15. Delilah
FIFTEEN
DELILAH
I’d set the bait for Dimitri.
Hopefully, he’d fall into my trap.
I had too many monsters after me. Time to take them out—starting with my ex. It was risky, but it was the only way to confront the bastard. And I wanted to rub Santino in his face.
I stood next to him in the dimly lit museum. I’d dressed to kill: a crimson vintage dress from my private collection, fuck-me pumps, my hair swept up, and jewelry Santino had gifted to me sparkled on my ears and wrists. He hadn’t let go of me since we entered the venue.
“You’re going to give every old man who looks at you a stroke. Always finding ways to make my life harder, aren’t you?”
The heat from his gaze warmed my skin. “Only because you make it so easy.”
“Don’t think I haven’t noticed how much you enjoy dressing up in things I buy for you.” His teasing voice dipped into something darker. “You love that I can’t take my eyes off you.”
Who wouldn’t love that?
I shrugged. “Yeah. It’s nice.”
His hand tightened around my waist, pulling me closer.
My pulse quickened. Teasing was fun, but it was harder to hide the truth when he looked at me like this.
“You act like I’m some kind of trophy.”
“You are.” His hand loosened, his thumb tracing a slow circle on my back. “And I like the way you challenge me.”
My heart stuttered. “Challenge you?”
“You don’t give me what I want. You make me work for it.”
I swallowed hard. “What can I say? I’m not an easy prize.”
“Yeah, I figured that out quick.”
“You’re reading too much into this. You give me what I need, and I give you what you want. That’s all it is.”
Santino’s grip tightened just enough for me to feel the heat of his frustration, but his voice was smooth as ever. “Look, I know you’re with me for the money. It doesn’t bother me. I’m not delusional about what this is, but I need more.”
My throat tightened. God, I wanted to say yes. That I felt everything he did, but I couldn’t. I’d been here before, trusting a man, thinking he’d be different. It always ended the same: disappointment.
“Santino, I’ve never been with anyone like I’ve been with you.” My voice wavered, but I kept going. “This is closer than I’ve ever been to a relationship, and I admire you. The way you take control and protect me. I’ve never had anyone like that in my life.”
His eyes flickered with something—hope?
A waiter approached us with a tray of drinks.
I took a glass of bubbling golden liquid. “Thank you.”
The waiter smiled. “Of course. Hit me up if there’s anything else I can do for you.”
Santino glared at him until he’d strolled away. “Everyone’s a bit too friendly tonight.”
I leaned into him. “Don’t be jealous.”
“How can I be when you’re wearing all my gifts?”
His hand sailed up to trace the necklace he’d given me on our third meeting. His lips brushed the juncture of my neck and shoulder, heat stirring in my uneasy heart. Each caress dragged me into a sea of feelings I wasn’t ready to drown in. My eyes fluttered as another kiss touched my cheek. Warmth melted over my body as he held me. His hold tightened as we stood amidst the soft clinks of glasses and the low hum of conversation.
“You’re distracted. Something you’re not telling me?”
I forced a smile. “Just enjoying the evening.”
“Delilah, I know when you’re off. Talk to me.”
“There’s nothing to say.”
He sighed. “Why are you hiding from me?”
“I’m not your possession, Santino. I don’t owe you every piece of my mind.”
He hooked a finger around the platinum chain on my neck. “Says the woman wearing everything I bought her.”
“Gifts won’t buy me. Only my obedience.”
“They should at least earn me honesty.”
I leaned back into his body. “Maybe I like keeping things mysterious.”
“Is that what we’re calling secrets?”
I turned within his embrace, facing him. “It keeps it exciting between us.”
He studied my face for a moment, his touch lingering as he traced the diamond drop earrings. “Not when it feels like you’re slipping through my fingers.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
He snorted. “You freaked out when I gave you keys.”
Could he tell how much he messed me up inside? When he used that possessive tone, a spark lit up all the crazy feelings I tried so hard to hide. How much longer could I pretend I only cared about money when every second with him pulled me deeper into something that terrified me?
I looked away. “I’m still escaping my ex. I’m not trading one master for another.”
“Master, huh? Does that make you my slave?”
I slapped his chest. “Stop it.”
“Hey, I’m just trying to understand the rules. Last I checked, slaves didn’t negotiate terms.”
“Don’t mock me. You control everything around you.”
“I control situations that require it.”
I huffed. “Now I’m a situation? Are you going to fix me?”
He tugged on my waist. “I’m here to protect you. I won’t apologize for keeping you close.”
“Santino, I’m not the type you can keep.”
Santino said nothing, staring at me with the calm determination I’d seen many times before his cock slammed inside me. His eyes sparkled like I’d given him a challenge.
“Prove it.”
I frowned. “What?”
“Prove that I can’t keep you.”
I laughed. “How am I supposed to do that?”
“Door’s right there. Leave.”
I lifted my head. “Maybe I will.”
Santino’s voice dropped. “Go on, then.”
“You think I won’t?”
He smiled. “I think you’re stalling.”
Smug prick .
He knew damned well I couldn’t leave. Not with my ex haunting my footsteps. I wanted to prove him wrong, but I couldn’t. Not yet.
“This doesn’t mean you’ve won,” I growled.
He rubbed my back, grinning.
A bell toned to signal the start of the charity auction. Santino hooked my waist and led me from the noise into a smaller area with catered food. He approached a group sitting at a table.
A small boy with dark, wavy hair slipped off his chair, and a petite woman in a spangled dress and loose, blonde curls dragged him back. The boy ripped free of her grip, crashing into Santino’s legs.
Santino helped him up, adjusting his little tie. “Where are you running off to, huh?”
The boy’s eyes widened.
Santino’s lip curled. “What, no hello for your favorite uncle?”
The boy looked at Santino like he was a god. “Hi.”
Santino crouched beside his nephew. “When are you going to visit me?”
The boy shrugged. “When will you buy me another present?”
The blonde woman nearby flushed a deep red. “Oh, Jack. You did not just say that.”
Santino chuckled. “My apologies, boss. Didn’t realize I was behind on your payment schedule. How about I bring you something nice next week?”
“A big present!” Jack burst.
Santino rumpled his hair. Then he dug into his pocket and fished out a wrapped piece of chocolate. “Here you go, kid.”
Jack tore into the candy and shoved it into his mouth. “Who is that?”
Santino claimed my waist again. “My girlfriend.”
I shot him a look, irritated, but I couldn’t say anything in front of the kid. Jack gawked at me, eating his chocolate.
“Your girlfriend ?”
Santino kissed my head. “Yup. Isn’t she beautiful?”
The boy nodded.
The blonde woman hovering nearby approached us, her expression a mix of curiosity and politeness. She gave me a warm, welcoming smile, though there was a slight edge to it. Turning to me with a smile, Santino straightened. “Delilah, meet my sister-in-law, Violet.”
Violet shook my hand. “So you’re the one keeping this man smilin’. It’s lovely to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too.”
Santino watched our exchange, his arm casually draped over my shoulder.
Violet’s eyes flicked to Santino. “So, looks like you found yourself someone to keep you in line, huh?”
Santino looked down at me, smirking. “I don’t know about that.”
Violet’s laugh was light, her tone tinged with sharpness. “I remember when Achille used to be all tough. Took him a while to admit he needed me. Seems like you’re still workin’ on that part.”
His jaw tightened. “Delilah’s got me rethinking a few of my rules.”
Violet’s eyes twinkled. “Delilah, you must be quite the charmer to have him all twisted up like this.”
I enjoyed the subtle tug-of-war between Violet’s playful jabs and Santino’s attempt to maintain control. Despite her bubbly demeanor, Violet wasn’t one to let Santino get too comfortable.
A flush crept up my neck. His fingers brushed my arm, stirring the turmoil inside me. Was I more to him, or was this another ploy to trap me? The affection, the closeness felt genuine, but how could it be real when every moment was paid for? The thought gnawed at me.
Kill approached our group, his posture relaxed yet imposing. Violet leaned into him with a sigh.
“Good to see you out of the ring. Sonny doesn’t bring around just anyone.”
“We’re not?—”
Santino squeezed my side. “We’ve been seeing each other for a while. I kept it on the down low. You know how Mom gets. As soon as I tell her I have a girlfriend, she’ll be planning the wedding.”
My face flushed.
What the hell was he doing?
Kill smirked. “You might as well give her what she wants, bro.”
The playful banter wrapped around me like chains. How could he introduce me as a girlfriend to his family? Every touch was accounted for in his ledger.
“If you two ever make it official, we have the best chapel in Tennessee.” Violet beamed, nudging Kill. “Ain’t that right, baby?”
He kissed Violet’s forehead.
A pang struck me. I excused myself, murmuring about needing a moment. Santino’s hand lingered on my back, his touch burning through the fabric of my dress. The way he touched me, how he included me in his family—it felt too real.
I headed toward the restrooms. The less crowded space was a relief, but it did little to calm me. Santino kept pushing my boundaries. He came inside me like getting me pregnant was his job. Then he’d given me keys .
Now this ?
I’d come so far from the scared girl Dimitri had controlled, but Santino was making me question everything. Why was it so hard to keep my guard up around him? Nothing between us was real. Was it?
My hands gripped the edge of the sink, the cool porcelain grounding me. I could hear the faint murmur of the gala outside—laughter and music that felt worlds away.
I left the bathroom and escaped to the bar, ordering a double shot of vodka on the rocks. I drained it, and my pulse steadied. I could not let Santino into my head. This was a man whose brother killed people for a living. A man from the same world I’d run from. A world that forced women to marry monsters and bear their children.
Never again.
Santino was just a means to an end—Dimitri’s end.
I set the glass down as the crowd parted slightly at the venue’s entrance, framing a man in a suit with an unruly wave of black hair who just walked in. A cold knot formed in my stomach.
Dimitri .