Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Easton
T here’s more to our sweet little Briar than meets the eye…a whole lot more.
As if I wasn’t infatuated enough.
You don’t grow up in the mafia without seeing things.
Possibly even participating .
There’s no reason that thought should make my cock rock-hard.
I have no problem offering Briar my complete protection. However, if she would like to partake in the occasional murder or torture session, I would fully support that course of action. Especially if it was to seek revenge on the remainder of her shitty family.
I don’t have much in common with her deceased, piece-of-shit father, but I do run my business based on loyalty, much in the same way the mob does. I don’t let anyone close enough to burn me without having a plethora of ammunition to bury in their back the second they think about turning on me.
That’s just good business.
I am interested to see how long it takes Briar to open up enough that she’s willing to ask for my assistance.
All she needs to do is say the word.
I’ll serve her Titus’s head on a silver platter if she asks.
As long as it counts as a courting gift.
I wouldn’t mind adding Jameson’s dick on a dessert tray.
I’ll save his head as a souvenir.
I’m sure the dead man walking is smart enough to understand that just because I didn’t murder him today, it does not mean he’ll be getting off free and clear for putting his hands on my future wife. If he’s smart, he’ll run while he has the chance. Not that I can’t track him down, but it would slightly increase his chances of survival.
What’s that saying?
Out of sight, out of mind.
Speaking of Jameson, I need to call Mike, my finance guy.
Steffanie’s job is complete, and I’ve generously decided to include her bonus, even if she doesn’t procure video of their tryst.
Briar missed it as she scurried away, but Steffanie came out with pepper spray, ready to assist my omega in getting away from Jameson. I’d already handled it, so she simply slipped back into her apartment, but I was pleased to see that she understood the situation she found herself in.
If something had happened to Briar, and Steffanie didn’t intercede… Well, the woman knows what would have happened to her.
I would have slit her throat without a second thought, then set Jameson up to take the fall. I’m sure his DNA would have been all over her, wrapping the entire situation up in a nice little bow.
No, I’ll never be a good guy . Not by anyone’s stretch of the imagination, but for Briar, I intend to be a damn loyal husband.
Calder is in the room he always stays in when he sleeps here. He’s working on clearing the feeds from Jameson’s building and piecing together the information Arden asked for.
Arden and his team are solid employees. Apparently, they have a new neighbor they’re interested in romantically who has some very loose tie to the Manzo family. It’s an indirect connection through a bookie who could pose a threat to the woman they’re smitten with.
I highly doubt she’s on Titus Manzo’s radar at all , but I’m thorough, and following up on that information costs me nothing in the grand scheme of things.
I’d also like to keep my executioners happy if at all possible, and that’s what Arden, Kase, and Lincoln do for Shadow Security. If I need a dangerous team neutralized, I send them in. Finding another team on our roster that’s capable of taking out the bookie causing their woman problems will take less than five minutes, and I do enjoy having additional favors I can hold over someone’s head.
Dinner should be here at any time, and the gate guards will bring it up.
I haven’t seen Briar in person since she disappeared with Keir earlier, but I have watched her sleep for the last few hours.
It’s not my fault he showed her to the guest room that has extensive surveillance. Since it’s close to Keir’s bedroom, it’s where I generally place guests I don’t trust.
Perhaps he simply forgot that I have full video and audio access to that room. Or it could be that he assumed I turned it off to respect Briar’s privacy.
He should know me better than that.
In fact, he does know me better than that.
He must have placed her in that room as a gift. As much as it pained me, I cut off the feeds when she woke up from her nap and began to prepare to take a shower.
I was going to offer her the primary suite since it has an attached nest. But its lack of audio or visual surveillance means I’m fine with her staying where she’s at.
Unless she would prefer to sleep in my room or with me in the nest. If we went with my bedroom, I would need to find a way to cover the cage. That might give the wrong impression, so it’s better if we sleep in the primary suite together.
I scratch my jaw, trying to determine if it’s too soon to push her to acknowledge our connection. She hasn’t even had the opportunity to thank me for intervening with Jameson earlier, but I’m sure it’s coming.
Briar pulls open the door to the room she’s staying in, and her electric scent hits my senses, making my nostrils flare. Keir might describe it as honey and coconut, but I only get hints of that occasionally. The vast majority of the time, she smells like the weather immediately before a lightning storm. It makes little sense, but it’s the only way I’ve found to come close to describing her scent.
Briar’s head tilts, and she takes a quick step back. She should know better than to retreat from a predator.
The way her huge bluish-gray eyes widen doesn’t help my infatuation. It might be time to accept that nothing will.
I take a step forward, and she stumbles backward another step.
Her scent doesn’t indicate fear.
I’d like to believe that means she wants to be chased.
I have no problem being the pursuer.
Not with Briar as my prey.
Rolling her shoulders back, she gives a tight smile. “Thank you for the save earlier.” She stands her ground as I erase the space between us, and her head tilts upward to accommodate the height difference.
Keir may have an inch or two on me, but I’m just shy of six-four. Even if she’s not short for a woman, I still tower over her.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there sooner. Although, you don’t need to worry about Jameson grabbing anyone else for a while. I broke nearly every bone in his hand before following you out.”
Speaking of hands, mine rises, seemingly of its own volition, and I swipe an errant curl from her eye, tucking it behind her ear. The confusion written all over her face matches my own, but I’m not going to question it too much.
If anything, I’m proving I can be soft for her.
I can also be very, very, very hard for her…but that’s a different story.
Jesus Christ.
She’s even making my thoughts cheesy.
“Easton,” she whispers, blinking up at me from behind her thick, dark lashes. “What if he files a police report? God, what a mess. He could sue you.”
I scoff. “He will construct a careful story to account for how he was injured, or he will greatly regret his poor decision-making abilities.”
She brings a hand up, rubbing her forehead.
“Keir said you barely pecked at lunch, and you haven’t had dinner. Are you feeling weak? Is your blood sugar low?” I ask, frowning.
Briar snorts, shaking her head. “You’re not worried about ending up in prison for assault, but you’re fretting about my blood sugar, when I’m not even diabetic?”
“If dinner isn’t here by now, it’ll be here very soon. Come down and eat with us. We have a lot to discuss.”
Briar joins us shortly after the food is plated at the breakfast nook. I rarely bother with the formal dining room. It’s ostentatious, even for my tastes, and I have a great appreciation for grandeur.
There are a variety of food options, and Briar still doesn’t reach for any of the plates lining the middle of the table.
She’s in the seat next to Calder, and while I appreciate being able to study her gorgeous face, I briefly consider forcing him to change seats with me. It’s awkward with no one speaking or eating.
My head tilts as I meet Briar’s eyes. “Would you like me to serve you?”
Calder snorts, reaching for a huge plate of spaghetti. There are also four steaks, all loaded onto one plate, a tray of lasagna, a bowl of salad, another with chicken Alfredo, and stuffed ziti with marinara.
Yes, fine.
I may have gone overboard when ordering, but I wanted her to have options.
“I’ve got it,” Keir says, stabbing a steak with his fork. He snags her plate and drops it on before beginning to cut it up for her.
My eyes narrow, but I’m supposed to be on my best behavior, so I refocus on the wide-eyed little omega to avoid stabbing my bodyguard. “Did you leave anything behind at Jameson’s penthouse that you would like to retrieve?”
Her head shakes. “I’ll be fine.”
That’s true. We can easily replace any of the clothing she abandoned.
“Perfect.” I nod, collecting the Alfredo before spooning some onto my plate. “Jameson knows not to return to the office. I’ll make an announcement that no one is to speak to you about him.”
I thought up that little gem earlier. It proves how aware I am of her emotions and that I’m willing to go out of my way to accommodate her needs.
Keir sighs.
Calder jabs his fork at me. “Just ban his name altogether. No one needs that kind of bad energy.”
“I can do that,” I agree. “Will you be ready to return to work tomorrow?”
Briar’s head shakes. “I appreciate you letting me stay here tonight, but I think I’ll just get a ride to the bus station tomorrow.”
My eyes narrow, and I take a deep, centering breath.
That is not fucking happening.