Chapter Twenty-three Daniel
Chapter Twenty-three
Daniel
The second we enter the huge room, which I’m guessing is used for meetings, I can feel all eyes on us. Daniel’s still holding my hand as we walk inside together.
Although I’m somewhat focused on all the men staring at us, I notice the board at the front of the room, covered with all kinds of notes. I wonder what they say.
Alright. Maybe I don’t want to know, after all. But something tells me that by the end of this business meeting, I’ll be much more than familiar with what’s written on it.
Do they even consider their mafia duties “business”? I mean, it sounds pretty weird to an everyday person.
But when you think about it, it is their business. A sketchy one, sure, but still.
They have power. They have money. That’s all they’re after, right?
“Sit down right here,” he whispers, gently guiding me toward a chair. I nod, listening to him.
I’m not used to being around men like them—especially men who work for the mafia, and I don’t want to risk anything.
Besides, I’ve submitted myself to him just a few minutes ago. Listening to him and doing as he says turns me on, but right now… the last thing I’m thinking about is how much he affects me.
All I can think about is how many dangerous men share this space with me.
They all work for Daniel, so I’m not scared for my life. I know he’d protect me.
God, I hope he would.
But regardless of him protecting me, I’m definitely uncomfortable.
The second I sit down, my eyes lock onto one of the men standing at the front.
Julian.
He smirks at me. Just thinking about how he caught me and Daniel together… it makes me feel ashamed. I really hope he won’t tell anyone.
Well, judging by how much Daniel and he hate each other, I’m pretty sure it won’t stay a secret for long.
And that’s the complete opposite of what I wanted. I wanted a casual, physical relationship. But now that I think about it, even that would give Mary false hope about me and Daniel. Ugh.
Life keeps getting more complicated for me. I need a release from this torture.
I sit still, keeping my eyes focused on Daniel. It relaxes me for a few seconds, until I notice his expression. Fuck.
I’ve seen how he acts around me.
I’ve seen him with Hayden. I’ve seen him with his family. I’ve seen him around a few of his men.
But when he’s acting like their boss? Giving them orders? Fuck.
His aura of dominance is so intense it practically radiates off of him, and it turns me on more than I care to admit right now.
I’m not surprised he got my down on my knees just a few minutes ago. I’d do it again.
I know it shouldn’t turn me on right now.
I know this is the wrong situation for it.
But I can’t help myself.
Regardless of how he affects me, I stay still, my eyes locked on him. I wait.
After he finishes scanning the room, his eyes meet mine for a moment before he turns to Hayden and a man I don’t recognize. He looks older than everyone else in the room. I can already guess who this is.
“Alright, everyone,” Julian starts, but Daniel cuts him off with a sharp glare. “Thanks, but this is my job. I’ll take over from here.”
Julian scowls but doesn’t say anything. I imagine it’s for the best. I wouldn’t want to get into a fight with Daniel if I were Julian, but they come close every single day. Dangerously close, sometimes.
“As you guys already know, we have a new person working for us in medical treatment. I’m sure most of you gave her a visit, but if you didn’t, she’s here with us today,” Daniel begins. I blush immediately, wanting to hide. But it’s almost impossible.
Every single person in the room is staring at me, and though I hate the attention, I force myself to smile kindly.
Julian grins. And the moment I see that, I know it’s not a good sign. Not at all.
“Why is she here, boss?” he says suddenly, his voice dripping with mockery.
God, I want to slap him. But only a naive woman would do that, and I’m not that stupid.
I sort of wish I was, though.
Daniel growls.
“She’s our new nurse, idiot. You should know that by now. How many times did you visit her? Four times or so?” he snaps. The words leave me feeling satisfied, but I know it was stupid of him to let Julian get under his skin. We both know that’s exactly what Julian wants.
“So? No woman has ever joined our meetings. I think it’s extremely unfair,” Julian rolls his eyes, visibly annoyed by my presence.
“No woman worked for us before, Julian. Get a hint, Jesus. You know nothing about my family’s work, hm? Besides, her appearance isn’t even the reason for our meeting, so you can relax,” Daniel says, stepping back and pointing toward the whiteboard.
I exhale, relieved that Daniel doesn’t get the opportunity to engage with Julian any further. It’s the best for everyone here.
“You all know Volkov,” Daniel continues, gesturing to the board. “During our last meeting we had, his men were supposed to tell Hayden, Roy, and me about the shipment. Remember that?”
I shift in my chair, uncomfortable with the topic. I know it’s necessary to talk about, but I wish I didn’t have to be there while they discuss the man I failed to save.
My chest feels tight, like someone’s sitting on it. I can barely manage to breathe.
But I try to hold it together, refusing to break down in front of them. Daniel steps forward, keeping his hands in the pockets of his black leather jacket, his expression hard and focused.
“Roy’s death made us lose a good guy. Not good enough, because he’d be here if he was. But that’s not exactly the point of this meeting, either.”
He pauses, his gaze sweeping the room. He ignores me for the moment, probably because he knows how much this conversation is hurting me.
And it is. But I ignore the images in my head, the staining blood on my hands. I try to steady my breath, pushing down the frustration and pain.
“The point is, someone talked. Someone knew when the meeting would take place and gave this information to someone else.” Another dramatic pause. “I still don’t know if those guys were supposed to kill Roy, or me.”
What the hell?
I look up at him, my expression shocked. What does he mean by that?
“It doesn’t matter right now. He’s dead. They’re gone. And until now, none of our missions have been interrupted. But the next shipment? It’s huge. And anything could go wrong. But we’re going to prevent it.”
A guy I don’t recognize stares at Daniel with a confused look. “I don’t really get it, boss.”
Daniel sighs as if he expects his words to be self-explanatory. To be fair, they kind of are, but he just has trouble explaining them.
I’m a bit confused, too. I know from a previous conversation that he hasn’t been the boss for long, but he really needs to work on his speech skills as soon as possible.
“Someone gave information to the enemy, and they killed one of our men. We don’t know who it was, and all we want to do now is make sure the next shipment arrives on time, without any issues,” Daniel explains, more clearly this time.
Most of the men nod in understanding, though a few still look uncertain. I remain silent, letting them focus on the business at hand. I’m glad no one’s looking at me anymore.
“Look,” Daniel says, his voice more serious, “I trust every man in this room. You’re all innocent, and I’m sure of it. But if you spot anything suspicious, anything at all, report it back to me. Understood?”
The room echoes with a collective, “Yes, Boss,” and I just nod.
I don’t know if he wants me to respond, but I do anyway. After all, I’m here as part of the family, of the business.. Just like everyone else in this room.
This is terrifying. Daniel looks so… Intimidating. The way he eyes everyone in the room, like he’s ready to kill anyone who disagrees with him.
He glances at Julian, then Hayden, then the rest of the room again.
Wait. Something’s wrong.
I sit up straighter, narrowing my eyes at his uneasy expression. What’s going on? He looks worried… Or doesn’t he?
God, maybe my expression-reading skills aren’t as sharp as I thought.
“Great. That’s all I have to say,” Daniel finishes, stepping back and leaning against a table.
Julian, Hayden, and the older man are still gathered around the whiteboard. I keep my eyes on Daniel, but when I glance back at the board, I can’t shake the feeling that something’s off.
Julian’s watching me again. Why is he still staring?
He says my name, his voice casual, but there’s something beneath it. I tense up, and when I look up, his eyes are already on me.
Daniel doesn’t move from where he’s leaning against the table, but I feel his gaze sharpen. He doesn’t react outwardly, but I know he’s watching. He always is.
“Yes, what is it?” I ask, my voice steady, though my fingers grip the fabric of my loose jeans.
Julian tilts his head slightly, his smirk returning. “Just wondering how you’re holding up here.”
His words seem innocent, but the way he says them makes my stomach twist. He’s playing something, I can tell.
“I’m fine,” I reply shortly, sounding snarkier than I intend do.
“Good. Wouldn’t want our new nurse feeling uncomfortable,” Julian says, his eyes flicking to Daniel for a moment before returning to me. “Especially with all these dangerous men around.”
Finally, Daniel moves, pushing off the table and stepping closer to Julian. His voice is low but filled with warning. “She’s not uncomfortable. Are you, Jennifer?”
I shake my head, the lie coming easily. “No. I’m not. I mean, I feel protected just enough. I’m totally okay.”
Julian hums as if he doesn’t quite believe me. Then, with a small shrug, he glances toward the whiteboard. “Just making sure.”
The room falls into a brief silence. The unknown man watches the exchange with an unreadable expression, while Hayden crosses his arms, his gaze shifting between us, but he remains silent.
I’m not sure what Julian is trying to do. Maybe he’s testing me, or maybe he’s trying to provoke Daniel into reacting. Either way, my heart is pounding. This is so unnecessary.