Chapter 13
CHAPTER 13
LOGAN
E motion mixes with carnal hunger as I watch her storm from the office. I want to follow her, but once she’s opened the door, I know it’s a bad idea. I won’t be able to stop myself from kissing her again. My assistant, Clive, might have something to say about that.
A virgin… she’s full of surprises. She said it like it meant I wouldn’t want her. But she’s wrong. I still want her. I’ll never stop wanting her. My dick presses against my pants like it’s trying to erupt, relive last night, my mind blazing with the sway of her hips trapped in her tight-fitting pants.
I don’t care if she’s a virgin. In a different world, I’d be free to take it slow with her, to show her how badly I need her as I kiss every inch of her body, palm her slick wetness, and stare meaningfully into her eyes, waiting for her anxiety to melt and give way to the desire etched into every text we exchange.
My thoughts are interrupted by the buzz of the intercom. “Mr. Wolfe,” Clive says, “there’s a man at the front desk to see you. A Sal Mangano. He’s not on the schedule.”
I laugh darkly. That brazen motherfucker. Talk about a mood killer. He thinks he can just waltz into my office. He’s picked the wrong time; that’s for damn sure.
“Send him up,” I snap.
Maybe he thinks he can intimidate me, but that won’t happen. He’s probably used to white-collar men like me caving at the first sign of his little crew, but I’ve lived through too much darkness to let my business crumble.
A few minutes later, he walks into my office without knocking. Alone, and since this building has security, he’s unarmed. He’s got a shit-eating grin on his face as he swaggers to my desk.
“I’ve got to say, tough guy, that CEO life looks very appealing. Did you see what happened to The Clam?”
“I heard some two-bit criminals engaged in some petty vandalism last night,” I reply.
When Sal sits, I remain standing, staring down at him. He looks annoyed by that, like he’s debating standing to match my stance, but it’d make him look petty. Every interaction with him is a power game.
“That’s one way to put it,” he says, sighing. “Can we just be reasonable, Logan? I don’t want this to escalate. What I’m asking isn’t beyond the pale. You’re a large company. You wouldn’t even notice our involvement.”
“I don’t give a damn if you only wanted to invest one cent. Do It All will never be tied to the mob. I started this company so I can have a positive impact on the world.”
“Don’t get me started on how you built this company,” Sal says, smirking like he thinks he knows something I don’t.
“You can save that crap, too,” I snarl. “I’ve already worked out why you think you have a claim on my company.”
“Oh, you have, have you?”
“You think you’re so goddamn impressive. Elliot told me his grandmother had died and left him some cash. That was how he loaned me the startup money for Do It All. But here’s what happened, obviously, you bastard. You loaned him the cash because Elliot’s a good guy and wanted to help me like he always has.”
A tsunami of guilt almost crashes into me. It’s easy, when I’m separate from his sister, to focus on the guilt and not the romance and the lust. But when we’re together or texting, it’s like being drunk.
“At first, you were content with getting your loan repaid… with absurd interest, I guess. But now you’ve seen how successful we’ve become; you think you’re entitled to more than your cash. You’re fucking wrong.”
Sal leaps to his feet. “Well done. What a genius you are.” His voice is drenched in sarcasm. “Do you think I’m going to stop with The Clam? I’ll burn down your fucking offi?—”
He makes a squeaking noise when I shoot my hand across the desk, grab his shirt, and haul him over to my side. He gasps, staring at me with wide, shocked eyes when I lift him off his feet. All his brutal energy drains away.
“You’ve got no idea who I am,” I growl. “You’ve got no idea of the darkness I’ve seen. I don’t give a fuck who you are, Sal, who you’ve got backing you, or any of that. Man to man, you’re nothing.”
“You’re making a mistake,” he whimpers.
“You sound like a scared little boy. Like you’re in over your head.”
I toss him aside. He almost falls, then finds his footing, brushing himself down.
“You must be fucking insane,” he snaps.
“Or maybe I know you’d die before you told a soul about what just happened.” When he flinches, I know I’m right. “You don’t want your men to know what a coward you really are. Without backup, without weapons, you’re nothing. This ends here, Sal. This company is mine. You’re never going to be a part of it. Never .”
Sal walks around the desk, looking terrified but like he’s trying to hide it. My heart thunders in my chest, emotional whiplash making me feel dizzy from loving and lust-filled to flooded with violence.
“You’re starting a fight you can’t finish.”
“Trust me, I’ll finish it,” I grit out.
“Nobody will help you. The cops can’t do shit. We own the cops.”
“I don’t need the cops. I’ll take care of you myself. Get the fuck out of my office.”
“You’re making a mistake,” he hisses, turning away and leaving my office quickly, like the coward he is.
Once he’s gone, I drop into my chair, burying my head in my hands. The adrenaline slowly drains out of me, leaving me to wonder if he was right. I lost my temper. I can usually keep myself under control, but lately, my walls are crumbling down.
I don’t have to wonder why.
Taking out the prototype phone, I touch the location widget. A message appears, Contacting other user for permission. Yeah, that could use some work.
When I get another notification – permission granted – I see she’s in a restaurant near the office. A moment later, another notification appears: Other user is sharing a video.
She appears in a selfie, a smile on her gorgeous face. “Is everything okay?” she says.
I try to look calm and less panicked, urging my anger to dissipate.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” she says, her smile a little shaky.
“Should we get starters, Piper?”
Savage possessive instincts grip me when I hear the man’s voice. Is she on a fucking date ?
“I’m with Milo,” she murmurs a moment later. “We’re discussing copy.”
Her voice gets shaky. She must be able to see the jealousy forming my features.
“At a restaurant,” I say.
“Yeah…”
“Fair enough. I just wanted to make sure the video share worked.”
I end the call, trying to focus on what just happened in my office. But I can’t.
I need to see Piper.