is pinned on Sal ever since he came back and she is looking increasingly betrayed the longer he talks. Good. It¡¯s better if they turn on each other than stick together. ¡°Is that all I am to you?¡± she says to Sal.


    Sal turns to me. ¡°Listen. I don¡¯t know what she told you, but whatever it is, it¡¯s a lie.¡±


    ¡°Who said anything about her talking?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that why we¡¯re here?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. You tell me.¡±N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    His cool demeanor is slipping. I can tell he¡¯s getting nervous as he shits from one foot to the other. ¡°I would never lie to you, man. Whatever she said is bullshit. She¡¯s just some bitch I¡¯ve been having a fling with. And let me tell you, she can be a little cuckoo, if you know what I mean. Coming up with all sorts of things to get attention.¡±


    Interesting. All this is like knife jabs to Jesse, who screams,


    ¡°Fuck you, Sal! You stupid piece of shit!¡±


    ¡°You see, she¡¯s crazy. You know I¡¯ve never touched any of your women.¡± As soon as he says the words, he cringes. He wants to take them back. Toote.


    ¡°Funny you should say that.¡±


    Sal jumps and makes for the door but Colin is faster than him. He grabs hold of the back of his cor and pulls him back. Sal shrieks like a child as he¡¯s dragged down to the chair. He struggles, but Colin presses all his weight on Sal¡¯s shoulders. I move over to the other side of the desk where Jesse was sitting.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to ask you once. Answer correctly and I might forgive you. Answer incorrectly and you won¡¯t want to know what¡¯s going to happen next.¡± Sal struggles again in his chair and Colin presses him down again. ¡°Where is Corina?¡±


    ¡°Fuck you and your whore.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the road you chose? Fine.¡± I take out my phone and swipe open to an app and show him the screen. His shoulders drop when he realizes what he¡¯s looking at. ¡°This is a live feed of your mother¡¯s house. Tiny is on the lookout. She rarely leaves the house and always stays indoors, he says. One call and your mother is dead.¡± Sal¡¯s face falls. Tiny is a ruthless hitman well known for doing depraved things to his targets. Sal knows this. He¡¯s hired him from time to time to do hits on behalf of the family.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been stalking my mother!¡± It¡¯s a file video taken two years ago, but he doesn¡¯t need to know that. There was no live feed and I have no idea where Tiny is. The bluff is working though, because he doesn¡¯t seem to realize it too. ¡°And so much more.¡±


    ¡°You fucker.¡±


    ¡°All I have to do is say the word.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s at Sone¡¯s ce,¡± he blurts out. I almost want to smile, but I keep my poker face.


    ¡°Which ce? His Casino? His five homes? Where?¡±


    ¡°The casino is where I dropped her.¡±


    ¡°What does he want to do with her?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t tell me.¡±


    ¡°You better hope for the sake of your mother that we¡¯re able to find her and that she¡¯s alive.¡± He stares back at me in defiance. I wonder what made him turncoat? He doesn¡¯t look like a rat. I guess the best ones don¡¯t. ¡°Tell me something,¡± I ask him. ¡°Why did you do it?¡±


    ¡°Turn on you? Nothing personal. But I don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to win. You¡¯re weaker than your father and even he was defeated by Sone.¡±


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll see about that.¡±


    Too bad for him, he chose wrong, and he was going to pay.

 Chapter 120

    CORINA


    I wake up to the feeling of warm soft pillows contrasted with the dull throbbing pain near my temple. My head feels heavy, but I¡¯m not sure if it is the pain or something else. Was I drugged? I struggle to get up into a sitting position. As my eyes open wider, I realize that I¡¯m not at Dante¡¯s apartment. Or anywhere familiar. I¡¯m in what appears to be a hotel room. A deluxe, to be precise. It¡¯srge enough to be too expensive for someone like me, but too small to be considered a suite.


    Where am I? A memory shes in my mind. Rob and Sal arguing. Gunshots. Someone knocking me unconscious and now here. Is Rob okay? But if I am here alone¡­ Panic sets in. I should get out of here. Wherever here is. I rush to therge floor-to-ceiling windows. They offer a view of the city skyline. The shing neon lights which would bother me any other day bring mefort. I¡¯m still in the city. I look around to gauge where I am. I spot the Grand Pzzo on the other end of the city. I note otherndmarks closer to where I am. Judging from where the Grand Pzzo is, that must mean I am¡­ No, it could not be. I am in Sone¡¯s hotel and casino. Jesse sent me to Sone? How could she? Was she working with him the entire time? My head begins to hurt even more. Whatever the case is, I had to get out of here.


    I look around for my or any kind of footwear. There doesn¡¯t seem to be any. Great. I can tiptoe silently so as to not alert anyone who might be here. The door doesn¡¯t creak when I open it, which is good. It opens to a suite with what I can at best describe as garish furniture. It¡¯s styled in gold furnishings, ck tiles, and ck sofas. Between the bedroom, which has an ensuite, which I checked and the living room, there doesn¡¯t seem to be anyone here from what I can see. Good. I rush to the door and just when I¡¯m just about to reach it, it swings wide open. Arge man fills the door. Immediately he reminds me of Rob. He has Rob¡¯s tall stature, wide stance, and intimidating manner. Everything except for the warmth. This man strikes fear in me the moment I see him.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    He stares back at me as if in shock, and I btedly realize that I can duck into the small space between his side and the door frame. I take the chance but I¡¯m toote. He pushes me back into the room with little effort until I fall onto the couch. ¡°Stay here.¡± He grunts. His words are heavily tinged with an eastern European ent. He sounds scary enough that Iply. ¡°What are you going to do to me?¡±


    He stares at me saying nothing. After a while he goes to the door, closes it and locks it. Thatst part makes me even more afraid. He stalks back to where I am and sits on the sofa opposite me. ¡°If you stay calm, nothing will happen to you. If you move,¡± he takes out a gun out of his jacket, ¡°A bullet goes into your head. Understand?¡±


    I¡¯m too shocked to do or say nothing other than nod.


    He grunts and puts his gun back into his jacket. Next, he pulls out his phone and he starts ying with it. From the sounds emanating from it, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s ying a match three game. It feels so surreal. I¡¯m being held hostage by a giant scary man who likes to crush candy in his downtime. We stay like this for a while. Him ying his game and me sitting quietly while I wallow in limbo until a knock on the door disrupts it.


    ¡°Stay,¡± he grunts. You would think he¡¯s talking with a dog, the way he says it. He gets up, takes out his gun and goes to the door. I watch as he asks who it is. Someone responds, and the door is opened. Four bulky men in ck t-shirts, pants and jackets pour in. They¡¯re like a dark procession for the devil himself, who soones after.


    It¡¯s Sone. The man I¡¯ve both been fascinated by and afraid of. As he marches into the room with the swagger of a man in his kingdom, I¡¯m struck by him. He is not as menacing as I remembered him, and instead he looks much older and a little haggard. Regardless, he still emanates violence in a way that puts fear into my heart. Maybe it¡¯s the ugly scar on his face. Or maybe it¡¯s his gaze, which is cold and immediatelynds on me, putting a chill down my spine.


    His men part way for him, and he marches over to me. ¡°Stand up,¡± hemands. I do as he says, even though part of me wants to rebel. Even the rebellious part of me realizes that it would be foolish to resist.


    ¡°So you¡¯re the one he¡¯s been hiding from me.¡±  His next move takes me by surprise. He opens his arms and says, ¡°Wee back my daughter.¡± Until now, I had forgotten that he¡¯s my father. Even as he calls me his daughter, that fact still hasn¡¯t sunk in yet. ¡°Well?¡±  he asks when I hesitate. He drops his arms. ¡°I get it. I would be nervous if I were you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not nervous,¡± I say, finding my voice for the first time. ¡°I just don¡¯t know why I am here.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± he steps back and sits on the same couch his henchman was in. He spreads his legs and leans back, his arms wide across the back of the couch. ¡°I forget that you don¡¯t know who I am. My name is Michael Sone . And I am your father. I don¡¯t know if your mother told you about that part.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I get it. We didn¡¯t have a great rtionship. She would be the first to tell you that. It was short and tumultuous, but it produced,¡± he waves his hand in my general direction, ¡°you. One could say it was productive, don¡¯t you think?¡±

 Chapter 121

    I look around the room. The other men stand guard, looking like they aren¡¯t listening, nor do they care to. Even though there are other people in the room, it does feel like it¡¯s just me and Sone. ¡°It still doesn¡¯t exin why you kidnapped me and took me to your hotel. You could have juste over and asked for me.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    ¡°And your boyfriend would not have killed me the moment I walked through those doors? Come on.¡± He leans forward. ¡°Do you know that he was deliberately keeping you away from me?¡± He takes my silence as acquiescence. ¡°Yes. Unfortunately, he thought he could use you as a bargaining chip. Ransom you. Kill you as a form of revenge. I don¡¯t know what goes on in that insane man¡¯s head. That¡¯s why I had to save you.¡±


    ¡°You say this as if I should be happy that you took me away? I would rather be anywhere right now than be here.¡±


    ¡°I understand that you¡¯re a little mad.¡±


    I don¡¯t know what about that sentence that makes me mad. Maybe it¡¯s the way he says it, or the nonchnce or being tired of being a pawn for two men¡¯s stupid games. ¡°A little mad? You fucking kidnapped me and now you¡¯re telling me that you¡¯re my father as if that¡¯s something I should be happy about when, in fact, I knew. Dante told me about you and I asked him to protect him from you because I want nothing to do with you.¡± He didn¡¯t need to know the truth, but telling him this seems to have an effect. He drops his charming dad act faster than a hot rock. He turns cold, his face nk he says, ¡°I should have known you would side with him. My source told me Morelli forced you to be his whore, but clearly that¡¯s not the case. Funny, because I thought someone of my blood would realize that he¡¯s your enemy.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you.¡±


    He chuckles. ¡°Okay, here¡¯s what¡¯s going to happen. Since you choose to be a whore, I don¡¯t have to wine and dine you. I have an offer for you. All you have to do is take it or leave it. I have a deal I need to put through and to seal it. The person needs something more concrete. How about you marry him and I will pay you ten million for your troubles? Half up front. Half when you wed. What do you think?¡±


    The proposales out of left field. I have to process his words in my mind three times. He wants me to be some part of an arranged marriage so he can close a business deal? And he¡¯s offering me money for that? Is he bonkers? He must be, because that¡¯s the only way it makes sense.


    ¡°I think you have lost your marbles.¡±


    Silence passes in the room. I think he¡¯s going to kill me for mocking him. Then he bursts outughing. He stands up, thrusts his hands in his pocket and closes the space between him and I. This up close, he¡¯s even more menacing, than he is from a distance.


    ¡°Fine. Have it your way.¡± He nods at his men and they swarm towards me like bees. I know what they¡¯re going to do before they close in. I don¡¯t have time to fight or flee. The big one, the one who was with me, is the first to grab my hand. I resist, but it¡¯s futile. My hand hardly twists in his iron grip. The next guyes over and grabs my other hand. I try to kick, but they both hold me down. Finally, onees over and punches me in the face. Thest thing I see before I fall to the ground is Sone¡¯s face contorted in anger.     I wake up surrounded by darkness. There¡¯s an odd sound and the more I focus, I realize that a cloth is over my head.


    I¡¯m seated and in a moving object. A car. I try to remove the cloth, but my hands are restrained behind my back. I twist and turn to no avail.


    ¡°Stop moving or I¡¯ll punch you again,¡± a gruff voice says beside me. I pause. ¡°Where are you taking me?¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to put tape over your mouth?¡± The voice says again. That shuts me up, but the panic inside me only intensifies. Is Sone going to kill me? Probably. That¡¯s the only way this makes sense, otherwise where are we going? Funny how I thought it was Dante who was trying to kill me when it¡¯s actually my father.


    ¡°We¡¯re taking you somewhere special.¡± I hear Sone say. His voice sounds like it¡¯s ahead of me. He must be in the seat in front of me in whatever car we are in.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to kill me?¡± I say.


    He chuckles. ¡°You¡¯d already be dead, if that were the case. I¡¯m taking you to your future.¡±


    His words are chilling. I would rather he killed me than see this future he¡¯s referring to. Nothing good cane from it. I should escape. I should find a way out of here, if I can. If only I can find out where we are.


    My eyes have adjusted enough for me to notice that it¡¯s still night and now and then, light shes in from the cars passing by, making me see silhouettes inside the car. We¡¯re in some sort of a luxury van from what I can tell, and I¡¯m sitting right at the back between two men. I don¡¯t know if I can jump out of the door if I lean over. I twist again. My bonds are too tight.


    I¡¯m still trying to figure out how I can get out, when the car swerves hard.


    ¡°Who the fuck is that,¡± I hear Sone say. Gunshots follow and the car swerves again. ¡°How did he find us?¡± I feel the men beside me move, and gunshots being fired. I really want to get away from here. I see myself turning into fodder for whatever Mafia gun fight Sone¡¯s involved in.


    ¡°Dante, you son of a bitch!¡±


    I freeze. Dante? Dante came for me? I try to ignore the tion inside me and focus on the present. The next thing I hear are windows being drawn, wind rushing in, and more gunshots. Theseing from Sone¡¯s guys. The gunshots are returned and followed by a loud burst. The car swerves harder and faster. Next thing I know, the car is tumbling, like a violent roller coaster. The sack put over me falls, and I can finally make out what¡¯s happening. The car is rolling across the road and when it finally stops, it¡¯s on its side. I¡¯m thrown on top of one of Sone¡¯s henchmen while the other is on top of me, crushing my ribs.


    There¡¯s smoke around us, making it harder to see. Through the window, and amidst the smoke and dust, I make out a figureing towards the upturn car. The gait is familiar, but my brain is too foggy to make out who it is. When the figure approaches, the door is lifted and through the smoke, his face appears. Dante. I sigh audibly, happier than I ever thought I could be to see him. He opens it wider and shoves the man crushing me to the side. A rush of air enters my lungs and I breathe in deep.


    ¡°Corina.¡± His voice sounds strained and hopeful at the same time. He leans in further and offers me his hand, which I take, and he pulls me up. I squeeze myself up ignoring the pain in my ribs. He uses both hands to pull me further to him and he holds me in his arms and he cradles me like a baby.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°You came for me.¡±


    ¡°Of course I came, baby.¡± He brushes away a few tendrils of my damp hair. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± He asks as he caresses my face like it¡¯s the most precious and fragile egg he¡¯s ever held. I shake my head. He kisses my temple. ¡°I thought¡­¡± his voice trembles as it trails off. He takes a deep breath as if to calm himself down. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here,¡± he says. ¡°This looks like it¡¯s going to blow up any second.¡± He begins to move again and I look around us, adjusting my eyes to the smoke and the dark night. The moon is bright enough to provide some light toplement the bright lights of the vehicles. Dante is walking us back to two vehicles a few feet away from Sone¡¯s car and standing there are a few of Dante¡¯s men, guns in hand.


    I hear a sound like metal scraping from behind us that startles me. I nce in time to see Sone, bloody and marred with char, staggering out of the car. ¡°Stop,¡± his hoarse voice renders me frozen in Dante¡¯s hands. Dante, however, does not respond. He keeps walking.


    ¡°Stop or I¡¯ll kill both of you,¡± Sone screams.


    ¡°He¡¯s got a gun,¡± I say to Dante. He stops and turns around. We are now closer to Dante¡¯s men and away from the crash. Sone¡¯s raised gun gets everyone else on high alert. Even though we are far away from him, we¡¯re still within the range of his gun. ¡°Drop her,¡± Sone says.


    ¡°You¡¯re outgunned Sone.¡±


    ¡°Drop her or you¡¯re both dead.¡± Dante tightens his grasp. I can feel the fury reverberating in his body. Behind us, his men click their guns. ¡°Tell them to drop their weapons,¡± Sone adds.


    Dante shakes his head. ¡°No. This ends here. You tried to take her away, you failed to let this go.¡±


    Sone clocks his gun and focuses it on both of us. Is this how it ends? I think. I didn¡¯t want to end my life like this, but if I die, dying in Dante¡¯s arms would not be so bad.


    ¡°Com-¡± Sone doesn¡¯t finish the sentence. The car blows up, making everyone run to hide behind the cars. The explosion is far enough away, but a few shrapnelnds beside me and Dante. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asks. I look over to the burning car to where Sone was standing. I can see nothing but mes. I take a deep sigh. I¡¯m d it¡¯s over.

 Chapter 122

    DANTE


    She Sleeps like a baby. That must be the drugs working. After we came home, I called a doctor to assess her. She had been drugged; he said. Nothing lethal, but she was going to need to sleep it off. Even though I couldn¡¯t talk to her at the moment, the thought of leaving her alone was anathema. She is back again by my side. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to let her go. She had gone through so much and partly it was because of me. Mostly because of me. Would her father have been gung-ho to find her if he didn¡¯t know she was with me? Would he be able to find her?


    Her eyes flicker open. She looks around and tries to get up, but I gently hold her down. ¡°You don¡¯t need to get up. The doctor said you should rest.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Her voice sounds hoarse and sexy. I mp down on my shameless arousal. I should focus on helping her heal instead of thinking of making love to her. ¡°Do you want to sit?¡± I ask, already grabbing pillows and putting them behind her back so she can sitfortably. She adjusts her position looking around. ¡°You¡¯re in my room,¡± I tell her when I note her confusion. She had fallen asleep in the car and I carried her back here. This was the first time she woke up ever since the incident.


    ¡°What happened to Sone?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll no longer bother you.¡± She stares back at me.


    ¡°His remains are currently being recovered from the site.


    He burned off with the explosion.¡±


    ¡°Wow.¡±


    ¡°He shouldn¡¯t have touched you. I¡¯m sorry I let it happen.¡±


    ¡°Let what happen?¡±


    ¡°Sone shouldn¡¯t have been able to take you. And Sal¡­ I trusted that son of a bitch.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. I¡¯m pretty sure he would have found me regardless of what you did. Rob did the best he could to protect me.¡± Her hands go to her mouth. ¡°Oh my god, Rob. How is he? Is he still?¡±


    I shake my head, unable to say the words. The image of Rob¡¯s remains in the shallow grave Sal put him in is still seared in my brain.


    ¡°Oh, no.¡± Tears fill Corina¡¯s eyes as she reads my face.


    ¡°He was a true soldier. He will be missed. Not just by me, but by everyone in the family. And then your friend being evasive and all.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s Jesse?¡±


    ¡°Alive and well, although I would rather she wasn¡¯t.¡±This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°She is not my friend. She never wanted to be one, but please don¡¯t kill her.¡±


    Saying no to her is difficult, I¡¯m finding out. ¡°I won¡¯t if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    She gives me a weary smile, warming my heart. ¡°I can¡¯t believe Rob is dead. It¡¯s all my fault. If I hadn¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°No. If anyone is to me, it¡¯s Sone, and he met his fate in that fire, believe me.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do to Jesse?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s up to you.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the one who stole your money.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°And she was seeing Sal.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°I never thought she would betray me like that. I thought we were friends.¡±


    ¡°She was also using some of it to put a deposit on a house by the way. She didn¡¯t use all of that to pay her sister¡¯s medical debt¡± Corina¡¯s eyes widen. ¡°I figured she didn¡¯t tell you that part.¡±


    Corina shakes her head. ¡°She was the only friend I had in this city.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll find new ones.¡± I brush away a few strands of hair that fall to her face. She flinches slightly. A dull rm bell rings at the back of my mind. ¡°You should rest. You¡¯ve been through a lot.¡± She looks like she¡¯s going to contradict me, but she nods her head and sinks deep into the bed. I pull the covers over her. Thepulsion to kiss her temple is there, but I suppress it. Instead, I watch her as her eyes droop close and let her go.


    I¡¯m afraid to leave her alone and I want to stay by her side all night. She was gone from me once. She will not be away from me ever again. However, I hear familiar voices from behind the closed door. A knock follows. When I open the door, all my brothers are crowding the hallway looking anxious.


    ¡°We came as soon as we heard the news,¡± Nico says.


    ¡°How is she?¡± Rico says. Gio says nothing, but looks just as concerned as the others. I close the door behind me and gently push Nico to give me space. ¡°She¡¯s okay. It doesn¡¯t


    look like she¡¯s injured or anything like that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± Gio finally says.


    ¡°Can we see her?¡±


    ¡°You would only be disturbing her.¡±


    The twins look like they¡¯re about to protest, but Gio backs me up. ¡°He¡¯s right. Who knows what she went through? She probably needs some time alone. Plus, we need to talk strategy.¡±


    ¡°Strategy?¡±


    ¡°No one messes with us and gets to live.¡±


    Oh. They don¡¯t know. ¡°Sone¡¯s dead.¡±


    ¡°No fucking way.¡± Nico says. Gio curses.


    ¡°His car blew up with him in it. My men who stayed on the scene confirmed it. His charred body has been taken to a morgue, one of ours, to do full DNA confirmation, but I¡¯m


    pretty sure he¡¯s dead. I saw the car blow up,¡± ¡°Holy shit. You were there.¡± I nod.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Rico says.


    ¡°So, what do you need us to do?¡± Rico asks after a long bout of silence. ¡°For starters, get out of my hallway.¡± Nico and Rico both roll their eyes but do as I say. A few minutester, we¡¯re in my office. I tell them everything. Sal, Jesse, Sone¡¯s twisted ns for Corina. The more I speak, the angrier they get. I can see they want blood and they want it now.


    ¡°Enough,¡± Nico says when I get to the part of how Sal betrayed us. ¡°Where¡¯s that fucker?¡±


    ¡°Calm down, you¡¯ll get to him soon enough. Right now, we need to deal with Sone¡¯s people and business. They¡¯re in shambles at the moment. I¡¯m sure some don¡¯t even know that he¡¯s dead and others are probably trying to take advantage of the chaos. We should use this as an opportunity.¡± Gio nods. So do Rico and Nico.


    ¡°I might have a few ideas on how we can do that,¡± Gio says. For the next half an hour, we hammer out the n. It¡¯s risky, we¡¯ll need a few men to pull it off and some stealth, but if we do, we will sessfully fold Sone¡¯s family into our family and decimate any legacy Sone ever had while ensuring our family bes the most formidable in the city. The perfect revenge.

 Chapter 123

    CORINA


    I wake up from what feels like a year¡¯s long sleep. Dante¡¯s scent fills my nostrils the minute I open my eyes. I look around for him, but I soon realize I am alone. The blinds are drawn so I can¡¯t tell what time it is. There¡¯s something about waking up in his bed that¡¯sforting. The familiar surroundings are calming. I could get used to this. Where did thate from? Thoughts like that should be squashed, not entertained. They only lead to trouble. Just because he came for me, rescued me, doesn¡¯t mean his feelings are different now. His soft demeanor from thest time I was awake didn¡¯t count as well. I should banish those images from my mind as well. So what, he was kind? He was probably kind because he felt sorry for me.


    My stomach grumbles, taking me out of my thoughts. How long was I out? I get out of the bed and almost copse to the floor. My legs feel weak and my feet feel like walking on tiny needles. I try to walk again, shaking my legs in the process to let the blood rush down my body. I stumble towards the windows and open up the blinds. Light streams in, blinding me. I squint at the city skyline. Everything looks gorgeous, more so now than before.


    My stomach grumbles again. I really need food in my belly. Walking is hard, but I do the best I can. I stumble towards the kitchen where, expecting to see Colin and Vera, I insteade face to face with Nico and Rico. They¡¯re both at the stove arguing about something they¡¯re making when I walk in. ¡°Corina?¡± Nico says. He looks surprised to see me. ¡°She¡¯s awake!¡± Rico shouts, without taking his gaze off me. They both stare at me in a way that makes me feel selfconscious. ¡°What a surprise! We were getting worried there for a second,¡± Nico says. Before I can respond, Gioes in from the living room followed by Dante, who looks like he has aged years in a few days. That didn¡¯t do anything to diminish his looks. His gaze goes to me immediately, and he stares.


    My legs buckle. Even though he¡¯s at the other end of the kitchen, he closes the space between us so fast and catches me before I fall. ¡°You could have called me. There¡¯s no need to stress yourself,¡± he says as he perches me on a stool and sits on the one next to it.


    ¡°I was hungry.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Being out for three days does that to a person.¡±


    ¡°I was out for three days?¡± I turn towards Dante. He ces one hand around my shoulder and softly rubs it. ¡°Sone gave you some drug, and the doctor said you would sleep it out of your system. I guess he was right.¡±


    ¡°Dante didn¡¯t trust him,¡± Nico says. ¡°He almost killed the poor fellow when you didn¡¯t wake up after day one.¡±


    Ricoughs. ¡°You should have seen the way he-¡± Dante res at both and it renders them quiet. Nico clears his throat. ¡°You said you were hungry. Just so happens I was making breakfast.¡±


    Dante¡¯s voice is soft and makes my heart wobble when he says, ¡°You don¡¯t have to force yourself to eat my brother¡¯s pancakes if you don¡¯t want to. I can order food from the


    Hotel kitchen.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna order some food in case.¡±


    He gets up and calls the kitchen. As he¡¯s barking orders to some poor soul on the other end of the line, I turn my gaze to Gio who has been quiet throughout. ¡°You scared us when you disappeared on us,¡± he says.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    I shrug. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it again.¡± Gio sounds like a nun discipling a school girl. I chuckle, drawing the attention of Dante, who narrows his gaze at Gio. Gio rolls his eyes in turn and shakes his head. I have somewhere I need to be. Corina, wee back.¡±


    Soon after Gio leaves, Nico serves me his pancakes, which, contrary to Dante, taste fucking good. The food Dante orders arrives soon after and fills the entire counter. He pretty much ordered everything from the kitchen. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can eat all of this,¡± I say to him as the servers ce trays and tters of bread cupcakes, eggs, hash browns, sausages, bacon, jam, sauces, stuff I couldn¡¯t recognize, juices, tea and coffee. It¡¯s crazy.


    ¡°We¡¯re all joining in,¡± Rico says, as he grabs a piece of bacon and throws it in his mouth. ¡°But you should eat.¡±


    They all sit down and we all enjoy breakfast together like we¡¯ve been doing this for ages. A part of me wants this forever. Then I remember where I am and who I¡¯m with. This is probably a pity party for what happened to me. I had been abducted from his apartment, after all. They probably felt sorry for me. But if anyone was to walk in on us, they would think we¡¯re one big happy family. It reminds me of the brunches Jesse and I used to have together, except those memories are tainted now. Was she ever my friend, I wonder, or did she truly never care? Speaking of which, ¡°What happened to Jesse?¡± Nico and Rico, who had been chatting away, be quiet. Dante clears his throat. ¡°I did what you asked. I put her on the cklist, told her to get out of the city and to nevere back again. She¡¯ll be lucky if she can find work in the gambling industry or the hospitality industry or any industry worth its salt, for that matter.¡± ¡°She¡¯s lucky she got away with her skin intact for what she did to you,¡± Rico says, his words full of vitriol.


    ¡°Thanks for sparing her,¡± I say to Dante. I hope she was fine wherever she was, and that¡¯s the best I could hope for, for someone who betrayed me. Dante grunts a reply and smiles at me. My stomach wobbles. I really should get over myself. The more I stay in his presence, the more I want to believe that he cares about me. But why would he? He saved me. Out of pity. I must keep that in mind. But he seems changed. Which is the truth, is it care or is it pity?


    Rico suddenly rises out of his seat. ¡°We have a few things to take care of.¡±


    ¡°We do?¡± Nico says in the middle of raising his ss of juice to his lips. Rico nods and makes another gesture I can¡¯tprehend, but it seems like Nico understands. ¡°Right,¡± Nico says, getting up from his seat as well and chugging the rest of his juice. ¡°We have the thing that we forgot to do, uh see youter bro, Corina.¡± And like that, they were out of the penthouse in no time.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I say.


    Dante shrugs. I watch him as he lifts his mug to his lips and gets distracted with the way his triceps bugle and extend as he performs the simple act. There¡¯s something about him that¡¯s different now, that¡¯s for sure. It¡¯s as if there¡¯s a new attraction, I¡¯m feeling towards him that wasn¡¯t there before. Everything attractive about him has been heightened, and I don¡¯t know yet why. Then I notice something. ¡°You¡¯re bleeding.¡± I point at the arm of his white shirt that¡¯s quickly getting colored by blood.


    ¡°Fuck.¡± He drops the mug and lifts his arm. I stop grab his hand and to inspect. ¡°What happened?¡± I ask as I roll down the sleeve. ¡°Did this happen on the highway?¡±


    ¡°No. Yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± I keep forgetting that I was out for three days. ¡°What happened yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Taking care of business.¡± There¡¯s something about the way he says business that makes it sound both scary and exhrating.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I remove the poorly ced, reddening band-aid that¡¯s barely keeping in the wide gash beneath.


    ¡°Do you want to know?¡± His voice is low and raspy. Why does he make danger sound sexy?


    ¡°I want to know who would dare to hurt you.¡±


    His mouth widens. ¡°They can no longer hurt me. But most importantly they can no longer hurt you.¡± I catch a gasp just as it¡¯s about toe out. My gaze wander to his eyes. They¡¯re soft and warm. I don¡¯t want to believe.


    ¡°Is that the business you were taking care of? People who wanted to hurt me.¡±


    ¡°And making sure that no one messes with the Morelli Family. Sone, his goons and his entire family are either gone or under my family now.¡± He grabs hold of my chin and his gaze imprisons mine. ¡°No one messes with what¡¯s mine and gets away with it.¡±


    I really don¡¯t want to believe. But he¡¯s making it hard. I break the spell and look down at his wound. ¡°Where¡¯s the first aid kit?¡± He can tell I¡¯m avoiding the issue, but he goes along with me, ¡°Let me grab it for you,¡± he says instead and I watch him as he gets up from his chair and goes to one of the top drawers in the kitchen and takes it out. Hees back and ces it on the counter. He also grabs a ball of water and ces it next to the kit. I open the box, take out the requisite items, and take his arm into my hand. I begin by cleaning the wound. It doesn¡¯t look as deep as I initially thought, but it still looks a little nasty. ¡°How did you get the cut exactly?¡±


    ¡°A man came at me with a knife. I responded with a gun.¡±


    ¡°You should be more careful.¡± I blurt the statement so absent-minded that I don¡¯t realize that I¡¯ve said it out loud until he responds, ¡°I was in the heat of the moment, one could say.¡± I take a peek at his face. His burning gaze is unsettling. He should stop saying things like that. It makes it all confusing. I drag my concentration back to the wound I¡¯m dressing. After applying a disinfectant, I wrap the wound with a bandage, ensure that it¡¯s firm and hand him back his arm.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Anytime.¡± I put back the items lying on the counter back into the kit and close it, d to be of some use to him. I should be the one thanking him, after all.


    ¡°We should talk,¡± he says.


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°You and I-¡±


    ¡°We need to end this.¡±

 Chapter 124

    DANTE


    I¡¯m rendered speechless for a moment. All I can do is listen as she recites what feels like a rehearsed speech. ¡°I¡¯m grateful for what you did to save me, but I don¡¯t think you and I should be doing whatever this is that we¡¯re doing. After all, I¡¯m no longer in your debt.¡±


    ¡°Debt?¡± What the fuck is she talking about? If anyone was in her debt, it was me for treating her like shit. I made the twins disappear because I had a speech of my own prepared. After she nearly went out of my life, I realized something I had been refusing to face. I love her. I¡¯ve never loved anyone like this and I want to tell her all of that. To tell her she¡¯s my reason to live and I will do anything to have her stay by my side forever. And the amends, I am willing to atone for all of my past actions, but I can¡¯t say any of that, not when she¡¯s talking about the opposite of what I want to talk to her about.


    ¡°The money,¡± she says. Just as I¡¯m about to ask what money I remember the pact I made with her. Somehow that feels like a long time ago. Some bygone era where we were both different people. In a way, we were and we¡¯vee a long while from then.


    ¡°Does that matter anymore?¡± I say. ¡°There¡¯s more to us than that and you know it.¡±


    ¡°Really? What is it?¡±


    The words hang in the air. I¡¯ve been thinking about it ever since I came back and found this ce bloody and empty. I¡¯ve been thinking about it as I searched for it, I¡¯ve been thinking about it as shey asleep for three whole days. But now, as she stares back at me looking for a response, somehow, I can say those three little words.


    Part of me knows she won¡¯t believe me if I tell her. I haven¡¯t earned that yet and I need to show her how much she means to me before I can tell. Before now, I thought I had that time, now, not so much.


    She shrugs her shoulders and says, ¡°You¡¯re holding onto something that isn¡¯t there. Let me go.¡±


    ¡°What if I say no?¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°I-¡± This is not going the way I expected. I can feel my life crumbling and I have to hold on to her somehow. In some way. My hand reaches out for hers. It feels warm and fragile. ¡°When you were gone¡­¡± for a moment, I¡¯m at a loss for words. I have to tread carefully. ¡°When you were gone, for what I thought was forever, I realized that the time we had was more precious than any time I¡¯ve spent with anyone else-¡±


    ¡°Dante-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true. I may have been a bad person in the past and I¡¯ll be the first to admit that. And I am willing to show you I¡¯ve changed if you give me the chance.¡±


    She turns away from my gaze and focuses on nothing in particr as she says, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She begins to withdraw her hand, but I hold on. ¡°It might sound like I¡¯m lying to you, but I¡¯m not. All I¡¯m asking for is a month and after that, if you still want nothing to do with me, you can leave.¡±


    ¡°Why are you dragging this out? We have nothing inmon.¡±


    ¡°We have a lot inmon and if you give me the chance to show you, I will prove it to you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be wasting your time.¡±


    ¡°Time with you is never time wasted.¡±


    She draws her breath and drops her head as if in deep thought. Time slows down as I wait for her response. Finally, her gaze goes up to mine. ¡°Two weeks.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying¡­¡± I can¡¯t believe what I¡¯m hearing and even though two weeks feel short, I don¡¯t want to push it.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll give you the best two weeks you¡¯ve ever had.¡±     Week one had already passed, and nothing was going the way I expected. Everything I was doing wasn¡¯t working, and I had done a lot already. All of my attempts to win her over were either met with a slight raise of an eyebrow, a scoff or a shrug. I¡¯ve taken her to so many ces already. A trip to Paris, a trip to one of my private inds, a concert by her favorite artist. She enjoyed that one, but it was clear she didn¡¯t enjoy my being with her. I made sure to dine with her every night and talk about all her favorite things, but she barely contributed anything. She was either quiet or nodded along to whatever I said. By the end of the week, I was feeling frustrated until I received a call from the caretaker of my vi in Tuscany. The harvest was ready, and he wanted to know if I wasing. I had already made ns to go with Corina to one of her favorite shows, but I also didn¡¯t want to miss this. It would be the first time our factory produced anything edible. Maybe it would be better if I go with her. She might enjoy the ce. But then again, thest time I was with her there, her father wanted to kill her and she had to be whisked out by helicopter for her safety. It was also the same ce where she discovered who her father was.


    Just as I¡¯m mauling over whether I should ask her toe with me or not, she walks in. She enters the apartment with shopping bags in hand and Colin with another set of bags in tow. My heart swells. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen her use my money to buy something of her own. She turns to face me and I feel a gut punch. She¡¯s so beautiful. ¡°Oh hi,¡± she looks like a kid caught doing something she shouldn¡¯t. And in a way, so does Colin. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d be here. I


    thought you¡¯d be at work.¡±


    ¡°Finished early. I see you¡¯ve done some shopping.¡±


    ¡°This? Um, I hope you don¡¯t mind, but I wanted to get something for your men. Thank-you gifts for saving me.¡± My gaze jumps from her to Colin. His face turns a little red. ¡°The miss insisted,¡± he says without being prompted.


    ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do,¡± she adds. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    And here I was thinking she had finally gottenfortable with me enough to want to use my money. I don¡¯t know why she didn¡¯t want to use anything that was in my name. She hardly spends anything of mine unless we¡¯re at a dinner or event I invited her. She even insisted on going back to work, which I agreed after making sure there would be people on the floor watching out for her safety. I gave her a credit card ages ago, and the first purchase she makes is for my men. ¡°Not at all,¡± I say. She smiles and whatever apprehensions I had disappear.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to Tuscany on business.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be leaving me here?¡±


    ¡°Only if you don¡¯t want toe with me.¡±


    ¡°I do, if you think I won¡¯t be in your way.¡± I almost want to punch the air with joy. I didn¡¯t realize until she said yes, that I desperately wanted her to. This is it. Tuscany will be my final chance and I¡¯m going to make sure to bring my A game.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

 Chapter 125

    CORINA


    Dante has been the ultimate gentleman during the trip.


    And to be fair, throughout thest week. He kept to his promise of winning me over and has so far gone above and beyond. He hasn¡¯t even tried to have sex with me, and I am guessing he¡¯s waiting for me to make the first move in that regard. The only problem is what he¡¯s saying. He¡¯s being nice and chivalrous, yes, but it all seems calcted. I don¡¯t feel emotioning from him, nor does he even show me that he loves me. For all the time we¡¯ve spent together, he¡¯s never said the all-important words. It is difficult to stay resilient though, with all the ways he¡¯s spoiling me. I must stay on track. At the end of the week, I¡¯ll be leaving Dante and the Grand Pzzo all together.


    The cares to a halt at the front entrance of the Vi. Even without the wedding decorations and the hubbub of that day, the vi looks amazing. The old-world beauty is even more prominent now. We¡¯re greeted by a middle-aged man I sawst time we were here. Dante introduces him as the butler, a pleasant man called Enzo Luciano, or Luciano as he likes to be called. He introduces us to the rest of the servants and leads us inside the house. As we reach the grand staircase in the foyer, Luciano stops abruptly and whispers something in Italian to Dante. Dante responds and we continue. ¡°Anything wrong?¡± I ask as we make our way up the stairs.


    ¡°He was just confirming if he should have prepared two bedrooms. And I said yes.¡± He looks like he wants to say something else, but then looks straight ahead.


    ¡°I hope I¡¯m not getting in your way, meing here.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. Trust me, I would love somepany. I can give you a tour of the ceter. If you want, that is.¡±


    ¡°Nico showed me the cest time we were here.¡±


    His face falls. It¡¯s a tiny, almost imperceptible change of emotion, but I do notice it. Was he looking forward to showing me around? That doesn¡¯t make sense. I¡¯m sure he would see it as more of a chore than anything else. I probably read that wrong.


    Dante shows me my room, which is opposite his. It¡¯s a sumptuous space decorated in the same mix of contemporary and ssic Italian style. There¡¯s a big bed on one end, sofas, a settee next to a window that offers a view of sprawling hills and a door that leads to arge ensuite bathroom. It¡¯s more like a suite than a room. I have a feeling this is the secondrgest bedroom after the master. I take a shower, put on some clean clothes and a few minutester, there¡¯s a knock on the door. Dante is standing there when I


    open it. His hair is wet, and he has changed his clothes as well. Looks like he¡¯s also taken a shower. He looks fresh and irresistibly handsome. ¡°I was just thinking that maybe you might want to eat dinner at a local restaurant.¡±


    ¡°Of course, but I might have to change my clothes.¡± I doubt my jeans and t-shirt would be great for dinner at some fancy restaurant.


    ¡°You look perfect. You don¡¯t need to change a thing.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? I don¡¯t want to be the only one wearing jeans in a restaurant where everyone¡¯s dressed to the nines.¡±


    He bellows withughter. ¡°Trust me, where we are going, you¡¯ll be the one overdressed.¡±


    He was right. The restaurant Dante takes me to is nestled in the middle of a small town outside Tuscany and far away from the usual ces most tourists visit. It¡¯s a quaint little town that looks romantic in the orange light of the sun setting. It¡¯s not a rich town, as I can see from some of the run-down buildings we pass by, but it is serene and picturesque. One thing I notice as soon as we enter the restaurant is how most people recognize him. Some evene up to greet him after we¡¯re seated. Even the chef of the restaurantes to serve us. After the burly man is gone, I lean in to say, ¡°You should have told me that you were a local celebrity.¡±


    ¡°Hardly. But I guess you can say so.¡± He looks around the restaurant and I follow his gaze. More than a few patrons have their gazes turned towards us, some not even discreetly. ¡°What¡¯s your im to fame?¡±


    ¡°I helped revive a chestnut factory nearby,¡± he shrugs. ¡°I guess they give me the credit.¡±


    ¡°Is that the business you came to deal with?¡±


    He nods. ¡°It¡¯s the first time in a long time they¡¯ve been able to produce high-quality goods.¡±


    ¡°Wow. I would love to see the inside of a chestnut factory. What kinds of products do they make?¡±


    He frowns. ¡°You know, we don¡¯t have to talk about my boring business interests if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°No, I really want to learn.¡±This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    His eyes brighten and as heunches into an exnation of how he got to learn about the town. He was eating at this restaurant and got served great sauce. It was chestnut sauce that was legendary to the town. He became a regr and learned about how it was about to run out because the factory¡¯s previous owner wanted to destroy the factory and building a luxury tourist getaway. His face gets angry every time he speaks about the former owner and the neglect. And it shines whenever he talks about the people. I don¡¯t think I have ever seen him this passionate about anything, not even when he¡¯s gambling, something I¡¯ve learned he likes so much. Even this venture of his can be seen as a risky gamble, but he seems to not take it as such. It¡¯s clear that he¡¯s in love with a ce more than any other.


    After he¡¯s done talking about all the products they¡¯ve made and n on releasing next year, heunches into another talk about the employees until he¡¯s interrupted by the chef and two serversing with tes of food.


    ¡°I must be boring you,¡± he says. ¡°You should see your face.¡± He frowns.


    ¡°You love this ce. It¡¯s infectious.¡±


    ¡°That obvious, huh?¡±


    ¡°Howe you¡¯ve never told me about this before?¡±


    ¡°I tend to keep the things I love close to my heart, or so I¡¯ve been told.¡±


    My breath catches in my throat. His stare is hot and maic, making it hard for me to look away. There¡¯s something in those words too that dares me to hope. ¡°We should eat,¡± I blurt out.


    He chuckles and picks up his fork and knife. I follow his lead. The te is a crostini toscani as the chef called it. The first bite takes me to heaven. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever tasted anything so delicious as this. My eyes shutter as the vors burst in my mouth as I chew and I must have moaned out loud because I hear Dante say, ¡°Great, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    I open my eyes; heat rises to my cheeks. ¡°It¡¯s really good.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to love the ravioli. The chef here uses a different kind of pasta that makes it that much perfect.¡±


    Dante is right. The entree is just as full of vor as the starter. When I finish my te, faster than I thought I would, he encourages me to get the dessert, which is the castagnio and gto, a town dish. ¡°It¡¯s made from chestnut flour,¡± he tells me as I cut into the cake. ¡°The same one your factory will make?¡± He nods as I bite into the cake.


    The castagnio is amazing. The gto is just a cherry on top. ¡°I might just move into this restaurant and stay here forever.¡± Danteughs and so does the chef, who I hadn¡¯t noticed standing behind me. ¡°You can stay! We can find space for a beautiful woman such as you!¡± the chef says, his voice filled with mirth.


    ¡°Careful now, vio.¡±


    ¡°Eh,¡± he shrugs, hands in the air, ¡°I see a beautiful woman who likes my food. I take. Whether she¡¯s your girlfriend or not, fair is fair.¡±


    My cheeks redden even more even after vio is gone. After I¡¯m done eating the dessert, we order coffee as Dante and I talk about our lives. He¡¯s more inquisitive than I¡¯ve ever known him to be, and he seems genuinely interested in every topic I raise from my time with my mother to the other times I spent working in other casinos as a dealer.


    After we¡¯re done drinking coffee, we leave the restaurant. The moon is bright out and the small streets are lit in a low glow that is undeniably romantic. I don¡¯t know when or how it happens, but as we walk down the street, we end up on what feels like a leisurely stroll. ¡°I never knew you were that experienced,¡± he says after I finished telling him all about the politics at the casino tables.


    ¡°Are you not bored? Most people usually ze over when I talk about my work.¡±


    ¡°Well, I am a casino owner so I guess I understand where you¡¯reing from. You seem to enjoy it.¡±


    I shrug. ¡°It¡¯s work. It pays. I don¡¯t think about it more than that and maybe that¡¯s why I like it. I doubt I would have such a rosy outlook if I wasn¡¯t working at your casino,


    though. The other ces I worked for were shit.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have any other interests.¡±


    ¡°I do. I hope to be a trophy wife one day.¡±


    Dante looks a little surprised until he sees my smile. He chuckles. His hand feels warm in mine. When did that happen? Wee to a stop and I realize that we¡¯ve reached the car. We must have taken the longer route. He swings me around until I¡¯m facing him and takes me into his arms. His head drops, my heart thumps faster as I anticipate his lipsing to touch mine, but just when he¡¯s mere inches away from my lips, he says, ¡°You have to be the one.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The one to kiss me first.¡±


    His eyes are burning with desire, which I¡¯m sure is reflected in my own. Warm wind blows and he pulls me closer to him. I feel his hardening length. He wants me, that much is obvious, but is that all he wants? ¡°Does it matter?¡± My voice is barely a whisper. Anyone with a brain cell can tell I want him. He searches my gaze for what I don¡¯t know, then groans and lets his head drop down to my shoulder, ¡°I don¡¯t want to push you. I want to know that you want me for real.¡± He lifts his head, steps back and holds me at shoulders length. ¡°When we finally get together, I don¡¯t want you to deny it.¡±


    We get into the car and drive back to the vi in potent silence. His words are on my mind even when we reach the house and even as I sleep.     I don¡¯t know what I expected, but the factory is an old building with brand new equipment. Courtesy of Dante, the factory manager proudly tells me in broken English. He¡¯s taking us through a tour of the ce and showing us all the new machines as well as the production process. He¡¯s speaking mostly in Italian, while Dante interprets everything he says. At the end of the tour, he brings us the gship products. The chestnut flour and butter as well as freshly made chestnut cookies.


    ¡°Thank you for letting mee,¡± I say as we head out of the factory. ¡°The people here. They seem very grateful for youing to save them.¡±


    ¡°They did all the hard work. I just gave them the money.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t see it that way at all,¡± I say, thinking of one of the factory workers I was talking to who was in awe of


    Dante. ¡°You¡¯re their savior.¡±


    He grunts and changes the subject. ¡°We have the rest of the day together. I thought maybe you might want to see a bit of Tuscany. I can be your tour guide. What do you want to see?¡±


    We are in Tuscany, after all. ¡°The Leaning Tower of Pisa.¡±


    He rolls his eyes. ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? I¡¯ve always wanted to visit.¡±


    ¡°No problem with being a typical tourist.¡±


    The drive to the town of Pisa is further from the small town we were in is further than I thought and by the time we reach it I feel a little guilty for taking him this far out, but Dante¡¯s excited demeanor seems to indicate that he does not mind. ¡°Pisa,¡± he says when we reach the town, ¡°I assume you want to see the tower itself first?¡± I nod.

 Chapter 126

    He takes my hand in his so casually and yet I feel like I¡¯ve been jolted by an electric bolt when I feel his hand hold mine. He takes me to the tower as he promised, telling me everything about it, from its history and showing me the architecture inside. ¡°You know a lot about this ce,¡± I say after we exit the building. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know any better, I would have thought you googled all of this.¡± He turns away from me, as his face reddens. ¡°Oh, my god,¡± you did a little googling didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Guilty. But I wanted to impress you. Did it work?¡±


    ¡°It did. The Wikipedia rundown gave you away, however, you should have added a little re to your facts.¡± I still can¡¯t believe he wants to impress me, though. Try as I might not to think about it too much, I can¡¯t ignore the warmth inside. I squeeze his hand. ¡°Do you have more to show me,


    Mr. Tour guide?¡±


    ¡°Let me check my phone.¡±N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Iugh out loud and note that he doesn¡¯t ¡®check his phone¡¯ as he says, but instead he takes me to a local gallery filled with beautiful renaissance art by artists I barely recognize but appreciate nheless. After that, he shows me around the town, showing me all the cute ces and cool stores. Whenever I show interest in something, he goes out of his way to stop and inquire or exin more about it. At one point we enter a cafe and order some of the besttte I¡¯ve ever tasted as well as delicious cannoli. This is the best time I¡¯ve ever spent with someone and as we¡¯re sitting in the cafe, I tell him. ¡°Just in case I forget to tell you, thank you.¡±


    His gaze focuses on my mouth and he leans over and brushes the top of my nose. ¡°Cream,¡± he says I blush. He adds, ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever enjoyed this tourist-ridden city before, but somehow, whenever I¡¯m with you, everyone disappears.¡± The more he keeps saying stuff like this, the more my resolve falters.


    There¡¯s not much to do after that and we head back to the vi soon after. I¡¯m so exhausted from the trip that I sleep throughout the journey and I¡¯m only woken by the caring to a stop. It¡¯s already dusk and Dante¡¯s gaze is on me when I wake up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you have something more nned for me tonight.¡±


    His face, which was confident only a few seconds ago, clouds with worry. ¡°Are you tired? I only had a small dinner nned. I can cancel it, if that¡¯s what you want.¡± He seems so unsure it¡¯s only right to put him out of his misery


    immediately. ¡°As long as now one else is invited.¡± His gaze brightens as he shakes his head.


    ¡°Great.¡±     Dinner is a sumptuous affair with some of the Italian dishes I recognize, as well as others that I don¡¯t. Dante had the chef prepare food for the both of us before he left and it was up to Dante, on his insistence, to serve me. After we¡¯re done, Dante takes the wine bottle and two sses and we drink slowly by the fire. We were sitting separately, but I don¡¯t know how it happened exactly. But at a certain point during ourzy and tipsy conversation, I find myself sitting beside him with his arm around me.


    ¡°I wonder,¡± I say after staring at the fire for a while, ¡°if you we would have been together if it weren¡¯t for Jesse stealing your money.¡±


    He shifts his weight, but doesn¡¯t let go of his hold.


    ¡°Probably.¡±


    I look up at him. ¡°Probably?¡±


    He nods, facing down at me. ¡°Corina, I¡¯ve been obsessed with you ever since you first started working for me. I¡¯m sure at some point I would have found the courage to do something about it.¡±


    ¡°Ever since I first worked for you? That can¡¯t be true.¡±


    ¡°You were working on the main floor the first time I saw you and I was giving an investor a tour. It felt like I had been hit by a truck. I froze for what felt like hours and all thoughts except one flew out of my head. After that, I learned all that I could about you, all that was in your employee file, that is.


    I immediately became obsessed.¡±


    ¡°What was it?¡±


    ¡°What was what?¡±


    ¡°The one thought?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± He takes hold of my chin and draws it to face him. ¡°That I had to have you, no matter what.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t hold back the small ¡®oh,¡¯ that came out of me. All this time, he was aware of me while I was oblivious. Well, notpletely, but I never thought he saw me even that far back. He strokes my chin and draws me closer to him. I close my eyes and anticipate his lips on mine. That nket of magic he weaves around me whenever we kiss, but it neveres. I open my eyes. His gaze is on my lips. We are so close, just a slight movement and our lips would be touching. ¡°Remember what I said.¡± His breath caresses my lips as speaks. I do remember. He wants me to kiss him first. I want to. Right now, at this moment, there¡¯s nothing I want more. I close the tiny space between us and brush my tongue against his lips. He groans, but he remains still. He doesn¡¯t take hold of me. I brush my lips against his, and pull his head closer to me as I drink him in. He responds by lifting me up and having me straddle hisp as we kiss in earnest. His hands feel reverent as they hold me, as if he¡¯s afraid he¡¯ll break me if he holds me tighter. It¡¯s as if he¡¯s holding back.


    I break the kiss. ¡°Make love to me.¡±


    He groans and draws me in for another kiss. This time, he draws me down to the rug with him on top of me. His hands, while still reverent, are more urgent as he makes a quick work of my top, followed by my jeans and underwear. I help him divest off his clothes until we are both naked under the warm glow of the fire. He drops tiny kisses from the top of my forehead, down to my lips, past my throat, onto each nipple as he makes his way down to my pussy, where he licks andps until I¡¯m thrashing against his face. He lets me grip his hair as Ie in one big wave, but he¡¯s not done with me. He gets on his knees and draws himself up on top of me. My tingling pussy can feel the head of his hard cock nudging my opening. ¡°Fuck,¡± he whispers as he sinks deep inside me. I draw his head down for a kiss as he begins to move. His tongue mimicking his cock as he takes me to another orgasm. Our bodies move together in onenguage that only the both of can understand but cannot exin. When that final orgasm hits, we bothe together in unison as we cry each other¡¯s names.


    Dante cradles me in his arms in the aftermath, cing light kisses wherever his lips can reach in exhaustion. He¡¯s saying something, but I can barely make out the words over the loud thumping of my heart. As his lips reach closer to my ear, I make out the mantra. I cannot believe what I¡¯m hearing. I grab hold of his head and ask, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°I love you, Corina. I love you more than I love myself. I¡¯ve loved you ever since I met you. I love you and I don¡¯t care if


    you don¡¯t. I will love you enough for both of us.¡± I chuckle. I can¡¯t help myself. ¡°I love you too.¡±


    His eyes widen making me want tough even more. ¡°You do? You aren¡¯t just saying that?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do! I love you more than you can imagine.¡±


    He brings me in for another kiss that says all I need to know about how he feels. After what feels like both a long


    and short time, he says, ¡°Do you want to make it official?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    He disentangles himself from me and goes to the pile of clothes. Hees back with one hand behind his back. Then he sits next to me and brings forward the other hand. In it is a ck velvet box. He opens it. My breath catches. Inside is a diamond ring on a white gold band. ¡°Corina,¡± he says as my heart hammers against my chest. ¡°Will you marry me?¡±


    A rush of tearse out of nowhere and flood my eyes. I blink them away as I try to speak, but I can¡¯t, so I nod.


    ¡°You will?¡±


    When I¡¯m finally able to utter the words, I say, ¡°Yes. Yes, I will.¡±


    The End.


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