Chapter 28
twenty-eight
DARE
Patience has never been my strong suit, but seeing Rose slowly begin to question Joseph is worth the time it’s taken to ease her into the truth. I’ve spent more time with my wife in the last few months than I have with anyone else since my parents died.
I’m so used to being isolated that I didn’t realize how good it would feel to have someone around. Even if she is insufferable and sassy. Even if she’s killing me with the clothes she wears. The way she purses her lips when she’s annoyed with me. The way she scowls at me. I’d take it all over being alone again.
There’s no doubt that Rose is quickly becoming my favorite obsession. I think about her in meetings, when she walks away, when I should be sleeping. Work was never fun before, but with her here, she makes my mornings brighter.
I have no idea if she feels the same way. It’s not enough to be inside her head. I want to be inside of her. I want her to breathe in and taste me on her tongue. I want her heart to beat faster and know it’s me who’s holding it. Fuck. I simply want.
Rose side-eyes me in the back seat of the car. “You’re thinking too loud.”
I cut my gaze in her direction and purposefully let my attention stray to those plush lips. “What am I thinking?”
Her mouth parts, forming an O shape I want to thrust my cock through, and her throat bobs. “Probably world domination or something of the sort. That’s what villains do, right?”
Closing the distance between us, I wrap my fingers around her pretty throat and capture the lobe of her ear between my teeth. When I gently nip it, she sucks in a sharp breath. “Is that what I am? Your villain?”
“Maybe,” she murmurs, biting her lip.
I stroke her neck, bury my other hand in her hair, and slam my mouth against hers, stealing the throaty moan that slithers out of her. Our tongues tangle, but finally, she’s not fighting to control the kiss; she’s following my lead. She’s giving me a little more every day.
There’s something terrible inside of me that demands it all now.
But I won’t take what’s not willingly offered. She may let me kiss her, but Rose isn’t ready to let me fuck her again.
Soon, though. I’m close to having my wife all to myself.
Despite having ordered her an outfit, Rose takes the afternoon off to go shopping. I force Remy to go with her. He doesn’t like it, but I don’t pay him to do what he likes. I’m in the middle of reviewing some paperwork at home when I get an email from Joseph .
My mood immediately sours.
What the fuck does he want?
Sighing, I open the message. With every word read, anger kindles in my gut.
As the second majority shareholder of Vista Holdings, I’d like to get a briefing on the company. Work with my assistant to schedule a meeting.
I clench my jaw and scowl at the screen. This motherfucker thinks he can tell me what to do? He wants a meeting? I’ll give him a fucking meeting.
Storming out of my office, I slam the door behind me. Remy’s replacement appears seconds before I get into the car I’d already called to take me to Vista.
“Sir—”
“Shut up and get in,” I growl.
The guard nods and slips into the front with the driver. I inform them of the change of plans, then sit back, clenching my fists and jaw. It takes too long to reach Joseph’s building, and by the time we arrive, the scowl on my face hurts. The bodyguard opens the door and scans the area. I put my gun on the seat, so the building’s security doesn’t confiscate it.
The new bodyguard looks at me. “I was told to stop you if you came here.”
I glare at the guard. “Go ahead.”
Face scrunching, he eyes the rigid set of my shoulders and jaw, catches the hard edge of anger on my face. “Remy’ll kill me.”
“It’s me or him. Decide now.”
“Fuck.” The guard blows out a breath. “Fine, but if there’s even a hint of danger...” He trails off because I’m not some debutante he can carry off. “Fuck,” he mutters again .
“Good, pup.” I storm away from the kid, not at all surprised when he easily falls in behind me. He’s young, a little too fresh, but I sent Remy off at the last minute. The kid gets caught at security when the scanner alerts them to his gun.
I don’t wait for him.
“Sir!”
Grinding my jaw, I ignore the fool and head over to the executive elevator. Irene, the woman Rose is so fond of, gives me a cool once-over.
“You look mad.”
“I am.”
Her gaze flits around before she eyes the elevator. “I could get fired if I let you up.”
Reaching into the inside pocket of my suit, I grab a card and step closer, blocking the camera from seeing what I hand her. “You’re hired.”
Irene quickly hides it away and steps back. She frantically glances around to see who’s watching, but everyone is too busy paying attention to security and Remy’s guy. The kid brought so many weapons. Amateur mistake.
“Where’s Rose?” she whispers. Her eyes jump to the cameras and she blanches. Why is she so afraid of being watched?
“Safe,” I assure her.
Irene widens her eyes. “Rose used to draw pictures for me, and ever since, I’ve loved her. Don’t make me regret this.”
It’s not only the elevator ride she’s referring to. Irene is trusting me to take care of Rose. I have no doubt Irene knows what a piece of shit Joseph is.
“I won’t. ”
Irene pushes the button to open the elevator doors. “Have a good day, Mr. Richardson.”
I pause beside her. “Call me Dare.”
She nods and looks away. “All right, Dare. I’ll be calling you for a job.”
“You’re already hired,” I remind her. With that, I stride into the elevator and take a deep breath, preparing to meet Joseph head-on.
He’s in the middle of a meeting when I barge in. The man across from him recoils when he sees me. I vaguely recognize him as one of the Joseph Miller groupies, but no name comes to mind.
“What are you doing?” Joseph growls.
“Get out,” I tell the man, walking toward him.
The guy snatches his briefcase and scurries around me, tucking tail and running. I chuckle as he escapes, then glance at Joseph, pointing my thumb over my shoulder and shaking my head.
“This guy,” I tell him, like we’re old pals.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Joseph turns redder by the second.
I lift a shoulder. “You said you wanted a meeting.”
“This is unprof?—”
“Shut up, old man.” I shake my head. “You really want to play with me like this?”
He bristles. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I think you do. But trying to take my company from me is a mistake.” Pushing my hands into my pockets, I meander over to the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the city. There are only a few buildings taller than this one in the financial district, but none of them are as nice as the one Joseph built.
“So, this is what it’s like to be king,” I muse.
“I’m calling security,” he snarls.
“Go ahead.” I turn around. “I merely wanted to see what you looked like in your office one last time.”
His hand hovers over the phone. “Are you threatening me?”
“Oh, no, Joe. You’re the one who likes to kill people, right?”
The indignity drains from his face and is quickly replaced by a cold, calculating look. The change is so quick, so much like what Rose does, it throws me for a second.
“How’s Rosalynn?” he asks. “Are you enjoying fucking her?”
Does he hear himself? That’s his daughter, the sick fuck, but I don’t let him see how much his words bother me. After I nearly ripped his cock off, he may already suspect that I have feelings for her. Pretending not to care is the best way to keep Rose safe.
“She sucks my dick well enough,” I tell him, voice hard as stone. “But you and I both know she’s just a means to an end.”
“Is that so?”
Not at all, but he needs to believe the lie. “She’s disposable, like you.”
He scoffs. “And is this you threatening me?”
“You’ll know when I’m threatening you. For now, I’m having too much fun fucking your pretty little flower.” I smirk, even though I hate myself a little on the inside. “And I can’t wait to pluck her petals one by one until she’s as useless as your dead wife. ”
Joseph shakes his head. “She would have made Eric Vanderbelt a happy man.”
And probably made Joseph millions in the process. That marriage was fucked up to begin with, and a tremor of anger rattles up my spine as the reminder of what Eric almost did flits through my mind. I hold myself in place, refusing to give Joseph anything to use against me.
“Too bad he fell overboard. Tragic, really.”
Joseph doesn’t react.
The lie Frank and Remy planted seems to be holding up. Another rich bachelor wandering off to fuck and frolic. There’s plenty of drinking and drugs on yachts, and given the currents of the ocean, it would be hard to find his body with how late his date, who also happens to be one of Remy’s employees, reported him missing.
I look at him one more time, noting the wrinkles and the dark circles under his eyes. Joseph looks tired. “So, you are human after all,” I murmur, more to myself than him, and leave.
All men die.