Chapter 13
Dean
That was hands down the hottest shit I’ve ever witnessed. Sophia moves against me, burying her head into my shoulder.
“Hey, don’t get shy.” I rub my hand up and down her back.
“I’m not shy.” She smiles a little. “Are you ready to go home?”
“I am.”
I know this is all new to Sophia. Hell, it’s all new to me. Contrary to popular belief, I’ve never visited a club like this in my life. I didn’t get as turned on as Sophia did watching the other couples. No, what turned me on was Sophia’s reaction to it all. The way her breath hitched when the woman moved over the man on the bed. The way her body tightened when they started fucking.
The way her eyes widened when she pushed my hand further up her dress. She was right when she said we were moving too slow. I just didn’t want to do anything to make her uncomfortable. But I shouldn’t think that way because she’s my wife. We’re in this con together.
We leave the club, unable to find Humphrey to say goodnight to him. I’m sure he’s busy in the hot tub. When we make it back to my place, Sophia rushes off to the guest room and slams the door.
I don’t bother her for the rest of the night. Instead, I sit in my chair in my office, thinking. Remembering how she felt against my fingers. How tight she was. How each moan she made intensified my need for her in a whole new way.
I can’t let my mind go there, though. This is not part of the mission. This is not what we agreed on. Relationships, whether or not just sexual, complicate things. And right now, I need a non-complicated life if I’m going to find Bishop Blackstone.
I pick up my phone, putting out a call to another friend of mine, Gabriel Prince.
“Gabe, how’s the family?” I ask him.
“Long time, buddy. The family is great. We’ve heard Bishop’s resurfaced so we’re lying low.”
Can’t blame him for being cautious. Gabriel Prince and his wife, Clementine, care for their son, Tennyson, who is actually the son of Bishop Blackstone and Clementine’s sister, Savannah. Once Bishop takes over the four families, I’m sure his next move will be to get his son back.
“Any ideas on where he is? Is Ronin out looking for him?”
Ronin is Gabriel’s brother, who also has a past with Savannah. From the way things looked at Clementine and Gabriel’s wedding, I’d say Ronin and Savannah are totally into each other.
“Ronin’s actually taken Savannah out of town, to a safe house. I’ve heard he’s in London.”
“That’s probably a good idea. Ever heard of Eddie Gallo?”
Gabriel takes a moment before answering. “Black market trader? Yes, I know a few people who deal with him.”
“Do you know if he has any connection to Bishop?”
“Hmm, I’m not sure, but I can find out.”
“Do that. I’ll call you back later this week.”
“You’re not in too deep, are you?”
I lean back in my chair with a laugh. “When am I not in too deep?”
“This is true.” Gabriel laughs. “Be safe. Talk soon, brother.”
We hang up and I didn’t bother to tell Gabriel that the only thing I’m in too deep with is my feelings for Sophia. I wouldn’t really classify them as feelings per se, more like a hunger. A want. An epic urge to keep touching her again and again.
The urge to possess her. Completely.
And so much more than that.
She’s unlike any woman I’ve ever met before in my life. She’s got a fire running through her veins and she’s not afraid to speak her mind.
However, last week when we were watching a sad movie on Netflix, I saw her shed a tear or two. So, she’s not all tough and bravado, there’s a heart packed away in that insanely perfect body.
I imagine her body again, just for a minute before I decide to never think about it again. The way she sat on my lap that first night at the club. How she sat next to me, legs spread, tonight at the club.
I can’t get enough of this woman, and I’m wondering how many more times we’ll have to endure going to this club together.
I should have taken Humphrey up on the hot tub offer tonight, but I didn’t want him to suspect me of being after information. I want that trust.
This is a game, and it needs to be played with charisma and care. Play a little hard to get so it doesn’t look like all I’m trying to do is get close to him. I can’t just hang on his every word and follow him around like a lost puppy. He’ll treat me like a man who doesn’t get to be privy to private conversations.
No, I need to show him I’m at that club for the sexual arousal, nothing more. Only then will Humphrey Hollingsworth trust us.
The next morning, Sophia’s still giving me the silent treatment. Through breakfast, I pretend I don’t even notice. During lunch, I act like it doesn’t phase me. But by the time dinner rolls around, I’m furious.
“What’s going on, Sophia?”
We’re sitting together, eating steak with mashed potatoes and green beans we ordered from a steakhouse in the city. She’s not said a single word to me all day. Won’t even look me in the eye and I have to wonder if she’s feeling awkward about what happened last night.
“Sophia,” I say again. “Will you look at me?”
Her eyes flutter up and connect with mine. “What?” she asks with an attitude.
It’s sexy, but not sexy enough to make me stop my line of questioning.
“Why are you mad at me?”
She points her steak knife at me. “You said we’d find Bishop. You said we’d kill him. But we’re not doing anything except going to sex clubs. This isn’t what I signed up for.”
I place my cutlery down and wipe the corners of my mouth with my linen cloth. “Sophia, put the knife down.” I know she can handle herself with a knife. I’ve seen it firsthand.
She drops the knife, like she didn’t mean to point it in my direction. “Sorry. Last night was…” her words falter.
“Listen, I know you’re not used to this lifestyle. I know this is all different for you. But these things take time. Bishop’s hidden under a very heavy rock and it takes time to lift it.”
“I just thought we’d be further along by now.”
“I know. Things are not moving as quickly as you’d hoped, but I figure next time we’re at the club we take Humphrey up on his offer to join him.”
“Why didn’t we do that last night?”
“I didn’t want to be too easy. I want the man to trust us.”
“I’m just worried we’re veering off course from our original plan. We know who Bishop is after, why don’t we head to those places?”
I pick up my knife and fork and spear into my medium-rare steak. “Do you honestly believe Bishop is kidnapping the daughters himself? No, he has his men doing the dirty work.”
She drops her eyes to her plate. “Oh, I know all about Bishop’s dirty work.”
“Listen, I know you’re getting discouraged, but we need to stay the course.”
“Fine. when’s the next party?” She stiffens her posture and wiggles in her seat as she raises her chin.
“Sophia, we’re not going to work well together if we’re fighting.”
She laughs. “Oh, you think this is a fight?” She laughs again. “Believe me, mio caro, when we fight you’ll feel it.” She does this little eye roll thing that makes me want to kiss the sarcasm in her voice away.
“Sophia, stop.” I slam my knife and fork down on the table. “Just stop.”
She sits there, steaming, fuming, I can just tell by the look in her eyes. They’re narrowed and focused right on me. “What?”
“Are you upset about what happened last night?”
She stands from the table, rushing out the sliding glass door to the patio.
I follow her, stepping onto the patio. She clenches the rail, looking at the city lights. There’s a slight chill in the air, so I head back inside to the living room, grabbing the throw blanket off the couch.
I go back outside, putting the fleece across her shoulders. “Sophia, what happened last night is perfectly fine. You’re single. I’m single.”
She spins around to face me. “I never thought I’d be into something like that. I almost feel dirty. Am I dirty for being into that sort of lifestyle?”
I place my hands on her shoulders, bending down a bit to stare right into her eyes. “No. Of course not. Sophia, there’s nothing wrong with being turned on by that sort of thing.”
She shrugs a little. “Well, you weren’t turned on by it.”
“What?” I drop my hands and straighten my stance. “Are you kidding?”
“Well, you weren’t.”
I place my hands back on her shoulders, leaning down a little. “I was more turned on than I’d ever been before. Watching you watch them was the biggest turn on. Watching you get turned on, that’s what did it for me, Sophia.”
“Really?”
“Are you kidding? I came home and jerked off so hard in the shower last night just thinking about it.”
“Really?”
I blush a little, running a hand along the back of my neck. “Yeah, maybe.”
She nudges me with her shoulder with a smile. “It’s ok. I just thought since you weren’t watching you weren’t into that sort of thing.”
“I was watching. I was watching you.”
“I just want to make sure we’re on the same page. I need to find Bishop. I need to see him dead.”
“Why?” I push my hands into the pockets of my pants. “What did he do to you?”
She turns to face the skyline. “Nothing.”
“You don’t need to push me away, Sophia. You can let me in.”
“You want to know what men like Bishop Blackstone do to poor little girls living in the slums of Naples?”
My blood boils when I think about the monster Bishop is. “What did he do?”
She spins to face me, pulling the blanket tighter over her shoulders. Tears threaten to spill from her eyes. “Bad things.”
“Please, Sophia.”
“He had one of his men take me from my home. Smuggle me into America as a sex slave.” She breathes heavily as a single tear trickles down her cheek. “I escaped, but there’s so many other women still out there.”
“I’m so sorry.”
Her eyes narrow. “I want that man to pay for taking me away from my home.”
“Sophia, I appreciate you wanting to help me, but I can’t let you be there when I go after Bishop.”
“What?”
“It wouldn’t be safe for you.”
“Safe?” she scoffs, throwing the blanket from her shoulders and parking her hands on both hips. “What do you know about safe?”
“I know I can’t keep you safe if you’re exposed to him. You know firsthand what kind of guy he is.”
She pushes me with one hand. “You can’t take this away from me. I’ve been searching for this man for a long time.”
“I understand that. But there’s absolutely no way I will allow you to come with me.”
“I know you’re trying to protect me, but you need to understand you can’t keep me from going.”
Fire is blazing from her beautiful brown eyes.
“Yes, I can. I won’t allow it.”
“Allow?” she asks with all the attitude in the world. “Allow,” she says again. “You can’t keep me here as a prisoner.”
“Sophia, I know what’s best for you.”
She steps back. “You don’t know anything, Mr. Maddox.”
I laugh, crossing my arms over my chest. “Oh, you think you know me? Listen, you’re not coming and that’s final.”
“You aren’t the boss of me. We have a deal. And you can’t tell me what to do.”
I can see this conversation spinning out of control. “Sophia, you’re not going and that is final. We need to redraft our plan, to change the deal. The circumstances have changed.”
Sophia smiles for a moment. “Ok, I understand. You just want to protect me, and I thank you for that.” She raises up on the tips of her toes and kisses my cheek and heads back into the warmth of the house.
What the hell just happened? Did I really win that fight so easily?