Chapter 4 Marcus
Marcus
I'm on my way to Reginald's office. We need to have a discussion about last night because he clearly downplayed the threat Lila is under.
Sure, I knew I was acting as a bodyguard, that I needed to be prepared for some eventualities, but he did not make it seem like there were going to be active kidnapping attempts.
If anything, he made it seem like he wanted to keep Lila under lock and key for his own reasons.
Which I'm pretty sure is still the case.
Cilento, mob boss or not, appeared to be just using scare tactics. This isn't that. He sent someone here to take her. Lila is being used like a chess piece.
There's also the fact that the more time I spend with Lila, the more I want her. The more I can't lie to myself or convince this voice in my head that I'm not attracted to her, that I'm not interested.
That I don't take one look at her and want to do things to her that are completely unprofessional.
Lila works every damn nerve of mine, testing me, teasing me.
But I like it when she fights back, when she's pushy, when she's trying to be the boss.
I want to show her how much she'll enjoy it when she obeys me.
Fucking hell, Marcus. No.
Shaking my head, I hurry my steps down the hallway. The faster I get to Reginald, the faster I can get out of my head.
But to be honest, I've avoided people for so long that what I'm feeling toward Lila is a bit of a shock.
I had a feeling a bit of a brat tamer was lurking underneath the surface, and I can see how true that is now that I'm engaging with a supreme brat all day.
That doesn't change the fact that she's the client's daughter, though. Or the fact that Boss is adamant about us not doing this sort of thing. Or the fact that she's over a decade younger than me.
This is nearly as forbidden as it gets.
My dick doesn't seem to care very much, though. Nor does that desire to keep her safe, to keep her close, to be the one who watches her break just so I can put her back together.
Which isn't something I need to be thinking about right now, considering I'm standing in front of her father's office door, and I have to tuck an erection behind my waistband.
Carefully, I grip the doorknob and push open the office door. But I stop because as I do, I can hear two voices engaged in a heated conversation.
"This is getting out of hand," Reginald bites out. "That bastard thinks he can toy with my daughter. He is a means to an end, and I believe his usefulness is running particularly thin."
"He kept word about Bellavita positive, Reginald. The flipside of that coin isn't pretty. Cilento's assistance is getting far too expensive, though. I hate to say it, but you might need to come up with a new plan to protect your assets."
I can tell it's Kyle who's speaking. Even though we interacted for such a short time, there's no mistaking that pompous voice.
They're also discussing something I haven't heard about. Apparently, Reggie has been keeping a great deal of information to himself.
Bellavita is Wellward Technologies' most successful product—a weight loss drug that's FDA-approved and promises incredible results.
And it seems there's something the company doesn't want people to know about when it comes to the wildly successful injection.
It doesn't bode well, and I don't fucking like the way they're talking about Lila, either. Or rather, how they're not talking about her.
The focus is on how Cilento is screwing them, how the cost of his "help" is running up the tab. It reeks of underhanded shit, and their concern for Lila sounds entirely surface-level.
"Wellward is top priority. I won't let some Italian crime boss outsmart me. He will not get away with this. Last night? He's on thin fucking ice."
"But what if the truth gets out? Cilento knows the script. He sent his men to intimidate people in that study into fudging the results. If he lets that out—"
"No. That can never happen. If anything…Christ, we might just need to get an outsider's perspective. Maybe this Boss has someone else he can send to do a little housekeeping in Cilento's organization. That'll give him something to think about."
My entire body goes stiff as an I-beam. I'm made of steel as I digest what the two of them just said.
Reginald is thinking of putting a hit out on Cilento's men, using my company to do it. We'd be smack dab in the middle of a war.
Fuck no. Terrible idea. No way Boss would say yes to that. No matter the price tag.
It also appears that good ol' Mr. Kendrix and company have been lying about Bellavita. I'm not surprised, but that is a problem.
Blackmail, threats, hits. This is a damn clusterfuck because Reggie thought he could work with the mafia and not expect the typical pay raise. Of course Cilento is looking to squeeze him for more cash.
Turning on my heel, I hurry away from the door, silent as the grave. Lila knew something was up, but she's going to lose it when she hears the truth.
Still, someone needs to tell her, and it might as well be me. Plus, this changes things. Cilento means business.
Sure, the odd threat here and there, but he also carries through with those things. As "merciful" as he is compared to other bosses in the city, he's still a violent criminal when it comes down to it.
Cilento isn't going to stop. Lila is in real danger, and her father is a piece of shit who isn't going to back down either.
Not fucking good.
When I reach Lila's room, I knock as I open the door, relieved to see that she's still sitting on the bed like before. She actually fucking listened for once, and hell, did I need that more than ever right now.
"Marcus." She straightens, her brow creased with worry as she eyes me from her cross-legged position on the fluffy, luxury bed. "What's going on? You look…angry."
"Yeah, that's a mild way of putting it." I sigh, raking a hand through my hair as I approach the bed and stand in front of it. "Your father is more in bed with Cilento than I realized. He's used the mob to cover up problems with Bellavita."
"What?" Lila's brows shoot to her hairline, and she shakes her head, reeling backward so that the thin silk robe she's wearing tumbles off her shoulder, revealing the matching pajamas beneath. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Your father had Cilento's men intimidate people in the study.
I have to assume there were probably side effects that would have prevented them from getting FDA approval and launching so quickly.
That's why he's been threatening you. He's trying to force your father's hand, make him fork over more of the profits. "
"The drug…isn't safe? He's…My father has been selling and profiting off something that could hurt people?" Lila is reeling, falling apart at the seams, and I'm watching it live. "He worked with the mob to cover it up? Am I really hearing this? You…you can't be serious. He wouldn't—"
"You didn't know who Cilento was?" I'm sitting next to her now, rubbing along her arm just like last night. Her skin is so damn soft under my palm, nothing separating us since she's wearing a tank and flouncy little sleep shorts.
"No. Hell, no. I had no idea. My father never tells me anything. Christ, I had no idea how true that was. I…I trusted him. I live with the man, and now…all this?"
As she gestures around herself, Lila is shaking. I can see the tears threatening to trickle down her cheeks.
"Hey, I'll figure this out. I've got contacts. I can make sure Cilento never gets near you."
I rub both Lila's arms now, turning her toward me as we sit so close on the bed.
"How? You're one guy." She eyes me, the tears mingling with this look of snark that has my cock twitching.
"I'm one guy with a lot of training, Lila. Don't doubt what I can do."
Something in the air shifts, and we stare at each other as the moment charges with intense energy. Lila holds my stare, but her eyes flick to my lips too often not to notice.
"Careful, princess." My voice is a low rasp, my body humming with need. "That's not smart."
"And who says I want to be smart right now?" She faces off with me—sassy, bratty, and oh so delectable. "The worst thing about my father is all out there now. They're his rules I've been obeying. And I don't want to anymore. What? Are you chicken?"
I snap, yanking Lila close and crashing my lips down on hers. She tastes like sin and cinnamon, and I can't get enough. She's been such a brat, and it looks like my taming side gets to come out to play at last.
She melts against my hold, but only for a moment. Then Lila is pulling back, eyeing me with that damn sass. Cocking my head, I narrow my eyes at her.
"Get over here, princess."
Lila grins. "Make me."
Moving fast and grabbing hold of Lila's leg so I can drag her across the bed toward me, I waste absolutely no time, pressing my lips to hers again and reaching into her silk shorts.
And it hits me. Lila isn't wearing any panties.
"You little…You were thinking about this, weren't you?"
Pink colors Lila's cheeks, but she doesn't back down, her eyelids fluttering as I smooth my fingers across her skin.
She's fucking dripping for me.
"You aren't answering me, princess." I stroke harder, teasing her seam until I begin to slip deeper, making her moan. "I want to hear you say it."
"Y-Yes." Melting into my hold, Lila grips my shirt between her fingers, squeezing the tee till her knuckles go white. "I—Oh god, that's…this is the first time."
That gets my attention, but damn me to hell and back, I don't stop. I keep playing Lila like my own personal piano, circling my thumb around her clit as I tease her entrance with my fingers.
"First time what?" A dark growl rumbles in my words, and I don't have the strength to hold back. Lila feels too good, feels too much like…mine.
"I'm…I'm…oh hell."
She arches against me, her thighs trembling as I finger her beneath the expensive fabric of her pajamas. Everything tightens in her, and she sinks down on my digits as she comes.
It's beautiful, utter perfection to see her so blissed out for me, and I ride her through the waves as I ask again.
"First time what, princess?"
Her face is screwed up as she moans, her head tossed back in the throes of passion. "I'm a virgin. No one has ever—Ugh! Touched me."
God, I just knew it. And I'm lighting up in a way I shouldn't, knowing that the only fingers that've worked this sweet pussy are mine.
She's all fucking mine.
The moment calms down, and Lila lulls as a sudden exhaustion overwhelms her. She's learned a lot today, and she's come all over my hand.
"Rest up, princess."
Before, I was determined to keep Lila safe. Now? It's just cemented how much I'm willing to do to ensure Cilento drops this.
I reach across to the nightstand, careful not to disturb Lila now that she's falling asleep, and grab my cell.
Me: Hey, I need to do some deep digging for this job. There's a lot more going on with this fucking Cilento.
Boss: Be fucking careful. I'm not cleaning you up off the pavement.