Chapter 6 #2
With my introduction to the territories came the reason extra security was necessary, the reason Riley had run back to Treemont months before and why they had moved the wedding up.
The Bad Omen. A family worse than any other.
One who infiltrated other families and took them down until they owned the entire province of Seagate.
And their leader was a man who showed no mercy.
Drugs, human trafficking, extortion, the list went on.
I knew Greyson and my uncle weren’t clean, that Riley’s brother wasn’t clean.
I understood enough to know criminal activities funded their lives, but somehow this man’s rap sheet made their doings look like charity work.
It was the human trafficking that struck me the hardest and from Greyson’s clenched hands that night, it was one of his deal breakers.
Riley had explained to me that he and her brother had a no harm to women or children policy. A line they would never cross.
The man now carrying me through his mansion had no such line.
He dropped me into a chair, and I scrambled to get away. Catching me, he slammed me back into it.
“As mouthy as you were earlier, I expected you to give me your list of my problems,” he said, walking to the other side of the table.
I went to rise, and he threw me a look that scalded me with the command to stay seated. The terror I had tried to hide the night before was now twofold, and I kept my hands in my lap to hide their shake.
“Awfully quiet now, Ava.” My name fell from his mouth with a seduction that slinked under my skin.
Taking a moment to look at him, I found barely any similarities to Greyson.
They had the same striking blue eyes, but this man had ebony hair with thick waves, and his features were different, sharper in the jawline with a squarer chin.
His body was larger, with muscles that didn’t like the fit of his shirt.
I couldn't help but admit that I liked it because it left nothing to the imagination. This man was like a walking god.
One who kills people and kidnaps and sells innocent women, I reminded myself, pushing away the nervous thought that he could do the same to me.
“You’re the head of the Bad Omen.” My voice came out as a squeak, but at least it worked.
He picked up a knife and buttered a piece of wheat toast.
“Just figured that out?”
“What’s your name?” This time my voice was steadier.
He sat back and took a bite of his toast. The thought that I’d never seen a man take a sexier bite of bread flitted through my mind and I frowned, wishing we were back in the dark foyer where I couldn’t see how good looking he was.
Killer, Ava.
A terse, simple answer. “Cade.”
“Cade Tides?” I tipped my head, trying to understand why that didn’t sound right.
His laugh was a deep baritone. “I don’t use that surname, and Cade is my middle name. My parents liked posh things and my name was one of them.”
“And what was that?”
“Emerson.” As quick as he said it, his expression turned like he hadn’t expected to be so honest.
“Emerson Tides? Now that has a ring to it.” I picked my fork up and took a bite of the scrambled eggs on my plate, trying not to roll my eyes back in my head and moan. They were so much better than the ones I made.
“Don’t call me that or I’ll cut your tongue out.”
I chomped down and bit my lip so hard it drew blood. His brow arched when I jerked back at the flare of pain.
“Would you really?” I asked, dabbing my mouth with a napkin and hiding the blood. “Aren’t I too valuable for you to kill?”
Please say yes. Please say yes.
He took another bite of his toast, and I watched the movement of his jaw muscles, followed by the flick of his tongue over his lips. My thighs should not have clenched, but they did.
The crust dropped on his plate, the motion slow compared to how fast he rose and had his hand wrapped around my neck. Thumb pressing on my airway, he brought his face close to mine.
“Don’t ever think you’re too valuable to kill. No one holds that worth to me.”
His irises were so shaded they almost looked navy, something that shouldn’t have been passing through my mind when he literally held my life in his hand.
They searched my eyes, looking for fear, but I doubted he’d find it because, as much as he terrified me, he intrigued me.
And as scary as having his hand around my neck was, facing fear had always turned me on.
It was the reason I had snuck into the hangar that night with Billy.
There was only one fear I had yet to conquer, and this man wasn’t it.
I chased the high of danger. And Emerson Tides was the ultimate danger.
My lips parted at the irrational thoughts and his eyes dropped to them before they flicked back up. He shoved me away and straightened, tugging at his sleeves as he avoided looking at me.
“Next time I request your presence at a meal, consider it a command.”
“I’m not really into commands,” I said absently, rubbing my neck and hating how the impression of his touch lingered.
His silence had me lifting my sight to him. Shit, had I just said that out loud? This man was a killer, and I was saying flirty things to him. A call with my therapist was necessary at this point. I cringed, realizing the routine of my life was now in flux and my weekly session would not happen.
“I don’t give a shit what you’re into. When I tell you to do something, you will. I have no qualms about sending you back to my brother in a body bag as a wedding gift.”
He stormed away, leaving me with the towering guard.
“Is he always so chatty?” I asked, taking another bite of eggs and trying not to think of all the ways my life was going to shit because I foolishly wanted to have sex with a guy on a plane.
There was my job and then school. I was so close to finishing and missing time would jeopardize my degree.
It had taken me years to decide to go to graduate school and now I stood to lose all that I’d worked for.
Not to mention therapy and my meds. I’d already missed one dose.
My hand shook at the thought as the guard replied, “You caught him on a good day.”
“So this is him in a good mood?” I said, feigning calm.
“You don’t want to see him in a bad mood.”
After he’d shot those two men the night before, I was certain I didn’t want to witness his bad side. Bad side in bed? That might be worth it.
Shut up, Ava. I was going to strangle myself if I didn’t stop fixating on how gorgeous my captor was.
“So, when I’m done eating, what then?”
“Then it’s back to your room.”
Twisting my mouth, I mumbled, “My prison.”
He didn’t respond and with a sigh, I continued to eat my breakfast, avoiding the empty space across from me.