CHAPTER 9
FRANKIE
∞
I’m absolutely mortified. I can’t believe I just walked in on him fucking a fang-banger. I saw him naked and he’s exactly like I pictured him to be. Death wrapped in muscles. Chaos barely contained. The tattoo I saw earlier was just a taste of the work he’s had done. His entire back is covered, and they wrap down his arms as well. What I saw peeking through his collar, seems to be the edges of phoenix wings. His back has a death skull, roses, flames and other characters I can’t see from this distance.
“What are you doing here, Chess?”
“I told you to stop calling me that.”
He gives me an exasperated look and grabs his shirt off the floor, slipping it on. He leans back into his desk, resting his hands on the edge of it. I can’t help staring at his perfect stomach, which is completely visible still since he didn’t do up the dress shirt.
“Is there a reason you decided to barge into my office in the middle of the night, unannounced, Francesca.”
The way he says my full name sends goosebumps rippling across my skin. I shake my head at the thoughts betraying my rational mind and pull my attention back to his face.
He looks exhausted and just…so done with today. I feel that in my soul, but I needed to deal with this now. I step towards him, and he stares at me as I come to stand in front of him. I toss the envelope onto his desk and take a step back from him, crossing my arms across my chest.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
I ask him.
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t need your money. I already get paid as an enforcer and this was never part of the deal.”
“You don’t get paid as much as you should, and I feel it’s time I rectify that.”
“Wait…did you…did you pull my file?”
“Of course I did. I don’t just let anyone work for me directly without knowing their history.”
I narrow my eyes at him and take a step closer as anger wells up in my chest. “How deep did you go?”
“Deep enough,”
he says quietly.
“My life is none of your business! I work hard. I do my job, and I get done what needs to be done. There was zero reason for you to be researching me!”
I scream, poking him in the chest.
He looks at me confused and pulls himself to his feet. I feel my breath stutter out of me at how close he is and move to step back from him. He lifts his hands to grip my arms, and my body betrays me with how fucking scared I actually am right now, being this close to him. My jaw pops and I see his hands still in midair before he slowly drops them back down to his sides.
“I wasn’t researching you to hurt you, I was making sure we weren’t getting involved with someone that may be recognized by the wrong people while we’re doing recon and going undercover. I didn’t know, okay? I didn’t…mean to hurt you. Earlier…and right now. My behavior earlier was not professional, and I’m trying to make it right by paying you a wage you deserve.”
“I don’t deserve that.”
“Why not?”
“I owe money to Adrian, okay? He takes part of my wages…that’s why it looks like I don’t make much, but I make plenty to survive.”
My stomach decides to growl in this moment, and he lets out a heartfelt laugh. “Are you sure? Did you even eat today?”
Fuck, I didn’t finish my beer before I came here.
“I’m fine.”
“Your stomach says otherwise. Do you want to maybe have some pizza with me? I can have Alex order us something before he goes home.”
“Didn’t you just finish eating?”
A flash of hurt crosses his features but he quickly squashes it as quickly as it came.
“Blood doesn’t satisfy me at the moment,”
he whispers. He sounds sad at the admittance, and I’m surprised he’s even telling me this.
“I rather not be here longer than I need to be. I just wanted to bring your money back to you.”
“You don’t trust me…”
“Not at all.”
“Well, the money is yours. If you don’t wish to keep it, you can burn it. I’m not taking it back.”
My mouth drops at the comment. “That’s ten thousand dollars…”
“Your point?”
“I really hate you…you know that? You have all this money and all this power, and you do nothing with it except act like a spoiled rich kid. You could do so much for this world and yet, you squander it.”
“I’m trying to do good right now and it’s being thrown back in my face,”
he says harshly. I can feel the anger bubbling up inside of him.
“I’m not a charity case and you can’t buy me.”
“That’s a first,”
he mumbles.
“Excuse me?”
He closes his eyes slowly and settles back into the desk. “Never mind. Forget I said anything.”
“No. Enlighten me, my Lord. Are you implying I can be bought?”
“Adrian bought you, didn’t he?”