Chapter 25
J ago
Genevieve said nothing and I wasn’t used to her silence.
I hated it. I’d much prefer that she was berating me as she’d done so many times with a stark flair that I admired.
She did honor me by lifting her head, staring at me with the same hate-filled eyes I’d witnessed the first time we’d been together.
And the second.
And the third.
A smirk crossed my face as I thought about just how contentious our relationship truly was.
I yanked off my jacket. Suddenly, I felt suffocated even inside my own house. Thick walls. Tight security. Twenty soldiers surrounding the castle. Yet nothing seemed capable of keeping the enemy from creating destruction.
She stood where she was, never blinking. Never flinching.
My patience was waning, the constant tick from the master clock on the fireplace mantel keeping my anger level high.
“Say something, Genevieve.”
Another round of silence.
“Talk to me.” I stormed toward her and she didn’t flinch one bit. “Damn it. I was worried about you.”
Finally, she looked away. “What’s there to say, Jago? That I approve of your plan?”
“Perhaps. Or just say whatever is on your mind.”
“I don’t think you’ll like what’s on my mind.”
“You were almost taken from me. That can’t happen. I won’t allow anyone to touch you. You were in danger and the men didn’t do their jobs.” My vehemence surprised even me.
“Do you hear yourself? I’m not a possession, a thing to be owned like your houses or cars.
I’m a woman used to having command of her own life and in the last seven days, every aspect of my independence has been taken from me.
Whoever walked into that dress shop had been waiting for an opportunity, but guess what?
I plan on living. Emiliano didn’t deserve your wrath and you know it.
Emiliano did what I asked, following my orders.
You need to keep in mind he doesn’t know you. Certainly not like I do.”
I was so used to being in full control over everything that my brusqueness seemed all I was capable of right now. But with her, being arrogant only garnered me what I hated the most.
Silence.
This wasn’t a battle I could win, at least not in the method I was used to employing. Her appearance in my life had rattled everything in my existence. Every bit of control and order.
Every dark emotion and sadistic craving.
I wasn’t used to compromise, but there was no other choice.
“You’re right. I shouldn’t have taken my anger and worry out on your man.”
Her laugh remained bitter. “He’s not my man, Jago. Is that what this is about? Jealousy?”
Something about her insolence excited me. Maybe because I was so used to pompous men blowing smoke up my ass and women throwing themselves in my direction. Yes, I was an arrogant bastard. With Genevieve, I was treated exactly like I should be.
An ass.
The thought brought a grin to my face and an instant boost to my libido. I could swear the woman knew what I was thinking. She shook her head, mumbling under her breath.
“I’m not jealous of your soldier, Genevieve. I am disappointed that he didn’t handle the situation as required.”
“By you. You seem to forget he takes directions from me.”
We were at an impasse, which wasn’t in our best interest. If we continued bickering, it would be much easier to pick us off one at a time. What troubled me was I’d never been forced to get through to someone by use of words, not violence.
My mind was distracted by her scent and the fresh flush of her face. Even after being accosted and almost kidnapped, she still smelled sweet, like strawberries. She also had the ability to cut through my bullshit easier than by using a knife.
I thought about two nights before. Her soft skin. The dark whimpers. The throaty moans. The way her body writhed under mine. She’d looked at me as if the rapture had been everything she’d dreamt of.
Now her blue eyes were staring at me as if I was a monster.
Still, through all her rebelliousness that thrilled me, I wondered if she realized how close she’d been to losing all she deemed precious.
“Yes, well, then you need a lesson in how to handle security,” I told her.
She shook her head. “Unbelievable. I can’t have a decent conversation with you, so why bother trying?”
“Because it’s necessary. Because the situation is dangerous. Because you’re in danger.”
I wasn’t certain whether the words had gotten through to her, but she tilted her head even more. “Who is Fassi? I know his title, but who is he really?”
“Mocro Maffia. Former militia turned rogue, killing everyone in his unit.”
“A Moroccan with everything to gain.” She already knew that but seemed to be mulling over ideas.
“Exactly. The boss. Word on the street is that he’s gunning for your territory as well as mine. But if successful, he won’t stop there.”
“Then he managed to get wind of our upcoming nuptials and decided why not combine efforts.”
“Yes, which is why you’re staying right here. No more shopping trips.”
“And the wedding plans?” she asked incredulously.
Sighing, I reached out to her, but she flinched, which infuriated me. “I’ll handle it. We’ll go according to plans, but with more caution.”
Risky as hell.
“Right,” she laughed. “I bet you will. That’s between the times you go hunting. What do you think you’ll catch in that blood-coated trap of yours?”
“Whatever fallout is possible, it must be done. He’ll strike again, but I will protect you.”
Her stare without blinking was entirely different than before.
“You lost someone dear to you. I can feel it in my bones, all the way deep into my soul. I understand how horrible that must be for you. I get it. You refuse to lose someone again. Somehow, you think that by keeping me locked away inside this… prison I’ll be safe.
I’m not as worried about Fassi or whatever Turkish asshole pulls a gun in my face. ”
“Well, you should be.”
She took a step closer and stopped. “The person I’m most anxious of is you.”
I had no idea what to say to her. “So be it.”
The tension was thicker than before.
“I’m not scared of you like everyone else is, Jago. You can act like a fevered child all you want, but I can see right through your bluster and anger. You can protect me without suffocating me. As lovely as this castle is, I can’t live behind thick prison walls for the rest of my life.”
“You will do as I say!” I instantly regretted my outburst. The look of anger on her face shifted to one of pain.
She stormed toward the door, determined to be rid of me.
“Genevieve. Wait. Please.”
Her sigh was heavy and exaggerated. “Why?”
“Because I asked you to.” I moved closer to my desk as I peeled off the tee shirt, tossing it on the wood.
She had a look on her face that defied anger and hatred. “I don’t think so.”
“Please.” I turned around and faced the window, allowing her to take a good look at my back.
“What?”
“Come closer.”
It took her a full thirty seconds to decide whether to honor me with doing so. When she did, I could tell her steps were hesitant. “What do you want, Jago?”
“Take a good look at my back. You felt the scars before. You caressed them when we were making love. Now take a good look at them. Touch them.”
I tilted my head until I could see her face. She darted her eyes in my direction but came closer. “They’re horrible.”
“Are they so disgusting you can’t touch them? Am I that repulsive?”
Her brows furrowed and she finally stood behind me. With tentative fingers, she gingerly brushed her fingers across one long scar, almost instantly curling them.
“You aren’t hurting me. I can’t feel them any longer, but they’re permanent reminders of who and what I am.”
“That’s terrible. Who did this to you?” No longer as afraid, she caressed my skin and not just as if forced to study a specimen, but as if she was worried about what I’d been through.
“My father.”
“What?” The shock in her voice was almost comforting.
“He decided to teach me a lesson about caring about anyone. He determined that I wasn’t allowed to have any other kind of life but that of a soldier. And in his world, soldiers could only accept sexual favors from a whore until being deemed acceptable to find a suitable wife.”
“Oh, my God.” She continued rubbing my back and for the first time, I felt something, sensations where there had been nothing before.
I took a deep, exaggerated breath, even allowing myself to close my eyes and enjoy the contact.
“What a horrible man.”
“His lesson was vital, although I didn’t realize it for several months afterwards.
The girl I’d insisted I would marry and had fallen in love with wasn’t a seventeen-year-old girl, but an Interpol agent under cover.
She was determined to bring my father to his knees.
The first of two mistakes. There would not be a third.
” I closed my eyes, hating everything about my past. The memories were far too disturbing.
Her exhale was ragged. “I’m so sorry. What a fucking bastard.” She cocked her head, her eyes glassier than they’d been before. She continued caressing me, her sweet yet sizzling breath cascading across my skin making me feel even more alive. “Do you still talk to your father?”
I slowly turned around, taking her hand into mine. As I lowered my head, pressing my lips against her soft skin, she shuddered. I took my time kissing each finger, finally pulling one into my mouth.
Something changed in her eyes, a softness that hadn’t been there before. She pressed her other hand against my chest. The action wasn’t sexual. Her touch was meant as a healing gesture. In my mind, it was the sweetest and most confident move she’d taken with me. I would treasure it always.
When I freed her finger, she issued a slight whimper.
“My father is a great albeit merciless man. He wasn’t always kind nor was he there often when I needed his support or his love, but he would die to keep me protected and I always knew that.
Even now he’d do everything in his power to make certain nothing occurred I couldn’t handle.
That’s the way I feel about you. I don’t want anything to happen to you, Genevieve.
I don’t understand kindness. My world is about respect and following orders, but seeing life through your eyes is entirely different. ”
She brushed her fingers down my chest so slowly I couldn’t see them move. “I do understand even if I don’t appreciate your tactics. I won’t take any risks and will make sure I follow your lead. For now.”
I brought her hand to my face, nuzzling against it. The warmth was amazing.
“What fathers must do is often in the best interest of their children, but not something they can fully explain. I hated my father for a long time even after learning what the woman had done to me. Yet slowly over time, I realized he’d spared my life and allowed me a better understanding of what was required and not just by him, but by the hand I’d been dealt. ”
“I get it. We need to work together.”
“Yes, we do.”
“I’m not like you, Jago. My father didn’t beat me, but he did teach a sense of self-worth. Perhaps I haven’t listened to you or taken your life into account. I’ve been selfish enough to want mine to stay the same when that’s not possible.”
“I promise you that we can have a good life. It won’t always be easy and danger will remain with us, but we can forge out something that will make you happy.”
As I wrapped my fingers around her neck, she arched her back.
When I kissed her, I wasn’t interested in taking anything from her.
I only desired to repair the broken edges.
She clung to me, issuing soft moans that I captured.
I gently thrust my tongue past her lips, enjoying the taste of her even more than I had before.
The moment shared between us was cathartic, still electric, but the connection was even stronger. I could breathe her in for hours and hopefully, we’d have time to continue getting to know each other.
When I pulled away, she licked her bottom lip and the sight of her injuries grabbed at more than just my anger.
“What about you? What makes you happy? What makes the man inside feel joy?”
I thought about her question and for the first time, the answer came easily.
“You do.”