Chapter 10
“W hat are we even doing with her? I don’t get why I can’t just kill her now.”
Renato stops pouring his vodka and backhands me before I’m able to dodge him. “Don’t question me.” He turns to finish his pour before taking a seat behind his desk. “All you need to do is make her trust you. You will gain her trust so that she stays here until it’s time. We’ll let her think everything is sweet, then rip the rug out from under her. She will break and bend to us.” That ominous glint he gets when he describes his attack or torture plans is prominent, but he doesn’t elaborate further.
During my encounter with Amaris this morning, I truly didn’t know how to answer her question, not even with a lie. Not that I planned on talking to her—I assumed she would be asleep still when I went over there.
Renato has something planned; it’s written all over his face. The fact that I’m being kept in the dark doesn’t sit right with me. Pushing him more won’t get me anywhere, I learned that early on.
“So I’m supposed to play nice with that brat now?”
“I have everything under control, Kylo. One way or another, we will have our revenge and you will watch her suffer far worse than what they did to your mother.”
I hate it when he talks about Mama. He knows exactly what to say to hit a nerve every time.
“Never forget that because of her and her family, you have no mother. They left her there. You remember that morning, the dried blood surrounding her lifeless body.”
Just like that, the scene plays out before me and I’m a helpless, lonely, fourteen-year-old boy again. The anger fills me anew, darker than it did that morning. I leave the room without another word, attempting to walk off some of this energy.
On my way out, one of the handmaids was in the process of dusting the living room that had never been used before. Before I talk myself out of it, I’m walking into the living room.
“Myra, make sure to send an extra dinner plate to the guesthouse today.” She knows there’s someone staying there and nods in acknowledgment. I’m sure she’s dying to get a look at our unexpected guest. Turning to leave, I grumble over my shoulder, “And if you have any spare clothes the girl can borrow, take that over, too.”
Ace isn’t in his usual spot when I approach my house, so I slow my steps and scan the woods for him. He knows these woods better than anyone else here, I know a few of his hiding spots. The tallest tree in sight is his favorite. I narrow my eyes at the tree just in time to see Ace pop out from behind it.
Only, he isn’t alone. Am I seeing things?
Ace has never reacted calmly around females. With men, his hackles are always raised, with the exception of myself and Luci. But the few encounters he has had with women have resulted in at least one minor injury.
Is this girl a witch?
“What did you do to Ace?”
She has the nerve to look offended. “I didn’t do anything, he was keeping me company. He might be the only one around here who isn’t a surly asshole.”
Everything about today, down to this very moment, has my head spinning. I don’t know what to do with Amaris, but I don’t like the feeling I get when I’m around her. A feeling that I can’t name, but takes my breath away all the same. The few yards separating our houses isn’t enough, I need to get away from her. Tomorrow I’ll start gaining her trust. Tonight, I’ll go out with Dario and Luci.
Turning my full attention on Ace, I speak harsher than I intend to. “You’re staying inside while I’m out.” Walking away expecting just Ace to follow, her words follow us, too.
“Where are you going?”
“Somewhere you’re not,” I call from the doorway.
The only bright side I can find to this weird situation is that I have unlimited access to do my favorite thing; piss off Amaris. She won’t go a day without her ears turning that dark shade of red I love to see. Shooting out texts to both of the guys, I don’t wait for their response before I start getting changed, talking to Ace—or myself, at this point—as I go.
“You should have ripped her finger off.”
“Did she cast some sort of spell on you?”
“Whatever she did, don’t get used to it or too comfortable with her. She’ll be gone and dealt with before you know it.”
When I look up, Ace deadpans. “Hey, all I’m saying is nothing good can come from getting close to her.”
Now I really don’t know if I’m talking to him or to myself.
Unsurprisingly, I’m not the first one to show up at the club. Dario is already halfway through his drink and a conversation when I arrive. One of the strippers is sitting on the bar top with him on the stool right between her legs.
Lacy’s is the only strip club any of us come to. It’s a large building, hidden and dark enough inside to not be easily noticed. The spotlights are always on the performers while the rest of the room is bathed in red and purple LED lights and signs.
Right as I take a seat next to Dario, Luci walks in with his signature two-piece suit with not a hair out of place. He has always had a weird obsession with order, a perfectionist through and through. Weaving his way through the tables, he orders the usual rum on the rocks before joining us.
Dario raises his glass in the air. “Look what the cat dragged in.” The rest of his drink is gone after that and he whispers something in the dancer's ear before she leaves, returning shortly after to top off his drink.
We naturally bring the conversation into expectations for our next shipment deal, but I’m not really listening to them. Dario notices first and diverts the conversation.
“Alright, we’re in a club surrounded by ass and titties talking about work, no more of that. Speaking of, I heard you moved a bimbo onto the compound.”
“I didn’t move anyone in and your face was between a real bimbo’s thighs just now.”
The side of his lip tips up along with one brow. “It was and I’d do it again. I have nothing against them, are you deflecting?”
Amusement dances in Luci’s eyes as he chimes in, “Yeah, how is that going?”
Just the topic I wanted to avoid tonight.
“It’s fine,” I remark, shooting back the rest of my drink and motioning to the bartender. “I’m just ready to get rid of her.”
“Don’t tell me she’s wearing you down already,” Dario chides.
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
Swirling the amber liquid in my glass, my treacherous mind connects it to that she-devil. Her fucking foxlike eyes pop into my head and it only serves to raise my irritation.
Luci stays quiet, watching us go back and forth with barely more than a lip twitch until the dancer from earlier saunters up to the three of us. Still, he remains impassive while she speaks. He isn’t the type to show too much emotion.
We follow the girl to a more secluded area where she has a stage to dance on and we can watch from the couches. It doesn’t take long for her to gesture Dario towards one of the private rooms. He’s gone in a matter of seconds.
Luci is staring at the side of my head, but I won’t turn to look at him. Oddly enough, he is the only person who has ever been able to read me just by looking at me, sometimes.
Most of the time.
It’s annoying.
Instead, I focus on the new girl taking the stage. Not once do I take my eyes off hers, if only to get Luci’s eyes off me. Knowing he won’t give in, I turn to him, deadpan. “What?”
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this stressed.”
“I’m not stressed, just confused and annoyed because I don’t even know what the plan is,” I state, matter-of-factly.
“Renato is unpredictable. At the end of the day, you have to trust yourself, too. You are the only person who can’t fuck you over, Ky. Not entirely, at least.”
A pretty blonde with crystal blue eyes strolls right up to Luciano as he finishes his sentence and places her hand on his forearm. He tenses slightly and looks down at the girl's arm before fixing her with a cold glare. He says nothing, just shakes his head from side to side, spooking the girl off with the intensity of his gaze. I know there’s a story there, but I won’t pry. He only drops bits and pieces when he’s comfortable enough to.
As if we weren’t interrupted, he turns with his usual mask back in place, prompting me to continue the conversation. Taking a swig of my drink and blowing out a breath, I push through, feeling my tongue get a bit looser thanks to the drinks.
“I can’t stand to be around her, now I have to accommodate her?” It’s not a question, but it sounds like one. Running my fingers through my hair, I continue. “She has no clothes. So, what? I take her shopping now? Where do I even take her? Not the places I shop, that’s for sure.”
He studies my face before nodding to himself. “For starters, you can take her to the big mall near the center of the city and let her do the rest of the work. I’m sure she’s perfectly capable of picking out whatever she needs without you.”
All I can do is glare at him. It sounds so simple when he says it.
I didn’t notice that the dancer hopped off the stage until she was kneeling right between my spread legs, gazing up at me with big, honey-brown eyes full of lust and a hint of annoyance. She didn’t like being ignored.
My eyes rove over her pin-straight, black hair and heavy eye makeup, down to her full, red-tinted lips that matched the color of the lace set she is wearing. Something about her mahogany eyes pull me in and I smirk at her.
Turning to Luci, he beats me to the punch. “I’ll leave you to it.” With a final shot, he stands and straightens his jacket, leaving me with the little temptress.
“Someone’s eager, aren’t we?” I say to her in a low, taunting voice.
Her eyes light up. “Yes, sir. I just want a taste.”
“Remove my belt.” I tilt my head down to motion.
Immediately, she complies, tugging my belt loose and pulling my zipper down. I reach down to pull my gun out of the way, eliciting a low gasp below me. Her eyes dart to mine, full of fear before she washes it away. When she manages to free me from my suffocating jeans, her gasp is much more audible.
Cocking an eyebrow, I challenge, “Is there a problem?”
“No, not at all. I just wasn’t expecting the piercings, but it’s kinda hot.” She bites on her lower lip.
Two years ago, Dario and I spent a weekend in Vegas. As we were drunkenly walking to our hotel in the middle of the night, we saw a tattoo parlor that was still open. There were three workers inside, otherwise it was vacant, so we sat for tattoos and they gave us more shots. We all talked nonsense for what felt like hours. Rarely do we get these moments of freedom and anonymity, it was nice.
Before I knew it, Dario and I were both going into a piercing room and I chose the magic cross piercing. I have no idea what Dario ended up getting, but the next morning I felt it there before I could remember anything that happened the night before.
Not that I regret it. I’ve never had a problem reaching that sweet spot inside a woman, but with the piercing, it heightens both their pleasure and mine. The sweet sounds they make when they cry out for me are a bonus in itself.
With one hand on my gun to the side and the other with her hair wrapped around my fist, I guide her mouth up and down my shaft. I thrust all the way in and she moans, sending the vibrations up my core.
“That’s it, you can take more.”
I groan loudly and speed up my thrusts, not breaking eye contact with her watery brown eyes. She bobs her head faster, meeting my increasing pace and I feel my release coiling up tightly at the base of my spine. Sensing my impending climax, she licks and sucks me harder, throwing me over the edge.
And there’s only one face I see when I explode.
“Fuck, Amaris,” I moan.
As soon as I come down from the short high, the realization of what I said drops on me like a bucket of ice.
Her name left my lips.
I stand abruptly, nearly knocking the girl over. Can I have anything to myself without her ruining it? She doesn’t even have to be around me and she still messes with my head.
“Sorry, I can’t do this.” I tuck my dick and gun back inside my pants in record time. Pulling out my wallet, I take out a roll of bills and hand it to her, leaving her standing there fuming.
Luci is right, I’m too stressed for my own good. Now, Amaris is taking over my every thought, but I won’t let her.