Chapter Twenty-Six #2
The aroma of the food was already filling the room as I settled into my chair at the table.
I didn’t want her to feel intimidated for leaving her room, so I told my men to wait outside so it would be just the two of us in the house tonight.
A little later, Chloe walked in, wearing the navy-blue dress I’d bought her just days ago. When I’d chosen it, I imagined her wearing it during a sunny day, near a pool like the one I had in my villa in Sicily. But seeing her in it here was just as satisfying.
The corset hugged her torso perfectly, pushing up her tits just enough to tease at the sweetheart neckline.
The bottom flared into a full, playful skirt that skimmed high on her thighs, and danced around her every time she moved.
Her damp hair cascaded in loose waves, and her fresh, natural face gave her a kind of innocence that made her even more enchanting.
Her eyes widened in surprise with the amount of food on the table. I had no idea what she liked, so I asked Clarisse to make a bit of everything.
“Looks good,” she said, taking a seat beside me.
“Then we should eat,” I said, letting my gaze linger on her. “Take whatever you want.”
She offered me a soft smile, but to my surprise, instead of reaching for her own plate, she stood and grabbed mine, starting to serve me first.
My fucking chest tightened, almost ripping apart with her simple action.
What. the. fuck?
Her hands moved gently, carefully placing a bit of everything onto my plate as if making sure I ate properly.
I sat back, watching her, unsettled by how easily she was adjusting to this life, to me.
Despite the tension still hanging in the air, there was something disturbingly natural about having her here, sharing a simple meal.
It reminded me of my parents, and how they had always shared their meals together at this very same table, a sacred ritual for over thirty years of marriage. My mother was once so pissed at my father for arriving late for dinner that the man never dared do it a second time.
I could almost hear her voice again, snippy but always so full of love, and couldn’t help but smirk at the memory. Despite how things had ended, they had been happy.
I could never have that.
Shaking off the thought, I reached out to help her with her plate. She smiled at me again, soft, sweet.
Too sweet.
Too flirty.
Too fucking suspicious?
After locking herself up in her bedroom for almost a week, I’d expected her to be colder, more combative. Not this.
As I passed her the plate, I quickly glanced down to count the silverware on the table, my eyes narrowing slightly. What was she up to? I subtly checked to see if she’d slipped a knife under the table, ready to stab me when I least expected it.
But everything sat neatly in its place.
I was intrigued.
Back at her seat, she started eating, the clinking of silverware the only sound in the room. I watched her as she savored each bite, her eyes occasionally meeting mine. There was a softness in her gaze that could warm the whole room. A kindness that reminded me of my mother once again.
Fuck me.
“Clarisse is an excellent cook,” she said, breaking the silence.
I swallowed hard. “She certainly is.”
A beat passed. Then she leaned back slightly, cutting straight to the point. “So, you sounded like you maybe have something to discuss?”
She was right—I needed to focus.
“Firstly, I want you to join me for dinner every day. It doesn’t make sense for you to stay locked up in your room.”
She nodded, having nothing to add. Not a single argument. That wasn’t like her at all.
“And secondly,” I continued, my tone hardening, “I believe you’ve had enough time to think about our arrangement?”
Her body went rigid, reaching for the glass of wine in front of her and taking a quick sip. Probably to try and alleviate the knot tightening in her throat.
I knew she’d rather shoot me in the head and make a run for it than agree to anything I proposed that wasn’t her freedom. She’d already proven that it would be her choice if given half a chance.
But I’d also rather have skipped this dreadful conversation and bent her over this table, fucked her senseless until her pussy clenched around my cock, my mouth on hers swallowing her moans and only stopping when she was too wrecked to even think about running.
But here we were. Neither of us really getting what we truly wanted today.
“Tell me more about these Scorpion guys. Why is it so important for you to find them?”
She asked with genuine curiosity instead of fighting me on it.
Strange.
“Small details shouldn’t concern you for now,” I replied.
But she shot me a glare, that fire I knew so well flaring up in her eyes. She hated being silenced, she hated being kept in the dark.
“I have the right to know about the people who tried to hurt me, Zane.”
I held her gaze, but my lips pressed into a thin line.
I didn’t want to talk about my past, didn’t want to talk about what I’d seen that night.
The way it made me feel, the anger surging every time I thought about it.
Every time I spoke about it, it was as if they had won all over again.
It made me breathe fire, see red, and even for someone like me, who had seen a lot, it never got any easier.
But it made sense for her to know at least some of it. It would make it easier for her to follow my orders if I made her feel included.
“They’ve been trying to take my family down for years,” I began, my voice low and measured. “They tried to take over our operations many times. Unsuccessfully, of course, but there have been some… casualties.”
“Oh...Your parents?” she whispered, almost too softly to hear.
She didn’t need me to confirm it for her expression to soften, shifting to something resembling genuine empathy. Her eyes started to water as if she could feel the heaviness in my heart.
“Revenge, Chloe. That’s the reason for all this.”
I’d finally answered her previous question, and the words came out with a hard edge.
It was the only promise I’d ever made in my life, to avenge my parents for the way their lives were taken so dishonorably. It was the worst part of it, the fucking disrespect of who they were.
“I’m sorry, I—”
“They don’t have our numbers or resources, yet they’re still good at one thing… hiding.” I continued, cutting her off and any attempts at pitying me. “They figured out they could blind us from tracking their movements if they moved underground.”
Chloe leaned forward, her curiosity piqued. “Underground?”
“Like rats, they use the sewers, old metro lines, and underground tunnels to move from one hideout to another,” I explained.
“And they’ve erased every blueprint, every record of the old underground constructions in this town, and there are plenty.
They could be beneath us right now, and we wouldn’t even know. ”
I took a sip of my wine as she glanced at the floor nervously.
“Without those blueprints or someone inside, we can’t risk going down there. They’d always have the advantage. We need to lure them out. Or find a way to shut them down from the inside.”
Her eyes lifted to mine again. “And you think I can help you with that?!”
“They’ve lain low for almost six years, ever since the retaliation for my parents’ deaths. They’ve been impossible to track ever since. Then, out of nowhere, there they were, at the club. With you.” I didn’t mean to sound accusatory but I was. “Coincidence or not, I need to know why.”
Chloe’s throat bobbed as she swallowed. “I’d never heard of them before. I have no idea why they made me a target.” Her eyes flashed with something sincere. “You have to believe me, Zane.”
My expression must have looked momentarily quizzical or doubtful because her voice shifted, becoming harsh. “Why do you keep asking if you never seem to believe me?”
She crossed her arms, defiant, the move pushing her breasts up just enough to throw me off for a moment.
“I believe you,” I said, finally opening the game, taking a slow sip of wine, savoring the rich flavor, before continuing.
“That’s why we’re having this nice little conversation at this nice table instead of somewhere far less pleasant.
You’ll be here until I figure this out either way, but cooperation will reduce your debt. ”
“I can give you your freedom, Chloe,” I leaned forward, looking her deep in her eyes, making sure she believed every word. “I know that’s what you want, and it can be that simple.”
Her gaze softened slightly, curiosity and distrust battling in her expression.
“In the meantime, you won’t have to care about a thing while you are here. I’ll take care of you and keep you under my family’s protection.”
“What do you want me to do exactly?”
“Many things. But we’ll see how tomorrow goes.”
Chloe stared at me, her mind visibly racing. “What’s going to happen tomorrow?”
“You’ll see,” I taunted, knowing the anticipation would eat at her until then.
She rolled her eyes, muttering something under her breath before grabbing her fork again.
Every time she gave me attitude, I couldn’t help but feel a twisted sense of amusement.
This woman spats fire like no one else I’d ever met, and the effect it had on me was beyond any possible explanation.
It made me want to kiss her until she forgot how to speak, to ravish her body until she would give up all sense of control.
I was a sick bastard, but that was how much I wanted her. Hot. Naked. Mine.
“What exactly is it that you do, after all?” Chloe asked, shifting the conversation and pulling me from my wicked thoughts.
I took another slow sip of my wine. “I do a lot of things.”
“I know your family is well known for the casinos in Italy. I know you have businesses between both countries, and I know you accept money from old twats in strip clubs,” she added, attempting a joke for the first time.
“But what about that warehouse you took me to when you got shot? What’s the deal with the weapons?” Her tone shifted back to seriousness, the smile fading.
“Our main business.” I answered flatly. “Everything else is mainly a cover for it.”
Her eyes widened slightly. “You’re an arms dealer?”
“Not exactly the type you may think.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
I leaned back, letting the silence stretch. “I think that’s enough questions for today.”
Chloe glared at me, irritation flashing in her eyes. She wanted more—she always wanted more—but she was beginning to understand that pressing too hard would get her nowhere.
“Fine,” she sighed, took a sip of her wine, then pushed back her chair. “Maybe I should go back to my room then.”
She was trying to punish me for not giving her what she wanted.
I downed the rest of my wine in one gulp, then rose and stepped into her path, blocking her way.
I wasn’t sure if it was the softness in her voice all night or the delicate flush on her cheeks.
But before I could stop myself, my hand reached out and cupped her face. My thumb traced the curve of her full lips, and she shivered, letting her eyes flutter shut.
Replacing my thumb for my index and middle fingers, I began to slowly slide them from her bottom lip all the way down her neck, resting them in the delicate hollow between her breasts. My touch lingered there, the warmth of my hand searing a path of electricity against her skin.
When I stopped moving, her eyes opened lazily.
They locked onto mine, challenging and taunting, knowing exactly how much I wanted her.
She knew the type of man I could be, and yet she made no effort to hide her skin from me. It was as if she was daring me to lose control.
But whatever game she decided to play tonight, I wasn’t going to fall for it again. I couldn’t let her believe she could manipulate me. If I did, then all my plans would go out the window.
My hands clenched into fists, forcing myself to maintain control and without sparing her another glance, I turned around and walked straight to my bedroom.
When I shut the door behind me, irritation was boiling inside me.
Unbuttoning my shirt, I moved toward the king-size bed to drop it, ready for a cold shower to calm the fuck down. But before I could take another step, the door clicked shut behind me again.
I didn’t turn right away. Didn’t have to turn to know it was her.
When I finally faced her, she was standing in the middle of the room, her nervousness so palpable it was filling the air.
My mind raced with possibilities, my eyes already searching her hands for any weapon, all my senses on high alert. Was she here to try to kill me? Had she poisoned me and was waiting to watch me fall?
But before I could say anything, she reached behind her back, and the dress slid down her body, pooling on the floor at her feet.
I could suddenly see her perfectly in the darkness.
Her perky tits were completely exposed, the only thing covering her was a black thong.
I didn’t dare to blink. If this was a dream, then I didn’t want it to end.
“Is this what you want?” she asked.