Chapter 16 #2
I kept my gun trained on him as I brushed my free hand briefly along Gwen’s waist when I moved past. I rounded on my brother, lowering the weapon just long enough to bring it down hard against his jaw.
His head snapped to the side, blood and shattered teeth spraying from his mouth as his upper half crumpled onto the table from the blow.
I leaned down close to him and snarled, “You’re not to talk, touch, or look at Gwendolyn and her family. If I find out you’ve gone near them, nothing will stop me from bringing hell down upon you.” I spat the next word, venom dripping from every syllable. “Brother.”
I straightened as I lowered the gun and pulled the trigger.
The shot detonated through the room, a brutal crack that punched the air and set my ears shrieking.
The bullet tore through his hand with a wet snap—bone splintering, flesh exploding outward in a spray of blood and fragments.
His scream ripped free, savage and unfiltered, before he choked it back, jaw clamping down hard as he cradled his hand.
Blood poured between his fingers and dripped onto the table and floor.
“Never touch any of them again,” I warned as I repositioned my gun in my waistband.
His vile action toward Amelia had me more than concerned.
It made me sick. What else did Benjamin do in his spare time?
I needed a more thorough report on him. “Vincent, drop him back at his house. His wife can call the doctor.”
“Right. Get up.” Vincent dragged him up by his shirt.
“Fuck, hang on!” Benjamin cried out, clutching his hand to his chest.
“Stop being a pussy,” Vincent barked, shoving our brother out of the room.
Once they were gone, I turned to Gwen. She still stood with her bowl in hand, ready to use it as a weapon. God, she was adorable.
“Baby.”
She jolted. “Malice.”
“You can put the bowl down now.”
Gwen glanced at her hands and relaxed a little.
“Oh, yeah, right.” Forcing a chuckle, she placed it down on the table and straightened out her clothes, but I saw how shaky her hands were from the anger that continued to linger and how fast her chest rose and fell.
She cleared her throat. “Well, that was an eventful dinner.”
I closed the distance between us and cupped her cheeks. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah. But, sorry, Malice, your brother is a sick dick.” She glowered and then waved a hand around.
“I don’t usually see all the blood and gore in person.
It’s good to know I can deal with it, especially since you acted on my sister’s behalf.
Thank you, by the way. I was worried for a split second that I was going to have to waste the food.
But… you just went ahead and shot your brother. ”
“It wasn’t the first time,” I told her.
She snorted and rolled her eyes. “If he’s like that all the time, I can understand why.”
I knew she had resilience—her line of work and the things I’d asked her to uncover had proven that. But this? This showed how strong she really was.
To stand up to my brother and me in front of everyone—something I allowed, as it turned me on—meant she could easily stay by my side in a more permanent way.
She was utterly perfect.
And I needed to show her just how perfect I thought she was.
Threading my fingers into the back of her hair, I wrapped the other around her waist and pulled her flush against me, letting her feel exactly what she did to me.
“Malice?”
“Doll?”
“What are you doing? This isn’t very boss like.”
“No, it’s not,” I said with a smirk. I leaned down and captured her mouth in a demanding, needy kiss. The second our lips touched, she moaned softly, and I swallowed the sound. She fisted my shirt—holding on, yet faintly resisting.
Our tongues tangled together in a slow, deliberate dance. If we had more time, I would’ve lifted her onto the table and fucked her senseless. Every glance at that piece of furniture would’ve been a reminder of her sweet little pussy.
Reluctantly, I pulled away, catching my doll’s small whimper. I kissed the corner of her mouth, then along her neck before straightening.
Her cheeks already glowed red. I dragged my thumb over one and grinned down at her.
She cleared her throat and nodded, stepping back. “Yes, well… okay. That was definitely not something a boss should do.”
“Don’t think I won’t do it again.”
Her gaze flared, and she swallowed thickly. “Oh, ah….” It was then that it seemed she thought she should be annoyed by this, and she glared up at me. “I might not give you permission.”
Might not. Cute.
But I had to get her to see that this would happen again—as would so much more.
With a hand on the back of her neck, I dragged her close once again and said in a low, dark tone, “That won’t be both our first and last kiss, Gwendolyn.
There’ll be more, and soon I’ll be fucking you sweet and slow or hard and fast. You’ll just have to let me know how you want it.
I won’t deny this connection between us any longer. ”
Her breaths came short and sharp as her eyes widened and cheeks warmed.
She opened her mouth, closed it, and then poked me in the chest. “You pay me for my work, but that doesn’t include me sleeping with you. I don’t just sleep with anyone willy-nilly.”
“And what? You were going to meet that man in Vegas to play poker?”
“I probably would’ve chickened out in the end, anyway, because one-night stands really aren’t my thing. I’m more of a woman who wants someone long-term.” Her brows arched. “Do those words scare you, Malice?” she said, then whispered, “Long-term?”
I clenched my jaw and bit out, “No.”
I caught the flash of surprise before she went on.
“You’re my boss. You live next door. I won’t bring anyone into that house or bed who isn’t looking for a long-term spot at fucking me stupid and putting up with all that I am.
But more so, I have a family. Kids that I see as my own and not just my siblings, and I need someone completely serious about all of us before I take any of my clothes off. ”
Straightening, I dropped my arms and nodded. “I understand.” I shifted to the side and waved toward the doorway. “I’ll get you back to your family.”
There was a splash of pain on her features before she thinned her lips and started forward.
She thought this was me giving up. She was wrong.
She’d find out soon enough.