“I said—”
Renee stood there, her back against the door, her face full of longing. She took two steps toward me. They were small, tentative, the way you approach a wild animal.
“We can’t.” I squeezed my eyes shut. I couldn’t look at her and deny her anything.
“Open your eyes.” She gripped my biceps with her hands. Slowly, I opened my eyes and stared down at her beauty, something I would remember when I was old and gray if I ever made it that long. The way her eyes sparkled like she had a secret she wanted to share. “Let me love you.”
I recklessly lowered my mouth to hers. I tasted my sin on her lips, I tasted my greatest blessing and greatest curse as our bodies brushed against one another. And when I lifted her onto the counter and cupped the back of her head, pulling her closer, drugging myself with her kiss, with her touch, I hated everyone and everything that would take her from me.
Her softness, her joy stirred something fierce within me, something uncontrollable. We were fire, we were burning each other alive. She had no idea what the next few hours held.
But I could give her pleasure so that when she met the devil—she’d at least know that heaven still existed.
I swiftly dealt with her leggings, rolling them down her legs carefully so she didn’t return to dinner looking like I’d just been with her. I even kept myself from pulling at her hair, from sniffing it between my fingers and mussing it just because it made her look wild and sexy.
I teased her lips apart with my tongue while she clung to me with tears in her eyes, like she knew this was goodbye.
Like she knew this would not happen again.
Maybe it was in the tenderness of my kiss.
Maybe it was in the devastation I refused to hide.
I felt broken, and she wasn’t even gone.
I felt dead, and she was still alive.
Reason quickly tumbled into oblivion as she reached into my pants, pumping me with one hand while tugging down my jeans with the other.
She slid her hand along my length.
I braced myself against her and then pulled her forward, teasing her entrance with little grazes before she devoured my next kiss with such intensity that I lost all concentration and filled her to the hilt.
“Why does this feel like the end?” Her body moved so effortlessly with mine, like we were made for this, for each other, nobody else.
“You will always have protection.” I avoided her question. “And you’ll always have this.” I grabbed her hand and pressed it to my chest so she could feel the way my heart beat for her, each thump like a song in her honor. My blood rushed through my veins for her and only her.
A surge of possession washed over me when she grabbed my hand and placed it on her chest. “And you’ll always have this.”
Our foreheads touched as I pressed into her, taking my fill. Tension built between us as her body convulsed around me. I soaked in the way her head fell back, the way her lips parted in pleasure.
I memorized it.
And then I slid in one last time.
Pleasure rocked my body so intensely that I had to hold on to her to keep myself from shoving her body into the mirror behind her.
Tears filled her eyes as she cupped my face.
I tried to look away.
“Tell me.” She whispered. “Now.”
I opened my mouth, just as the bathroom door burst open.
I shoved her behind me.
Nixon looked between us and whispered in a gravelly voice, “Put your clothes on. You have three minutes to make your way to the kitchen.”
The door slammed.
Renee covered her mouth with her hands then pressed them to her chest. “Is he going to kill me?”
“No. You’re too valuable… Me, on the other hand…” I sighed.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Renee
I wanted to reach for his hand as we walked back into the kitchen, but I wasn’t sure if that would just be like dumping gasoline on an already out-of-control bonfire.
Everyone was silent.
I was so embarrassed I wanted to cry.
Embarrassed that they probably knew what we were doing.
Embarrassed that I’d done it in my employers’ house.
And terrified for Vic.
What was I thinking?
Oh right, that I had found my one.
The one.
That I found someone who saw me, who got me, who made me feel alive, who made me feel both scared and secure. I’d found him. And when you find something that incredible…
You risk it all.
Without any thought of the consequences.
He’d warned me.
I hung my head only to have Luciana walk over to me and put an arm around my body like she was trying to protect me from Nixon. And slowly, one by one, the wives walked to my side and stood.
I wasn’t comforted.
Because why was it necessary for all of them to be standing there? Mo, Trace, Bee, Val, Luc, El?
Nixon paced in front of Vic. And to his credit Vic just stared straight ahead, bulky arms at his sides.
“Who knew?” Nixon stopped in front of Vic. He still said nothing.
Chase cursed. “Nixon, no offense, but how didn’t you know?”
Nixon could have incinerated someone with that glare.
Tex looked away. Sergio stared down at his feet. And Phoenix stared at Nixon with an indifferent look that I couldn’t quite place while Dante made his way next to Vic’s side and stood.
“Hold out your hand,” Nixon demanded in a harsh voice.
Vic held out his hand. Dante handed Nixon a sharp dagger.
I watched in horror as Nixon dug the knife into the top of Vic’s hand and started etching out the different names that he’d sworn to protect. Vic shook but made no noise.
Tears streamed down my face. “Stop! Stop it!”
Nixon didn’t stop.
“STOP!” I roared. “You’re a monster!”
His lips moved like he was ready to smile. “I’m a monster? Pretty sure you were fucking a monster. We’re all monsters, Renee. We just conceal our demons in different ways.”
I wiped my wet cheeks. “It was me. I seduced him.”
Nixon let out a sigh of disbelief. “So you seduced him and what? He finally gave in? Vic is one of the strongest men I know. People like Vic don’t give in to seduction unless they’re already there.”
I let out a gasp.
“And you…” He eyed Vic with so much anger I wanted to run over and protect him, stand in front of him and hold my hands out so that the daggers were thrown at me, not him. Anyone but him. “What do you have to say for yourself?”
“Nothing,” Vic said in a solid voice. “I can’t defend my actions, nor will I apologize for them.”
Nixon threw a right hook.
Vic didn’t deflect.
I watched as Nixon hit him again and again until he collapsed to the floor, and then Nixon’s boot collided with Vic’s ribs. And still Vic didn’t deflect. He took his punishment.
“Nixon.” Chase stepped forward. “You may as well punish me too. Vic confided in me, I helped hurry this along…I didn’t…I thought it was just… a sex thing.”
“Does this look like a fucking sex thing?” Nixon roared, pointing down at Vic. “He loves her!”
Hot wet tears trickled down my cheeks past my lips.
“I could forgive a lot of things…” Nixon stopped kicking Vic and leaned down so they were at eye level. “I could even forgive an indiscretion. But this? You swore an oath to us—to not just be celibate, but how can you protect any of the children, the women in the Family when your sole focus will always be on your own?”
“I can’t.” Vic’s voice trembled.
“I know.” Nixon shook his head and then stood and kicked the cabinets. “You know the Sinacore family is expecting her in less than three hours. She’s going to be sobbing on a plane over the man she loves rather than tal
king with the one she’s betrothed to!”
I swayed on my feet as my heart caught in my throat. “Betrothed?”
All eyes fell to me. I shook my head and narrowed my gaze on Vic. Blood caked his face, but I could still see the guilt all the same.
“Betrothed,” I said again. “What the hell do you mean betrothed? Why would you marry me off in the first place? Is this because of my father? What he did?”
“Renee…” Nixon’s expression softened.
“I’m not marrying a stranger!”
“Renee!” Nixon barked. “You’re fucking royalty. You’ll marry who we tell you to marry because you’re the last in line! Your father died getting this information to us! He died trying to protect you. Your mother is in a safe house until this deal is finished!”
“Wh-what?”
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “The Sinacore family is one of the oldest families in Sicily. They were at one time considered royalty within the people. Civil war broke out, and several of the members moved to the States to start a new life. They called their leader King, his wife Queen, his daughter—”
“Princess,” I finished on a whisper.
And then all I saw was a burning fire.
A mansion with flames devouring it whole.
A gunshot.
He fell.
And my mom throwing a blanket over my head, getting me into the car. Driving. We drove for so long. We flew even longer.
I shook my head. “So, this Sinacore family…”
“They’ve been searching for the rightful heir. You have millions upon millions in a trust only you can access. Houses, cars—once the war was over it was preserved for you, but your mother…” Nixon moved toward me. “She was afraid it was all a ruse, and by then she’d fallen in love again—only this time with one of our men who was sent to kill the last remaining heir. Only he couldn’t. He couldn’t kill you or your mother. He said he fell in love with you the minute he met you. And said he’d protect you both and spy for us in exchange for your lives.”
I squeezed my eyes shut. “He died because he knew too much.”
“He died because his job was finished,” Tex piped up.
I stumbled into the wall, my mind racing. “Was Vic a ruse too? A distraction to get me to trust you guys?”
“No!” Vic roared from his spot on the floor.
“You’re going to Sicily tonight.” Nixon touched my shoulder. “The betrothal contract made between your biological father and the Sinacore family still exists—you have no choice. To break it would start a war we can’t afford to engage in! The five families will not go to war with Sicily over one woman.”
Each word he delivered was like a shot to my soul.
“No!” I yelled. “I won’t do it! I don’t love him! I can’t…I can’t be with him.” I brought a shaky hand to my face as terror wrapped its talons around my throat and squeezed.
“Shhh.” Luc pulled me into a hug but I shoved her away, I shoved her away and ran. I ran fast and hard. I ran into the backyard and stood under the tree. And then I ran the perimeter of the fence until I was far enough away that I could breathe.
The backyard had cameras everywhere, it wasn’t like I could actually hide. I started to climb the rock wall that divided the garage and the tennis court, and caught my foot.
I grasped for a holding and twisted my ankle as I fell at an awkward angle onto the ground.
I had no choice.
I ran down the driveway, I limped and screamed. I cried until I couldn’t see anymore.
And then I saw cars.
Four black sedans.
They looked nothing like the sports cars the rest of the family drove, and I had no place to hide.
So when one stopped, opened the door and someone said, “Get in.”
I knew running would just injure me more.
I wiped my face and sat like the queen I was, with my back ramrod straight. The man looked to be about Vic’s age. He grinned. “Andrei said to arrive early, and look how good fortune smiles down on us.” The other three men in the car chuckled. “I think there has been a fruitful change of plans.” He nodded to the driver. “Back to the club.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Vic
“Let. Her. Go,” Nixon snapped at me.
I stood to my full height and whispered, “Fucking make me.”
His fist came down hard again. This time I shoved him away. He barely moved an inch because I didn’t want a fight. I wanted to race after her, kiss her tears away, fall to my knees, and apologize.
“Could everyone just stop one damn second?” Tex lifted a gun in the air like he was ready to shoot it. “Whose brilliant idea was it to leave her alone with this one in the first place?” He pointed at me. Great.
So I smirked and pointed at Chase, who pointed at Nixon, you get the picture, hell of a lot of pointing.
“Oh, for shit’s sake.” Chase grabbed a knife out of his pocket and thumbed it. “Raise your hand if you think you could go without sex for more than a month let alone three years.” Nobody raised their hands. “Exactly, and yet we ask him to do this, and guard her…you know he likes brown eyes!”
“The hell?” Phoenix narrowed his eyes at Chase. “So he throws all his hard work away?”
Dante snorted. “Every saint in this room throw the first punch, oh wait…” He glared at Nixon, “We asked the impossible…because we wanted him to protect the women, the children, our future… That’s a hell of a lot to put on someone’s shoulders. How is it fair to ask this of him? He guards our future but gets nothing but darkness in his? No children? No family?”
“Ah, wisdom from the youngest, that’s rare.” Tex piped up.
Dante gave him the finger while Sergio stared at his phone and then muttered a loud enough curse to gain everyone’s attention.
“We have a problem.” Sergio looked ready to shove his phone up someone’s ass.
“We?” Nixon crossed his arms.
“Yes, we.” Sergio tossed him the phone. “Grab your shit. Andrei says Angelo is on his way to the club—and he has Renee in his backseat.”
I was a blur of movement as I grabbed my holster only to have Nixon jerk my elbow and pull me back. “No chance in hell. You’re too distracted, you could get yourself killed.”
“Thought you already wanted to kill me.”
His nostrils flared. “You’re too distracted.”
“Stop. Making. Decisions. For me,” I growled. “She’s mine!”
He took a step back, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise before he shared a look with an amused Chase.
“You heard the man.” Chase grinned. “She’s his.”
“God help anyone who gets in his way,” Tex muttered under his breath while I shoved past everyone and ran toward my G-Wagon. God help them indeed.
Because I was going to kill them all.
Chapter Thirty
Renee
The club was dark. People were in red and black with masks covering most of their faces. I couldn’t make out anything recognizable other than the smell of cigars and whiskey. Women were sprawled around velvet couches while men openly kissed down their necks, between their legs, only to grab another companion and do the same to them.
I shuddered as I was brought to a dance section and then taken up black stairs to a red velvet rope. It was pulled aside and then I was being shoved toward a white couch. I stumbled and sat.
“What’s this?” a familiar voice asked.
“My betrothed.” The man winked over at me. “But here’s the thing…if she dies or suddenly disappears, it makes my life much easier.”
“Ah.” Andrei nodded and took a seat, clasping his hands together. “Yes, I remember, your entire inheritance is tied up in this neat little marriage.”
“Yes.” He clenched his teeth together. “And I think…I’d rather have my money.”
Andrei’s jaw flexed, but his eyes didn’t flicker. I glanced down at his right leg as it tap
ped against the ground in rapid succession. “How may I be of service?”
The man grinned. “I imagine she could get a large sum…Italian royalty? Even if she’s a whore—she’s still worth at least, oh—” He looked me over, from head to toe. I’d never felt so dirty in my entire life. “Seven million.”
Dollars?
I tried hiding my shock.
“She’s used goods,” Andrei said in a bored tone. “That kind of money only goes to the virgins. The Sheiks do not like knowing their women have been with others and the princes we cater to would slit my throat for it. I’m sorry but you’re going to have to do better than that, Angelo.”
I stared straight ahead as they bartered my worth right in front of me. As I heard the music pumping around me, the sexual sighs and moans that accompanied it.
He would come.
Right?
Vic would find me.
He would.
I had to believe it.
And then what? I’d be sold to this maniac again?
Is that all I was? A bargaining chip?
The more I thought about it, the more depressed I became… Vic had never had a say in what happened to me.
Why would he now?
“Two million cash,” Andrei said thoughtfully. “Final offer.”
“Cash?” Angelo spurted. “Tonight?”
“Sign her over and promise to never show your face again and yes, tonight you will have two million dollars in cash. We’ll just say she was killed by the dirty Russians or better yet taken by the Bordello cartel, easy you get two million plus your trust fund when you turn twenty-eight and no nasty little betrothal to a woman who’s clearly…too ugly to be by your side.”
I flinched at his words. At his tone. At the way he carelessly spat them out and wielded them like both sword and shield. Andrei was a dangerous man indeed.
“Done.” He stood and held out his hand.
Andrei stared at the hand for a few seconds, sniffed, then motioned for someone to come over.
A man who looked extremely Italian and a lot like Sergio held out a black folder and then handed over a heavy looking pen.
Envy: An Eagle Elite Novella Page 13