Chapter 9
Her back stiffened. “I don’t recall asking for your permission.”
I shrugged into my coat. “You’re right. And I didn’t ask your permission. Now do as you’re told and get your things.”
She stood and exited my office, crossing to her desk, where she grabbed her purse. “This is ridiculous. I take the subway late at night all the time. I’ll be fine. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I blocked her path and snatched her purse from her hands. “I see countless cases come through my office of women being attacked on the subway,” I ground out. “Some survive, several don’t. The ones who did often wish they hadn’t. Do you want the statistics of how many never even get that far?”
Eddie looked me in the eye, a move I would have respected under other circumstances.
“Mr. Astrid, this is New York. If I were to let the statistics of women being abused or attacked scare me, I would never be able to leave my apartment. I can’t stop living my life because something might happen.” She crossed her arms, a move that only served to draw my attention to her breasts.
I tilted my head to the side. “Why do you think we are doing this work by hand instead of on the shared server?”
“I assumed it was because of the sensitive nature of the case. You are going after one of the largest crime families on the East Coast.”
“Right, and?—”
“And I don’t appreciate being talked to like a child,” she snapped.
I let it go; it was late, and we were both tired.
No, that wasn’t true. I let it go because if I didn’t, I would bend her over my lap and spank her like the brat she was being, which would lead to me fucking her.
After having a day of mind-numbing work to cool down, I knew that at the very least my pursuit of her should not happen in the office. There were too many eyes and ears just waiting for me to screw up. Even if I could make sure Eddie didn’t talk, there was no guarantee an unwanted person wouldn’t see something they shouldn’t and try to blackmail me.
It was a risk I couldn’t take. Especially not now, with the O’Murphys about to go nuclear on the city. The only thing stopping them was the case I was building to put the whole crew behind bars.
“Think, Eddie. I am not using the shared servers. I sent Cynthia on vacation, and I am using one paralegal when I could have twenty to make this case go so much faster.”
Her green eyes widened with understanding, and I had to stop myself from thinking about how they would look when I slid my cock in her the first time, stretching her for me.
“You are worried this case is dangerous. That if the family finds out you are building a case, they will come after you, and they could use me to find out what you have.”
“Exactly,” I said.
“Fine, but what do you suggest I do? Walk to Hunts Point?” Her hands went to her hips and she raised her chin like she’d made a valid point.
“I’d suggest you move, but in the meantime, I’m taking you home.”
“Could I just use the car service?”
It was a valid question and a solid solution to our dilemma.
“No. Get your coat. We’re leaving.”
She wrapped her hands around herself and looked anywhere but at me. She seemed uncomfortable, and I wondered if she felt the same tension I had been ignoring all day. “Fine, then I’m ready to go.”
I frowned. “Woman, must everything with you be an argument? I said to get your coat.”
Eddie trained her eyes just above me as she had been doing all day. It annoyed the shit out of me. I wanted to grab her jaw and demand she look me in the eyes.
“I didn’t bring one today. I said I’m fine.”
She was lying. For what reason, I couldn’t guess.
Without saying a word, I took off my coat and swept it over her shoulders.
Immediately she moved to shrug it off. “I don’t need?—”
I snatched at the lapels and pulled the coat more tightly closed. “We’ll discuss what you need another time. For now, if you know what’s good for you, you won’t take this coat off.”
She sighed like she knew she had lost, and gave in.
Fucking finally.
“My driver is outside. Let’s go.”
I led her down to the garage where I had my driver meet us.
She was silent as she slid into the back of the Town Car and sat as far from me as she possibly could, pressing her body against the door. Gritting my teeth against the irrational surge of anger at the sight of her physically trying to avoid even casually touching me, I gave my driver the address she had given me.
I loved the city this time of night. Not as much as in the morning, but at this hour there was no traffic, no horns blaring, or people yelling. It was almost peaceful. There were still people around, bodegas were still open, and the streets were not empty, but everything flowed like a city that wasn’t stuffed full should flow.
Twenty minutes later, the car slowed in what was easily one of the seediest parts of the city.
In prep school, my schoolmates lied about coming here to buy drugs, as if it were a life-or-death quest. As if they would risk their lives and their new Cartier watches to obtain the mystical, low-quality herb. I was pretty sure the only reason they legalized marijuana in New York was so those same precious assholes didn’t have to send their staff down here anymore and could buy their weed from the comfort of Fifth Avenue.
“Why are we stopping?” I asked.
Between the chipped paint and gang graffiti over the cement foundation, the building we’d pulled up in front of also had several boarded-up windows, and there was a general feeling of neglect about the place. Not to mention the three men sitting on the steps to the main entrance, eyeing my car.
“Because this is my building,” Eddie said, unbuckling her seat belt as if she hadn’t just admitted to risking her life and well-being day in and day out by living in this fucking crack den of a hellhole.
I undid mine as well as I gazed out the car window at the building. “You’re not staying here. I’ll escort you in to pack a few things. Then we’re leaving.”
She got out of the car on the driver’s side, ignoring me as I held the door open for her on mine. “Even as my boss, you don’t have the power to dictate where I live.”
I stepped close. “I thought I’d already established the amount of power I have over you?”
It was a dangerous game I was playing.
I had already crossed the line with her, a subordinate member of my staff, twice.
To go any further would be risking my career, yet despite barely knowing her, there was something about Eddie that pushed my buttons. She had an intriguing mixture of vulnerability and strength about her. It was obvious she was intelligent and strong-willed, yet when I touched her, it was almost as if she were begging me to force her to her knees.
The whole package was intoxicating and a temptation I was finding hard to ignore.
She tried to back away a few steps, her eyes wide again. “You are not coming upstairs with me.”
I wrapped my hand around her upper arm. “This is not up for debate.”
The men behind her started catcalling but a quick look from me silenced them.
With a huff, she said, “We need to get inside.”
The because it’s not safeon the sidewalk outside my building remained unsaid.
She led me up the steps and then into the building.
Her apartment was a three story walk-up, reached via a stairwell that reeked of cigarette smoke and other things I did not want to think about.
I ignored the garbage on the landings—empty cigarette containers, beer bottles—and the roaches that crawled over them. I even ignored the dirty metal spoon that was bent at a ninety-degree angle and got her to her door, at the end of another long, filthy hallway with a torn-up rug. I didn’t even want to think about what had caused the myriad stains on it.
“Fuck your things. I’ll buy you new clothes. We’re leaving.”