Chapter 9
Creed
Hunger.
Some men had it for food, greasy cheeseburgers and bloody prime rib. Others had it for wine or liquor, needing a few drinks a day just to get by. Of course so many men lost their minds over sweet pussy, ignoring the vows they’d taken and their other responsibilities for one taste. One night. And still others hungered for risks. Skydiving. Bungee jumping. Wind surfing or gambling. I wanted to laugh from the number of men I’d seen surrender to the desires that had ultimately cost them everything.
Including their lives.
For me, it wasn’t just about sex. I’d indulged in my share of women, some even able to tolerate my highly commanding and sadistic needs, but the way I felt about Bella was entirely different. She was as if a light had finally illuminated my deepest, darkest desires while illuminating my life.
Wouldn’t my mother be so proud of me now?
However, the feeling was a reality that I’d finally come to terms with after my third drink the night before while I’d stood in front of my home office window, staring out at the starless night. Bella Rothschild had been sent to me for a reason, a force of nature that I wanted to grasp like capturing a tornado.
A smile crossed my face as images of her pretty pussy rubbed raw at the synapses in my mind. As my thoughts shifted to the way her dance partner had kissed her, the ugly green-eyed monster popped into my mind. I’d never been jealous of another man in my life, yet the moment I’d realized how important she would be to my life, I’d considered her my property.
My possession.
And anyone who dared touch her would not like the consequences. I fisted my hand, trying to yank my thoughts away from spilling more blood. That wasn’t in my best interest right now. I had to keep control, concentrating on business at least for now.
Bella Rothschild.
Her name had caught my attention, which had prompted me into researching for as much information as I could find on the woman. The surname wasn’t a family enemy but something about it and her devastating beauty made me feel like I’d seen or met her before. I was almost accurate, my discovery making her even more interesting.
I’d hungered for more than just a taste of the woman. I’d needed to find out everything I could about her and even then, it wasn’t nearly enough. I sensed missing pieces much like there were in my life. Wasn’t it said somewhere that those who were most damaged attracted others of like kind? I’d sensed she was as broken as any good psychiatrist would say about me and my brothers. Sadly, I couldn’t put my finger on exactly why I knew she needed me as much as I needed her.
She’d been born in Los Angeles, where she’d spent a better part of her childhood growing up in Hollywood. I should have recognized the dancer from her resemblance to the Hollywood star, my father adoring the work her mother had done in movies two decades before.
Carmine Rothschild had been a former model, handpicked to play a femme fatale for a smash spy thriller chain, one of a half dozen unknown beauties getting the honor. Instead of just being labeled arm candy and nothing else, she’d parlayed the money she’d earned along with monies received from her covers in Vogue and Glamour into decent investments.
Plus, she’d managed to get some additional juicy roles and within two years, she’d been considered a star, her future as bright as her smile.
I placed Carmine’s photograph beside her daughter’s, both printed off the internet and signed. They could be sisters, although Bella didn’t have the same spark in her eyes or the gloss in her hair. It was as if she’d been in her mother’s shadow for years.
As I hit play on the same video from the night before I’d watched a half dozen times, the music instantly brought a feeling of freedom to my system. I sat back in my seat, my breath catching as I watched her performance. As she twirled and leapt into the air, I was pulled into the darkness I’d tried to avoid the night before.
Mine. Mine. Mine.
The word continuously played in the back of my mind, the ache I’d felt after leaving her following me home for another sleepless night.
My longing wasn’t just about indulging in the taste of her lips or the feel of her pussy clamping down on my aching cock. That was raw innocence compared to what I wanted to do to her, including branding her fair skin so no one would dare consider attempting to take her away from me.
My balls were aching as much as they had the night before, every thought sadistic as fuck.
As the gothic music rang in my ears, I glanced at the two photographs once again. By all accounts, Bella had been brought up with the finer things in life surrounding her. She’d gone to one of the best private schools in LA, graduating with honors. Her mother had purchased a stunning estate at the height of her career, but what intrigued me was that not only had she abruptly dropped out of sight as an actress, she’d been arrested only six months later.
Shoving the two photographs aside, I pulled up Carmine’s mugshot and it told a tale of drug use and a spiral into a private hell. Although I had no toxicology reports, after her arrest, the rumors had started flying that she was addicted to heroin and cocaine. I wasn’t entirely convinced as the look in her eyes was one of fear.
After the DA had failed to make his case, she’d sold the house and moved out of Hollywood altogether where she became a recluse. The two of them fell off the radar for some time. Bella had gone to college, studying dance as well, which is what had eventually brought her to Chicago.
Sadly, her mother now resided in a care facility for early onset Alzheimer’s. And from what I’d been able to discover in the limited time I’d had searching, Bella was footing a significant portion of the bill. What I didn’t find was a mention of her birth father anywhere. Not even a hint or some fodder in an entertainment rag two decades before. The girl’s birth certificate listed the father as unknown, which I had a feeling was tabloid fodder in and of itself at the time, unless Carmine had paid someone to keep Bella’s birthright quiet.
Why did I have a feeling it would be in my best interest to find out who that man was?
As I studied the performance on the small screen, my mind was firmly convinced that Bella was everything I’d been craving. When the video ended, I debated watching it again, forced to adjust my cock before finding some control and turning it off. I shifted my attention to the financials Easton had emailed for the upcoming board meeting and closed my eyes briefly. Damn it. Her face continued to roll images back and forth.
After a few seconds, I shoved back my chair, rising to my full height. I remained tense for several reasons, including the meeting I’d had with Carlos. If I didn’t think it would start a war, I’d have him tossed into the trunk of one of my soldiers’ vehicles, taking him to my estate for a festive hunt. The thought brought an entirely different level of hunger into my mind. However, for all his posturing, he’d been nervous about the shipment. Why? Had someone threatened him, which the South American certainly wouldn’t mention for fear of his reputation taking a hit?
I stood at the window of my office, undaunted by the thick clouds rolling across Chicago’s skyline. I was smiling, surprised at the way the night had gone before.
And I was very hungry as I’d remained the majority of the night after leaving Bella to enjoy the rest of her evening.
I’d been very clear in my expectations, telling her in no uncertain terms what would happen. The moment I’d walked out of the elevator, I’d heard her clipped laugh. Whether it had been from nervousness, disgust, or both didn’t matter to me. One taste would never be enough of something so sweet, so perfect.
I shifted around to face my desk, barely interested in handling the necessary aspects of business. Yet I picked up the group of papers Easton had sent me before the sun had come up, pleased with the bottom line. We’d increased profits by almost eighteen percent during the last quarter, a significant surprise since the firm had picked up two new clients. It had been Easton and Styx’s idea to concentrate on the residuals, including additional ammunition that had made the difference.
Laughing, I traced the bottom-line figure, proud of what we’d accomplished, especially since the three of us were getting along for a change. I heard the door being thrown open, could hear my assistant grinding her teeth at the fact I’d been interrupted.
Which I hated more than almost anything.
“We were wrong.”
As Kane entered my high-rise office, he wore an expression of exasperation. I eyed him carefully, continuing to hold the printed company financials in my hand. The quarterly board meeting was being held bright and early on the next day and I wanted to be up to date on every single aspect of our company’s growth and wealth. The upcoming contract with the Pentagon meant our financial house had to be in perfect order.
Our continued growth was also a reason we’d gotten the loan for the art facility, not that we’d needed the money, but it was good to be a part of the community. It kept the police and the district attorney from breathing down our necks.
“What are you referring to, Kane?”
“Paul and his buddies.”
“O-kay,” I said as I placed the file on my desk, knuckling the surface before leaning over. “You’re going to need to enlighten me.” I’d sent both Kane and Christen on a fact-finding mission, wanting to confirm then confront the bastards who’d made a deal with my three former employees. I didn’t care if they were wealthy Arabs or not, which is what the limited information had led me to believe.
“The fucking Arabs we noticed in town and on that video illuminating their betrayal?”
“Yes.”
“They were freaking actors hired to pretend they were wealthy Saudis, one dude pretending to be a prince.”
Now that did catch me off guard. I moved from around the back of my desk, folding my arms as I studied him. “Who the fuck would go to that extreme? Paul?” He’d never struck me as that industrious.
“No,” Kane said, grinning. “That’s what I believed at first but from everything I’ve found, Paul and his buddies believed they were doing business with a Saudi prince, if you can believe that. I easily hacked the kid’s phone and email. He’d received messages from this Abdul Arani starting three months ago. Now, I can tell you the kid tried to ignore them, but the texts became threatening, right down to sending Paul a box with body parts in it. He immediately made contact with this fake Abdul on the phone, which the kid recorded. I knew Paul pretty well, but I’ve never heard him so angry. Incidentally, there is a real Abdul Arani and he is a prince, but after doing some extensive checking, it’s apparent the Saudi hasn’t been to the US, doesn’t care and certainly never made contact with Paul or one of the others. And there were similar calls and boxes sent to Wally and the other guy.”
What the fuck was going on?
“Who did Paul think had been mutilated?”
Kane sighed. “His sister, who is learning impaired.”
“But she wasn’t.”
“All I know is that the girl was abducted from the special school she was at about thirty miles from here. She hasn’t been seen.”
“Fuck.”
“Yeah. She was just a kid, barely seventeen.”
No wonder Paul had freaked. I usually didn’t give a shit about learning anything about my employees’ lives after they clocked out, but I’d heard chatter about his sister and Paul’s devotion. The poor dumb fuck and his buddies had gotten themselves mixed up in something they’d felt they had no control over. For a man with no conscience, I almost felt guilty. Almost. However, the men could have come to me instead of becoming traitors.
He gave me a look that called for sympathy. I was startled. There was no doubt about it. “Let me get this straight. Some actor pretending to be a prince of a goddamn oil empire managed to convince Paul and his buddies that their families were being targeted and that they’d need to provide weapons and other merchandise to them or else their families would be slaughtered like pigs.”
“That pretty well sums it up.” Kane acted as if he wanted to smile but there was nothing to be happy about.
“Except why the stupid kids didn’t come to me in the first fucking place.” I wasn’t the kind of man to feel a moment’s worth of guilt about anything, but for someone to play the three young men the way they’d been was more reprehensible than the majority of shit I’d done in my life.
Kane looked uncomfortable, even looking out the window as he answered. “Sorry, boss. I mean no disrespect but you’re not the warmest man when it comes to shit like that. Remember, the ranks are well aware you have no tolerance for bullshit, and I’d put that rattrap on the top of a shitty list of garbage.”
The man had a colorful way of putting things. I glared at him smugly. “Let’s just say for the sake of argument that’s true, Paul knew he’d face my wrath. I could see it in his face.”
“We might not know for sure but the one thing you’ve yet to do in your career is to take out your anger on a woman, even in the act of revenge.”
“Are you trying to tell me I have a conscience or a heart? If so, think the fuck again.”
“I wouldn’t go that far, boss. However, you’re one of the smartest men I’ve ever known. You’ve figured out that women are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to insecurities or weaknesses of your enemies. Plus, I do think you have a thing for the fairer sex.” He grinned all over again, provided with limited details of what had occurred the night before. I might have ended up in bed alone, but I’d reeked of her perfume and in truth, I still did.
I’d taken a hot shower after spending almost an hour boxing, sweating up a storm but her sweetness had stained my skin.
“Fine. So the kid succumbed to the lesser of the enemies so to speak. Please tell me you have a line on who hired this fake prince and some kind of intelligent reason why.”
He shoved one hand into his pocket while he blew on his folded fingers, rubbing his knuckles down the front of his jacket. The man was trying my patience, and he had to know I wasn’t in the fucking mood to play games, including with him. I was attempting to free my calendar for a few days so I could enjoy my upcoming guest.
“Well, not the why just yet, but I had a tip from one of our informants that the fucker impersonating the prince, whose real name is Santos Abbott, made the mistake of bragging about some rich acting job he got. Your name was overheard. He was at a bar last night buying a couple rounds for his buddies.”
“Oh, really.” Fascinating but not enough for me to alter my plans just yet.
“I was going to let you know last night but I wasn’t certain if you were busy with other more important things.”
I decided to ignore his jovial take on my love life, instead concentrating on my thoughts of who was behind the interesting way of doing business. “We have two distinct possibilities of who could behind this fun charade.” Although I doubted it had anything to do with Carlos. While Easton was still in the middle of his investigation on the man’s wealth and business activities, so far nothing askew had appeared.
“You’re thinking what I’m thinking. The Italian prick who lives in Chicago’s shadows?”
“That would make sense, at least according to what I’ve heard recently.” But why? From what I knew about Frederico Salvatore, he was a straight shooter, bullish in his methods of handling business.
“No offense again, but the man is old enough to be your father. From what I heard, he’s ready to retire.”
I’d purposely kept tabs on all the strongest syndicate leaders, although few had attempted to cross paths because my father’s reputation had preceded my ascension to the throne. “Yes, he is ready to retire, but he has a son eager to take over. And he’d sparred with my father on more than one occasion.”
“So why risk your wrath prior to settling on some tropical island?” Kane pressed, although I had a feeling he was doing exactly what I was doing. Going through mental exercises.
“My father was a monster but brilliant in business. He knew how to read his enemies well.” Including his own fucking sons. “Tell me. What is the best way to find the weakest point inside a business whether legitimate or something else?”
Kane thought about my question. I could see the light bulb going off inside his head. “By attempting to do business clandestinely.”
“Exactly. Frederico wouldn’t dare attempt to purchase weapons legally from our firm. However, if he could sneak a slight attack, managing to grab a couple million dollars of undocumented assault rifles then he’d call that an added benefit.”
“What’s his final goal? Any idea?”
That much I didn’t know. I also couldn’t jump to conclusions about who was responsible just yet. However, that didn’t mean I wouldn’t attempt to flush out the perpetrator. It was necessary.
“Where is this fake Abdul?”
“He has an apartment on the Westside. I checked his credentials. He’s been in a couple Hollywood movies, but mostly off-Broadway type plays here in Chicago. He pulled another couple of his acting buddies with him. Do you want me to pick him up so you can interrogate him?”
An actor. A fucking actor. “Did you check his financials?”
“Yeah. There’s nothing there. Not a blip in his limited bank account. Nothing. Either he was paid in cash or offered something else in exchange for his performance.”
That meant the guy wouldn’t have much to talk about. Torturing him would be pleasurable but it was doubtful I’d garner much information. “Have him tailed. Whoever hired him might decide to use him again.”
“And Frederico?”
“Check on his whereabouts as well as his son’s. As far as weapons sales. Put a temporary hold on any upcoming meetings other than with our legitimate clients until after the board meets tomorrow. We have some big government contracts that I do not want fucked with.” I was a businessman after all. I refused to allow my anger or impatience to get in the way of adding to our hefty bank accounts.
“Will do. Anything else?”
“Check with Easton later to see if he’s found everything on Carlos. I have other plans.”
“The girl?”
I returned behind my desk, tossing the financials into my briefcase. “Perhaps.” I thought about the lovely girl and pulled the file I’d amassed on her into my hand. “Her name is Bella Rothschild. I need to know who her father is.”
“Okay. I take it you’ve checked with the hospital where she was born.”
“Yes, Kane. I have. No dice. Just do your job and find the fucker.” I was losing more than just my patience with the man.
At least he knew when the hell to stop. “Yes, sir. Would you prefer I take care of it or guard you today?”
“Find out what I asked. That’s what I need.”
He took the file from my hand and headed toward the door.
My mood swings were getting worse. I needed Bella more now than ever.
“Soon. Very soon.” I wondered if she was thinking about me, hungering for me.
Her anticipation increasing as the clock ticked down the seconds. I couldn’t wait until she was mine.
All mine.
Mine…