ã€ŠVengeful Liesã€‹


 : Chapter 1

    Another fucking note. What the actual fuck? A tic runs through my jaw as I press the buzzer, and the voice of one of my security teames over the speaker.

    ¡°How can I assist you, Mr. Monti?¡±

    ¡°Who was in my apartment?¡± I demand, looking toward the bathroom, where the note is pinned to the door by a fucking knife.

    I bounce between my apartment in New York City and my mansion just outside of it, staying in whichever suits my needs at the time. Both ces have had security breaches recently.

    ¡°No one, sir. As instructed, no one is to enter unless they¡¯re with you.¡±

    Fucking hell. I hang up.

    Who¡¯s the crafty little motherfucker barking up the wrong tree? Someone who seems to want a very slow and painful death. I really didn¡¯t want to install security cameras within my own home, but it turns out I might have to do exactly that.

    I pull the knife from the door, letting the crumpled piece of paper fall to my hand. I unfurl the scrunched-up ball and read the note written in bright red pen.

    Why is your underwear so neat and tidy, asshole?

    I clench my jaw. I swear to God, if this is Hawke ying a prank, I¡¯ll gut him for it. Then again, the kiss mark at the bottom of the note might indicate a woman. I know better than to underestimate a woman. However, I also know better than to underestimate my less-than-mentally-stable friends.

    I fist the note as I walk into my bedroom to find everything in perfect order, as it should be. My left eye twitches at the one drawer wide open¡­ my underwear drawer. I walk over to it and slice a quick nce down, and my teeth grind in irritation. ¡°What the actual fuck?¡± I say out loud.

    Whoever is fucking with me is good, I¡¯ll give them that. They know how to break into my apartment without leaving a trace, find my fucking underwear, and leave a dead fucking rat in it.

    Maybe it¡¯s not Hawke. Maybe it¡¯s his twin, Ford? He¡¯s a little more silent, but I wouldn¡¯t put it past him. They were, after all, adopted at fifteen by Anya Ivanov, head of the underground auctions. Even her husband, River, is known for his creative messages and executions, and I can say, at the very least, the twins are unpredictable. The only person who can keep them in line is their mother because they¡¯re shit scared of her. Hell, I¡¯m even a little scared of her.

    But even as a prank, I can¡¯t see why they¡¯d be so tempted to piss me off, especially with the pressure I¡¯m under from the head of the family¡ªmy father. And I adamantly refuse to let him or my mother catch wind of this. I deal with my own shit.

    It¡¯s infuriating that this has now happened twice, and I still haven¡¯t uncovered the person¡¯s identity. But I will.

    Walking into the kitchen, I find a stic bag and then head back to my bedroom, where I use the bag to pick the fucking rat from my underwear drawer. Now that I think about it, the whole drawer needs to go. And I need new fucking underwear.<hr>

    It doesn¡¯t take me long to throw out my entire drawer and make a few quick calls for everything to be reced. I¡¯m adjusting the cuffs of my suit as I step out of my apartmentplex. I deal with all manners of filth and torture, but something about a dead rat is just undignified.

    ¡°Took your sweet-ass time!¡± Hawkeins, leaning against my car. His twin, Ford, is flicking through his phone as he waits next to him. Though the two are identical, Hawke has a bulkier build from his extreme love of lifting weights, whereas Ford has a slimmer build, which is better suited for stealth. Both have tattoos, and people actively give a wide berth as they step around them¡ªthe two ooze mischief, hell, and death. The jet-ck hair and dark brown, almost ck eyes do nothing to counter otherwise.

    ¡°You said you just had to change your shirt, so what took you so long?¡± Ford asks, looking up from the phone and pinning me with those dark-brown eyes. I may or may not have just tortured someone, leading me to need to change shirts. I certainly wasn¡¯t expecting to find a dead fucking rat before my next meeting.

    I ignore them both. They answer to me, not the other way around. Where my father has only one loyal second, I have two.

    ¡°Neither one of you happens to be into wearing lipstick these days, do you?¡± I ask dryly.

    The two share a confused nce. ¡°Only around my cock,¡± Hawke replies as he kicks off my car andes toward me. As he does, a woman wearing ck heels barges between us.

    ¡°Whoa there!¡± Hawke snaps, taking a step back. The woman swings around furiously. She¡¯s striking, although ck shades cover her eyes, preventing me from getting a look at them. Auburn hair falls past her shoulders, and her bright orange dress is appropriate for the weather but not her ill temperament.

    ¡°Asshole,¡± she bites out, and I¡¯m almost shocked by her boldness, considering most people instinctually know not to look our way, let alone speak to us.

    ¡°She must be talking to you,¡± Hawke says in shock.

    I¡¯m exasperated by his constant antics. ¡°Why must she be talking to me?¡± I ask, irritated, but for some reason, I¡¯m unable to look away from the woman staring at me with such scorn.

    She puts her hands on her hips expectantly. What is she waiting for? An apology?

    I can¡¯t see her eyes through the dark lenses of her sses, but I sense she¡¯s rolling her eyes as she says with a pout, ¡°You don¡¯t even remember me, do you?¡± I think I would remember if I fucked her.

    ¡°Then it¡¯s sure as shit not me because I¡¯m trying to be celibate and not fuck anyone,¡± Hawke says as if that¡¯s answer enough as to why she¡¯s talking about me. I thought she was pissed about barging between us. Wasn¡¯t she?

    ¡°You literally fucked Tanyast week,¡± Ford reminds him.

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t count if she¡¯s already on the rotation,¡± Hawke says with a casual shrug. ¡°Look, toots, you owe my man here an apology. Don¡¯t take it personally that he doesn¡¯t remember you.¡±

    I realize then we have onlookers, most likely because of what appears to be three men berating one woman. A woman, might I add, who started this shit in the first ce.

    This time, with a brilliant smile and ignoring Hawke, she points at me and makes it very clear who she¡¯s addressing, ¡°Asshole.¡±

    Me? I¡¯m the asshole? Not far from the truth, but I still don¡¯t remember her.

    ¡°See, didn¡¯t fuck her,¡± Hawke says proudly like he didn¡¯t have any doubts.

    ¡°You¡¯re either new here or have a screw loose if you think you can speak to me that way,¡± I say with so much ice in my tone even my men beside me straighten. I don¡¯t give a fuck who she is; I don¡¯t make exceptions for men, women, or their dogs on how they will speak or act around me.

    But the woman doesn¡¯t flinch; she simply flicks her hair over her shoulder as she starts to walk in the opposite direction. She looks back over her shoulder and adds, ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be seeing you real soon, sweetheart.¡±

    I clench my fists and count to three, as my mother taught me, to reim myposure. To be honest, her number was a lot higher, but three seconds seems like enough time to pretend I have the discipline to not immediately break someone¡¯s neck.

    Before I step forward, she opens the door to a car, a little yellow beetle-looking thing. She doesn¡¯t even look back; the most dangerous act she¡¯s performed all day, especially with men like us.

    Who the fuck is this woman?

    She makes a point to wind down the window and flip us off as she drives away.

    My jaw tics. As I count to three again, I make a point to memorize her license te. Outright pulling a woman by her hair in broad daylight in the middle of New York City isn¡¯t one of my brightest ideas, which is why I bury the impulse.

    Hawke whistles as he casually puts his hands in the pockets of his torn-up jeans. ¡°She¡¯s fiery, that one. I thought you were seeing Michelle?¡±

    ¡°I am fucking Michelle,¡± I correct him. She¡¯s a means to an end, despite the pressure and stiption that we should marry to keep our family rtionship.

    Just then, my phone vibrates, and I pull it out to see a text message from an unknown number.

    Unknown number: Check your pockets, asshole. Thanks for the show.

    It¡¯s followed by a kiss emoji, and I¡¯m almost certain that my little I¡¯ll leave a dead rat in your drawer visitor is the same woman in the short orange dress who just flipped me off. It¡¯s rather extraordinary she was able to get my number in the first ce. That¡¯s one thing I do not hand out to women, not even Michelle, who I¡¯ve known for years and fuck on the regr. The only people who have my number are my family.

    I feel the edges of something in my pocket, furious that I hadn¡¯t even sensed her featherlight touch as she stepped between Hawke and me.

    A cool calm washes over me, hiding the rolling rage within as I pull out a small photo.

    ¡°Oh fuck, you keep souvenirs now?¡± Hawke asks, looking over my shoulder. I cut a re in his direction, and he immediately puts his hands up and takes a step back, although the asshole grins me.

    It¡¯s a picture of me and Michelle, from two weeks ago, outside of her apartment on the balcony as I fucked her against the railing. My hand is over her mouth, smothering her screams. I¡¯m fully clothed as she¡¯s bent over, taking my full length, tears streaming down her face.

    It was a sufficient night, enough to take the edge off at least. I left shortly after, even with her insistence that I stay.

    Scrunching up the image, I dial the number that texted me. It rings and rings with no answer.

    So I respond with the calmness of a man who¡¯s ready to burn a city down just to find the woman who¡¯s stupidly chosen to fuck with me.

    I go to slide the picture back into my pocket when I feel another; it¡¯s smaller than the first. A wave of cruel delight flushes through me, and I can¡¯t help but smile.

    ¡°It¡¯s always creepy as shit when you smile, man,¡± Hawke says.

    The photo is of my underwear drawer¡­with the fucking rat in it.

    A follow-up text message from the same number appears with a single kiss emoji.

    I throw Hawke the keys to the car. ¡°You drive. I have some work to do.¡± I don¡¯t even look up from my phone as I slip into the back seat, ready to find everything I can from that license te. I will ruin this woman. She¡¯s the perfect distraction, something I can destroy while I manage my fortune and responsibilities as the next head of the mafia in New York.

    Someone must have put her up to this, and I¡¯m about to discover who is daring enough to undermine my authority.

    It doesn¡¯te as a surprise that the tees back as a fake.

    The corner of my mouth tilts up, and I reply with a text of my own.

    Me: We can y this cat-and-mouse game, sweetheart. But it will be a deadly game and your body will never be discovered.

    I sign off with a kiss emoji.

 : Chapter 2

    But it will be a deadly game, h, h, h.

    Men like him make me sick, make me want to vomit all over his pompous, freshly-polished shoes.

    I hate men like him the most.

    Born into wealth.

    Fed on power.

    I bet they wouldn¡¯t know a day of hard living even if it hit them in the face. And I take slight satisfaction in being the sledgehammer hitting him in the face right now.

    ¡°You know you just have to ask, right?¡± my roommate, Jenny, says as she takes the heels out of my hand.

    ¡°I nned to, but you weren¡¯t here,¡± I reply with a nonchnt shrug.

    ¡°I have a phone, you know.¡± Fair point. ¡°Next time, please just ask.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best,¡± I lie, and I can feel her gaze on my back as I head toward my room.

    This apartment and my rtionship with her are conveniences. Nothing more, nothing less. Jenny and I have lived together for a year now. And I made it my mission to be exactly what she was gossiping about over the phone with her friend when I first moved in¡ªscary and imposing. She¡¯d only met me that day, but her assessment wasn¡¯t far from the truth.

    She works some admin job I couldn¡¯t care less about. And she thinks I only work at a restaurant; she doesn¡¯t know about my ¡°contract¡± work. I¡¯m very good at what I do, actually. I have very specific and unorthodox ways of making an ie¡­ and making people disappear.

    In truth, I¡¯m not much of a team yer. And I don¡¯t need to be.

    I throw my phone on the bed and then peel the orange dress off as I mimic the tone of Mr. Asshole. I thought I¡¯d throw in the ¡°You don¡¯t remember me, do you?¡± just to fuck with him.

    There¡¯s a startling truth to the beautifully unhinged man.

    I will certainly be his demise.

    Especially when I put a bullet between those ethereal eyes, just like my father taught me. Well, if he were alive now to realize the types of hit jobs I take, he might not be sofortable with the powerful men I target. But, hey, a girl has to find her own way in life.

    I slip into the shower, the scorching heat afort as I think about my father. Killing people was the only thing he really left me with the knowledge to do.

    He was the one to teach me how to shoot, and when he died when I was fifteen, I never stopped. I took more than a liking to sniper rifles in particr, although I¡¯m well-rounded in closebat, including knives and hand-to-hand. But my biggest thrill is through the scope of a sniper rifle because it challenges my uracy, even though I never miss the mark.

    My mother, who walked out on us when I was six and barely made reappearances in my life, hated my love for weapons. But at least when my father died, she gave me all of his guns. And to be honest, if she hadn¡¯t, I would¡¯ve stolen them anyway. I haven¡¯t seen her since his funeral. She has what she once openly told me was her ¡°normal family.¡± Some fluffy white-picket-fence bullshit that I don¡¯t entirely understand or care for. I¡¯m good as long as I have my guns.

    Ither the shampoo through my hair as I get ready for my day job waitressing because every multi-millionaire with blood money needs a cover story, right? Okay, so this definitely wasn¡¯t the direction my father intended for me.

    He was one of the best snipers for the Air Force¡ªso a good guy. It was when he told me I was better than him that I knew I wanted to do some type of work around guns¡ªjust not the same as what he did. Discipline, rules, and restrictions in the armed forces would be too much for me, considering how much havoc I wreaked for my father, even under his strict guidance.

    What can I say? I like to rebel.

    The only person who keeps me in check, and I use the phrase ¡°in check¡± loosely because no one has control over what I do, is my father¡¯s friend, Craig. He¡¯s a retired contract killer who got me into this game in the first ce after someone was looking for the perfect shot. He offered me an opportunity to make the type of money I wasn¡¯t familiar with. Turns out I like money¡ªa lot.

    I killed my first target at the age of eighteen from two miles away. After that, offers came in from everywhere, and Craig guided me down the bloody path of being one of the best.

    When I step out of the shower, I dry my body, my gazending on the bright neon bear tattoo with sharp ws and fangs gracing my hip. I roll my eyes every time I look at it, remembering how stupid I¡¯d been when I had some guy ink it on me when I was sixteen.

    I stare at myself in the mirror, hating the same light-brown, amber-colored eyes that look just like my mother¡¯s. My hair¡¯s a tangled mess, and I sigh, exhausted from the recent turn of events surrounding my current target.

    I don¡¯t often toy with my targets.

    Not until Inded in New York City because of another job.

    The first hit was easy money. After that, I stayed because I liked New York.

    I liked the clothes, the city, and the eptance to be whoever I wanted to be or pretend to be.

    My most recent target: Eli Monti.

    Son to the reputedly cruel Crue Monti, who runs the Italian mafia within the city, and Rya Monti, an infamous criminalwyer. The soon-to-be twenty-six-year-old is intent on taking over the family business. The caveat is, in Monti family tradition, he has to marry before taking ownership of the business. His father was thirty-four when he married and took over, so Eli is certainly an ambitious little prick. Too bad he isn¡¯t going to make it to his wedding day.

    I¡¯m probably saving him from misery. Marriage only leads to shackles, confinement, and, statistically, divorce. I smirk as I blow dry my hair, thinking of the excessive amount I was once paid to end a powerful businessman so his wife didn¡¯t have to go through the motions of a divorce. Instead, she became a widow with a very nice inheritance. That¡¯s the only type of divorce I approve of, and at least she kept to her vows of ¡°until death do us part.¡±

    Men undermine women far too much, which it gives me great satisfaction being the Grim Reaper.

    Had I half a heart, I might feel bad for Eli with the expectation of having to be married before he can take over the business. That¡¯s old school, but I guess some traditions don¡¯t die. Fuck that. I¡¯m the opposite; happy being single, fucking whoever I want when I want. Commitment is overrated.

    I dive onto my bed, the towel loosely wrapped around me as I grab my phone and kick my legs back and forth as I begin whistling a tune. I open up the surveince app where I can check the cameras and bugs I nted in Eli¡¯s penthouse and private home.

    I smirk when hees into view in his mansion. He often switches between the two properties for reasons I don¡¯t yet understand. I had my friend Rory help me set up the surveince equipment. I¡¯m good at sneaking around and killing, but I¡¯m not tech-savvy, and it definitely helps to have eyes and ears on this asshole when I¡¯m ying the long game with him.

    Merrily whistling my tune, I take a moment to appreciate the way he looks.

    Eli has style, that much is clear, but it¡¯s more of a clean-cut, all-ck style. And it¡¯s obvious his suits are worth a pretty penny. His jaw is covered in short stubble, and he always wears expensive watches. But it¡¯s his eyes that look so light they¡¯re almost silver, and they are most striking against his rich, tanned Italian skin.

    I¡¯ve noted several other things about the mafia prince since I started keeping tabs on him.

    One: He never brings a woman back to his ce. No matter who the vor of the month is, he only ever goes to their ce, and he never stays the night.

    Two: He is particr in the sense that if I were to move a picture frame a quarter of an inch from where he ced it, he¡¯d probably quite literally kill me for it. Everything has an orderly ce and purpose.

    Three: He¡¯s as lethal about his dealings in business as the rumors say. I¡¯ve watched him murder so many people for far less than adjusting his figuratively perfectly ced picture frame.

    He removes his ck suit jacket, the bulges and indents of his muscles flexing under his crisp, clean white shirt. He¡¯s also covered in tattoos. Tattoos you don¡¯t ordinarily see with the long-sleeved shirts covering them unless he rolls up the sleeves or unbuttons his shirt. He has none on his neck or hands, unlike his weird-ass friend Hawke.

    If I didn¡¯t have to kill him, I would find him very attractive. But I know better than to take an interest in my targets.

    y with him. And when I give the order¡­ end him. That was the request by my anonymous client.

    So that¡¯s what I¡¯ve been doing. It¡¯s not how I usually do things, but I couldn¡¯t say no to the money offered. I get paid a lot to kill people, but to y with Eli Monti, I get triple my standard price.

    The money for this job is fair, considering the risk I take by not having the element of surprise. But it¡¯s what makes it thrilling as well.

    My screen lights up with a new text message¡ªanother directive from my client.

    Anonymous Number: Be at this event at 8 pm sharp. Masquerade.

    It¡¯s not umon for hits to be made anonymously, and I don¡¯t have enough ethics or morals to care about who I¡¯m killing, why, or who hired me when the money is deposited in my ount.

    I huff, irritated at the short notice and the fact that I¡¯ll have to cancel my shift tonight at the restaurant. Not that I really give a fuck about that job.

    More importantly, what am I going to wear? I ponder that as I pull out my pretty gold credit card. I mean, I suppose a beautiful dress is considered a work expense, right?

    I smile and throw off the towel.

    So, ying with Eli Monti is what I will do.

    Until the timees for me to kill him

 : Chapter 3

    My father stares down at his messenger with disdain. Blood pools around the man¡¯s head, and I continue to focus on myptop screen as if nothing has gone amiss. The tension is palpable, primarily because of the thick file the messenger left at the edge of the desk.

    ¡°You know your mother doesn¡¯t like it when you get blood on the floors,¡± my father scolds angrily. My scathing re reaches his dark eyes, and we remain like that, the clock ticking ever so loudly through my parents¡¯ office.

    Crue Monti is almost sixty-two years old, but he looks good. A few strands of silver shoot through his ck hair, and his dark and depthless eyes, are just as mesmerizing now as they were when he was younger. People are either too stunned to look away from him, frightened by what he might do next, or avert their gaze immediately, submissively¡ªtheir survival instincts kicking in.

    I don¡¯t fear my father. I love him. Our bond is just a little different from most.

    ¡°Hawke. Ford. Come and clean up this mess,¡± my father barks at my men standing outside the room.

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Hawke says merrily as he all but skips in, an obvious screw loose. Ford silently follows.

    ¡°They don¡¯t answer to you,¡± I grit out.

    My father arches an eyebrow, and a smirk creeps onto his face. ¡°You¡¯re in my house, son. Everyone in this house listens to me. And until you take over the business, I own every one of theckeys you choose to hire.¡±

    ¡°To be more urate, sir, we¡¯re more like best friends,¡± Hawke says.

    ¡°I apologize. My brother never knows when to hold his tongue,¡± Ford adds.

    I sigh and look away, my irritation growing. These fucking idiots. My father tolerates them, not like my mother, who has basically adopted them, but he¡¯s epted that they¡¯re like annoying flies that won¡¯t go away.

    Father takes a seat across from me. ¡°Would you like to exin why you killed one of my men and haven¡¯t yet opened the file I specifically asked him to hand you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to marry any of these women.¡± I re at the file as if it¡¯ll scorch my skin even to pick it up.

    I fucking refuse.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with an arranged marriage. That¡¯s how your mother and I met,¡± he says calmly, with a tone I know is anything but. It¡¯s only because my mother is somewhere in the house that he¡¯s on his best behavior. Lord forbid he gets in trouble because of me. Again.

    He might be the most powerful man in New York, but my mother is the true figure to be feared. I love my mother, but I could never imagine a woman having that kind of hold over me. Ever.

    Hawke and Ford efficiently drag the body out.

    ¡°No offense, Pops, but you¡¯re old as fuck now. Arranged marriages aren¡¯t a thing anymore.¡±

    ¡°If you want to take over the business fully, it will be something you¡¯ll acquaint yourself with very quickly.¡± I hold his stare. ¡°Or you find a wife on your own. I don¡¯t give a fuck what you do with her besides fill her belly with a child. Do as you please, but you will not be the exception to family tradition.¡±

    My mother¡¯s voice cuts through the room. ¡°He says that, but what he means is you need to find someone who can match you and be your rock. There will be no other women outside of your marriage,¡± she says with a warning tone as she walks through the door. I stand, and she gives me a weing hug. My father¡¯s jaw clenches; he¡¯s always jealous of anyone else who gets attention from her.

    ¡°You want me to retire, but you want our cold-hearted son to find love at the same time? You¡¯ll be waiting a while, princess,¡± he says as he stands and adjusts his suit. He¡¯s always called her that, dotingly staring and longing for her in every capacity. My mother¡¯s gaze softens as she smiles and takes his hand.

    She¡¯s dressed in a tight maroon dress, her caramel-colored hair falling in waves down her back. ¡°You will retire by the end of this year. We agreed on this when you turned sixty, and it¡¯s far past that.¡±

    ¡°And Eli will marry before the end of the year,¡± he states.

    My mother sighs and looks at me again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, honey, but I agree with him. It¡¯s tradition.¡±

    Being born with mob ties on both sides of my family, I¡¯m shackled by tradition and expectation. Sure, I can kill whoever I want with good cause, but make sure I pick a nice little delicate wife to have all their grandbabies. I snarl at the thought.

    ¡°You can go through the fileter. We have a party to attend,¡± my mother says, trying to dissipate the tension. ¡°And would someone like to exin to me why the Ivanov twins are dragging a body around my polished wooden floors?¡±

    A noticeable cold shudder runs over both my father and me, and I roll my shoulders ufortably. I wonder if he¡¯s about to snitch on me, so I clear my throat. ¡°Would you believe me if I told you he slipped because of how well-polished the floors are?¡±

    My mother shoots me a deadpan look, and I know I¡¯m about to get an earful. I reluctantly sit down for my millionth lecture about the fucking floors.

 : Chapter 5

    I¡¯m furiously tapping my finger against my leg, insufferably pissed off by a certain little smart-ass vixen who is currently tied up in an old warehouse in which I like to do some of my more unsavory business.

    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s kind of funny,¡± Hawke says, breaking the silence. Ford and Dutton stare at him in disbelief, but the moment he meets my gaze, he simply chuckles and shrugs. ¡°She got one up on you. Credit is due when it¡¯s due, no?¡±

    When my silence continues, he sighs. ¡°I¡¯ll remove myself from the room.¡± And he does precisely that.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go and beat some sense into my brother,¡± Ford says, excusing himself as well.

    I choose to focus on the small hole in my thigh from her cute little knife wound that has since been stitched and bandaged. I¡¯m currently waiting for little miss to wake up from the chloroform Dutton surprised her with earlier.

    She mumbles under her breath, and Dutton peers down at her, a loose lock of hair shifting over his forehead. I don¡¯t like how close he is to her, so I clear my throat. This grabs his attention, and he looks over his shoulder at me.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just kill her?¡± he asks.

    ¡°Because I would like to know who put her up to this little stunt.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s pretty,¡± Dutton adds.

    ¡°She¡¯s wearing a mask,¡± I deadpan. We could¡¯ve easily removed it. In fact, Hawke had to disy a discipline he¡¯s never known when I told him no one was to remove it. This is my prize to unwrap as I see fit.

    ¡°A mask doesn¡¯t hide her figure or¡ª¡± Before I can cut him off myself, her massive gasp to consciousness draws both of our attention.

    Her amber gaze scans the room as she fights her restraints. Her eyes remind me of a tiger¡¯s¡ªwild and untamed.

    ¡°Motherfucker,¡± she curses with a groggy voice. ¡°Big mafia boy couldn¡¯t fight his own battle. Had to get his friends to help pin me down?¡± she snaps with as much tenacity as a wild animal caged with no way of escape.

    I remind her of the words she used against me only hours ago. ¡°It¡¯s nothing personal, just business, Kitten. Don¡¯t be upset because I took a much more effective approach.¡±

    She rolls her eyes as if I¡¯m being a petty fuck, but she doesn¡¯t even know the meaning of the word yet. I want to smack the brat out of her. ¡°It¡¯se to my attention that you don¡¯t realize how serious this is.¡±

    She blows a piece of her hair from her eyes as she focuses on Dutton, and I don¡¯t like her looking at anyone or anything other than me, especially when I¡¯mmanding her attention. When I¡¯m in a space, people only look at me. Only give me respect. This little vixen should already be six feet under.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call this serious. But I must confess, I¡¯m used to doing the tying up, not the other way around.¡±

    Dutton¡¯s eyebrow arches and a sly smirk crosses his features. My re warns him to be silent and that he better fucking wipe that smirk off his face. He immediatelyplies.

    ¡°I¡¯m assuming pretty boy did the tying up. I can¡¯t imagine you being so delicate and patient,¡± she says dryly.

    I take three long strides until I¡¯m looming over her. I pinch her cheeks and pull, wanting to stop that sharp little tongue of hers. ¡°I can be delicate,¡± I lie.

    She scoffs. Fucking scoffs. But when she focuses on me again, there¡¯s an undeniable fire in her amber gaze, something I want to break into a million pieces. Had she chosen to fuck with any other man, it might have worked in her favor. But she is shit out of luck here tonight. I release her cheeks. ¡°Who sent you?¡±

    She shrugs, even in the tight restraints, as if she¡¯s in the mostfortable seat in the room. ¡°I told you, I don¡¯t know the name of the client. I just get amunication with the name of the target.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re what, a trained assassin or something?¡± Dutton asks. My scathing re has him realizing his mistake.

    A slow smile crosses her fuckable, plump lips. It was only by chance that I noticed her tonight, and I still don¡¯t have any information on this woman. I still don¡¯t even know her fucking name. Dutton asking that question outright gives her that revtion.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t possibly be,¡± she says sarcastically. ¡°I¡¯m just a woman. I couldn¡¯t possibly be deadly.¡±

    I smirk at that, thinking of an ample number of women who people should be terrified of. ¡°The wound to my leg might say otherwise.¡±

    ¡°I was being polite. I could¡¯ve aimed for your chest.¡±

    ¡°So why didn¡¯t you?¡± I ask, twisting my features into an uncharacteristic smirk. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve fallen for me already, sweetheart.¡±

    She seems to shrivel at my smile. ¡°Hey, pretty boy, you¡¯re going to have to train him better at smiling because that shit is creepy as fuck.¡±

    In my peripheral, I can see Dutton is trying his hardest not to grin.

    ¡°Leave us,¡± I say to him. He seems hesitant as he looks between me and Kitten, the tension palpable, but he makes the better judgment to excuse himself. Because I don¡¯t take disobedience well. The length of time it takes him to leave the warehouse sobers her up enough to realize the precarious position she¡¯s in.

    I drag a chair closer to her and hang my hands casually over the back of it. I¡¯m curious what she looks like. I can tell she has high cheekbones,e fuck me lips, and a sharp nose. I pull the knife from my pocket, and she swallows hard. Her jaw is clenched, and I can tell she¡¯s trying her hardest to save face. I¡¯m impressed.

    ¡°Are you sure you want to die for this cause? I can be very amodating if you tell me the truth. Tell me who sent you,¡± I say as I casually lift the de toward her face.

    She¡¯s grinding her teeth but doesn¡¯t break eye contact. I can sense and smell the fear on her all the same, even if it doesn¡¯t break through to the surface.

    ¡°I told you I don¡¯t know,¡± she responds tightly.

    ¡°Vengeful lies will have you winding up dead, Kitten,¡± I exin. Curiosity gets the better of me as I slice the ribbon of her mask, and it falls to one side. My eyes widen slightly at my first glimpse of her.

    Too beautiful.

    Too tempting.

    As most deadly things are.

    And those iridescent amber eyes, despite the hint of fear ring in them, refuse to look anywhere else.

    A tigress indeed.

    When she doesn¡¯t speak, I do. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    Her eyebrows crinkle in confusion. It¡¯s barely noticeable as she tries to mask her reactions, but very few things go unnoticed by me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any family to go after if that¡¯s what you¡¯re angling at.¡±

    My lip twitches. Beautiful and smart. But deadly being the most vital factor to remind myself of.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make you a deal. You tell me your first name¡ªyour real first name¡ªand I¡¯ll let you go. Lie to me, and I¡¯ll kill you.¡±

    Her eyebrows bunch again. ¡°And why would you let me go?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps I¡¯m feeling merciful tonight.¡±

    She bursts intoughter, and it¡¯s the wildest, most unhinged, beautiful thing I¡¯ve ever heard. ¡°You¡¯re fucking with me, right? You¡¯re just going to let me walk out of here?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a man of my word.¡±

    She looks me up and down. ¡°Even though I put a knife in your leg and I¡¯m still most likely going to try and kill you?¡±

    She¡¯s either too honest or cocky to mention the fact that she¡¯ll still go after my life. Maybe I¡¯m a sadist, but I feel hardly satisfied by this short-lived cat and mouse game. And I can¡¯t help but feel there¡¯s something more going on here. I need to figure out who the puppeteer is pulling her strings.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know, my mother shot my father in the leg on their wedding day, and they¡¯re still happily married. So a knife wound is nothing but forey to me, Kitten.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you hand me the knife and let me tie you up, and then we¡¯ll see how much forey you can handle.¡± The imagery her words conjure shoots straight to my cock.

    Fuck me.

    Where has this woman been all my life?

    ¡°Tell me your name,¡± I demand.

    Most sane people would do anything to survive, but this woman seems to be built as stubborn as theye.

    Finally, however, she exhales, defeated. ¡°Jewel. My name is Jewel.¡±

    I stand, pushing through the pain in my leg that is most certainly stirring a reaction in my cock. I have every belief it has nothing to do with the wound itself but with the woman tied up in front of me. With a clean slice, I cut away the ropes. I almost expect her toe out swinging, instead, she remains still, warily watching me.

    ¡°If I were you, Jewel, I¡¯d make sure not to leave town. No matter where you run to, I will find you. You stay in town until I flush out your client.¡± I turn my back to her and head for the door, satisfied with the way she looks dumbfounded and furious at the same time. I make a point to flip her knife in my hand as I walk out, deciding to add it to my collection.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have one of my men drive you home. Full disclosure: if you try anything on them, they will brutally murder you,¡± I say as I look over my shoulder with a cruel smirk.

 : Chapter 6

    The smart thing would be to pack all of my shit and leave the country. But the undeniable truth is, I¡¯ve never stepped away from a challenge, especially from a man. Especially one who I¡¯m being paid arge amount of money to fuck with. Tonight was a failure. I contemte the events as I stare up at the ceiling of the hotel room.

    Of course, I wasn¡¯t going to let his thugs drive me straight to my apartment, so I booked a hotel in a different neighborhood. It should only be for a few days until I think of something. But does it really matter if he figures out where I live? I do believe Eli about one thing he said. If he wants to find me, he will.

    I should¡¯ve killed him. The moment I had the opening, I should¡¯ve embedded that de in his chest; then, there would have been no way he could¡¯ve followed me. Sure, his men would most likely haunt me for the rest of my days, but at least I¡¯d have finished the job.

    I stare at my phone screen, furious at my situation. My client hasn¡¯t sent me another message. The longer they have me stretch this out, the more my life is in danger. And besides, isn¡¯t it pointless now that he knows my identity? Well, he sort of knows; he only has a first name.

    I sigh, ridiculously pissed, and hit one of the two numbers I have saved in my phone. Craig answers on the second ring. ¡°It¡¯ste. Everything okay?¡±

    ¡°Hypothetically, what would you do if your identity waspromised on a hit?¡± I ask.

    ¡°I¡¯d get the fuck out of there. I¡¯ve never had it happen, though,¡± he says cautiously.

    Fuck. That means I¡¯ve majorly fucked up.

    Craig has been like a father figure to me since my dad died, and he¡¯s been a source of information to help me navigate strange situations in the business. But even I know this is a doozy. ¡°Has your identity beenpromised, Jewel?¡±

    I consider his question.

    I mean, technically, no.

    Just a first name, right?

    ¡°No. I just had a close call, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like the sound of that,¡± he growls.

    ¡°Yeah, well, it¡¯s high on my shit list too. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve got it sorted.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s the target, Jewel? If there¡¯s even a slight chance you¡¯ve beenpromised, it could be a matter of life and death.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know. Hey, I¡¯ve got another calling through, so I¡¯ve got to go,¡± I lie.

    ¡°Jewe¡ª¡±

    I hang up and call the only other number I have saved. Rory answers on the eighth ring, and before they can evenin about the time, despite the fact that they¡¯re a night owl, I blurt, ¡°I need you to get as much information as you can on the Monti, Ivanov, and Taylor families. Dig further than the files you¡¯ve already given me. Add in anyone else of interest I need to know about. You know I¡¯ll pay your price.¡±

    If we are going to y this cat-and-mouse game, I¡¯ll make sure to be fucking prepared.

    Eli Monti made a mistake letting me go.

 : Chapter 9

    ¡°<span>Why did you do that?¡± Dutton asks as we get out of the car. They¡¯d all been smart enough to remain silent in the car, but my cousin has always had the uncanny ability to provoke me where the other two at least know where to stop.

    ¡°Do what?¡± I ask him.

    There is no reason or rhyme to what I do. I do what I want when I want.

    And he thinks because we¡¯re blood, it keeps him immune from my temper.

    ¡°You invited her to the club. Why would you do that?¡±

    I look up at the elegant building that belongs to Edward Graham, a man with whom it would appear I have unfinished business.

    When I don¡¯t answer Dutton, he sighs, frustrated. ¡°Will found everything on her, you know that. Why are you pushing this? If your father knows someone has a hit out on you, he¡¯ll deal with it immediately himself.¡±

    I impose on his space, and Hawke and Ford have better sense than to get between us. My cousin is shorter than me, but he isn¡¯t deterred by the physical difference. Very few intimidate him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with this. And if you so much as speak of this to my father or mother, I won¡¯t be lenient with you.¡±

    ¡°Need I remind you that I don¡¯t work for you?¡± Dutton all but snarls.

    ¡°No, but you sure as hell like to get up in my business.¡±

    Dutton smiles, actually fucking smiles, like a wild man. ¡°Fucking pussy whipped already.¡±

    I grab him by the cor of his shirt. ¡°What the fuck did you say to me?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t repeat myself,¡± he says, cing his hand over mine. ¡°And as much as you¡¯re being an asshole right now, you¡¯re still my cousin, and I will always protect family. Even if you can¡¯t see clearly right now.¡± He breaks my grip on his shirt and pushes me away.

    I don¡¯t have to answer to anyone, but I remind him, ¡°Someone has a hit on me. I¡¯d rather unravel which family is behind pulling the trigger, not the woman behind the scope. I can handle her.¡±

    ¡°Keep your enemies close, huh?¡± Hawke says, trying to dissipate the tension. I adjust my suit, and Dutton brushes his light-brown hair back, not that any of it is out of ce. His square golden ring shines in the light, and I remember thest time he clocked me with it. That ring has certainly busted my lip more than once.

    ¡°Besides, we¡¯re here for business,¡± I remind Dutton, who cracks his neck to one side and then the other. This is a personal matter for him, too.

    We enter the office space, which is arge twenty-story building filled with agents. I don¡¯t even spare a nce for the receptionist as we stride to the elevator and hit the button for the top floor.

    It¡¯s a tight fit with all four of us, and I adjust the cuffs of my suit out of habit.

    ¡°I like her,¡± Hawke blurts randomly from behind me. Dutton side-eyes him, and Ford nudges his brother. This fucker never knows when to shut his mouth or leave something alone.

    ¡°You can never read a room, can you?¡± Ford shakes his head in disapproval.

    ¡°What I¡¯m saying is maybe you should marry her so your father can finally hand everything over to you, and once you¡¯re done with her, knock her off if you¡¯re already nning on doing that.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a fucking stupid idea, Hawke. Eli isn¡¯t going to marry a woman who puts fucking rats in his drawers and stalks him,¡± Dutton barks back.

    Ford cautiously asks, ¡°So why does he look like he¡¯s thinking about it?¡±

    And I do everything to refrain from smirking. Hawke¡¯s not the brightest guy, but sometimes that motherfucker is a genius. But I¡¯m not sure if I want to deal with the hassle.

    The elevator doors open, and I see Edward grappling with the phone. Most likely it¡¯s the receptionist advising him we¡¯re on our way.

    ¡°M-Mr. Monti, what a p-pleasant surprise,¡± he stutters. Thest time I saw Edward was at Michelle¡¯s party, and I had my arms wrapped around his throat after he tried to assault one of the women there.

    I¡¯m no hero, and I¡¯m not here specifically for that. What I want is my money.

    ¡°I have the money. It¡¯ll just take one more day to transfer. Or I can give you the cash right now.¡±

    Hawke and Ford take either side of the door to ensure no one interrupts us, and I step toward his desk, evaluating therge room. It¡¯s shy for a corrupt ountant, and it¡¯s good to see the money he owes my family has been going elsewhere.

    Dutton stops at the edge of the desk, but I walk all the way around and look down on the fat little man whose eyes are ck and swollen from the broken nose my tigress gave him. My upper lip twitches. She broke it well.

    He scampers out of his chair and presents it to me. I sit, kicking my feet up onto the desk. I pull out a cigar and light it. Edward doesn¡¯t seem to know what to do with himself and stands awkwardly to the side, a foot away from me and Dutton.

    ¡°I have the money.¡±

    I smile and look at the boys, as if imploring them to get in on a joke. ¡°The problem is, Edward, I shouldn¡¯t have toe in here personally to receive it or remind you. I only do reminders once.¡±

    ¡°If this is about the woman from the party, I didn¡¯t know she was yours¡­¡± he says nervously.

    I give nothing away. ¡°Everything in this city is mine, Edward. Including you.¡±

    I¡¯ve done my research on Edward, and he¡¯s a disgusting piece of shit who is underhanded and especially grotesque toward women. ¡°Everyone and everything are receable, though, aren¡¯t they?¡± I add, and I swear the motherfucker is about to piss himself.

    I find the button to the window shutters and press it, the slow pace of them dropping, agonizing the man in front of me as he turns a noticeable shade paler.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have the money to you by tomorrow. I swear,¡± he promises.

    ¡°That¡¯s good, Edward. But as punishment, you will now give us a forty percent cut of your profits.¡±

    His jaw opens and closes several times before he says, ¡°But it¡¯s only at twenty percent now, that¡¯s?¡ª¡±

    With lightning speed, I jump out of my chair and pull out my new favorite knife, the one I stole from a certain little hitwoman. It all happens so quickly, and it¡¯s not until he¡¯s screaming that he understands what just happened. Dutton has him pinned back by the shoulders as I firmly hold down his arm, the de smeared with blood from where I detached his finger with it.

    My favorite color spreads over the table, and I relish the beautiful red glistening in the light.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a negotiation,¡± I remind him.

    I hand the knife over to my cousin as I pick up my cigar again to take another puff.

    I exchange ces with Dutton, despite Edward screaming and trying his best to fight against us. I mp down on his shoulders, cigar hanging out of my mouth.

    ¡°My cousin came here on business. But I came here for something personal,¡± Dutton says, and the demon in himes out to y. This is a side to him that not many see when the mask slips. He rips open Edward¡¯s shirt, revealing a hairy stomach.

    ¡°Please¡­ P-please!¡± Edward screams hysterically.

    Dutton smiles, taking pleasure in toying with him. ¡°It¡¯s public knowledge I¡¯m protective over my family. Especially my little sister. You remember Billie, don¡¯t you? You tried to, what would she call it¡­ slide into her DMs?¡±

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t kn-know what you¡¯re t-talking about,¡± he babbles on a sob, slowly starting to lose consciousness from the pain and shock.

    ¡°Well, she, of course, never saw that message because I deleted it. What isn¡¯tmon knowledge is that I have ess to all of my baby sister¡¯s messages. I¡¯m quite protective, you see, and I¡¯ve deemed you someone who needs to be taught a lesson about how you treat women.¡±

    His screams bounce throughout the room as my cousin casually and artistically starts carving ¡°Pin prick¡± into his chest and stomach.

    By the time we¡¯re done with him, he¡¯s sobbing under his desk, barely conscious.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want toe back here again,¡± I warn him as we make our way out, satisfied by the thrill but my thirst deeply unquenched for more blood. Discipline is a skill, one I¡¯ve continued polishing. But even I need a release, and right now, the thought of Michelle repulses me; my cock only twitching at the image of amber eyes ring at me with scorn and repulsion.

    I smirk to myself, wondering how she¡¯ll cry when she chokes on my cock.

    My hitwoman has turned into the perfect little distraction.

 : Chapter 12

    I¡¯m out of my fucking mind.

    I¡¯m out of my fucking mind.

    I¡¯m out of my fucking mind.

    As I race down the stairs and out of Lucy¡¯s, I know I¡¯ve crossed a line. But I¡¯ll be fucked if there was any way I could stop it.

    Fuck, just the reminder of what happened causes a hot flush to creep over my skin. It takes me two full blocks to realize I¡¯m still running away from him. I stop dead in my tracks when I notice I¡¯m not being chased.

    My breath is shaky, and I brush my sweaty hands over my skirt. What was I thinking?

    I was no better than a horny man because the moment he had me pinned, something fried in my brain. My wires got crossed and¡­ Fuck, why is he so attractive?

    This has to be part of his n.

    I thought I was toying with him, but that sure-as-shit got flipped on its head. I tap my finger against my lip, not at all okay with this change of events. My skin is still tight over my body, and I close my eyes, weing the cool breeze.

    He¡¯s a beautiful monster, indeed, and I¡¯m fucking soaked because of him. Had it not been for his guard interrupting us, I probably would¡¯ve let him fuck me then and there, even with an audience behind him.

    I bite the tip of my nail. This just won¡¯t do.

    And then a dazzling ideaes to mind.

    When he threatened me two days ago, he said if I were to break into his apartment, he¡¯d slit my throat¡­ but he said nothing about his mansion.

    I smirk as I check the time on my phone. Ah, but the night is young.

    I beam at the thought of fucking with this guy just as much as he fucked with me tonight.

    I sure as hell won¡¯t be falling for that again.

 : Chapter 16

    His house is lit up like a fucking Christmas tree. I¡¯m beyond ready to blow it up with how painfully weing it is, and I know it¡¯s purely for me. Despite him technically inviting me, I refuse to waltz in like a guest. We¡¯re anything but friendly.

    I know theyout of this house; I made it my personal fucking mission. Now I just want to remind him, yet again, that I can break into his home anytime I want. I scan the usual spots, knowing well where the cameras are positioned and how not to set them off.

    He¡¯s always had security on the outside of his house; on the inside I get to wreak unchecked havoc. I wait until the security guard takes his cigarette break, and then I sneak in through the side garden, which is a minor blind spot. When I reach the door leading to the garden¡¯s courtyard, I quickly pick the locks and sneak into the only room that doesn¡¯t seem to be lit up.

    ¡°So that¡¯s how¡­¡± I freeze at the voice and am caught red-handed by the light switch flicking on. Eli is leaning against the door frame. ¡°I told you to use the front door.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit what you told me,¡± I snap, crossing my arms over my chest.

    He stands there, tilting his head and staring down at me through his eyshes. I should just kill the motherfucker right now and be done with it, but how the fuck will I get my guns then? It would be satisfying, though.

    ¡°If you kill me now, you won¡¯t ever get your guns back.¡±

    My jaw falls open. How did he know that¡¯s what I was thinking? He pushes off the doorframe. ¡°It¡¯s written all over your face, Kitten. You might be good with a gun, but subtlety is not your forte.¡± He turns his back to me. ¡°Come, let¡¯s eat. I made us dinner.¡±

    I scoff, grumbling under my breath, ¡°Come, let¡¯s eat in my evilir.¡±

    He turns, appearing offended. ¡°What is it with everyone mimicking metely? I don¡¯t even sound like that.¡±

    I flick my hair over my shoulder. ¡°Have you heard your own voice? You¡¯re kind of fucking annoying.¡±

    He turns again, trying his best to hide the smile. ¡°Someone is sensitive about their guns being taken.¡±

    My fingers curl into my palms until his previous words finally hit me. ¡°Wait? You cook?¡±

    ¡°I do. Now, fucking move,¡± he grumbles and reaches for my hand. I pull away from him. This motherfucker might have me here willingly, but that doesn¡¯t mean he has permission to touch me. Especially when I¡¯m fucking furious.

    Remind me why I haven¡¯t killed this motherfucker yet.

    Oh, that¡¯s right, because my client still wants him alive.

    That makes this asshole one lucky bastard.

    It¡¯s the fragrant aroma that hits me first as we enter the kitchen, and I try not to show my surprise. Is this guy just good at fucking everything?

    ¡°Sit,¡± he instructs, without so much as looking in my direction. I bite my tongue to keep from grumbling under my breath again.

    I take a seat at the ind, sweeping my gaze around the grand kitchen. I hadn¡¯t made it this far thest time I broke in. I¡¯d only crept up to his bedroom. I hate the fact his home is beautiful. But it also feels empty. Probably because of the soulless asshole who owns it.

    I wonder if my guns are hidden here somewhere.

    I twist and look over my shoulder, trying to peer out the doorway that seems to lead into a dining space.

    ¡°Your guns aren¡¯t here if that¡¯s what you¡¯re looking for,¡± he states casually as he tes up what looks to be chicken smothered in a cream sauce and vegetables on the side. Well, don¡¯t we have a fucking Michelin chef in here.

    ¡°You get that out of a box?¡± I snidely remark.

    ¡°In my family and heritage, you say thank you when someone serves you food.¡±

    ¡°In my upbringing, you don¡¯t steal,¡± I snap back.

    He pauses mid-scoop with one eyebrow raised, that scar splitting through it. It¡¯s disgustingly beautiful to see this deadly god of a man do something so fucking mundane while still well-dressed and perfectly put together.

    ¡°You stole my watches first.¡±

    I go to speak but immediately close my mouth.

    Fuck.

    He has a point.

    I have to look away when his arrogant smirk kicks up again.

    Fucking asshole.

    ¡°If you want your watches back so badly, I¡¯ll even spit polish them before I return them. Just give me my guns back,¡± I say, getting irritated. One of them was my father¡¯s. I should kill him now, fuck the contract. Those guns are my life, and nothing can rece them.

    ¡°You seem to really care about your weapons. Let me guess¡­ a gift from your father?¡± The aroma of the food wafts under my nose, and I have to give credit when it¡¯s due; it smells fucking amazing, which only pisses me off more. He called me over for what? Fucking dinner? At my silence, he seems proud of himself. ¡°Okay, so I did hit home. Maybe they were your father¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°I hate you,¡± I mumble. The corner of his mouth tilts up at that as he carries the tes toward the dining room, where a pre-lit candle stands in the center of the table.

    Vomit.

    When I make no move to join him, his voice carries between the rooms. ¡°Jewel, you¡¯ll only make this harder on yourself.¡±

    I hop off the stool, knowing he¡¯s right. He has to have a reason for me being here; it can¡¯t be to just wine and dine me. The room is just as beautiful as the rest of the mansion I¡¯ve seen so far and just as soulless. Or maybe that¡¯s because of the monster standing at the head of the table, pulling out the chair beside his and waiting for me. Between the two dishes is a bottle of white wine, and he pours us each a ss.

    ¡°Sit,¡± he says without looking up at me. I¡¯m ufortable by the ambiance that seems to swallow us whole. The dim lighting, the candle flicking back and forth in the center of the grand wooden table that could seat twelve people. I feel so small in his home, and it mostly has to do with him leaving me unarmed by taking my most precious items. I shouldn¡¯t be here. I should not be dining with my target. If Craig discovers this, he¡¯ll have a fucking heart attack.

    I drop into the chair, arms across my chest. He seems amused as he goes to ce the napkin on myp, but I snatch it from his hand.

    He takes his seat at the head of the table, and I dreamily look at the sharp knife positioned beside my te. Then again, a fork can be used as effectively as any weapon, I suppose, especially if it¡¯s going into those beautiful fucking eyes.

    ¡°Eat,¡± hemands.

    ¡°I¡¯m vegan.¡± I lean over to grab one of the small bread rolls from a basket.

    ¡°Liar. You think I haven¡¯t seen photos of you eating sauced ribs and the like?¡±

    I shrug. ¡°I just enjoy licking off the sauce.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not vegan. And I¡¯ll have you know, my mother is vegetarian, so if you want to y that game, I can easily amodate you. We can do this dance all fucking night.¡±

    This guy wants to fucking dance?

    He took my guns and invited me over for dinner like it¡¯s the most natural thing in the world. This guy is under my skin, and the rage begins to bubble over within me.

    Why the fuck is he starting to get pissy with me when he did me dirty?

    My fingers curl around the knife as I stare at the vein in his neck.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t if I were you,¡± he growls out.

    It snaps thest of my restraint as red hazes my vision. I lunge across the table, my de to his throat. He grabs my wrist at thest second, so the knife barely hovers at his jugr.

    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you I don¡¯t take orders? Especially from assholes like you.¡± I push against him with all my strength, but he easily keeps me in ce, that lethal edge crossing his gaze.

    ¡°This is nothing but forey, Kitten. And if you keep acting like this, I¡¯ll restrain you and fuck you with this very knife. My patience will only hold out so long.¡± He leans into me. His lips are so close to mine, his hot breath washing over me. ¡°If you want your guns back, you¡¯re going to sit down and shut the fuck up, understand?¡±

    We stare for a moment longer, his firm grip around my wrist holding me in ce. I fucking hate this man with everything I am. But he has the only thing of value to me. The red haze dissipates, and I slowly retreat, taking the knife with me.

    He adjusts his crotch, and I can¡¯t believe this mother fucker actually gets off on this shit. Then again, he definitely has a screw loose, so it¡¯s not that much of a surprise.

    He nods to the food in front of me. ¡°Eat.¡±

    I grudgingly put the knife down and stab my fork into the piece of chicken. The moment it hits my mouth, I stifle a moan so he doesn¡¯t know how good it is. That¡¯s all his ego needs¡ªa boost from me.

    ¡°Good, right?¡± He takes a mouthful of his wine as if we¡¯re having the most civilized dinner together.

    I say nothing and take another bite.

    ¡°I like that you dressed up for me. Do you wear your leather often when you break into my house?¡± he asks, admiring my attire. I hate how it elicits goose bumps along my skin, and I can only think about the way he handled me the other night.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Damn, next time, bring your leather whip. I¡¯m sure we could have some fun.¡±

    I re at him when I puncture a piece of vegetable, and he seems to enjoy the way he so easily riles me.

    He takes another bite. The silence stretches and stretches and stretches, my frustration teetering on the edge again.

    ¡°You don¡¯t n to give me my guns back, do you?¡± I ask.

    ¡°I do, but first, you have to do something for me.¡±

    ¡°And what is that?¡±

    He nods to the food, and I take another bite. Chewing it, I wait for him to speak.

    ¡°Wine?¡± he asks, nodding to the two full sses on the table.

    ¡°No, you probablyced it with something.¡±

    A knock sounds on the door. ¡°Come in,¡± hemands, and the double doors open. Two of his security guards enter, dragging in the man I¡¯d smashed over the head with the ss at Lucy¡¯s. His clothes are covered in blood, and he looks like he hasn¡¯t changed them since that night. His face is beaten up, so he clearly, didn¡¯t leave the club unscathed, and I¡¯m wondering if instead of escorting him out, they trapped him in some little dungeon.

    When his eye¡ªyes, only one because the other is swollen shut¡ªfinds mine, he moans something that sounds like an attempted apology. I look back at Eli, who is watching me expectantly.

    ¡°You remember our friend, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I say, slightly confused as to why he¡¯s even here. He¡¯s a nobody. What is this, some knight in shining armor bullshit?

    ¡°Good.¡± Eli reaches under his suit jacket and pulls out a gun. His gaze remains on me as he aims it at the man and shoots him in the chest twice. The man crumples to the floor, dead, most likely put out of his misery from whatever satanic torture he was going through up until now. ¡°I told youst night that you now belong to me. And that means in every sense of the word. If someone moves against you, I take it personally. If someone so much as looks in your direction, I¡¯ll remove their eyes and feed them to them.¡±

    The man is twisted in thinking this is what I meant by a love letter, and the deration is far from gentle poetry. But if Eli is good at one thing, it¡¯s making a point.

    ¡°Now, Kitten, let¡¯s discuss a deal. One that might get you out of this alive.¡± He puts the gun on the table within reaching distance from me and starts to eat again.

 : Chapter 17

    The unfortunate man who thought he could provoke my property gets dragged out. We continue to eat as she stares at me with that less-than-grateful expression. Taking a sip of my wine, I lean back and take her in.

    ¡°What do you want from me?¡± she asks.

    ¡°I want you to marry me,¡± I say matter-of-factly.

    She scoffs, and it looks as if she¡¯s about tough until she notices the serious expression on my face.

    ¡°Marry you?¡± She shakes her head in disbelief. ¡°That¡¯s definitely never going to happen.¡± She goes to stand, and I tap the table twice.

    ¡°You¡¯ll sit down if you ever want to see those guns again,¡± I say curtly. She freezes as if suddenly remembering why she came here in the first ce.

    She reluctantly lowers back on the chair.

    When Hawke first suggested the idea that I marry her, the others thought he was an idiot. And although I don¡¯t disagree with them about that most of the time, this might be his greatest idea. It¡¯s so crazy; it might work. This little tigress might be the answer I¡¯ve been looking for all along. I can keep her close, flush out her client, and inherit my family business all at the same time.

    The kingdom will finally be mine. And I¡¯ll decide how to deal with my new wife afterward.

    Punish her. Definitely punish her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to marry you. I don¡¯t even like you,¡± she scoffs.

    ¡°That¡¯s perfectly fine; you just have to pretend you do around my family.¡±

    ¡°Your family?¡± she chokes out.

    ¡°Did I stutter? Yes, my family.¡±

    ¡°Are you that out of your fucking mind? I¡¯m the person who, at any moment, is going to kill you. I don¡¯t like being in the same room as you, let alone marry you. How about we agree I make your death quick, and in return, you give me my guns back now.¡±

    Her attempt at negotiation is amusing, and I try not to smile. Jewel is one of few who can actually keep me entertained. Her quick wit is attractive, and her delusion of having any control of this situation is¡­ cute.

    Reaching into my pocket, I pull out a box, then slide it across the table to her. She immediately looks like she wants to puke.

    ¡°Marry me, and I will return your guns four months after.¡±

    She shakes her head in absolute shock. ¡°You¡¯re out of your fucking mind if you think we can survive ying happy couple for more than a day. Why don¡¯t you marry princess Michelle? She seems submissive enough to be your type.¡±

    A wave of irritation rolls through me at the mention of Michelle. I don¡¯t and have never, cared for the woman. I haven¡¯t even seen her since this infuriating little tigress came into my life as subtly as a wrecking ball.

    But she¡¯s disposable, I remind myself. That¡¯s the only reason she¡¯s perfect for this role. At least, that¡¯s what I keep telling myself.

    ¡°My type is irrelevant. I have an objective in mind, and you are cornered with no other ce to run. This isn¡¯t a negotiation. This is an offer for you to stay alive for another day.¡±

    I can see her sorting through her options in her head. Good, she is, at the very least, an intelligent woman. She¡¯ll know what¡¯s best for her.

    ¡°You could just kill me after the wedding,¡± she says, giving me a shrewd look.

    ¡°As you could kill me before the wedding. Come now, Kitten, doesn¡¯t this sound thrilling? Don¡¯t you want to dance with the devil a little before you get married?¡±

    The mere mention of marriage has her turning a shade paler. She seems just as averse to the concept of legally tying herself to someone as I am.

    ¡°It seems like you¡¯d be getting a lot more out of this than I would. Your father won¡¯t hand over the business to you until you¡¯re married. So why do I have to wait four months for my guns?¡± Her gaze flicks back to the box between us as if it¡¯s burning a hole in the table.

    The less I tell her, the better. After all, I don¡¯t actually want her to have inner knowledge of my family¡¯s business; however, a small piece of information won¡¯t harm the objective.

    ¡°My mother let it slip that the rights to the business don¡¯t get handed over until three months after the marriage. So, four months of pretending to be a good little wife will ensure you and I both get what we want out of this. I¡¯ll even pay you two million for your time to show my generosity.¡±

    ¡°Fifteen,¡± she quickly replies.

    ¡°Done.¡±

    ¡°No, sorry, fifty.¡± She crosses her arms over her chest, pushing her breasts up as she does, and I know it¡¯s intentional. Unfortunately for me, it has it¡¯s intended effect in that tight fucking leather she¡¯s wearing. Leather, I¡¯d do anything to cut into right now. I clear my throat, wishing I were adjusting my cock instead, but I refuse to show her the hold she has over me.

    No woman has ever affected me like this.

    They¡¯ve always served as a means to an end. But I¡¯ve never¡­ yearned for a woman before. That can¡¯t possibly be the right word to describe this. I just simply need to fuck her before our wedding day to flush her out of my system.

    ¡°Done. I¡¯ll transfer half as an engagement present and the rest on the wedding day once you¡¯re my darling wife. But you won¡¯t get your guns back until we¡¯re done.¡±

    ¡°I hate you,¡± she snarls as she stands and res down at me. I quite like the scornful expression, knowing I¡¯ve ruined my soon-to-be wife¡¯s fucking day.

    ¡°Oh, and will you be a good fianc¨¦e and tell me who¡¯s hired you to kill me? When you find out, that is.¡±

    She smirks. ¡°Dear, sweet husband-to-be, I can tell you already that our strength is notmunication.¡±

    ¡°Then what will it be?¡± I ask with an arched eyebrow.

    She ces her hand on the ring box and pulls it toward her with a twisted smile.

    ¡°Tolerance, at the very least. Personal space at best.¡± Her smile drops, unsheathing the feral expression beneath. And she takes her leave.

    I stare at the tight leather wrapped around her curves as she saunters out, and I smirk.

    This might actually be fun.

 : Chapter 20

    Adrenaline courses through me as my mind tries to wrap itself around what just happened. Perhaps other women would be horrified by what they just witnessed, but I¡¯d be desensitized to death a long time ago.

    I wasn¡¯t even having a good time, and the evening wasckluster at best. I hate to admit it, but the asshole knows how to make an entrance. It wasn¡¯t fair to involve Sage and the guys, though. I didn¡¯t think he would act so crazy that he¡¯d happily waltz into a restaurant and gun down whoever he pleases. I¡¯ll definitely have to make it up to Sage and offer to at least pay for her therapy. And this confirms one thing: he¡¯s watching me.

    He doesn¡¯t so much as look at me as he opens the passenger door. His scent has deep earthy notes. I don¡¯t like the way it does something to my brain; it brings me back to only moments ago when he had me pinned against the wall, and I¡¯m almost certain he was going to kiss me. And I¡¯m ashamed of myck of fight.

    Did I want him to kiss me?

    Definitely not.

    Another two cars pull up behind us, and two men in suits step out and walk into the scene of the crime. Efficient much?

    I slide into the leather passenger seat, looking around the car. It¡¯s nice and stylish, that¡¯s for sure, but it¡¯s just a shame about thepany sliding in beside me. He pulls away from the curb and begins driving, the tension palpable. He readjusts his suit jacket, and we remain silent for several minutes.

    When he breaks the silence, I¡¯m confused. It¡¯s as if this man has an on-and-off switch. He pulls into a fast food drive-through and stops at the ordering box. ¡°Burger?¡± he asks me. I never would¡¯ve imagined someone like Eli, raised using golden cutlery, being familiar with fast food. But I¡¯m starving. I might not want to dine with this asshole, but I¡¯m certainly not health-conscious enough to ever say no to a burger. I nod, and he orders us the same meal.

    We¡¯re quiet as we continue along the drive-through and collect our meals. He leans over, opens the glove box and hands me a wet wipe for my hands before he grabs one for himself. I try to hide the smirk because despite this killer getting bloodied all the time, he has an underlying obsession with perfection and cleanliness.

    He hands me my burger and ces the bag of fries between us. I take a bite, watching him. Witnessing him doing something so mundane is strange, especially straight after he decided to go on a crazed killing spree.

    The burger hovers at my mouth as I look at him. ¡°Were you jealous tonight?¡± It¡¯s unthinkable, really, for a man like this to even have emotions, let alone one so childish as jealously. But I certainly didn¡¯t expect him to kill two guys just for talking to me. That was a miscalction on my part.

    He wipes his mouth before he speaks, the burger already almost gone. ¡°No. I wasn¡¯t. You¡¯re my property. My fianc¨¦e. You will not socialize with other men unless I¡¯m with you.¡±

    As if truly seeing me for the first time, he looks at my ring finger, and a slight frown appears on his face. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you wearing your ring?¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s your leg?¡± I ask, changing the subject. ¡°And besides, I¡¯m sure our nuptials aren¡¯t going to end your side shenanigans, so why shouldn¡¯t I be able to fuck whoever I want?¡± Not that I wanted to fuck either of those men in there.

    ¡°I won¡¯t be fucking anyone else during our time together, Kitten. And I¡¯ll have it known, I¡¯ll dly fuck you.¡±

    ¡°Why? Because I¡¯m the only woman daring enough to put a de to your throat as we do the deed? Really gets your rocks off, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°If a deration of sorts is what you¡¯re after, then you cane with me as I cancel previousmitments.¡±

    Fuck me, this guy is so business-oriented. Everything sounds like a transaction.

    ¡°With Michelle?¡± I ask. ¡°Won¡¯t it upset your rtionship with her family if you choose me over her?¡±

    ¡°You are to be my wife, not her. People will ept it.¡± He says it like it¡¯s a known fact.

    Around a mouthful, purposefully to piss him off, I speak. ¡°You can keep her if you want. I won¡¯t be fucking you.¡±

    ¡°We shall see,¡± he says, pulling out of the parking lot. ¡°You¡¯re also slightly tipsy, so you¡¯re not thinking straight.¡±

    I roll my eyes. I don¡¯t need to hear that from the asshole who just shot up a Chinese restaurant.<hr>

    Twenty minutester, we pull up at an address I know well, mostly because I¡¯ve staked it out twice already when I first started stalking Eli.

    He gets out of the car and walks around to open my door. He holds his hand out expectantly, but I ignore it and cross my arms over my chest.

    ¡°We¡¯re not at the hand-holding stage. And you can do your breakups on your own; it has nothing to do with me,¡± I snidely say.

    ¡°It has everything to do with you. Michelle needs to see you, or she won¡¯t believe I¡¯ve moved on.¡±

    ¡°So, send her a photo,¡± I reply, stubbornly remaining in the car. ¡°I don¡¯t really give a shit about your personal drama.¡±

    ¡°Funny, considering you seem to be the center of my drama right now,¡± he says bitterly. ¡°She and I were never in a rtionship. Tonight will be the first official fianc¨¦e task you¡¯re given. So you best remove yourself from that seat before I drag you out of it by your hair.¡±

    Heat flushes to my core at the thought of him tugging at my hair, and I curse under my breath at my fucked-up body betraying me. Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m still tipsy. It has to be.

    ¡°Sorry, Romeo. But you told me I only had to impress the inws. Keep walking, I¡¯m tired of your macho shit tonight,¡± I say, not looking at him. When he doesn¡¯t leave right away, I nce up at him. ¡°Unless you¡¯re going to pay me to put a hit on her, then?¡ª¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re intolerable.¡± He curses and then storms away, leaving the car door open.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been telling you!¡± I shout out after him. I¡¯m quite enjoying the fresh air, so I leave the door open. I pull out my phone and start a message to Sage to check up on her. I know she¡¯s seen some shit in her past, or so she¡¯s told me at work, but I don¡¯t think that kind of trauma covers witnessing a murder¡­ or two. It¡¯s fair to say she¡¯ll never see that guy again, and I don¡¯t think a ¡°get well soon¡± card will exactly cover it.

    I nce in Eli¡¯s direction as he knocks on the door. Michelle has a charming three-story apartment on the water. She has good taste; I¡¯ll give her that. She probably didn¡¯t have to work a day in her life to get it, though.

    I don¡¯t think Eli is one to apologize, but his father has a good rtionship with Michelle¡¯s father, so he¡¯s most likely doing this out of respect. Not that I think Eli understands the meaning of the word.

    In my peripheral view, I watch as she opens the door, surprised but delighted to see him. She immediately reaches for him, attempting to wrap her arms around his neck to pull him in, but he stops her.

    I don¡¯t like the ugly smugness that rises within me, knowing that if I weren¡¯t in the picture, he would be up there fucking her.

    Turning away because I don¡¯t like the way that makes me feel, I look back down at my phone. Michelle¡¯s voice raises, and she starts yelling at him. I ignore it.

    I even contemte calling Craig tonight since he¡¯s the only one who cares about my whereabouts or if I¡¯m alive. Though if he knew about my current shitty predicament, I know he¡¯de to town looking for me himself.

    My life is not interesting. I have no one to share it with. I wonder if that¡¯s exactly why Eli chose me. We only have to convince his family. I¡¯m discardable. The moment I¡¯m in the equation, I¡¯ll be out of it, and no one will think twice about it.

    ¡°Her?¡± Michelle yells furiously, stepping partway between her apartment door and the car. She looks at me in disbelief and then at Eli as if he¡¯s gonepletely mad. I hate that I agree with her on that until I don¡¯t like how the bitch scrunches up her nose in disgust when she looks at me again. Then Eli moves, so he¡¯s blocking her view of me.

    ¡°Her? Really, Eli, you could do better. What could she possibly offer you that my family can¡¯t?¡±

    Eli looks over his shoulder at me as if inquiring if I¡¯ll defend myself. I don¡¯t give a flying fuck what she thinks or says. Ain¡¯t my drama. I look back at my phone, but the moment he turns to speak to her again, I peek over my phone at them. I can¡¯t fucking help myself. I just wish I had popcorn. Instead, I pick at some cold fries.

    ¡°Michelle, you knew this was temporary. It was never going to work out. I liked to fuck you, that¡¯s all.¡± Her mouth opens in shock, and then her hand goes to her hip as she pins him with a re. I totally should not be here for any of this.

    ¡°Fuck me? You did more than fuck me, you asshole.¡± I can¡¯t help butugh at the use of the word asshole. Does everyone in his life call him that? ¡°You think that¡¯s funny? You steal my man and think that¡¯s funny?¡±

    ¡°You can have him,¡± I say around a mouthful of cold fries, knowing it pisses her type off epically.

    ¡°Now, Kitten, we don¡¯t share, remember. Or do you have to learn that lesson again?¡± Eli says with a raised brow.

    Is that why he¡¯s doing this dramatic breakup thing in front of me? To show me¡­ loyalty? Monogamy? I almost choke on a fry. Me. Him. The two people in the world who are not built for that shit.

    ¡°You know he only fucked me a few weeks ago, right? And now you¡¯re engaged to him! Have you no shame?¡± she screams as she takes a few steps forward.

    I pin Eli with a stare. What would a good wifey be expected to do at this moment? Because right now, I want to break her precious little nose if only to dull the headache she¡¯s creating.

    ¡°I¡¯m aware,¡± is all I say.

    She scoffs. ¡°Well, it won¡¯tst because you have nothing to offer the Monti family.¡± She res at Eli with tear-reddened eyes. ¡°And then you¡¯lle crawling back, and I might not be so nice as to take you back.¡± She flips her long hair over her shoulder and walks toward the security guard, who now hovers at the door.

    I wonder if she actually did love him and if I was just involved in breaking her heart. Then again, she never made a fuss about him leaving her but made a deal about the Monti family.

    ¡°Stop looking at her like that,¡± Eli says as he approaches the car, seemingly unfazed.

    ¡°Did you care for her at all?¡± I ask as hees to close my door.

    ¡°I liked to fuck her. Care? That¡¯s a strong word. I care for my family, that¡¯s it.¡±

    ¡°So you wouldn¡¯t care if I walked in there right now with your gun and shot her point nk in the head?¡±

    He scratches the stubble along his jaw contemtively. A devilish smile works his lips as he leans into the car, his lips inches from mine.

    ¡°Would you fuck me after?¡±

    I scoff at him. ¡°No.¡±

    He shrugs and says, ¡°Worth a shot,¡± before closing the door.

    When he reappears and sits in his seat, I say, ¡°You have no shame.¡±

    He seems amused by that until I put my feet on the dash to feel morefortable, and all his humor vanishes. ¡°Remove your feet from my dash at once.¡±

    I sigh as I roll my eyes.

    And the asshole is back.

 : Chapter 23

    I followed, not because I wanted to but because my life literally hinges on it.

    I need to learn more about Eli and his family if I intend to get myself out of this situation. That, and I figured it didn¡¯t hurt to blow off some steam, assuming Eli wasn¡¯t lying about there being some kind of guny. That usually brings my twitchy nerves to a standstill.

    I also know tonight is when he usually conducts business at Lucy¡¯s, which might give me time to slip into his mansion and see if I can find my guns. He¡¯s hiding them somewhere, and that seems like a good ce to start searching. Tonight would also usually be when he¡¯d go and pay his fuck buddy a visit, who I can assume isn¡¯t happy about the ring on my finger and the bold deration he madest night.

    Then again, he¡¯s a man with needs, and I¡¯m hellbent on ensuring I¡¯m not the one taking care of them.

    Our car ride is filled mostly with him providing me with his likes and dislikes. And I answer some in return, as long as it¡¯s something that doesn¡¯t go too deep. The questions that feel too personal, I just don¡¯t answer.

    Without warning or context, Eli pulls over to a seafood restaurant on the wharf. It¡¯s the only one here, and at five in the evening, it still seems closed. Only a few cars are parked outside, which most likely belong to employees. I immediately get the sense this isn¡¯t an ordinary restaurant.

    Eli leans over and puts his hand between my legs with an arrogant smile. I don¡¯t even flinch as he pulls a small bag out from beneath my seat. When he unzips it, I see an array of guns and knives inside.

    Well, fuck me. I wish I knew that was under my seat this entire time because I might¡¯ve blown his brains out on the way here, especially for that arrogant smile he¡¯s sporting as if knowing my train of thought.

    ¡°Take this, and don¡¯t be too tempted to use it on me, Kitten. Be prepared for my family to hunt you down and kill you if you do. And trust me, they will find you no matter where you are.¡± He hands me a gun, and I slip it into the waistband of my jeans. I purposefully didn¡¯t wear my leather, now that I know how much he appreciates the view. I couldn¡¯te entirely willingly. ¡°Besides, the moment you turn against me during our little treaty, I will destroy your guns.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t do that if you¡¯re dead,¡± I remind him. It¡¯s as if this fucker keeps forgetting that I¡¯ve been hired to kill him. However, I can¡¯t say I won¡¯t hesitate when the order to take him out finallyes¡­ just because I really need my guns back.

    ¡°Ah, but I can. I¡¯ve ordered the twins to take care of it if something happens to me,¡± he says as we step out of the car.

    ¡°Of course, you have,¡± I say with an eye roll. He circles the car and stands in front of me, squeezing my cheeks in his hands.

    ¡°Roll your eyes at me one more fucking time, and I will spank you,¡± he warns.

    ¡°Keep touching me without permission, and I¡¯ll make sure to putxatives in your drink next time,¡± I bite back, though it¡¯s barely understandable because of how hard he¡¯s squeezing my cheeks. He kicks up a smile.

    ¡°This might get a bit crazy, dear. Consider this your first wifey trial.¡± He releases my cheeks, and before I can reply with a smart-ass remark, I notice the shift in his demeanor. Any type of yfulness is gone, and the monster hase to the surface.

    Okay, we are on some serious mafia business shit.

    He strides toward the restaurant, and I follow, not entirely sure what to expect. Are we just here to scare some people? Trade some things? Anything is possible with Eli Monti.

    A bulky man, who is definitely not a host, opens the door for us. It¡¯s clear he¡¯s some kind of security guard, and as I do a sweep of the room, there is no doubt in my mind that we¡¯ve just walked into some kind of thug den. However, it is an actual restaurant. Smoke assaults my nostrils, and when I look back at our only means of escape, I realize the windows are cked out. That exins why you can¡¯t see in.

    Eli walks straight up to the threerge men sitting at a table ying poker. I trail six steps behind him, and the slight buzz of adrenaline fills me.

    I hate to admit it, but Eli knows how to woo a woman.

    The thrill of not knowing what we¡¯re about to get ourselves into drives excitement and anticipation into me hard, and I beg for there to be some kind of action. Some sort of release from the mundane life I¡¯ve be stagnant in over thest month. Well, until a certain mafia heir made it his mission to turn my world upside down.

    The men ying cards look up at him, and then, just as quickly, they dismiss him, as if he isn¡¯t one of the most powerful men in the city. From everything I¡¯ve gathered from watching him, he is just as deadly as his father. But from the way they¡¯re treating him, it¡¯s as if they aren¡¯t pleased he¡¯s here instead of his father, and I have an acute sense that it has something to do with his age.

    These men look well into their sixties.

    ¡°Boy, why did youe?¡± One of them finally addresses him, still with ack of respect for not meeting his gaze. The old man brings a ss of golden liquid to his lips as he studies his hand of cards.

    ¡°Well, Dee, you owe money, and you¡¯re overdue,¡± Eli replies.

    The man named Dee huffs out a puff of smoke before putting his cigar out and finally turns to Eli.

    ¡°You¡¯ve beening in here for years, doing your daddy¡¯s dirty work. And I pay, do I not?¡±

    ¡°You do, but you always push your limits. And, frankly, Dee, the only reason I haven¡¯t put a bullet in your head yet is because my father asked that I don¡¯t. But I want to make something very clear; he isn¡¯t in charge right now.¡±

    Dee seems amused by this as he snorts a chuckle. ¡°What, have you hit puberty or something, boy?¡± Dee clicks his fingers, and two men¡ªclearly not chefse out from the kitchen on the right and advance toward Eli. The two security guys who were hovering around the door move in on us from behind.

    Adrenalinees in short bursts as my heartbeat picks up speed. Holy shit, we might have a fight on our hands after all. There is a different thrill to closebat. I prefer long distance because it ensures my safety while providing the same level of satisfaction in killing someone at close range. But close-up evokes an entirely different type of high. Because my life is on the line. I wish I wasn¡¯t into it, but it¡¯s when I feel most alive.

    ¡°I don¡¯t take kindly to threats in my own home,¡± Dee exins as his men advance on us.

    Now, the other two men at the table finally give us their attention, but they don¡¯t seem concerned, just curious about the scene currently unfolding.

    The mistake the security guys make, however, is only targeting Eli. Only one them even spared me a nce, dismissing me just as quickly. It¡¯s always the same; men don¡¯t take me as a serious threat until it¡¯s toote. One of the men who walked out of the kitchen raises his gun to point at Eli¡¯s head.

    ¡°Perhaps there needs to be a change in the Monti hierarchy if you¡¯re next in line. You need to show your elders respect. I should kill you where you stand,¡± Dee says casually, as if he¡¯s offering some kind of great insight.

    ¡°But then you would make my fianc¨¦e very mad,¡± Eli replies, and it¡¯s then they seem to actually take notice of me. Dee¡¯s eyebrows dip in puzzlement, probably because of my sudden introduction and how irrelevant he most likely finds it. Again, he might find out toote his mistake of overlooking me.

    ¡°Sorry, you picked a dead man walking, sweetheart. We¡¯ll be sure to bury you together.¡±

    Eli looks over his shoulder at me expectantly, seemingly unfazed, with the gun to his head.

    ¡°Fucking hell, do I really have to join in?¡± I ask exasperatedly. I¡¯m not above being involved with mafia business, but my father would be rolling in his grave with what¡¯s about to happen. And, as usual, there¡¯s always a risk to my life. That¡¯s why my heart is pounding in my chest, and my breathing deepens as the tingles begin to shift over my body.

    Target. Target. Target.

    ¡°You want your guns, don¡¯t you?¡± Eli asks, smiling.

    I want many things. My guns, especially. But right now, I want to walk out of here alive. My body ignites with the killer instinct that my mother always disapproved of. The part of me that I was told was unnatural and vulgar. That society would frown upon. My father encouraged it, though he tried to direct it in a military fashion. Maybe I was a disappointment to both of them. And yet, this man is coaxing it out so effortlessly. It brings a sadistic smile to my face that I don¡¯t entirely understand. I finally look back to the man in charge.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Dee, but unfortunately, I still have use for my fianc¨¦.¡± His forehead furrows in confusion before I lift my gun, and chaos explodes.

 : Chapter 25

    The moment Eli steps out of the restaurant, I shoot. The window closest to him explodes, but he barely flinches. I quite like the gun that was left in the bag under my seat.

    It¡¯s dark and eerily quiet in the parking lot, but I can still see the unimpressed look he gives me and hear the waves crashing on the shore in the distance.

    ¡°If you were going to kill me, you wouldn¡¯t have missed,¡± he states confidently, his long strides eating the distance between us until he stops directly in front of me and grabs the wrist of my hand holding the gun. He ms me against the car, and I¡¯m startled but fight against him in equal measure. Adrenaline zips through me, and the air crackles around us as we battle for dominance. He pushes his hips against me, and my lips part in surprise at the bulging pressure of his cock behind his pants.

    ¡°Did you have fun in there, Kitten?¡±

    ¡°A little heads-up would have been appreciated,¡± I say, trying my hardest to ignore the tingles erupting along my skin.

    ¡°See how fucking hard you make me?¡± he growls. A pool of heat floods my core, and a low rhythm begins to hum between my thighs. His gaze skitters over my features, and then he steps away. ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone else seeing you flushed like this. Get in the car.¡±

    I¡¯m surprised by the sudden switch. Wait. Did I want something else to happen? My body is a confusing, flustered mix of need and excitement. Where shooting usually gives me a high and then a calm, rxed feeling, I currently feel like I¡¯m on fire with no way to put it out.

    I take my seat and buckle the seat belt, fidgety in the car because of the endorphin rush.

    He doesn¡¯t even bother with his own seat belt as the car fishtails on the slippery road as he takes off.

    ¡°I can see the look on your face. You get a high after killing, just like me,¡± he says.

    My gaze dips to his cock. ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± I lie. He¡¯s driving at such a fast speed, I have no idea where he¡¯s even taking me, but I can¡¯t stop looking at him. My body is coated with a buzz that I can¡¯t shake off, and it has something to do with this powerful man beside me, pushing against me with a level of tension I¡¯ve neverpeted against.

    A natural born killer.

    ¡°Are you sure? Because if you¡¯re anything like me, fucking after you kill is the best damn high.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not fucking you.¡± But it¡¯s barely a whisper, and my thighs clench together automatically. He definitely notices it, and I can hardly push down the lump in my throat. I¡¯m fighting against myself now for every fiber of control. What fucking spell has he put me under?

    I have never fucked anyone after firing my guns. And the men I¡¯ve fucked in the past have all been one-night stands.

    ¡°Well, I would like to fuck you,¡± he states, sharply turning the car. We veer off the road, and he ms hard on the brakes before we hit a line of trees. He turns to me then. The moon beaming down, and the dim interior lighting cast an unholy shadow across his features.

    He¡¯s as terrifying as he is beautiful.

    My heart is pounding, and I can¡¯t look away. My pussy is throbbing, and I¡¯m crippled under his intensity.

    ¡°Can we call a truce for ten minutes?¡± he asks breathlessly.

    ¡°A truce?¡± I question, staring at his lips.

    ¡°A release,¡± he promises. ¡°Let¡¯s finish what we started that night at Lucy¡¯s before you ran like a coward.¡±

    I internally tense at his provocation. Before I can speak, he orders, ¡°Get out of the car.¡± And then he¡¯s hefting himself out of his seat and rounding the hood, rushing to open my door. I realize with sudden rity that the palpable tension I felt before wasn¡¯t one-sided. The only reason he drove us farther down the road was so there would be no threat if we were distracted.

    My heart is pounding in my chest. My head logically knows I should fight him on this. If I give in, I¡¯ll only be giving him what he wants. Handing over my power. But another side of me thirsts to feed off him. To taste a man that powerful and have his carnal urges dance with mine. I¡¯ve never been with a man like him before, and I have the sense it¡¯ll ruin me.

    Hell, I¡¯m already ruined.

    He holds his hand out to me, and I try to moisten my mouth, the buzz from the kill still at an all-time high. I¡¯m not thinking straight as I unclip the seat belt.

    ¡°You owe me a favor if I do this,¡± I say.

    He smiles wickedly. ¡°Forever negotiating. I¡¯ll give you anything but your guns. Now, put your lips on my cock.¡± He takes my hand and yanks me into him. The calm rhythm of the ocean waves in the background and the moon shining down on us are opposite to the carnal tension crackling between us.

    I should run.

    His hand grips tightly onto my hip, and he ms me against him so I can feel his erection. A small moan escapes me, and I¡¯m crazy to think I could pull away from this now. He pins me against the car, his hand scooping under my ass as I bnce on top of his cock. For a moment, we just stare at one another, unsure of what to do. Some kind of new awakening happening in both of us.

    It¡¯s hard to think clearly through the haze of desire, but I¡¯m certain of one thing: I want this man.

    Even though I shouldn¡¯t.

    ¡°Don¡¯t take it personally when I have to kill you, okay?¡± I say breathlessly.

    His fingers possessively feather through my hair, and he holds me captive with a devilish smile. ¡°You can try to kill me as many times as you want. Nothing is keeping me away from this pussy that belongs to me.¡±

    And then his lips are on mine. An explosion of stimtion bombards me as his primal nature meets mine. His tongue presses against mine, and I¡¯m caged entirely, forced to take him. All of him. It¡¯s not just a kiss; it¡¯s an utter im.

    I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him closer, a small moan escaping me.

    I want him.

    I need him.

    I need him to calm this fiery buzz under my skin. Everything he toucheses to life. Our mouths are so desperate for each other, it¡¯s like we¡¯re fighting over the same pocket of air.

    Fuck. I¡¯m in trouble.

    Heat pools at my core as I fight him for dominance in our kiss. I¡¯m shoving up his shirt when I feel cool air on my back as he carries me around to the hood andys me down on it. He doesn¡¯t break the kiss as he discards his jacket, throwing it to the ground.

    I lift my hips as he undoes my jeans. I desperately unbutton his shirt, praying he can calm whatever this reckless energy is within me. I¡¯m feeding off him like he¡¯s the only solution.

    Our lips break apart as he yanks down my jeans and drops them next to his jacket. He stands over me, his shirt and hair a mess, as he stares at me like a rabid beast. His nostrils re when he notices the redce I¡¯m wearing. My gazends on the small sheath strapped at his hip, and he notices.

    ¡°Are your ws not enough, Kitten?¡± he taunts, slowly undoing his belt, teasing me with a leisurely pace I can¡¯t stand. ¡°Show me those beautiful tits.¡±

    ¡°How certain are you that I won¡¯t kill you?¡± I ask with a wicked grin as I remove my top, revealing the matching red bralette.

    He removes the sheath and then his shirt. He continues holding the de as he pushes down his pants and my pussy floods at the sight of his thick cock. I¡¯ve seen his dick before¡ªeven taken numerous photos of it¡ªbut it¡¯s not until this moment, with him standing in front of me, that I get my first up close and personal view of it. He¡¯s massive. Veins aggressively bulging under smooth skin.

    He purposefully and slowly unsheathes the knife, and my heart rate picks up with the unknown mixture of excitement and danger. I hitch my feet farther up the front of the car so he has a clear view of my soaked panties. He steps between my legs, his gaze sweeping up my body.

    ¡°You¡¯re so fucking beautiful.¡±

    My heart falters in surprise.

    His thumb firmly presses against the neon blue tattoo on my hip as he stares at all of me as if memorizing every inch. His hand wraps around my waist and grips me tightly as if he¡¯s unable to contain his strength. He raises the de to the same hip as the tattoo, and I inhale as I watch him slice it through the thin waistband of the panties.

    He intentionally pricks the tip of the de into my skin, and I suck in a breath as a trickle of blood blooms on my skin. I¡¯m so attuned to his every caress, the pinprick momentarily the only thing I can feed on, feeling like a release in itself.

    And then he flips the knife in his hand and catches it with ease, offering it to me by the handle.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re ready to kill me yet, Kitten,¡± he says as he holds the knife out to me.

    I curl my fingers around it slowly. Everything about me feels so wrapped up in him, as if I don¡¯t know where one of us starts and the other ends because Eli is an enigma. An entity I know I shouldn¡¯t be drawn toward but undeniably am.

    As he leans over me, I raise the knife very slowly to his throat, and a sensual smile spreads over his lips. ¡°Why don¡¯t you drop the knife, Kitten, so that I can have my taste.¡±

    I make no move to do as he suggests. And he just leans over farther, edging his throat along the de. I watch, mesmerized at the small red line that appears at his jugr. But it¡¯s his eyes that draw me back in ¡ªa striking silver in the moonlight.

    ¡°Something tells me you don¡¯t want me to remove the knife.¡±

    He grins arrogantly as his fingers trail up my inner thigh, and a shudder rolls through me. His lips brush against mine once again, pressing himself harder against the de in the process.

    ¡°I¡¯m almost certain you don¡¯t want to fuck a dead man tonight.¡±

    ¡°Then don¡¯t die,¡± I sass back, then sharply inhale as he stuffs my pussy with two fingers. His lips crash against mine as he takes my breath, and I¡¯m stimted by the two new pressures: thirsting, craving, and needing an outlet. All this energy buzzing inside me needs to be purged, and I know Eli is the only one who can take it.

    He bites at my lip as the knife knicks him again, a slight growling from him, and I moan, hungrily wanting and needing more of that. I edge the knife in deeper, and when I do, his other hand wraps around my throat, cutting off my air supply in warning to not dig any deeper.

    I¡¯m being consumed by him as he breathes hotly against my lips. ¡°Look how fucking wet you are for me already, Kitten. Such a good fucking girl.¡±

    He steps out of my reach, and I snarl in irritation until my gaze locks on his very hard cock as he begins to stroke it. Blood trickles down his neck as he grabs hold of my ankle and yanks me down the front of the car. I almost fall off, but he raises my ass in the air as he hovers at my entrance.

    ¡°Do you want this cock to fill you?¡± he asks, stillzily stroking himself. My pussy is pounding to be filled, and I¡¯m not so much of a saint that I can ignore my bodily desires.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I confess.

    His eyebrow arches, beautifully split in two with the scar. ¡°Such a fucking good girl.¡± He rubs his cock against my folds, and we both stare in bewilderment. How the fuck is he supposed to fit inside me?

    ¡°Did you have fun killing all those men today?¡± he asks as he spreads my juices over his erection. I breathe heavily, my body shaking with adrenaline.

    ¡°It¡¯s written all over your face. We are the same, Kitten, whether you like to admit it or not. The thrill of the kill. The energy of the high. Needing that release afterward.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a truce only this once,¡± I breathe, wriggling restlessly, trying to edge him into me.

    He kicks up an arrogant smile. ¡°You keep telling yourself that, Kitten.¡± He grabs my hip, and I hold my breath. ¡°Look at me when I impale you with my cock,¡± he demands, and I do exactly as he says.

    The pain is so sharp and explosive that I grunt from the sheer size of him. I wrap my arms around his neck for support as he holds me in ce. This fucking man. This enigma. I can¡¯t stop staring into his eyes because it¡¯s like he sees every bit of me, and that¡¯s as terrifying as it is exhrating.

    He pulls out and then hits the same spot again, triggering another hiss that quietly falls into a moan. He takes my lips again, and the fucking bes desperate as we devour one another¡¯s grunts and groans. I don¡¯t usually kiss, but this otherworldly god demands his tribute.

    The de in my hand knicks his shoulder, and he hisses as he bites my lip, dragging his teeth along it as he pulls back. He stares down at me. I can taste blood on my tongue as a silentmunication passes between us.

    I adjust my hand, holding the knife, hooking it around his side, and angling the de toward his back. ¡°Do you like this?¡± I ask, dragging the tip from one shoulder to the other. He grunts, his pupils dting, and he looks like he¡¯s about to kill me.

    But then his hips pull back and then thrust forward once more, impaling me again. I choke out a cry and drag the knife against his back again. He growls, mming into me again, and then his lips are back on mine.

    I can¡¯t scream as he devours my mouth. A mix of pleasure and pain has me bucking my hips into him. My hands are working on their own, leaving small cuts down his back as he impales me again and again. My toes curl as he drives into me harder and harder.

    He¡¯s unhinged.

    A monster sending me over an edge I never knew existed.

    ¡°F-fuck.¡±

    ¡°Scream my name!¡± he demands, biting at my lips again. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s his blood or my blood anymore. And I can¡¯t even string my thoughts together as he buries himself deep inside me. His hand wraps around my throat, cutting off my breath, and I limply take his thrashing.

    ¡°Say my name!¡± He curses, driving me into oblivion.

    ¡°Eli,¡± I barely gasp. His grip ckens, and he kisses me again as if in reward. I¡¯m on the edge as I carve one more line down his back. He grunts into my mouth, his hips rolling into me.

    ¡°Eli!¡± I scream, snapping as I finally crash over the edge, and he¡¯s holding me, supporting me as my body convulses on its own. He impales me one more time and curses under his breath as he begins to release inside me.

    I¡¯m riding the high, holding on to him for dear life as the crashes in waves. I¡¯ve shattered into a million pieces. The adrenaline that was once holding me together, is reced by the very monster I shouldn¡¯t be fucking.

    Eli holds me as I cling to him,ing down from the peak of ecstasy. We stare at one another for a moment, an unnerving and dangerous energy crackling between us again.

    I promised myself it would only be once.

    A truce only for today.

    But I¡¯m unsure how to keep that promise when I¡¯ve never been fucked to within an inch of my life like this, and something has never felt more right. For the first time in my life, I feel grounded and like I¡¯m where I¡¯m meant to be. And I have no idea what that even means.

    Especially considering the bloody mess we¡¯ve made of one another.

    We¡¯re both still breathing heavily as some kind of reality snaps us back into ce, and I push against him as quickly as he pulls out.

    I search for my clothes, ignoring his arrogant grin as he fastens his pants and belt.

    I don¡¯t want to acknowledge what just transpired between us, but whatever it was, it satisfied my immediate need for release but reced it with something else entirely¡ªaddiction. Because I already want more.

    ¡°I¡¯m clean, by the way,¡± he mentions as he bends over to collect his shirt. ¡°I don¡¯t usually fuck without protection.¡±

    ¡°So why¡ª¡± My mouth snaps shut as I take in the carnage I caused. Two thick lines carve his flesh, and smaller ones add to the trail of blood dripping down his muscled and tattooed back. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

    I¡¯m mortified. Why did I do that?

    ¡°Don¡¯t be.¡± He shrugs, then leans into my space, nting his hands on either side of me. ¡°Next time, just make sure to do your duty of care.¡± His muscles bunch and I¡¯m hypnotized for a moment by the dangerous beauty of this man.

    I click my tongue. ¡°There won¡¯t be a next time.¡±

    He smirks as he brings his hand to my throat, applying pressure. It causes another buzz toe to life under my skin. His callused thumb delicately brushes over my jaw and rubs against my lips. He withdraws his thumb and looks down at the smudged blood, now painting the digit. ¡°We shall see, Kitten,¡± he remarks before he takes the thumb into his mouth and sucks.

 : Chapter 26

    ¡°<span>Married?¡± Dutton questions loudly. ¡°To the woman who¡¯s trying to kill you?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t sound so shocked,¡± I say as I remove my shirt and dump the bottle of water over my sweaty body.

    Dutton and I have been throwing a few rounds in my home gym. Usually, Hawke and Ford would train with us too, but I have them out cleaning up the Dee mess. They were unimpressed by the fact that I didn¡¯t take them as backup. But I don¡¯t answer to them; they work for me.

    I check my phone to ensure they¡¯ve received the money without a hitch, and proceeded with the document exchange to begin the new contracts with Dee. I eagerly await to see what he already has in motion regarding the motorcycle gang, The Boston Delinquents. The moment I have the details, I have no issue with doubling back and removing Dee from the equation entirely. He offended my family, and people don¡¯t survive that shit.

    ¡°Shocked? Weren¡¯t we only having a conversation the other day about figuring out who hired her and then getting rid of her? Do your parents know about this?¡± he demands.

    I look up from my phone. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been publicly announced, but my mother did decide to appear on her doorstep a few days ago.¡±

    Dutton throws his hands in the air. ¡°And then you decided to have a little shoot-out with your girlfriend against Dee and his men without Ford and Hawke. Have you lost your goddamn mind? She could¡¯ve easily killed you then.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard tests of loyalty are healthy for any rtionship,¡± I say dismissively.

    Heughs then, the sound both chaotic and lethal. ¡°Rtionship? What the fuck are you on about? You don¡¯t do rtionships.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a means to an end. I can marry her, wait out the three months until I¡¯m officially named head of the family, then decide whether I dispose of her permanently or pay her out and send her off so she can start a new life.¡±

    Dutton stares at me incredulously. ¡°Why are you going so far for this woman you barely know? And why am I repeating myself? She has been paid to kill you. This jeopardizes not only your life but your family as well. What if her client decides to kill not only you but your parents as well?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t let that happen. Trust me when I say I have it handled.¡± I throw the empty bottle down, the rage I expelled while working out now piling up again. I love my cousin, but he¡¯s the person who gets most under my skin. We¡¯re close in age, but that doesn¡¯t mean our perspectives and goals are the same.

    I turn my back to him and pick up the towel to wipe over my face. ¡°What the fuck happened to your back?!¡± he exims. I freeze, having forgotten about the wounds there. The moment she started carving up my back, I fucking reveled in it. Savored every squeeze of her tight pussy that was barely able to fit me inside.

    The intensity of her gaze and needy, spiteful kisses. The knife down my back was fucking heaven. It created an uncontroble sexual buildup I¡¯d never experienced right before I blew into her, filling her with my cum.

    There was something carnal about fucking her, and I¡¯d do it again and again, even if I¡¯d have to re-ink the lines of every single tattoo on my back. It was fucking worth it.

    I look over my shoulder with a smug smile. His features harden.

    ¡°You¡¯re a sick motherfucker, you know that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not the only one into some depraved things,¡± I remind him. ¡°Remember how you choked out yourst lover? You¡¯re lucky she survived.¡±

    He looks away. ¡°It was an ident.¡±

    ¡°Keep telling yourself that.¡±

    ¡°Is that how you got the nick to your throat? I don¡¯t think any family dinner with your parents is going to go over well if you keep appearing with knife wounds.¡±

    I shrug, done with this discussion. I¡¯ve burned off enough of my excess energy to get me through the day. I haven¡¯t seen Jewel since I dropped her off almost a week ago. And that¡¯s specifically because I¡¯ve taken time to sort out family affairs, contracts, and what some might consider a date for tonight. Jewel just doesn¡¯t know it yet.

    My fianc¨¦e is hellbent on not replying to most of my messages, but I seem to get a bite on the few that really antagonize her. And when I send her gifts, she often sends photos of them in the trash. Unless it¡¯s a specific piece of jewelry or lingerie set that she likes the look of. Then I don¡¯t get a reply at all. Her silence is as good as a thank you.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like it. You¡¯ve done some dumb shit in the past, but this is too much. Her pussy can¡¯t be that golden.¡±

    I turn on him then, sizing him up. ¡°How about you keep my fianc¨¦e¡¯s pussy out of your mind, or we¡¯re going to have a problem.¡±

    His eyes narrow. He shakes his head with a condescending smile. ¡°You know what, motherfucker? For someone who¡¯s talking about this woman being disposable, you seem awfully attached, calling her your fianc¨¦e. So don¡¯t let me interfere with you potentially fucking up your life and getting yourself killed. I hope she¡¯s worth it.¡±

    A tic jumps in my jaw as adrenaline resurfaces, and that roiling anger that¡¯s always close to the surface wants to rear its ugly head.

    ¡°If my parents find out this is a fake marriage, I¡¯ll know it¡¯s because of you.¡±

    He looks over his shoulder with an arrogant expression. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you worry, it won¡¯t be me fucking this up for you. You can manage that shit all on your own. Just don¡¯te to me for help when it blows up in your pretty-ass face.¡±

    He takes his shit and leaves. My knuckles turn white as I clench my fists. Motherfucker.

    I know exactly what I¡¯m doing, and I don¡¯t need his permission to do shit¡ªespecially considering his sly deals and management of his own business are less than moral.

    I look back at my phone, approving of the quick work of my men. Ford and Hawke are on their way with the goods, and that means I can focus on treating my fake fianc¨¦e to a little date tonight. One she won¡¯t be able to refuse.

    I have every intention of showing her off like a trophy wife because whoever can afford a hit on me is most definitely someone in or close to our inner circle. Unfortunately, it¡¯s hard to tell who because I¡¯ve pissed so many people off.

    Once they know she¡¯s mine, they¡¯ll falter, perhaps reveal their hand or change their tactics.

    In the meantime, I get to spoil my soon-to-be wife.

 : Chapter 30

    ¡°<span>Married?¡± Billie says, baffled. Dutton, Hawke, and Ford are sitting behind her. She turns to Dutton. ¡°How could you not tell me this?¡± she asks usingly.

    His hands are folded over his chest, and he shrugs. ¡°I only found out a few days ago.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that kind of big news? Who is she? It¡¯s not Michelle, is it? I can¡¯t stand her.¡±

    ¡°And what are you going to say if it is?¡± Hawke asks,ughing. She goes to speak but closes her mouth. My cousin is, unfortunately, a dumbass, much like Hawke. Neither of them think before they speak.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t, right?¡± She winces as if she¡¯s put her foot in her mouth.

    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± my mother calls out. ¡°My son has some taste.¡±

    ¡°At least your son seems interested in a rtionship; mine just seems to drift from bed to bed,¡± Aunt Honey calls from the kitchen.

    ¡°Why am I now being targeted?¡± Dutton shouts. Hawke and Fordugh as Billie nces at her phone.

    ¡°Hope can¡¯te. She¡¯s busy with some show tonight,¡± Billie says, throwing herself between the twins to sit.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t even invite her,¡± I grit out, irritated that this turned into a far bigger deal than I¡¯d intended it to be. ¡°And why are you two here? Didn¡¯t I let you have tonight off?¡± I ask Hawke and Ford.

    Ford seems too preupied with his phone to answer. He¡¯s been doing that a lottely. Hawke shrugs, then answers, ¡°Where else would we want to be when the boss officially introduces his fianc¨¦e to the family? Besides, we missed you since you seem to be having date nights and killing sprees together. We¡¯re basically chopped liver now.¡±

    ¡°You went on a killing spree together?¡± Billie demands, cheeks going pale. ¡°Please tell me she¡¯s not as crazy as Anya.¡±

    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s our mother you¡¯re speaking about,¡± Hawke scolds.

    ¡°Yeah, and you¡¯re just as crazy,¡± she bites back.

    He doesn¡¯t disagree with her.

    My jaw tics in irritation. I¡¯m often frustrated when this group gets together. I down a mouthful of whiskey as we wait in the living area of my parents¡¯ mansion. I¡¯d offered to host it at my ce, but my mother was hell-bent on having it here. Now I know why¡ªbecause she decided to invite fucking everyone.

    ¡°To answer your question,¡± Dutton says to his sister, ¡°she¡¯s definitely on the spectrum of crazy.¡±

    ¡°Watch your mouth when you¡¯re talking about my fianc¨¦e,¡± I growl. Everyone falls silent, and Dutton raises an eyebrow.

    ¡°I thought she was just a means to an end, that you¡¯re using her to get everything you want. Isn¡¯t that what you told me?¡± he says quietly so only those of us in the room can hear.

    I ignore him. Dutton has already taken over his father¡¯s businesspletely. He doesn¡¯t know what it¡¯s like to have his future hinging on something as stupid as a marriage requirement. Ever since I was eighteen, I¡¯ve had to fight for my role and for every new responsibility. I did tell him that Jewel serves a purpose, but I won¡¯t let him speak ill of her.

    I haven¡¯t spoken to my father since the engagement, and when he walks in with my uncle Dawson after finishing work, I stand to pour them both a ss of whiskey.

    ¡°I hear congrattions are in order,¡± Father says. He pulls me in for a one-armed hug and pats my back. ¡°Proud of you, son. The best thing I ever did was force your mother to marry me.¡± He chuckles. I hand him and Dutton each a ss.

    ¡°It was my choice to marry you; I want that made very clear,¡± my mother says as she enters the room with Aunt Honey. He goes to her, immediately pulling her in for a kiss. He is, in every sense of the word, obsessed with my mother. Although I grew up watching them unable to keep their hands off each other, I can¡¯t imagine myself having the same experience in my own marriage. I just remind myself that Jewel serves a business purpose only. But the fucking is most definitely a perk.

    Dawson gravitates to Honey, and she raises on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek.

    ¡°So where is she?¡± my father asks, looking around the room.

    I¡¯m not entirely thrilled that she¡¯ste to what¡¯s supposed to be her introduction to my parents. She had a shift tonight, and although we didn¡¯t part on the best of termsst night, I had her swear she¡¯d be here. Then again, when has that woman done anything I¡¯ve told her to do?

    ¡°She was probably scared off after her future mother-inw surprised her at her own home,¡± Hawke says. Everyone¡¯s eyes grow wide, and realization dawns on him. ¡°Oh shit, that wasn¡¯tmon knowledge?¡±

    ¡°Rya! You didn¡¯t, did you?¡± Honey yells at her sister. ¡°Oh my gosh, the poor girl.¡±

    My mother waves it off, saying, ¡°What? I just had to confirm my suspicions, and I wanted to see what type of woman she is.¡±

    I look at my phone. Still no update from her.

    Where the fuck is she?

    ¡°I¡¯m starving,¡± Hawkeins.

    ¡°We¡¯ll wait for her. The table is already set, so you can be patient,¡± Mother tells him.

    ¡°Besides, you¡¯re always hungry.¡± Billie checks her pockets and fishes out a lollipop.

    ¡°You¡¯re a fucking angel.¡± Hawke grins as he steals the sucker from her hand.

    Dutton looks up from the book he¡¯s reading and pins Hawke with a re. Then sends one Ford¡¯s way when she hands him one. Ford isn¡¯t as big of an eater as his gym junkie brother, but I¡¯ve never seen him turn down a sweet.

    ¡°No, we can start dinner now. Her shift must be going over. I¡¯ll try to call her one more time,¡± I say.

    ¡°Oh, a shift worker?¡± I hear Honey ask curiously. No one knows she¡¯s technically a hitwoman, and I have every intent to keep it that way.

    I call, but there¡¯s no answer. This time, though, she does text back. I grin at the updated contact name I gave her since Stalker didn¡¯t seem to fit anymore.

    Wifey: I¡¯m runningte. Eat without me.

    I frown at the short text andck of apology. But it¡¯s likely she¡¯s had to stay at workter than she expected. I don¡¯t even know why she keeps that job. I understand having a cover, but as my wife, she won¡¯t have to hide behind something so trivial. If she were my real wife, that is.

    When I enter the dining room, I see it¡¯s beautifully set up. My mother stands behind my father at the head of the table with a smile, proud of the oue. She then looks up at me expectantly.

    ¡°She¡¯ll be a bit longer yet. But she said to start without her.¡±

    I sit beside my mother, leaving the other side free for when Jewel arrives. A private chef brings out entr¨¦es, setting a te in front of each of us. My mother uses this time to ask Dutton about Jewel, and he tells her she will most likely challenge me in every way and that she¡¯s wlessly stubborn. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s what my mother wants to hear.

    By the time we¡¯ve finished the main course and she hasn¡¯t replied or shown up, I can see my father getting irritated. He doesn¡¯t have much in the way of patience; I guess that¡¯s where I get it from.

    ¡°It will be nice to have another woman my age in the family,¡± Billie says after I briefly describe Jewel to them. Billie¡¯s only a year younger than Dutton, but he treats her as if she¡¯s still a sweet little girl.

    ¡°Wait till you meet her,¡± Dutton mumbles under his breath. Thankfully, at the same time, Honey and Dawson are in conversation with my parents.

    I re at him across the table, and his sister shifts ufortably. ¡°Don¡¯t be bitter because you can¡¯t find anyone who won¡¯t put up with your shit,¡± she says to her brother.

    He raises his eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know; I don¡¯t intend to have a rtionship. This family keeps me busy enough as it is.¡±

    Hawke snorts. ¡°More like no one wants you because of how fucking intense you are.¡±

    Billie then defends her brother. ¡°Hey, like you¡¯re one to talk, Mr. Manwhore. You can¡¯t even remember the girls¡¯ names you sleep with.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know that I do remember them, but if there¡¯s more than one in one night, it bes tricky,¡± he says defensively, then scarfs down a forkful of food.

    ¡°You¡¯re such a pig,¡± she snaps back. ¡°The only one who actually has any decency here is Ford. At least he knows how to treat a woman.¡±

    Ford looks up from his phone this time.

    ¡°Please, Ford hasn¡¯t been with a woman since¡­¡± Hawke stops to ponder that for a moment. ¡°I don¡¯t know when.¡±

    An exchange seems to happen between Ford and Billie, and she¡¯s quick to say, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. He still knows how to be at least reasonable. The rest of you are all too macho. Gah! I so want another woman in this family.¡±

    I excuse myself from the table as Hawke and Billie squabble amongst themselves about the treatment of women. I swear, Hawke intentionally riles her up just to get a reaction. He¡¯s been doing it since the day they first met.

    I step out into the living room and call Jewel. She lets it ring out again, which makes me angry.

    ¡°Is she noting?¡± my mother asks as she joins me. Sliding my phone into my pocket, I feel the muscles in my jaw twitch. She stood me up. Maybe for payback, I¡¯ll destroy one of her precious guns.

    One of my parents¡¯ security guards steps into the living room to announce a new guest, but Jewel bursts in, introducing herself. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯mte. Work wouldn¡¯t let me leave.¡± She¡¯s still wearing her work attire of ck heels and a little ck dress.

    I stalk across the room and loom over her. She pins me with that challenging stare as I grab her by the hip and pull her to me, crushing my lips to hers. She seems startled and unsure what to do with her hands, but I inhale her, take out my fury on her as I devour her. I drag out her lip and growl, ¡°You¡¯rete.¡± I¡¯m fucking furious with her.

    Goose bumps erupt along her skin, which pleases me to no end. She pulls away from me and holds her hand out to my mother, who is studying us intently. This isn¡¯t going to be easy.

    ¡°Nice to see you again, Mrs. Monti. Apologies for beingte. I didn¡¯t want this to be everyone else¡¯s first impression .¡±

    My mother epts Jewel¡¯s hand, looking between the two of us, and I know nothing goes unnoticed by her, so I put my hand on Jewel¡¯s hip possessively and tug her back into me. I don¡¯t know what the fuck a happy couple looks like, but I¡¯m going to kill my little Kitten with touch and kindness. The very things she fucking hates. This will serve as her punishment for being sote. I had a feeling she was going to be a littlete, but I didn¡¯t expect her to onlye for dessert.

    ¡°Of course, dear, but you missed an amazing meal. Come, let me introduce you to everyone.¡± My mother eases her away from me and leads her into the dining room.

    Jewel nces over her shoulder quickly and flips me off. The corner of my mouth twitches. I¡¯m irritated that she can make me so fucking angry one minute, then have me smiling the next.

    My father makes a point to stand and offer his hand in greeting. To her credit, she doesn¡¯t seem intimidated by him. And he is a very intimidating man.

    She and Dutton acknowledge one another with an insincere, ¡°Good to see you.¡± She walks around the table and shakes everyone¡¯s hand as my mother introduces them.

    It¡¯s not until she makes it back around to my side that I notice she¡¯s not wearing her engagement ring. But when I left her yesterday, she was definitely wearing it.

    My mother seems to notice theck of a ring at the same time. Her eyes narrow almost imperceptibly, and I can tell she senses something is off between Jewel and me. She¡¯s one of the topwyers in the country, if not the best, for fuck¡¯s sake; sniffing out lies is her damn job.

    ¡°You still don¡¯t have a ring?¡± my mother asks. I wrap my arm around Jewel¡¯s shoulders, and she tenses as she lifts her hand.

    ¡°Oh, I do. It¡¯s beautiful, but I can¡¯t wear it to work. It¡¯s way too expensive,¡± she replies, as if that¡¯s answer enough.

    ¡°You should wear your ring,¡± I growl. She eyes me and smiles. It¡¯s forced, and I can tell behind that smile, there are sharp teeth wanting to bite.

    I drop my arm and pull out the seat, indicating for her to take it. When she does, I sit next to her, and the interrogation begins.

 : Chapter 32

    ¡°<span>Where¡¯s your ring?¡± I ask furiously as we leave my parents¡¯ home.

    ¡°Can we just focus on the fact that you¡¯ve just told your entire family we¡¯re marrying within a month, and how fucking crazy that is?¡± she hisses in reply.

    I encroach into her space, pushing her back against the car.

    ¡°I¡¯m the one running the show here, and you better learn to fall in line,¡± I growl. ¡°Why were youte tonight?¡± I demand because that¡¯s what pissed me off the most.

    She looks away. ¡°I¡¯m not some dog that jumps just because you said so.¡±

    ¡°Oh, but you¡¯ll happily let me fuck you like a dog.¡±

    Her scornful gaze meets mine. ¡°You¡¯re such a fucking asshole.¡±

    I smile at her now, the urge to snap her neck strong. ¡°You humiliated me in there. You were not onlyte, but then you walked in to meet my parents without wearing your engagement ring?¡±

    She tries to shove me, but I crowd her even more now that we¡¯re out of sight of any onlookers. ¡°I never asked for any of this!¡± she shouts.

    ¡°We have an agreement, and if you want to see your father¡¯s fucking guns again, you¡¯ll do as you¡¯re told.¡±

    I¡¯m livid because I know she¡¯s hiding things from me, even though I epted that fact when I chose to ckmail her into this situation. Despite that, I still can¡¯t help but want to break her into submission.

    ¡°Your such an ass,¡± she says defiantly. And that¡¯s when I see it, the glisten in her eyes. My heart falls to my stomach, and my brow furrows in confusion because I can¡¯t even understand it myself.

    I go to touch her cheek, but she ps my hand away. ¡°Don¡¯t fucking touch me.¡±

    My rage morphs into something else. It turns itself on me. For as fierce as this woman is, there¡¯s still something precious inside her to break.

    I take a step back, confused by my swirling emotions. ¡°Get in the car,¡± I say quietly as I open the door. She shoves past me, and I m the door behind her.

    I¡¯m so angry.

    At her.

    At myself.

    At these raw emotions wing at my chest that I don¡¯t entirely understand. And for some reason, they¡¯re only rearing their ugly head because of this woman.

    My family is everything to me. And the reminder that she could hurt them or disappoint them in any way butts heads with the idea of simply using her. Tonight, only momentarily, I wondered what it might be like if my family epted Jewel as my real wife.

    It wouldn¡¯t be difficult for her to fit in. As quickly as it entered my mind, I closed that thought down, knowing it¡¯s not reality.

    Perhaps it¡¯s the guilt for tricking my family with this ruse because I know it¡¯ll certainly break my mother if she ever finds out this is a lie. Four months from now, when I either kill Jewel or pay her so much money so she can flee and never see my family again, how will it impact them? Perhaps it¡¯s best I only have them around her for necessary events so they don¡¯t be too attached.

    I never really considered how other people might feel after this marriage. I¡¯ve been focused on my empire, which is now within reach. No, I insist to myself. I¡¯m not burdened by that. This is a means to an end to take over the family business. No more, no less.

    I open the driver¡¯s side door and slide inside.

    I grip the steering wheel tightly to keep from cing my hand on her knee. I be strangely addicted to the idea of being able to touch her whenever and wherever I want.

    We sit in silence for the entire drive to her ce, the tension palpable. She¡¯s removing her seat belt before I even pull over.

    ¡°Wait, Jewel.¡± But she¡¯s already out of the car and ms the door in my face.

    A tic res in my jaw as I wind down the window and call out to her. ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up tomorrow. You¡¯ll be shopping for a wedding dress!¡±

    She flips me off without looking back, and I curse under my breath.

    This fucking woman is driving me insane.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± I m my hand down on my steering wheel, for some reason considering how much of an asshole I might actually be. I¡¯ve never questioned how that might be a bad thing until now.

    But seeing her eyes glisten with the hint of tears, knowing she would never cry, made me realize I pushed her too far tonight. And I¡¯m already trying to figure out how to make it up to her.

    The next question is, why am I even trying to make it up to the woman who¡¯s supposed to kill me?

 : Chapter 36

    I¡¯m two drinks in and rocking a nice buzz. All the dresses are tight. Some are poofy, and others look likeyers of tablecloths were draped on top of me.

    They look great, sure. But every time I put another one on, I¡¯m sucked deeper into a well of anxiety. I don¡¯t get anxious, dammit. But trying on wedding dresses is freaking me the fuck out.

    I¡¯ve listened in on some of the casual conversation between Eli and Rya. They¡¯re talking about the wedding nning. I¡¯m grateful to be as far away from that bullshit as possible. Eli is more intelligent than to ask my opinion on cutlery for a wedding I don¡¯t want any part in.

    I step out of the changing room, now wearing the fourth dress. Eli looks up at me through his eyshes with an expression of wanting to fuck me in every dress I walk out in. When I spin to look at myself in the mirror, I feel like I can¡¯t breathe. Maybe she tightened this one too much?

    I close my eyes momentarily, reminding myself just to get this over and done with so we can get married, and I can get my fucking guns back and then run away from whatever bullshit this is stirring within me.

    ¡°I think that¡¯s a perfect fit,¡± the sales associate says as she tightens the corset on my back even more. I almost keel forward from how suffocatingly tight it is.

    The alcohol was meant to help, but right now, I feel like everything is spinning.

    ¡°Do you love it? It fits you like a glove. Stunning, really,¡± Rya gushes as she stands and approaches me with a third ss of champagne, holding it out to me. Without a word, I grab the ss, throw it back in one go, and then hand it back to her. Fuck etiquette right now. I¡¯m trying my hardest not to freak the fuck out.

    I never wanted marriage. I wasn¡¯t made for it. And although I know all of this is fake, my heartbeat is trying to kick through my ribcage.

    ¡°Jewel, are you okay?¡± Rya asks, carefully cing a hand on my shoulder.

    I offer a tight smile and nod my head.

    ¡°Happy with this one?¡± I ask Eli through gritted teeth.

    He stands and prowls toward me, his gaze taking in every detail before he stops in front of me.

    ¡°I think any dress you put on would be perfect,¡± he says matter-of-factly, but then his hand runs up the outside of the dress, bunching it as his fingers trail up my skin. ¡°But you also have amazing legs. What about a slit up the skirt to show them off?¡± He smirks, and the heat from my anxiety mixes with something else¡ªdesire. I need to be grounded again because I feel like I¡¯m spiraling right now, and I keep my gaze locked with his, as if it¡¯s the only thing keeping me here.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to be left alone with my fianc¨¦e for a moment,¡± he announces. Rya and the sales associate share a brief nce and then leave us alone in the room. The moment they¡¯re gone, I storm around him, grab the bottle of champagne, and start chugging.

    He snatches it from me. ¡°Hey!¡± I demand. He steps into my space and turns me so I face the full-length mirror. His handse around to my front as he stands behind me. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Look at yourself,¡± he calmly instructs.

    I don¡¯t want to. I don¡¯t want to see myself in this dress. I¡¯ve struggled with looking directly at myself this whole time. He grabs under my jaw and tilts my head up. I want to look away but can¡¯t because he holds me in ce.

    ¡°Do you want to know what I see?¡± he asks as his hands bunch the front of my dress. He then begins trailing his fingers over the exact same spot he suggested I get the split.

    ¡°A ticket to your family¡¯s business,¡± I snark back.

    ¡°A powerful woman,¡± he insists. ¡°A woman who doesn¡¯t run from a challenge and hits her fears head-on.¡±

    ¡°And what do you think my fear is, Mr. Monti?¡± I breathe out, unable to ignore his fingers caressing my skin. Unable to look away from the view of us in the mirror.

    ¡°Marrying me¡­ or anyone else. Commitment. Having a family.¡±

    My eye twitches at thestment. It was dead on and too close to my truths and vulnerabilities, as they¡¯ve started surfacing these previous few weeks. I smile with twisted hatred at his insight. I adjust my foot slightly and bring the heel of my shoe down hard on his foot.

    He grins as I press down harder. His hands continue to trail upward, then tuck under the dress and into my panties.

    ¡°You¡¯re out of your mind if you think I¡¯m going to let you fuck me in this wedding dress. Besides, I¡¯m on my period, motherfucker.¡± I lean back into him, purposefully pressing all my weight onto the heel, digging into his foot. It must hurt, but it doesn¡¯t show in his expression.

    His other hand wraps around my throat, and he smiles as he holds me against him. ¡°You forget red is my favorite color.¡±

    ¡°This is a $100,000 dress.¡±

    ¡°The worth of the dress means fuck all when it¡¯s the woman beneath it I want to unravel.¡±

    I try to move away, but he tightens his grip. ¡°You might not think this dress, this ring, or this wedding is for you. But you are my gift to unwrap until our agreementes to an end. You think this dress is for everyone else? I couldn¡¯t give a fuck what they think. It¡¯s about my wife dressing for me. It¡¯s about my wife tempting me even before she meets me at the end of the aisle. You look delectable in every dress you¡¯ve tried on. It¡¯s not the dress that¡¯s the problem. It¡¯s time you submit to this agreement entirely.¡±

    His thumb circles my sensitive clit, and I want to wring his neck as much as I want him to continue. ¡°So why don¡¯t we have a momentary truce?¡± he suggests.

    ¡°Your mother is standing outside this room,¡± I whisper-shout.

    ¡°I¡¯m not thinking about my mother, Kitten.¡± He presses himself more firmly against me. Through all the material, I can barely feel him, but I know he¡¯s hard. His hand slips lower, and his fingers feather against my folds.

    ¡°This is sick,¡± I say, conscious of how heavy my flow is right now.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t really think you were marrying a sane man, did you?¡± He chuckles as he gently tugs the string of my tampon. ¡°As I¡¯ve told you before, red is my favorite color.¡±

    The moment the tampon is free from my body, he drops it to the floor. I gape in embarrassment at our reflections in the mirror, but he hisses as he inserts a finger into me, and my expression changes to a mixture of mortified and mesmerized.

    ¡°Admit it, it feels good,¡± he whispers into my ear. ¡°Momentary truce?¡±

    I don¡¯t want to admit it. I want to tell him to stop. To tell him this is wrong. But my mouth is dry. And his fingers feel so good.

    Maybe it¡¯s the buzz of the champagne that¡¯s locked up my words, leaving me only able to stare into his eyes, as if right now they¡¯re the one thing keeping me from floating away. I eventually nod in answer to his question. Momentary truce or whatever the fuck it is we¡¯re doing.

    ¡°Remove your panties,¡± he instructs as he steps back.

    I gulp as I do as he says and then turn to face him. He watches as they slip down my legs to my ankles, and I step out of them. His nostrils re as he undoes his pants, his cock springing free as he says, ¡°On your knees.¡±

    That¡¯s when I notice the glisten of red on his fingers and want to shy away. ¡°There is nothing about you that disgusts me, amore mio.¡± My heart squeezes at the endearment, but then I realize the type of sick monster he is when he brings his fingers to his lips. He licks them, and I fall to my knees. I¡¯m unsure if I do it out of shock or because I can¡¯t not do what he says in this moment. He¡¯s so otherworldly in his sexual and primal demand, pushing me in ways I never thought possible. And it doesn¡¯t repulse me. No, it calls to something in me I didn¡¯t know was there.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good girl,¡± he praises as he looks at me expectantly. I stare at his massive, veiny cock and lick my lips. The white dress pools around me, and despite the expensive garment I wear, he looks at me as if I¡¯m a whore. My core floods with heat, and I lean forward for a taste. I lick a drop of pre-cum, the salty taste far more inviting than the bubbles of champagne that have clearly gone to my head.

    I slide my mouth over his cock, my lips stretching to amodate him. I fist him at the same time, unable to fit the length of him in my mouth. He brushes my cheek with the backs of his fingers, and I make a point not to look away as I try my best to take all of him. ¡°So fucking beautiful on your knees for me, Kitten. Now, dig your ws in and make mee.¡±

    He slips his hand to his back beneath his suit jacket, and a momentter, he pulls out a knife. ¡°If you bleed, so do I.¡±

    I pull back as he brings the tip of the knife to my chest. My breath hitches before I realize he¡¯s cutting down the front of the dress.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I whisper frantically, freaking out that he¡¯s so casually destroying a six-figure dress.

    ¡°We agreed on a slit, didn¡¯t we?¡± He smirks. ¡°Besides, your breathing is too shallow in this dress, and I want you to amodate all of me.¡±

    Suddenly, I can breathe properly, and he smirks as he hands me the knife. ¡°Carve your initials into a ce my mother won¡¯t see.¡±

    And my mind goespletely nk as he threads his fingers through my hair and brings my lips to his cock again.

 : Chapter 38

    She¡¯s drunk. And I think my mother likes her. I basically carry my soon-to-be wife to the car and close the door behind her once I¡¯ve deposited her in the passenger seat.

    My mother is waving at Jewel, who gives her a thumbs up, and she can¡¯t help butugh. ¡°She¡¯s really nervous about this wedding, isn¡¯t she?¡±

    I freeze at my mother¡¯s insight. I hope she thinks it¡¯s only premarital jitters and has nothing to do with the level of intensity that it actually is.

    ¡°Marrying into a powerful family has its challenges,¡± she borates. ¡°But I see the way you two look at each other. The way she challenges you? I¡¯ve never seen someone keep you on your toes like that before. Having a family wee her in might be overwhelming for her, though, so make sure you support her every step of the way. Be nice.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m always nice,¡± I say defensively, and she gives me a yeah, sure look.

    ¡°You only get one chance at this.¡±

    ¡°You had two chances,¡± I remind her.

    She smiles in memory at that. ¡°I literally shot your father in the leg right in front of his mother and then ran from the chapel. Let¡¯s just say the second time, when we officially married, she wasn¡¯t so keen on me. But she respected me.¡±

    ¡°Are you giving Jewel permission to shoot me in the leg?¡±

    ¡°No, but at the very least, I hope she gives you hell to keep you in line.¡± She smirks. ¡°I really like her. She¡¯s lovely, but she isn¡¯t used to this. You¡¯ll be the only family she has. Don¡¯t take that honor for granted.¡±

    I already knew that. I know when she gets overwhelmed. I see her nervous habits, for example, when she bites at the skin around her nails.

    I look over at Jewel, who¡¯s scrolling through her phone. Her feet are on my dashboard, and I feel my left eye twitch. I know all of these things, but I didn¡¯t care about them before. Now, there¡¯s a sliver of guilt because she¡¯s bing a multifaceted person to me. Not just a pawn. Not just a toy.

    My phone starts ringing in my pocket, and I know who it is without looking. It¡¯s Michelle, angry I canceled our regr meetups. She¡¯s been calling every day. And every day, I don¡¯t answer.

    My mother taps on the window, and Jewel lowers it. ¡°Make sure my son gets you some dinner on the way home.¡±

    Jewel hups with a smile and somberly says, ¡°You¡¯re a good mom. I wish I had you as a mom.¡±

    My mother cups her cheek. ¡°You¡¯re already a part of the family, dear.¡± Then she turns to me. ¡°Put her to bed and make sure she drinks plenty of water.¡± With thatst piece of advice, she heads toward her own car. I wait until she¡¯s gone before I get into mine.

    ¡°You. You are a piece of fucking shit,¡± Jewel says with her eyes closed, head leaning back against the headrest.

    ¡°Tell me what you really think,¡± I tease, and her eyelids pop open. She swings her head to the side to face me.

    ¡°I did, or are you stupid as well?¡± I can¡¯t help the smirk that fights to break out on my lips as I start the car. ¡°I had too much to drink. I hate marriage, and I hate you.¡±

    ¡°I know, Kitten. I know,¡± I soothe as I wrap my hand over her knee. She grumbles inint as two of her fingers hook around one of mine. When I look over at her again, her eyes are closed, and she appears to be sleeping. She really didn¡¯t get any sleepst night, but it is most likely up to God knows what.

    She sleeps the entire drive back to her apartment. It¡¯s not until I pull over that her eyes open in surprise, and her hand leaves mine.

    Turning off the car, I get out and make my way around the car to her door. Opening it, she attempts to unclip her seat belt but fails and throws her hands in the air. ¡°Now you¡¯re trying to trap me in this car too.¡±

    Leaning over her, I unbuckle the seat belt, and as I do, I can feel her death re on the side of my head. Having a woman stare at me with such hatred is not something I can say I¡¯m used to. And it actually makes me want tough.

    ¡°You¡¯re free,¡± I say, sweeping my hand toward her apartment building. She huffs before she gets out and walks straight past me to the entrance. I shut the car door and follow her as she stumbles her way inside. I carry the half-finished burger and fries I stopped to buy her. I try not tough as she struggles to unlock her door. Growling, she throws the key at the door and rests her head against the wall. ¡°Need a hand?¡± I offer, my amusement clear in my voice. She scowls at me.

    Here she is, a woman with precise aim¡ªprobably better than any of my men¡ªand she¡¯s angry she can¡¯t get a key in a lock.

    It¡¯sical, really.

    She flips me off but doesn¡¯t reject my offer. She stands to the side and takes the bag of food from me as I bend down to pick up her keys and unlock the door. When I open it, she¡¯s elbow-deep in the bag again, pulling out fries.

    She steps past me and tries her hardest to walk in a straight line to her room.

    Her roommate doesn¡¯t seem to be home. I close the apartment door and go to the kitchen to grab her a ss of water. When I reach her room, I can hear her swearing under her breath. Somehow, she¡¯s gotten tangled in her dress. I can¡¯t take my eyes off drunk Jewel for a second. I chuckle as I put the water on the bedside table and then drop to my knees as she sits on the bed, now trying to undo her boots.

    ¡°Let me help,¡± I say. I move her hand from her boot, unzipping and removing them both. She slides up the bed, dragging the fries with her and eating some more. ¡°Drink the water,¡± I tell her.

    ¡°Fuck you,¡± she says but does as she¡¯s told. I chuckle.

    ¡°I¡¯m not opposed to it.¡± I look up and wink at her. She finishes the ss of water and then sys out on the bed. It¡¯s not long before a soft snore leaves her.

    Clearly, she cannot handle her alcohol.

    Standing up, I pick her up and put herfortably on the bed so she doesn¡¯tin about a sore back or neck the next day. My cock swells as my gaze roams down her figure. She¡¯s only wearing her bra and underwear. I feel bad for the mess I left behind on her, so I go to her bathroom and wet a towel.

    I clean up the mixture of blood and cum from her skin.

    I don¡¯t feel bad lying to my parents, but I am starting to notice how perfectly this little she-devil might fit into my life. That thought bes ufortable because just as I feel like I¡¯m getting my fill of this woman, I¡¯m yearning for more. I can¡¯t get her out of my head or my bloodstream, which might be turning into a weakness.

    She turns over in her sleep, reaching for her pillow and hugging it tight.

    She is beautiful. Stunning, really.

    And then she starts to snore again.

 : Chapter 41

    Jewel pulls away, but I don¡¯t let her. Instead, I tug her even closer and wrap my arm around her waist.

    Michelle smiles¡ªit¡¯s utterly fake¡ªas she approaches us, but Jewel doesn¡¯t smile back. I lean toward her, my intention to whisper in her ear to calm down, but she leans into me at the same time, and I take that offering, as a starved man would, and kiss her neck. I feel her body tighten, and her hand grips my trousers as if she is giving me a warning. But warnings are my favorite type of forey when ites to this beautiful vixen. It means I¡¯m getting under her skin. And I like it.

    I like making her ufortable.

    I like her.

    Darting my tongue out, I slide it up her earlobe and take it into my mouth.

    ¡°Eli,¡± she hisses in warning. ¡°We have guests.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± I hum, not stopping. She squeezes my leg, purposefully gripping the still-healing spot where she carved her initials. I still don¡¯t stop, though. It¡¯s impossible to stop when I want something so badly, audience be damned. I¡¯ve always gotten what I wanted in this life, even if it takes a little longer than I initially hoped for. I haven¡¯t wanted to crawl between someone else¡¯s legs as much as I want to crawl between hers.

    ¡°I came to congratte you, and you put on a performance like this? Rather poor behavior, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡± Michelle says, and Jewel now purposefully pushes me away, but I keep a hand on her hip.

    ¡°It¡¯s lovely to see you, Michelle,¡± I reply, leaning in and air-kissing her cheek because the thought of touching any woman other than Jewel now repulses me. She ces a kiss on my cheek, and she whispers something I don¡¯t quite hear. I pull back and see Jewel ring daggers at her.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Michelle asks sweetly, but it¡¯s filled with a venomous undertone.

    ¡°Tell her to leave,¡± Jewel demands, turning to me.

    Michelle¡¯s smile remains. ¡°I¡¯m a guest. I¡¯m not leaving. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re familiar with who my father is and the rtionship our families have, but?¡ª¡±

    ¡°Leave,¡± I say to Michelle as I scan the room. ¡°If my fianc¨¦e doesn¡¯t want you here, then you won¡¯t be here.¡±

    Michelle¡¯s jaw drops open. ¡°You can¡¯t just ask me to leave.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask.¡± I raise a brow at her. ¡°Our families¡¯ rtionship has nothing to do with me. My priority is my fianc¨¦e.¡± I say nothing more as I slip my hand into Jewel¡¯s, and we walk away.

    Michelle looks as if she¡¯s going to explode when one of her friends ushers her away. I didn¡¯t know she wasing, but I didn¡¯t really think much about the guest list. If Jewel wants to kill her, so be it. I don¡¯t care.

    I¡¯m not going to do anything to make my future wife upset with me.

    Even if this is a hoax, and I have to remind myself it isn¡¯t real.

    It¡¯s somehow starting to feel real, though.

    When we¡¯re a distance away from Michelle, who is loudly being removed from the party, Jewel leans in with a sickly sweet smile that is as fake as can be. ¡°Kiss me like that again tonight, and I will tear your cock from your body.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be rewarded for doing as you said and kicking Michelle out? And besides, I may like your hands on my cock. How about a truce tonight, Kitten?¡±

    ¡°Not even if your life depends on it.¡± She keeps the smile intact as the twins approach us.

    ¡°Boss,¡± Hawke says this to Jewel and not me. Her smile turns more genuine at that, and I want to pummel his ass for making her think he¡¯s funny in any way.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be irritating Billie somewhere?¡± I grit between my teeth.

    ¡°Nah, man, not in front of Dutton; he¡¯ll kill me,¡± Hawke says airily.

    ¡°What makes you think you can¡¯t kill him?¡± Jewel asks innocently.

    ¡°That man¡¯s a crazy motherfucker,¡± Hawke replies with a smile, slipping his hands into his pockets.

    ¡°You say that like you¡¯re not,¡± Ford deadpans, then turns to Jewel. ¡°We heard you met our parents at one of the auctions. How did you like the establishment?¡±

    ¡°Your mom¡¯s kind of crazy, and I¡¯m into it,¡± she confesses, and Hawke offers her a cheesy grin that I want to rip off his smug little face.

    ¡°Jewel. Eli,¡± Dutton says, drawing my attention away from her. She inches away from me, most likely being considerate so I can talk to my cousin, who clearly doesn¡¯t like her. It takes everything in me not to pull her back. Dutton notices, and I hope he¡¯s the only one who does.

    Billie and Hope join Jewel and the twins, who all head over to the food table. Dutton seems to be studying me, but I don¡¯t give a fuck. I want to make sure she¡¯sfortable. Watching her freak out as she tried on the wedding dresses tugged at a part of me I never want to feel again. I don¡¯t want her to spiral because of me, not in that way.

    My mother joins the group and pulls Jewel in for a hug. Jewel is awkward, but I really expected no less from her. My mother can read people very easily, so when I¡¯m around Jewel, I¡¯m careful to show that I want her. Which, let¡¯s make no mistake, I do. So that part isn¡¯t hard, and it works well that my mother understands that Jewel is not an affectionate person.

    So, our game of push and pull is working.

    For now.

    ¡°You¡¯re really doing this?¡± Dutton asks incredulously.

    ¡°Yep,¡± I answer, not taking my eyes off my fianc¨¦e as my mother parades her around, introducing her to people. I watch as my mother grips Jewel¡¯s hand as if she knows she might try to escape.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure your father would have given you the business even if you didn¡¯t marry,¡± Dutton says. Even though he thinks he knows my father, he doesn¡¯t.

    Crue Monti loves to say how his wife made him a better man, which also includes being a better businessman. And while I don¡¯t want to believe him, I know my mother made him a better person. She once went away to Italy for a week without him, and he looked lost without her. Two dayster, he was on his private jet on the way to Italy to ¡°surprise her.¡±

    ¡°Are you still going to kill her after all of this?¡± Dutton asks, bringing his ss to his lips. I pin him with a re, and he shrugs. ¡°Oh, right. Divorce was the agreed-upon n. Word of advice, cousin. You¡¯re not looking at that woman like you want to kill or divorce her.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s none of your fucking business. Just learn to keep your mouth shut,¡± I hiss as I look over his shoulder and see my father discussing business with a few of his men.

    Dutton chuckles in disbelief. ¡°I¡¯ll offer a great speech at your funeral.¡±

    ¡°Whose funeral?¡± Billie asks, walking up behind me. ¡°Stop giving Eli such a hard time for his puppy-love gaze.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a puppy-love gaze,¡± I grit out at my youngest cousin, who just grins back at me.

    ¡°I like her.¡± She salutes with her champagne ss. ¡°She¡¯s kind of a little mysterious too, you know. We had no idea you were seeing someone, and now we have to tell all of Hope¡¯s cutesy artist friends that you¡¯re off the market.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t bring them around.¡± Dutton pins her with a stare. ¡°Their type isn¡¯t made for this world.¡±

    Billie rolls her eyes. ¡°The thousandth reason why you remain single.¡± She pokes her tongue out at him. ¡°Aunt Rya really likes her too. I didn¡¯t think your parents would like any woman you brought around, but I guess anyone is an improvement from Michelle. She was a bitch.¡±

    ¡°You need to learn not to speak so loudly at events like this,¡± Dutton chastises, but as he looks at his sister, it¡¯s with love. She couldn¡¯t do anything wrong in his eyes.

    I watch as my mother continues to guide Jewel around and introduce her to everyone. Billie spots Hope again and goes to join her.

    ¡°Your mother is going to be pissed when you separate,¡± Dutton says under his breath. I resist the urge to hit him. ¡°And are you entirely certain your dad is a fan of her?¡±

    I nce over at my father, who looks miserable to be here. Most likely because he¡¯s watching after my mother, who isn¡¯t currently giving him attention.

    ¡°If you still want an invitation to the wedding, you¡¯ll keep your mouth shut. I told you I have this under control.¡± Dutton smirks and holds his hands up defensively.

    I walk away, the only thing I can do to ensure I don¡¯t kick my cousin¡¯s ass in front of everyone. I ignore the few who try to congratte me and shake my hand. This party is a formality only. I don¡¯t give a fuck who¡¯s here. The only person I want to speak to, the only one who matters in this room, is Jewel.

    My mother notices me first and drops her hand from Jewel¡¯s back, and I rece it with my own. The moment I touch her, Jewel¡¯s body goes rigid, immediately sensing it¡¯s me standing behind her.

    She¡¯s gotten used to my touch now, but her body reacts for an entirely different reason. I notice the pink flush heating up her neck, something that often happens to her when she¡¯s thinking of promiscuous things.

    I smirk and lean in, whispering so only she can hear, ¡°You have a choice. Temporary truce, or we stay here for another four hours and mingle.¡±

    Her jaw tenses, and I try not to chuckle. Because the one thing I know about my little tigress is she doesn¡¯t like people, let alone being the center of attention. Which is exactly why I threw her to the wolves for thirty minutes, leaving her with only one option for an early exit: my cock.

    Someone else tries to engage us in conversation, and we both politely smile and ept the congrattions. That¡¯s when she looks up and is quick to say, ¡°Fine. Temporary truce.¡±

    I smirk as I grab her hand and sneak out of our engagement party.

 : Chapter 43

    The moment we step into his apartment, and I see my things, he¡¯s smart enough to head straight into the kitchen, pour a ss of champagne, and quickly bring it out to me.

    ¡°I told them to let you unpack,¡± he says, offering me the ss.

    I take the ss and re at him as I sip it, careful not to drink it all in one go because somehow I end up in situations that I don¡¯t particrly care for when I drink too much.

    ¡°I would ask if you already know where my room is, but we both know you do. And since you think the bed is sofy already, we shouldn¡¯t run into any issues. I¡¯ve cleared out a few drawers, and one side of the closet is yours,¡± he tells me as he heads toward his bedroom. ¡°I¡¯m going for a shower; feel free to join me.¡±

    Join him? I snort at the arrogance after we were literally fighting only an hour ago. I sober at the thought. Why am I even bickering with him? I can¡¯t even grasp onto what¡¯s real anymore. If Eli is into something dangerous, I¡¯m certain it¡¯s mental fuckery. And he¡¯s good at it.

    I stare at the stack of boxes, one of them containing his expensive watches. I smirk at that. But in total, there are only six boxes. It¡¯s a depressing thought to know I own so little. I could literally buy a house or maybe even a private ind, yet I¡¯m always ready to pack and move at the drop of a hat to the next ce. For the next thrill and hit. But for how long?

    I take a sip of the champagne, still not enjoying its taste.

    Where would I move to after this? After New York?

    A very dark notion of loneliness sinks in, and I try to clear my throat as if that¡¯s what¡¯s lodging the heavy weight in my heart.

    Loneliness. What an interesting concept. I¡¯ve worn it as a badge of honor up until this point. If I make it out alive after this situation with Eli, how will I move on?

    I close my eyes, realizing my error. I¡¯ve already let this asshole get under my skin. But I¡¯m not foolish enough to let myself cling to a notion of hope. Hope for what? A happy family? Of killing joyfully together? Of family dinners with his family and having a ce to call home? I¡¯d given up on all of those things the moment my father died, and I took my first shot blowing out someone¡¯s brains. I don¡¯t deserve any of that. I made sure of it.

    But never in my life did I think I¡¯d want those things.

    Never have I allowed myself to selfishly live amidst the real world instead of remaining a phantom on a lonely path.

    I mean, I thought I¡¯d been living. But I hadn¡¯t even been drunk until the other day. I don¡¯t have friends with whom to celebrate achievements. Well, maybe Sage, but I still keep her at arm¡¯s length, so it¡¯s easy for me to get up and leave at any given moment. Is that really living?

    I can¡¯t remember thest time my brain just shut off, and I enjoyed myself. It was definitely before him. I want to argue that I still hate the man, but deep down, I know the truth. The question is whether I¡¯m willing to die for it.

    And yet, I finish the ss of champagne and start to undress, leaving only my heels on as I head toward the shower.

    The water is already running, and when I step into the bedroom, I¡¯m not surprised to see the bathroom door open, the invitation obvious.

    Presumptuous asshole.

    I walk in, slipping out of my heels as he opens the shower door expectantly. He shes that arrogant smirk that I want to p off his face as much as I want to kiss it. His cock is hard, and his callused hand wraps around my wrist and pulls me under the water with him.

    I¡¯m still on my period, but Eli doesn¡¯t care about that. In fact, he fucking loves it.

    I slide my fingers over his chest, admiring his muscles. Eli¡¯s body is exquisite, like a sculpture made by a master artist. The ridges that run down his stomach are perfectly defined all the way to his very hard cock. I smirk at the scar from the knife wound I gave him when we first met and my initials carved into his leg that are scabbed over.

    I don¡¯t know why, but it fills me with a small amount of smugness. That no matter how this ends¡ªmost certainly up in mes¡ªthere will always be a small part of me etched into him.

    Shouldn¡¯t I be at least satisfied by that?

    ¡°Jewel?¡± he says my name, tilting my chin up to study my face. Those beautiful, ethereal eyes that are so breathtaking look into me like he can see all of me. But there are parts of me he doesn¡¯t see at all. Parts I¡¯ve hidden from even myself up until now. And I¡¯d rather keep it that way.

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t mean anything. It¡¯s just two adults enjoying each other¡¯s bodies in a temporary truce,¡± I tell him.

    His hands run down my corbone, breasts, and stomach until theynd possessively on my hips.

    ¡°If you say so,¡± he replies with a grin before pulling me close. He fists my hair possessively, and before I can say another word, his mouth finds mine. He tastes like a mixture of water and greedy lust.

    I hate to admit that I like the way he kisses me¡ªwith such ferocity that it¡¯s like he can¡¯t get enough of me. I kiss him more softly as if I want to worship the moment. Because I do. Having a powerful man want me like he does is intoxicating, to say the least. But I can tell I¡¯m savoring it for other reasons. It isn¡¯t my ce to be by his side as much as I want it to be.

    We break the kiss, and I pull back to look up at him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to share a bed with you,¡± I tell him, purposefully antagonizing him.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be sharing our bed,¡± he states, then proceeds to kiss me again.

    I shove him back against the tiles, and he smirks at the move. ¡°You do not have free ess to me. I am not yours.¡±

    His hand glides over my stomach, then slips lower, sliding along my folds, before he inserts one finger into me and hooks into the sweet spot.

    ¡°No ess. Got it.¡± His thumb rubs over my clit, and he tries to kiss me again, but I push him back. I¡¯m trying to make this thing between us only physical.

    ¡°Stop being so¡­¡± I wave a hand at him, and he tries to hide his smile but fails miserably.

    ¡°You need to let me release some of this tension,¡± he states, and before I can say another word, he¡¯s fisting my hair tighter and turning me so my back is to him, ass brushing against his cock. ¡°Let me assist in your release.¡±

    ¡°You sound like a dickhead,¡± I inform him as I spread my legs a little wider, allowing his cock to tease my entrance. He ps my ass hard before lifting his hand to my breast and twisting my nipple.

    ¡°Sorry, I couldn¡¯t hear you. Did you say you want this cock¡±? He pushes inside me, but just the tip, before he pulls back out and gives my ass another p.

    ¡°Eli,¡± I growl, infuriated at his teasing.

    ¡°No, you can call me husband from now on.¡±

    This time, when he starts to push inside, I push back, and he makes a weird grunting sound as he enters me. The minute he¡¯s inside me, we pause, a sigh of relief escaping us both. It feels so good¡­ so full. Hisbored breathing matches mine. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have done that,¡± he says in a gravelly voice that¡¯s dropped a few octaves. He sounds unhinged, as he always does before he turns into a feral animal. I move my hips forward and then push back again, fucking myself on his cock. He remains still for a moment, appreciating the view as water washes over our sins.

    Fuck, he feels good. His hands are still as if he can¡¯t function. That is until he pulls out of mepletely, lets go of my hair, turns me around to face him, and ms me against the tiled wall, one hand going to my throat. I wrap a leg around his hip, and he snarls at me.

    ¡°Stop it,¡± he growls.

    ¡°Stop what?¡± I tease

    ¡°Trying to be in control.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen you fuck, or have you forgotten? Shut up and fuck me.¡± I try to rub against him, but he shakes his head, trying to keep a bit of distance between us, as if he knows if he gets too close, I¡¯ll have him.

    ¡°You have my ring on your finger; you will call me your husband as we fuck.¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t my husband yet.¡±

    He smiles evilly, then lifts my hand to his lips, sucking my ring finger into his mouth while maintaining eye contact with me. Something happens between my legs as his tongue circles around my finger before he pulls it free. And then he drops to his knees.

    His fucking knees.

    ¡°Eli, I?¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to ravish you,¡± he warns, looking up at me through wetshes.

    I swallow hard. A small part of me should be mortified, but I¡¯ve be so used to his wild demands and tastes that I just nod, letting him have me any way he wants¡ªperiod or not.

    He lifts my leg gently and ces it over his shoulder, then he leans forward, his mouth finding my clit. He takes one long lick before he sucks it into his mouth.

    Oh my fucking God.

    My legs start shaking, and my hands grope along the tiled wall, trying to find something to grip onto, but there¡¯s nothing. He continues licking and sucking, the pleasure washing through me.

    It¡¯s like heaven. I¡¯ve had a man go down on me before, but never like this. Usually, it¡¯s a few licks, and they¡¯re done.

    But not Eli. He keeps on going, even when my knee starts to buckle, and I know I can¡¯t keep it up much longer.

    ¡°Eli,¡± I beg.

    ¡°No.¡± He pauses his assault on my clit to answer.

    I know what he wants to hear, but I¡¯m not willing to give it to him, even if he can make me see stars. I could make him see stars, too¡­ with my guns if I shot him. But that would put a stop to the orgasm that is literally about to take hold of me.

    And that would really be unfair.

    ¡°Holy shit,¡± I gasp, and I grab my tits and squeeze. He stands then, leaning in and kissing me on my lips.

    ¡°Next time youe, you will scream ¡®husband.¡¯¡± Then he lifts me up like a rag doll, holds me to him, and lowers me gently until he is fully inside me. And then he starts moving. I wrap my arms around his neck as we continue to kiss, and I can taste myself on his tongue.

    Fuck, I¡¯m in over my head with this man.

    Eli Monti is gorgeous in the most perfect bad boy way.

    I¡¯m letting him fuck me, and he wants me to call him my husband.

    A small part of me, no matter how hard I try to deny it, wants there to be truth in this im.

    And it¡¯s the most terrifying thing I¡¯ve experienced.

    What have I gotten myself into?

 : Chapter 45

    I see Ford and Hawke¡¯s car first. Then, Dutton¡¯s motorcycle. I¡¯d texted them to meet me at one of our regr docks. Ford is leaning against his car, waiting patiently, and Dutton is on a phone call. Hawke seems to be practicing some boxing swings.

    I m my car door shut, furious that Jewel could so easily shut me down.

    I¡¯m not a man to be rejected.

    But mostly, I¡¯m not the type to be betrayed.

    When I asked her if things could be different for us, the words were out before I could stop them. I didn¡¯t even know what I was asking until it was already toote. But if she doesn¡¯t agree, I can¡¯t protect her unless I lock her up in a room and never let her see the light of day, which is starting to look like a good option.

    ¡°Dude, I¡¯m too drunk to be here for work right now. I¡¯ve been drinking all afternoon at your engagement party. Where did you and Jewel go?¡± Hawke whistles. It¡¯s not until I¡¯m closer that his eyebrows dip.

    ¡°Everything all right?¡± Ford asks, stepping toward me.

    ¡°We¡¯ll speak soon,¡± Dutton says to the person on the phone, ending his call. He goes to speak, but I power toward him and throw my right fist into his face.

    ¡°What the fuck?!¡± Dutton exims. He stumbles back half a step before he¡¯s steady again anding at me.

    ¡°Did you fucking tell my father about Jewel?!¡± I demand, swinging again and again. He sidesteps one and then counters the next. My mouth explodes with blood, and I savor it. All my rage and pent-up energy finally have somewhere to release.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say shit!¡± he yells back, aiming his fist at my face. His square ring cuts my cheekbone, and I grab him by the shirt.

    ¡°You fucking liar!¡± I go to punch him again, but someone catches my arm. ¡°What the fuck?!¡±

    Hawke grabs me from behind and flings me away. Iugh like a madman as Dutton wipes blood from his nose and then readjusts his shirt. Ford stands between us like a referee.

    ¡°Are you fucking kidding me? After all I¡¯ve done for you!¡± Dutton points his finger at me. ¡°I didn¡¯t say shit. You¡¯re out of your fucking mind! And for what? A pretty little pussy?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare speak about her in that way!¡± I yell, my mouth and cheek throbbing. I struggle against Hawke¡¯s hold, trying to get free.

    ¡°Have youpletely forgotten that she is your enemy? I never thought you¡¯d fucking fall for it.¡± Dutton¡¯s eyes grow wide. ¡°Oh my God. You¡¯ve actually fallen for her.¡±

    A tic jumps in my jaw. ¡°I just needed a wife,¡± I say out loud, trying to remind myself of that much.

    ¡°You could¡¯ve had anyone,¡± Dutton says and then startsughing. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell your fucking dad, but I sure as shit should have.¡±

    I wriggle my arm free and then yank the gun out from under my suit jacket. Dutton looks at me in disbelief.

    Ford steps directly in front of the gun, his chest pressed to the end of the barrel. ¡°Boss,¡± he says calmly.

    ¡°What the fuck are you doing?¡± Hawke demands.

    ¡°I don¡¯t answer to any of you,¡± I remind them. ¡°You work for me.¡±

    ¡°We do,¡± Ford agrees evenly. ¡°But this is not the way.¡±

    ¡°Step aside,¡± I order.

    ¡°No.¡± His almost ck eyes are unwavering. I lick my lips. ¡°None of us told him. We are all here. For you. You know, the moment you shoot Dutton, Hawke will try to intervene. And I can¡¯t let you shoot my brother. And I won¡¯t let you shoot your cousin. We¡¯re family.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not my fucking family,¡± Dutton shouts from behind him. ¡°If you want to go down this path, then you¡¯re on your fucking own.¡±

    He puts on his helmet and flings a leg over his bike. ¡°You¡¯re out of your fucking mind if you think she loves you and that you can protect her!¡± He¡¯s gone before I can make the decision whether I want to kill my cousin today or not.

    My knuckles are turning white as I pocket the gun and turn my back on the twins.

    ¡°Boss?¡± Ford calls after me, but I ignore them. I have one more stop to make.

    I don¡¯t understand all of the roiling emotions trying to break free. What I do know is that it¡¯s my job to protect her. Even if she doesn¡¯t want me the way I want her. I won¡¯t give her a fucking choice when I¡¯m thest one standing.

 : Chapter 49

    I attempt to re holes into Hawke and Ford, who are sitting at their usual booth. It¡¯s been four days since Eli dragged me into his ¡°Shootout so I can rule the world¡± date. He¡¯s been glued to me during the night and fucking me in every hole avable ever since. Every time I think about killing him while we fuck, he seems to dominate me even more, as if instinctually sensing the switch within me.

    ¡°Is there a reason why they¡¯reing in every day?¡± Sage asks as we lean against the counter. After the incident at the Chinese restaurant, I owed her an exnation, not some half-twisted cover-up, because after being in that situation, she deserved to know the truth. That, and I realized during that ordeal how much I valued her as¡­ a friend. I was certainly ready to fight to the death to protect her that night.

    And in some ways, I¡¯m grateful for Sage. Coming to this restaurant and talking with her makes things feel normal during the day, as it distracts me from the chaos happening in my life.

    I sigh, crossing my ankles. ¡°Because my asshole fianc¨¦ told them to watch me every waking hour, I¡¯m not at home.¡±

    ¡°Oh wow. That¡¯s pretty intense. But I guess you are marrying mafia royalty, so it makes sense.¡±

    I give her an unimpressed look. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m offended that Tweedledee and Tweedledumb are following me; it¡¯s more about the fact that they¡¯re not following Eli. I¡¯m certain something has happened between them, but no one will tell me what. I don¡¯t me them, but it¡¯s irritating. And Eli has been more intensetely. It almost makes me wonder if he knows the final order for the hit has been given. He¡¯s acting abnormally attentive, making it harder for me to believe every sleepless night that this is a game.

    I can¡¯t endure the idea of telling him how I feel because I can¡¯t even put it into words. The moment I do, I¡¯ve lost and will most likely be killed. I¡¯ve imagined that he¡¯s finally got me, and when I admit I got the order for the hit, he¡¯ll know his time is up, and he¡¯ll kill me. Then he¡¯ll most likely find another fianc¨¦e to rece me and wear the dress, all so he can im his empire.

    Huffing, I walk over to the twins, my hands on my hips.

    With the generous tip, they leave every day; my boss doesn¡¯t seem to care much when they sit here all day, leering at anyone who speaks to me. I¡¯m almost certain Eli has bought this run-down restaurant only because I work here.

    He tried to persuade me to quit altogether, but I refuse to be owned in any capacity. I don¡¯t need this job, and at this point, I don¡¯t need a cover anymore, either. But I cling to it like it¡¯s my only salvation.

    ¡°Do you need a refill?¡± I ask Hawke, regarding his fourth soda of the day. Ford is taking a sip from his coffee and doesn¡¯t bother to look up. I quite like Ford; he keeps to himself, orders our selection of sweets every day, and reads. If anything, it looks like he¡¯s quite enjoying this change of pace. Hawke, however, is an attention whore, and I think that¡¯s mostly because he¡¯s bored.

    ¡°Remind me why you guys aren¡¯t following your boss again?¡±

    ¡°Because he¡¯s not talking to us,¡± Hawke replies sulkily. They still haven¡¯t told me what happened, but I¡¯m confident it has something to do with the night Eli vanished and came back with the busted lip. And I haven¡¯t seen Dutton since before then, either.

    ¡°There you guys are!¡± Billie yells from the front door. She ignores Sage, who goes to greet them and walks over to us. Behind her are two other women. One is Hope Ivanov, who I officially met at the engagement party, though I knew who she was before that. The other woman I¡¯m not familiar with. She has short blonde hair, blue eyes, and a curvaceous figure.

    Hawke looks away as he asks, ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    ¡°Because we haven¡¯t gamed in so long, and you¡¯re avoiding me!¡± she exims. ¡°Hey, Jewels!¡± She beams as she pulls me in for a hug. ¡°Oh, you know Hope.¡± She awkwardly waves at her. ¡°And this is Ivy.¡± She points to the blonde-haired woman who looks to be the same age as the others. ¡°Have you met Will and Alina Walker yet? She¡¯s their daughter.¡±

    ¡°And a pain in the ass,¡± Hawke says under his breath.

    My eyebrows shoot up. Will Walker¡¯s daughter? I give her a quick once over. I knew the infamous tracker had a daughter, but I didn¡¯t know what she looked like or where to find her. Apparently, Will is not only good at finding people but at hiding them too.

    ¡°It¡¯s lovely to meet you. I¡¯ve heard so much about you. Apologies. I was in Puerto Rico with my family during your engagement party. Congrattions.¡±

    ¡°Such formalnguage doesn¡¯t sound righting from your lips,¡± Ford says as he turns to the next page.

    ¡°Ha. Ha,¡± she snarks as they cram themselves into the booth.

    ¡°What are you doing? No one invited you,¡± Hawke says as he¡¯s squished against his brother. I inwardly roll my eyes. How did I end up with the majority of the group here?

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t Dutton and Eli speaking? Dutton¡¯s been sulking all week,¡± Billie presses, and Hawke sighs.

    He goes to speak but is dissuaded by Ford, who res at him over his book. ¡°I don¡¯t know. We¡¯re just making sure little miss makes it down the aisle.¡±

    Billieughs. ¡°I almost feel sorry for you, Jewel. I¡¯ve never seen Eli so possessive.¡±

    I offer an awkward smile. Because the casual way they speak to me is starting to feel too friendly. Too fun. Like I¡¯m part of their world. They don¡¯t know me, and yet they¡¯ve already started hanging out at my ce of work. It¡¯s showing me a world and existence that I¡¯ve never known was possible for me. And it¡¯s not right because I don¡¯t belong here. I only have a few more days to deliberate over my decision, but the closer the deadlinees, the more I wonder how I could kill Eli, knowing it would impact all of them.

    ¡°Jewels, are you okay?¡± Ford asks me quietly. The rest stop squabbling between themselves and look at me then. What kind of face was I showing just now?

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll just go grab some more menus for you,¡± I say with a tight smile before I turn and walk straight to the bathroom as an insufferable amount of emotion crashes over me. I feel like I¡¯m going to have a heart attack.

    I close the bathroom stall and sit on the closed toilet lid. I don¡¯t get anxiety. Well, I¡¯ve never had anxiety before, but right now, I have a disastrous number of feelings that I don¡¯t want to address. That I can¡¯t address because admitting them is going to break me.

    One man is breaking me from the inside out, and I don¡¯t know what I should do.

    Three days, and then I have to offer his head to my client.

    And I¡¯m supposed to marry him in ten days.

    Tonight, I¡¯ll lie in bed with him again.

    What the fuck am I doing?

    I can¡¯t breathe.

    I fish out my phone, which is almost dead, and call Craig. He answers on the second ring. ¡°Tell me what to do,¡± I demand, shocked by the desperation in my voice and how quietly I¡¯m whispering into the phone, paranoid that anyone could hear.

    ¡°What¡¯s happened?¡± Craig asks, and I can tell he¡¯s on his feet already.

    My bottom lip wobbles, and suddenly, I¡¯m on the verge of tears.

    What?

    I try to keep my tone neutral as I consider my next words. ¡°I don¡¯t think I canplete the hit.¡±

    My voice is shaky, and I hate how it sounds. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve said it out loud. I detest the tear that slides down my cheek as I realize with utter rity the force of what I feel for Eli Monti, which is exactly why I have to leave New York.

    ¡°Your client will put a hit on you if you don¡¯t finish the job. You understand that, right? Is he worth it?¡± Craig effectively summarizes the situation I¡¯m in without further digging. I¡¯m nodding my head, realizing the gravity of my decision.

    I only got one gun back from Eli. I¡¯ll be leaving everything else behind. I wanted all of my father¡¯s guns, but I only have two choices. Put a bullet in Eli¡¯s head or flee with only a fragment of my father and all the new memories of Eli.

    I have to leave. I refuse to run the risk of telling Eli about the hit and have him turn on me. I¡¯d rather leave, wondering if what we have between us was ever real, than having himugh in my face for falling for this orchestrated hoax.

    I¡¯ll walk on my own terms instead of giving anyone else that power.

    Only I can protect myself, and if I foolishly choose to protect him in the only way I know how, then so be it.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I reply. ¡°I understand,¡± I admit defeat. I never thought I¡¯d be so weak for a man. Especially one as unhinged as Eli. But it makes me all the more foolish to realize I¡¯ve fallen for a man who probably still has every intention of discarding me.

    ¡°Okay then. You know the contingency n. I¡¯ll take care of the rest. But Jewel, are you sure about this? It¡¯ll ruin everything you¡¯ve built.¡±

    I let out a shaky breath in disbelief that I¡¯ve been careless enough to let myself get caught up in this. I look at the ring on my finger. I don¡¯t have a right to it. As much as I love it and the fact that his mother gave it to me, I have no right to this ring or im to the man.

    I fell for our lie, and I can¡¯t leave anything else to chance.

    I¡¯ll leave alone, slipping into the shadows I was so used to before.

    At least there, I was safe from these emotions.

    I try not to cry as I think about my mother¡¯s disgusted face as she realized I was different and then turned her back on us. She had the same expression of contempt at my father¡¯s funeral when she learned it was Craig who took me in.

    My father always said it¡¯d just be us. And then he left, too.

    A tear slides down my cheek as, one more time, I try to steel myself to say goodbye.

    No one can love me, but it¡¯s okay if I love them¡­

    Just this once.

    Only once more.

    But I¡¯m not brave enough to face the reality if Eli decides to walk away from me, too, so I¡¯ll walk away from him first, even when it will cost me my reputation, career, and safety.

    I agree with all of this, and I pray silently that all of this pain just goes away.

    With years of feeling no emotion, I don¡¯t know how to handle its might.

    I close my eyes and clear my throat, pushing it all back down.

    I just have to keep moving forward.

    I feel the lid seal back over those emotions.

    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll leave tonight,¡± I promise.

 : Chapter 51

    I shove a few belongings into a bag and throw the strap over my shoulder. When I look back at Eli peacefully sleeping in all his naked glory, I can¡¯t help but sneak over to him and bend over to press a kiss to the scar on his eyebrow.

    He won¡¯t be waking up for a few hours yet, after the potent sleeping powder I put in his drink, I hate myself for doing it, but I had no other choice. The moment I leave the apartment, he¡¯d be alerted, no matter where he was. This was the only way.

    Shakily, I remove the engagement ring and put it on his bedside table. I stare at him longingly from the door, not able to leave yet. It¡¯s the most peaceful I¡¯ve seen him sleep, and I fight my impulses to naturally gravitate to him and tuck myself within his hold.

    But this was never going to end well.

    I was always disposable; I just never thought I¡¯d remove myself from the situation for his sake.

    A sad smile curves the corners of my lips. But I¡¯m grateful for how, in his own twisted way, he forced me to open my eyes and heart to the reality of a family I never knew was possible. I thought after Dad¡¯s passing and my mother¡¯s rejection that staying close to the shadows was best for me. And it still is, especially if it keeps the attention off Eli Monti. I have no doubt someone else will put a hit on this asshole, but at least whoever my anonymous client is will focus on tying up loose ends with me first.

    Besides, I can¡¯t lie to his family and walk down that aisle. That should be reserved for the woman who should rightly be by his side. I curl my fingers into my palms, noticing the absence of the ring I¡¯d hated but havee to love.

    I leave my yellow car behind, not taking anything with me that might be traceable. I take a cab to the train station, and when I¡¯m there, I grab the few belongings I have and change into a different outfit, including a hoodie. I keep my father¡¯s gun close to me, scared that any moment Eli might appear. I just need to get out of the city and away from this mess.

    I switch my phone off, knowing better than to mess with Eli and his connections to people like Will Walker, who could easily trace me.

    I don¡¯t like these feelings that he evokes in me; they¡¯re unwanted and unnecessary. And really, it¡¯s unfair. We know so much about each other, even though most of what we learned was from stalking and research, not actually talking to one another. I know that that¡¯s not healthy, but what in my life has ever been healthy? I¡¯m not about to start walking a straight line all of a sudden when I love to jump over the edge. Maybe that was my problem. I saw the risk in him and wanted to jump.

    My mind circles with thoughts of Eli, of everything I¡¯m leaving behind, and I hold my bag close to my chest as I wonder if he¡¯ll be furious because his n didn¡¯t work. Iy my face on the backpack, exhausted. This was always going to be a disaster. And I still don¡¯t know if I¡¯m doing the right thing.

    But I know, without a doubt, I can no longer kill Eli. Perhaps I could¡¯ve once. At the start. But not now. I sigh, exasperated.

    It¡¯s the early hours of the morning when the traines to a stop. I¡¯ve been sitting here for hours, stuck in my own head and trying to work out the best course of action, and I havee up with no resolution whatsoever. Well, nothing past the contingency n Craig and I have always had if a hit went to shit like this. I just never thought it¡¯d be for these reasons.

    I get in the nearest cab and give the address for my destination. It isn¡¯t long before we pull up in front of a familiar house. The front door opens, and I step out of the cab, exhausted. I meet Craig¡¯s gaze. He has a cigarette hanging from his lips, a can of Pepsi in one hand, as he waits for me expectantly. It¡¯s as good as any wee I¡¯ve ever gotten from him.

    I offer a sad smile. It¡¯s been months since I¡¯ve seen him, and he¡¯s technically the only family I have left.

    ¡°Jewel.¡± He shakes his head, and the moment my name leaves his lips, tears spill over my cheeks, and I rush into his embrace. ¡°Oh shit. It¡¯s that bad, huh?¡± he asks, tucking my head below his chin. I hate that I¡¯m crying. I hate that I could only hold in the tears until now. I didn¡¯t want Craig to see this side of me. The vulnerability and embarrassment of letting someone get into my head and failing at my job.

    Maybe I¡¯m not as tough as I thought. I¡¯m a disappointment. I inhale his scent, trying to refamiliarize myself with my old life. But it does nothing to bring me back to that simpler time. When I pull back, he still has the cigarette dangling from his lips.

    ¡°So you ran away. I hope that asshole knows what it¡¯s cost you.¡± And I know he¡¯s not talking about the money. A hitwoman on the run is the worst position to be in. Others wille for me the moment the client knows I took off withoutpleting the job. I can¡¯t return the money, and their fear of being ckmailed is strong, so they¡¯ll just wipe out the problem entirely.

    ¡°It would appear I like the asshole,¡± I say with a sad sob as he leads me into his home. I bite the skin around my nails as I sit down on his couch. I kick my shoes off and tuck my feet under my ass. I know we¡¯ll only have a few hours together at most, and the moment I flee the country, the reality is, we won¡¯t be able to talk for some time. I might not even see him again. That thought rattles me. Am I sure Eli Monti is worth all of this?

    ¡°Well, it was bound to happen,¡± Craig says sympathetically.

    ¡°What was?¡± I ask.

    He smiles. ¡°You liking someone,¡± he jokes, and Iugh at the stupidity of it. ¡°You can¡¯t be lonely like me and your father for the rest of your life. You¡¯re young, meant to fall in love. But, unfortunately, with that, sometimes heartbreak happens, and then you kill some fuckheads to make yourself feel better.¡±

    Iugh because I still wish I saw it in ck and white. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t like someone like him. He¡¯s reckless, powerful, egotistical, potentially a psychopath, overbearing and dominating, sadistic, and I think a bit of a masochist, and he sure as shit doesn¡¯t take no for an answer.¡±

    He sighs as he taps his cigarette into an ashtray. ¡°Kiddo, you¡¯re describing yourself in male form.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not his kind of powerful,¡± I reply.

    ¡°Bullshit,¡± he says. ¡°I bet you could take him and all his men out from a mile away. What¡¯s not powerful about that?¡± He raises a brow and lights another cigarette. ¡°It doesn¡¯t mean that you¡¯re weaker than him for falling for him. I wish I could advise you to kill him instead. But I know your mind is already made up.¡±

    I shake my head because he¡¯s right. Once I¡¯ve made up my mind, I won¡¯t change it. I am a powerful woman. It¡¯s not that I doubted myself in that situation; it¡¯s just that I knew my entanglement with him would ruin me. Even if I were to marry him, I¡¯d still be disposable. And the thought of falling for any of this, and loving him too deeply, then being discarded so effortlessly the moment our contract is over, would destroy me. Maybe I¡¯m a coward for not letting thate to fruition. I¡¯d rather leave him before having him reject me.

    ¡°He made it sound like he was serious about the marriage,¡± I tell him as I tuck myself tighter into a ball.

    ¡°Is there a chance he was?¡± Craig asks. ¡°I know we do things on our own, kiddo, but he is the mafia heir. I¡¯m sure if anyone can make your problems go away, it¡¯s him.¡±

    It goes unsaid that Eli Monti is my biggest problem. And the thought of carrying through with the marriage and then being left behind, after tasting what having a real family is like¡ªno matter how whack they are¡ªis heartbreaking.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t write it off as a possibility. You are, as the youngsters would say, a catch.¡±

    I chuckle, then say matter-of-factly, ¡°I¡¯m a liability.¡± He grimaces at that, and I lean over to turn the TV on. I have until the evening before I need to leave.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just enjoy today like old times before I have to go, okay?¡±

    Because no matter how tired I am, I want to memorize my family. What¡¯s left of it. Because I¡¯m willing to let it go for another.

    Doesn¡¯t that make me a truly stupid girl?

 : Chapter 54

    I have to assume Anthony¡¯s gang is involved. Particrly because after Jewel turns her phone back on, she¡¯s been sent an address¡ªthe same address of the abandoned nightclub I¡¯d shown her only a week ago. Either that or whoever has the hit on me has been tracking our movements.

    ¡°It never made sense to me that your client asked you to toy with me instead of taking me out immediately. I think they¡¯ve been using you all along as bait to flush me out,¡± I muse. I¡¯d been thinking about this for some time now but wanted to figure out who the culprit was first. But even Will couldn¡¯t track the mysterious client, which says a lot about the mastermind behind all of this because Will Walker can find anyone.

    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t make any sense either because there was no value for you to try and risk anything for me,¡± Jewel is quick to reply, pragmatic about the situation. ¡°You could¡¯ve killed me that first night we met.¡±

    ¡°But that wouldn¡¯t have impacted the client if they had no attachment to you. So whoever it was must¡¯ve known I¡¯d be intrigued by you, or at the very least, I¡¯d want to sniff out who your client was by using you.¡±

    Jewel is quiet for a moment as we drive throughout the neighborhood, then she blurts, ¡°I don¡¯t like that it¡¯s only us going in. It¡¯s too risky when we don¡¯t know what¡¯s on the other side.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m mostly certain this person wouldn¡¯t have gone to all these lengths to simply kill me. Had they not, I would already be dead.¡± I can¡¯t help the smirk as I add, ¡°Well, they¡¯d have tried to kill me.¡± I grab her hand and stroke my thumb over hers. I can tell she¡¯s uneasy about this situation, but if this is the only way I can free her, then I¡¯m willing to get to the bottom of it. No matter the risk. ¡°I think they want to do business with me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still too risky.¡± She sighs, watching me carefully.

    ¡°That¡¯s the line of work we¡¯re in, Kitten. Don¡¯t go soft on me now just because you¡¯re willing to admit you have feelings for me.¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡± She smiles and chuckles. ¡°Had I known it would go to your head, I wouldn¡¯t have confessed to it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t recall giving you an option,¡± I purr, and she rolls her eyes.

    I¡¯d already called Hawke, Ford, and Dutton to organize reinforcements. I don¡¯t want to leave anything at risk when ites to Jewel¡¯s safety. The other times I¡¯d taken her into potentially dangerous situations, I was certain she¡¯d be able to hold her ground and handle herself by my side. But I can¡¯t gauge the risks involved because I still don¡¯t know who the enemy is in this case,.

    I hate to admit my father was right, but I¡¯ve be arrogant about not having my men by my side. I need to have more faith in the men who are willing toy down their lives for me instead of thinking I¡¯m always able to conquer things on my own.

    When we pull up at the abandoned building at midnight, three cars are waiting outside. I purposefully had Hawke and Ford take sniper positions. They¡¯re not as good as Jewel is, but they¡¯re decent enough shots. It was actually her idea to position them this way.

    I notice Dutton parked on a side street on his motorcycle, but I doubt Jewel has seen him. He still has his helmet on and is sitting in the dark. I asked him to remain hidden in case this goes badly. Jewel is to be protected no matter what, and he¡¯s her ticket to safety if we need it.

    I don¡¯t like the fact that only two men standing outside the building; it means the rest are inside, and I don¡¯t know how many of them are waiting for us. I wait for Hawke and Ford to report back, but they don¡¯t have a clear enough view to give us a headcount.

    Fuck.

    ¡°Stay in the car,¡± I order Jewel, unbuckling my seat belt.

    She doesn¡¯t reply as she unbuckles her own seat belt and opens the car door. When I step out on my side, I realize she¡¯s standing across from me. ¡°I said stay in the car.¡±

    ¡°No. We¡¯re in this together,¡± she states. ¡°This is my mess to clean up. I¡¯m not letting you walk in there on your own.¡±

    She storms toward the entrance, and the two men guarding it, but I grab her wrist. ¡°Jewel, I¡¯m serious. I¡¯m certain whoever it is only wants a meeting with me, and I¡¯m not willing to risk your involvement.¡±

    She smiles up at me. ¡°I was involved the moment your name came across my desk, Eli Monti. We¡¯re in this together.¡± I lick my lips, wanting to get through to this stubborn, beautiful creature. ¡°You are my fianc¨¦e, not my bodyguard.¡± She ces her hand on my heart. ¡°We are equals in this. We¡¯re meant to protect each other. Those are the only vows I¡¯llmit to, so you are going to have to take me as I am.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t make this hard on me,¡± I ask earnestly. I would do anything for her, but that might also be oppressing her stubborn nature sometimes.

    She raises onto her tippy-toes and presses a kiss to my lips. ¡°You were the one who said we stay together and we die together. We¡¯re in this together, no matter what. You just better be as good at negotiation as you think you are. You dragged me back here so we could handle this head-on, and that¡¯s what we¡¯re going to do. Okay?¡±

    I want to strangle her, this beautiful woman who so easily reads me and soothes me in ways she¡¯s not even aware of.

    Before she tries to take off on me again, I grab her hand and walk by her side. I¡¯ve basically been unting her in an attempt to lure her client out sooner. I just didn¡¯t think she¡¯d take matters into her own hands and run. I side-eye her. I¡¯m not surprised that this warrior of a woman would be so self-sacrificing, though. She pretends to be selfish, but she¡¯ll die for the people she loves. And I hope she¡¯s not about to learn that I¡¯m willing to do the same.

    Because I meant what I said, Jewel Diamond is my family now.

    The two men waiting at the door are wearing masks. I don¡¯t like that none of my men have visuals of what¡¯s happening inside, but I trust my instincts greatly.

    The men stop us from entering. One of them knocks on the door, and someone from the inside pulls it open, the hinges creak to reveal a dusty, broken-down interior. When I bought the ce years ago, the main selling point about it was the amount of space. I¡¯m not so much of a fan of it now as I quickly assess the multiple levels that most likely have men hidden in the shadows.

    ¡°I believe I requested Eli Monti dead,¡± a man standing in the center of the room says. His voice is mechanically altered, which doesn¡¯t put me at ease. Whoever this fucker is, he¡¯s really sensitive about his identity being exposed. He could be a wealthy businessman, but his size is giving off fighter vibes. Men in masks stand around him, all of them holding weapons.

    When I nce down at Jewel, her nose is tipped high in the air, and I try not to smirk at my tigress, who, even with the odds against her, refuses to be intimidated. But right now, more than ever, I realize she is my weakness, and I want to pull her away from the entrance as quickly as she¡¯s trying to push through it.

    ¡°Unfortunately, my fianc¨¦e and I came to an agreement over caring for one another¡¯s health and well-being,¡± I say with a tight smile. ¡°I¡¯m assuming, however, that you used Jewel to grab my attention rather than kill me. So you want to discuss business?¡±

    I¡¯m almost positive that¡¯s what this is about. Whoever ordered the hit on me wants to destroy the Monti family businesses and any alliances we currently have in ce. Unfortunately, I¡¯ve pissed so many people offing into my reign it¡¯s hard to narrow down who might be so personally offended. Had I actually ended up being killed, I¡¯m sure this person would¡¯ve been happy with either result.

    The two guards at the door begin to pat us down. ¡°If you want to discuss business, you will do so unarmed,¡± the boss says. My jaw grinds as they fish out my multiple weapons. And it¡¯s not just me but Jewel as well. They¡¯re even careful to check her boots. Whoever this is, they seem to know all our hidey holes.

    I give Jewel a pointed look. I just want her to turn and walk away, but the silentmunication makes her seem more determined.

    ¡°Sit,¡± the boss orders once we¡¯ve been thoroughly patted down.

    Two chairs are positioned opposite one another. The boss takes one seat and crosses his legs, expectantly waiting for me to join him.

    Not for a moment do I consider letting Jewel sit instead of me. At least this way, I¡¯ll be partially blocking her. When I take the seat, she stands behind me, regal in the way she scans the upper levels and masked men who surround us.

    Whoever the fuck this is has money¡ªlots of it. And not only that, but power. How had I been so blind that I didn¡¯t realize someone with this amount of influence was in our city?

    I spread my legs and lean against the chair casually. ¡°You have my attention. What do you want?¡±

    ¡°You young ones seem to have a lot of fire in your belly. But what youck is respect.¡± The voice-altering device irritates me. I want to know exactly who this motherfucker is.

    ¡°Says the man who hides behind a mask and men with guns,¡± I counter. But he has given away that he¡¯s older. How old, I¡¯m not sure.

    He seems to consider that. ¡°Kneel. And I¡¯ll consider a discussion. If not, we¡¯ll shoot down everyone here, including your two snipers on the rooftops. In fact, they¡¯ll be the first two targets.¡±

    I clench my jaw with the realization that whoever this is, is smart enough to have already noted Ford and Hawke¡¯s positions. Who the fuck is this?

    ¡°Is your pride too much?¡± the man challenges.

    Jewel moves in front of me, and I reach to pull her back. ¡°The Montis do not kneel for anyone,¡± she says proudly. ¡°I¡¯ll give you your money back times ten, but don¡¯t offend my fianc¨¦ and his family.¡±

    Dammit. If we didn¡¯t have a crowd, I¡¯d bend her over my knee right now because of how fucking hot she looks.

    The man seems to ponder this. ¡°Unfortunately, money isn¡¯t such a rare asset for me that it actually has value. Removing the Monti heir does. Or at least his pride. What will it be, your men and woman or your pride?¡±

    I¡¯m raging inside, but I smile. I am a proud man, but I am nothing without any of the people behind me. I¡¯ll kneel for only one person, and that is my fianc¨¦e.

    I slide from the chair, and she curses under her breath. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Doing what I¡¯m told for once.¡± I wink at her. I know I¡¯m an idiot. I should¡¯ve, at the very least, told my father about the situation I¡¯d gotten myself into. Instead, I came barreling over here. But I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way.

    Jewel stands in front of me as if protecting me from the man watching me fall to my knees. Had she a gun, I imagine she would¡¯ve pulled it on him already.

    ¡°Jewel, get out of the way,¡± I growl.

    ¡°No,¡± she replies fiercely. ¡°I know exactly what you¡¯re doing, and you¡¯re not sacrificing yourself for me or making yourself seem smaller because of the shit I got us into.¡±

    The man stands now, studying her. ¡°Mr. Monti was correct about one thing. I was always using you as bait to bring him to me. Dead or alive, I didn¡¯t care. That goes for both of you. Although, my bet was on him.¡±

    Her knuckles turn white as she curls her hands into fists.

    ¡°What I want from Mr. Monti is not something you can provide, so step aside,¡± he says to her. ¡°I n on tying him to that chair and using him for ransom. His father and I go way back.¡±

    I should¡¯ve known it would be something like this. The show of making me kneel was a power y more against my father. I easily rise and sit back on the chair.

    ¡°Stand behind me, amore mio,¡± I say to Jewel. ¡°Please. Trust me.¡±

    Torture and ransom, I can survive. But I can¡¯t survive her being hurt.

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you tie me up and use me against my father as you please, as long as you let her go.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she hisses defiantly.

    ¡°You trust me, right?¡± I say to her. So much emotion runs through her features, and she bites her lip as she steps to my side obediently.

    I sit still while one of his men ties me up as the boss says, ¡°Well, I never said either of you would make it out alive. Sometimes vengeful lies are the best type of motivationpared to ransom.¡±

    My heart falters as the man signals to his men to point their guns. I¡¯m trying to tear loose from the restraints, trying my hardest to shield Jewel, but I can¡¯t stand up.

    It all happens too quickly. Before I can get to my feet, Jewel throws herself against my chest as if to shield me. ¡°What the fuck are you doing?!¡± I yell, panicked, as gunshots ring through the empty space. ¡°Get behind me!¡± I scream wildly and furiously as I fight against my bonds.

    ¡°I love you!¡± she whispers into my ear as she curls herself around me. I buck and pull at the ropes, a storm raging within me. Pure panic and dread grip me with the thought that I¡¯ll lose the only person who has be the sanctuary for my inner beast.

    My heart is pounding, and it¡¯s only when I realize in the now total silence that any type of reality seeps back in. Tears run down Jewel¡¯s face as she slowly pulls away from me. She looks around, confused, and then we both look over her shoulder at the man who has signaled for the men to stop shooting.

    I frown, only realizing then that the guns were pointed up at the ceiling instead of at us.

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask for your apology while you¡¯re still tied up,¡± the boss says as he removes his mask.

    ¡°What the fuck?!¡± I demand as my father reveals himself.

    ¡°Crue Monti?¡± Jewel exims, shocked.

    My father brushes off a piece of non-existent dust as he takes his seat again.

    ¡°What the fuck are you doing?¡± I demand, wanting to break from these restraints and snap my father¡¯s neck.

    ¡°It was a calcted gamble,¡± my father says calmly. I should¡¯ve known the old fucker was far from done ying games. ¡°You might consider this as a pairing or matchmaking of sorts.¡± He waves his finger from Jewel to me.

    ¡°What?¡± My heart is racing, and the pump of adrenaline is doing nothing to let through any rational thinking. I thought only a moment ago that I was about to lose Jewel. That I¡¯d made a miscalction ending with my greatest loss.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t take a wife, so I chose one for you. When I was informed that a hitwoman had arrived in New York, I was curious. I met your father once, Jewel, and I hated everything about him. He was righteous, worked legitimately, and by a code. Opposite to everything I¡¯d built my own business on. But he was a hell of a shot,¡± he says, which is high praiseing from my father.

    ¡°When I discovered you¡¯d taken a different path with a nature that much mirrored my son¡¯s, I considered it was a likely pairing. So I offered you money to toy with Eli. I gathered you¡¯d either intrigue him or he¡¯d kill you. What I didn¡¯t expect was my son to take matters into his own hands and use you as a fake fianc¨¦e, which I now know is anything but fake.¡±

    My mouth is dry, and my mind is whirling. ¡°You set all of this up?¡±

    ¡°Well, of course. What better way to teach my son a lesson about depending on his men and not being so reckless as to head straight into an unknown situation, as well as test my future daughter-inw to make sure she would give her life in exchange for my son¡¯s?¡±

    The man who tied me up approaches and undoes the rope, but when I go to stand, Jewel puts her hand on my cheek and shakes her head.

    I lick my bottom lip, rage still consuming me.

    ¡°Had you looked at the folder where I provided you with suggestions of potential brides, you would¡¯ve seen she was the only one in the folder. Your mother might be upset about this, but I only ever have your best interests at heart.¡±

    He adjusts his suit jacket and stands.

    Jewel slides off me as I stand, and I¡¯m doing everything within my power to not lose my shit.

    So, Dutton never told my father after all. My father was applying pressure to both of us all along and waiting to see how we¡¯d react. This man and his mind fuckery.

    ¡°If I¡¯m being entirely honest, it was fun to y one more game before my retirement,¡± he says,ing to stand by my side. ¡°I might¡¯ve yed you both, but what you created together is genuine.¡± He nces around the abandoned warehouse. ¡°I look forward to seeing what you do with the ce.¡±

    He walks out, and I see the hint of a smile as he does. His men follow behind him.

    Motherfucker.

    I let out a shaky breath, closing my eyes as I tried to push away all the fears that just devoured me. My father¡¯s lesson has been learned because I never want to suffer through something like that again.

    ¡°Eli,¡± Jewel says, drawing me back to the here and now with her.

    I grab her by her arm and pull her to me. ¡°I thought I was going to lose you. Don¡¯t you ever do anything reckless like that again.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± is all she says as she hugs me, her arms barely able to wrap around my chest. ¡°But when I thought of you being hurt¡­ I just acted before I knew what I was doing.¡±

    We remain there silently for what feels like minutes, and I just hold her.

    ¡°Your father is just as ruthless as the rumors suggest,¡± she says, a mixture of awe and fear in her tone.

    ¡°Does that make you ufortable?¡± I ask, pulling back to look at her. Does she have regrets now? Does she feel differently about us, knowing we were manipted to be together?

    ¡°No,¡± she says earnestly. ¡°No matter how much he tried to twist us indirectly, we made our own decisions. I don¡¯t think even he could¡¯ve nned this so perfectly. Well, actually, maybe he did.¡± She frowns with an uncertainugh. ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s terrifying.¡±

    My father is many things. Terrifying is definitely one of them.

    ¡°But I also see who you get it from now.¡± She smiles up at me. ¡°Just don¡¯t kill him over this, okay?¡±

    A tic jumps in my jaw. ¡°I won¡¯t have to. My mother will the moment she hears about this.¡±

    Sheughs and hugs me again. ¡°Well, yes, your mother is a force to be reckoned with.¡±

    I tuck my finger under her chin. ¡°Not as much as you, though.¡±

    She beams at me. ¡°We¡¯re in this together now, right? No second thoughts?¡±

    ¡°You were mine from the very start, Kitten. You¡¯re the only woman who was made to be my side. Even if you do torment me.¡±

    Sheughs then. ¡°I think you like it, especially when I torment you.¡± She leans up and kisses me. I scoop her into my arms, stepping toward the closest pir as desperation takes over, and I feel the carnal urge to reim her as mine and to dissipate this restless energy from feeling like I almost lost her twice today.

    ¡°Only when you include knives,¡± I purr through our kisses, and she throws her head back andughs.

    Jewel Diamond matches my depravity and fires up my wildest fantasies. But most importantly, she feels like home.

 : Chapter 55

    I can see Eli¡¯s temple pulse as Hawke curses at the game that Billie seems to be destroying him at.

    Ford, Hope, and Ivy appear to be ying some kind of card game as I sit on Eli¡¯sp in his mansion. It¡¯s only two days until the wedding, and I¡¯m still reeling at the thought that only days ago, I thought I¡¯d never be a part of this again. I don¡¯t know them well yet but I already know that this is my family and that I belong here.

    Eli¡¯s thumb strokes up and down my outer leg. He¡¯s irritated that I invited them all here. But I¡¯vee to discover that there¡¯s very little Eli will deny me. The others have seemed to clue in on that as well.

    But I wanted to be here, together, before the chaos of the wedding. The thought of marriage no longer grips me like a vise. I¡¯m actually getting excited about it.

    The doorbell rings, and Eli makes a move to get up and answer it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get it,¡± I tell him because there¡¯s one more person I invited who is as equally important to this family. Besides Eli¡¯s parents, who will always have his back no matter what¡ªeven against me. Especially against me.

    Eli looks at me skeptically but releases me.

    When I open the door, Dutton looks down at me. I inhale and square up to him.

    ¡°You have a lot of nerve inviting me over here as if I¡¯m only a guest in this house,¡± he says.

    The truth is, I like Dutton. Despite how terrifying he might be, I know the lengths he would go to protect his family. And I respect that.

    ¡°This will always be your home more than it will be mine,¡± I say honestly. ¡°But I¡¯d like us to at least tolerate each other for everyone else¡¯s sake.¡±

    He raises an eyebrow. ¡°You think I barely tolerate you?¡±

    ¡°Clearly,¡± I sass back.

    He kicks up a smile then as he pushes past me. ¡°Would you believe, Jewel, that I actually like you? I just don¡¯t like how annoying my cousin has be after falling in love with you. It¡¯s unbefitting of him.¡±

    I¡¯m shocked, my jaw open as I stare at him. ¡°Wait. You like me?¡±

    He frowns. ¡°You¡¯re not dead, are you?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d kill me even if Eli woulde after you?¡±

    ¡°Even then. Whether my family hates me for it or not, I¡¯ll remove anyone and anything that threatens us.¡±

    I realized then that, although I¡¯d gotten used to one monster, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever get used to the other. So I smile and point in the direction where everyone else is. And it¡¯s not my ce to figure out his monstrous ways. One day that will be some other poor woman¡¯s responsibility.

 : Chapter 57

    I didn¡¯t think I would ever wait at the end of the aisle to marry for the right reason. But I know I¡¯ll enjoy my life with Jewel. I lean in and breathe her in; she smells of so many possibilities, and I really can¡¯t wait to see what the future holds. She doesn¡¯t know it yet, but her wedding gift when we return home after our honeymoon is her father¡¯s guns. The truth is, I always intended to give them to her; I just needed her to fall in love with me first.

    The party has already begun, and everyone congrattes us. She awkwardly thanks people she doesn¡¯t know, and I hate myself for somehow falling in love with her even more.

    She pulls back when everyone heads for the dance floor, and I can see her searching for the only other person in this room she cares about. A part of me is jealous that I¡¯m not the only one.

    ¡°His car is still here,¡± I tell her as she searches for Craig, probably afraid he¡¯s already left. She nods and grips her dress before she walks off, and I watch as she goes.

    ¡°Beautiful wedding,¡± Dutton says as hees up next to me. ¡°It seems to have worked out in the end, I suppose.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to apologize if that¡¯s what you¡¯re looking for.¡±

    He smirks. ¡°Knowing I left that scar on your cheek is more than satisfying for me.¡±

    I turn to him and pull him in for a hug. My cousin and I might have our differences. We might, at times, be tempted to kill each other because of them. But no matter what, we¡¯ll always have one another¡¯s back.

    ¡°But thanks to you, now my parents are asking me when they¡¯re due for a wedding and daughter-inw.¡± He pins me with a re.

    ¡°That sounds like a you problem,¡± I tell him. ¡°But I¡¯m here to tell you it¡¯s not all bad.¡±

    ¡°Wow, you really are pussy whipped, aren¡¯t you.¡± He grins, bringing his ss to his lips. The mischief leaves his eyes as he notices a man looking in the direction of his sister. The twins are with her, Hawke holding her drink above her head where she can¡¯t reach it, even when she jumps. Ford is looking at me, shaking his head.

    Without so much as another word, Dutton is stalking in their direction, quickly intercepting the guest who had his eye on Billie. I¡¯ve never had the heart to tell him that perhaps he should be looking closer at his friends than at other men. If anything has happened between Billie and one of the twins, Dutton will definitely kill them first and ask questionster.

    ¡°Your mother is finally speaking to me again,¡± my father says as hees to stand by my side.

    ¡°Well, that makes one of us.¡±

    I can see his smirk in my periphery. ¡°Don¡¯t be mad that I got one up on you for a final time. I¡¯ll miss it, you know. The mind games.¡±

    I sigh and look at my father. For all his cold calction, he is the person who taught me almost everything I know about business. Respectfully, I should¡¯ve known he was scheming something.

    He pulls out a folded letter and hands it to me. ¡°I pressured Jewels into handing me information regarding the Monti family as her client. I wanted to know what she¡¯d give away and if she was, in fact, someone I could trust. You can keep it.¡± I take it, and then he pulls me in for a hug. ¡°I¡¯m proud of you, son. With or without marriage. I only wanted the best for you.¡±

    I pat him on the back because my father might be many things, but he¡¯s not a liar. When he spots my mother, he gravitates toward her, and I unfold the letter. I chuckle. It might as well be a personalized love letter to me, even when she tried to make it professional.

    Eli Monti is an asshole. Currently, I can¡¯t see a crack in their organization. Rya Monti makes it difficult as an adversary because she can easily get them out of whatever misdeeds mighte out in the public eye. Crue Monti is as lethal as they say but has seemingly taken a step back to allow his son to take over the majority of the business.

    However, I am not surprised Eli Monti has a hit on him. Though he is versatile and capable in most environments, he doesn¡¯t avoid confrontation, so I would suggest keeping your whereabouts unknown. I would approach cautiously. He should¡¯ve been killed immediately instead of toyed with because he seems to enjoy such games.

    Due to not having direct contact with you, I would like to forfeit my involvement with this project and will pay four times the amount in return, as well as offer my sworn secrecy. I am a hitwoman. Gathering intel is not my specialty, and as such, you can find someone else better suited. Please text me details so I can end this contract on peaceful terms.

    If you choose to continue to pursue the Monti family, I thoroughly advise caution. There¡¯s a reason why they run the Italian mafia in New York City.

    Best,

    Jewel Diamond.

    I tuck the letter into my pocket. She had, even back then, tried to step out of the situation, and I don¡¯t even know if she realized at that point she was falling for me. Obviously, my father didn¡¯t respond to her and applied pressure by not acknowledging her demand to be released from the contract.

    Eli Monti is an asshole. My lips twitch.

    I search for Jewel again, and when I find her, I watch as she hugs Craig. They look deep in discussion, and she smiles as he goes to leave. Before he does, he searches the crowd before his gazends on me. He gives me one nod before he turns and walks out. I already know the meaning of that nod. He pre-warned me when I sent him the suit that if I did anything to hurt her, he woulde out of retirement and hunt me down. I do quite enjoy a challenge. But he should know better than anyone that I¡¯m the one who needs to be protected¡­ from her.

    She gazes after him as he leaves, her shoulders sagging slightly, and then she spots me. She ignores those who try to approach her andes to a stop in front of me. The minute she¡¯s within reaching distance, I pull her into me and begin swaying to the music like we were before. Neither of us enjoys dancing, nor are we traditional. But I like holding her in my arms. I like the way she stares up at me, and we soak in this day that was only ever meant to be a ploy but turned into something far greater than we could¡¯ve ever imagined.

    ¡°I reckon we can escape soon,¡± I whisper into her ear.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t even eaten yet,¡± she says. ¡°Your mother was telling me all about the food.¡±

    ¡°But I like to have dessert first.¡± I wink, then lean down and kiss her lips, my hands finding her hips and holding on to them so she can¡¯t escape.

    I don¡¯t want her to ever escape me.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t get my dessertst night. Don¡¯t you want my cock buried deep in that sweet pussy of yours?¡± I croon softly. Red streaks across her cheeks. ¡°What about how my tongue ys circles on your clit? Do you like that?¡±

    She swallows hard and nods.

    ¡°I believe you still have to carve your new initials into my other leg.¡± She pulls me by the neck so I¡¯m at eye level with her. Her hot breath brushes against my ear.

    ¡°I like it when you choke me.¡±

    My cock hardens to its full, thick length.

    ¡°We have an issue,¡± I tell her.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°My cock is hard, and if I pull away right now, everyone will see.¡±

    Sheughs, literally doubles over, andughs. But I quickly pull her back up to block my cock. My grandparents are here, for fuck¡¯s sake. That¡¯s thest thing they need to see.

    ¡°It¡¯s not funny,¡± I growl.

    ¡°It is,¡± she insists as someone approaches. ¡°I can make it go away¡­ with my mouth.¡± Whoever it is starts to say something as they reach us, but now all I want is her lips around my cock. I pick her up, throw her over my shoulder, and head straight to the restrooms. Shutting and locking the door behind us, I ce her back on her heels. She¡¯s giggling, and I can¡¯t stop my cock from hardening even more.

    ¡°You seem keen on the idea,¡± she purrs, hiking up her dress. I watch in fascination as she drops to her knees. Careful not to kneel on her dress, she reaches for my zipper and rubs me through my pants, looking up at me with those amber eyes.

    Someone knocks on the door.

    ¡°Fuck off!¡± I tell them, still staring down at her. Her smile never wavers as she unzips my pants and pulls my cock free. She licks it¡ªjust the tip¡ªbefore she takes me into her mouth. All the way as far as my cock will go before sliding back to the head.

    I moan, trying my hardest not to mess up her perfect hair.

    Instead, I slide my hand under her chin and hold her jaw as she proceeds to fuck me with her mouth. I think she hates me, but then again, I think she fucking loves it when I fuck her, and that¡¯s what I n to do.

    Pulling from her mouth, my cock stands tall, and I bend down to help her to her feet. Then I spin her so her back is to me and hike up the dress. That¡¯s when I realize she¡¯s not wearing any panties.

    ¡°Fuck me,¡± I say on a moan.

    ¡°I¡¯m wet for you, Mr. Monti.¡±

    ¡°Fuck yes, you are.¡± I slip my finger between her folds, and she moans. ¡°Fuck, you were built so perfectly for me, Mrs. Monti.¡± My finger, now wet with her arousal, I plunge it inside her.

    Another knockes at the door.

    ¡°Fuck. Off!¡± This time, ites from her, and I can¡¯t help but be proud.

    Her breath hitches as she watches us in the mirror. I slide a knife out of my suit jacket. It¡¯s not just any knife; it¡¯s the one she assaulted me with when we first met. I¡¯ve carried it around ever since that night.

    ¡°I want you to carve your initials, Mrs. Monti. The bloodier, the better.¡± My cock twitches at the anticipated pain.

    She smiles as she nuzzles her pussy against my cock. ¡°But first, you¡¯ll service me, husband, and wait your turn.¡±

    My lips stretch in a wild grin as I grab the back of her hair. Fuck being polite; it never suited either of us anyway.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to break you,¡± I promise her, and sheughs.

    ¡°Such vengeful lies. Give it your best shot.¡±

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