by Maya Blake
‘Or you could understand perfectly what I mean.’ His upper lips twisted. ‘Unless spreading your legs for him has robbed you of all common sense.’
The barb struck too close to home. ‘How dare you?’ She jerked back at the sheer hatred pouring from him. Ice-cold sensation drenched her veins at the same time as warm hands cupped her shoulders.
‘Ruby?’ Narciso clipped out her name. ‘What’s going on here?’ The question was quite rhetorical because she was sure he’d caught part of the exchange.
Certainly, his flint-hard gaze and tense jaw made her think of her earlier assessment of just how dangerous an opponent he could be.
For whatever reason, the man sitting across from her spewing vitriol had wronged Narciso Valentino on a very deep level. The skin around his mouth was white and the hands curved over her shoulders were a little less than gentle.
Ruby carefully set her knife down and took a deep breath. ‘Nothing. He was just leaving. Weren’t you?’
The older man smiled and took his time to rise. His eyes locked on Narciso’s and for a moment Ruby thought she understood the connection, then dismissed it. What she was imagining couldn’t be possible.
Pure visceral hate existed between these two men. It coloured the air and crawled over her skin.
In her darkest days before she’d actively distanced herself from her parents, her father’s behaviour had permeated every single corner of her existence and she’d imagined she hated him. She could never accept the way Ricardo Trevelli lived his life, or the careless way he treated her mother. But she’d never encountered hate this strong. It was a potent, living thing.
She shivered. Narciso felt it and glanced down at her before refocusing on her unwanted guest.
‘Do I need to teach you another lesson, old man?’
‘Keep your money, hotshot. I understand the need to brag in front of your woman. Shame it had to cost you so much last night.’
‘It was worth it to see your face. If you need a refresher on how to win, I can accommodate you.’
The old man sneered. ‘The time is coming when I’ll wipe that smug look off your face once and for all.’
Narciso’s smile was arctic. ‘Do it quickly, then. I’m growing tired of your empty promises.’
Ruby sucked in a shocked breath at the blatant taunt. With a thick swear word that would singe the ears off a Sicilian donkey, the old man swivelled on his heel and walked away.
Narciso pulled back her chair, caught her up and swung her around to face him. ‘What did he say to you?’ he demanded, his nostrils pinched hard with the anger he was holding back.
‘Oh, he was educating me on the real meaning of your name, albeit very cryptically. Who is he anyway?’
He looked after the departing man and visibly inhaled.
‘I told you—he’s no one important. But I want you to stay away from him.’
‘That would be difficult since I don’t even know who he is.’
Tucking her arm through the crook of his elbow, he led her out of the dining area styled with large, exquisitely scrolled Chinese screens. She’d heard one of the guests comment that the stands holding up the scrolls were made of solid gold. Q Virtus, its mysterious owner, Zeus...in fact this whole place was insane with its surrealistic extravagance, secrecy and decadence.
‘You’re an intelligent woman, hopefully equipped with enough of that intuition you women are so proud of. Use it and stay clear of him.’
‘Funny, he said the same thing about you. And why does that sound suspiciously like a threat?’
He led her into another express lift and used his thumbprint and her smartwatch to activate the panel before pressing the button for the sub-basement.
‘Because it is one.’
‘So we’ve graduated from ropes to threats?’ Her attempt at humour fell flat when his face tightened further.
‘Don’t tempt me. I’m this close to breaking point.’ He held two fingers together for emphasis.
She froze when the arm imprisoning hers drew her closer to his warm body. ‘Did something go wrong with your meeting? A deal fall through or something?’
‘What makes you ask that?’
‘Aside from the confrontation just now, you seem to be in a foul mood. Did something happen?’
‘No, sweet Ruby. The “network hard” part of my day is ticking along nicely. It’s the “play harder” part that has failed miserably.’
So she was partly to blame for his disagreeable mood.
Time for a subject change.
‘Where to now?’
‘The champagne mixer in the Blue Dungeon. Then we’re leaving,’ he clipped out.
‘I thought we couldn’t leave until the lock down was lifted tonight?’
‘I’ve asked for a special dispensation from Zeus,’ he said, his gaze on the downward-moving arrow. They were sinking deeper into the bowels of the building. Ruby felt as if she were disappearing into Alice’s Wonderland. ‘The dispensation should be coming through on your smartwatch any minute now. Let me know when it does.’
‘The owner’s name really is Zeus. Seriously?’
‘You don’t find my moniker incredulous.’
‘That’s because...’ She paused, unwilling to voice the thought rattling through her head.
‘Because?’
She shrugged. ‘The Warlock suits you, somehow.’
He faced her fully, his gaze raking her face in that intensely raw way that made her feel vulnerable, exposed.
‘In what way does it suit me?’ he asked silkily.
Because you mesmerise me with very little effort. Ruby cleared her throat.
‘You’re obviously a genius at what you do.’
‘And you think my success stems from sorcery?’
She shrugged. ‘Not in the chicken bones and goat sacrificing sense but in other ways.’
One hand rose, trailed down her jaw to rest on the pulse pounding at her throat. ‘And will I be able to sway you into my bed with this potent magic of mine?’
‘No.’
His smile this time was genuine. And devastating to her senses. ‘You sound so very sure.’
‘Because I am. I told you, I don’t mix business and pleasure.’
His smile dimmed. ‘Would this have anything to do with your ex-almost-lover?’
‘I believe it’s a sound work ethic,’ she answered.
Once Narciso had left her on her own, she’d replayed the events of last night and this morning. Shame at her behaviour had charged through her, forcing her to quickly reinforce her crumbling self-control.
Letting her feelings run wild and free was not an option. Heartache and devastation could be the only result if she didn’t get herself back under control.
‘So you intend to let him win?’ Narciso queried softly.
‘This is my choice.’
‘If you say so.’
She had no chance to respond before the doors opened and they entered the most surreal room Ruby had ever seen. Blue lights had been placed strategically on the floors, walls and ceilings of a huge cavern. And bottles of champagne hung on wires, their labels combined with the words QV Macau.
‘What does Q Virtus mean?’ she asked.
His smile was mysterious. ‘I could tell you but I’d have to—’
‘Oh, never mind.’ She turned as an excited murmur went through the crowd.
Six acrobats clad in LED-lit costumes swung from tension cables from one end of the room to the other.
She couldn’t help her gasp of wonder at their movement. ‘Oh, my God.’
‘So that’s what it’ll sound like.’ The wicked rasp was for her ears alone. His warm breath tickled her ear, sending a tingle right to her toes.
‘Wha
t what will sound like?’
‘Your gasp of wonder when I’m deep inside you.’ His lips touched her lobe and she jerked at the electric sensation.
‘Since that’s never going to happen, you’ll just have to keep guessing,’ she replied.
He merely laughed and plucked two glasses off a sterling-silver tray that dropped down from the ceiling as if by magic. ‘Champagne?’ He passed her a glass.
She took it simply for something to do besides staring at his gorgeous face, which had transformed dramatically from his earlier formidable demeanour. He clinked glasses with her and raised his in a toast. ‘To the thrill of the challenge.’
‘I won’t participate.’
‘Too late. You threw the gauntlet. I accepted. Drink your champagne. That’s a five-thousand-dollar glass you’re holding.’
She stared down into the golden liquid before answering. ‘I don’t really drink that much.’
‘I guessed as much. Another souvenir from the ex?’
The pain of the memory scythed through her before she could guard herself against it. She shook her head.
‘Why don’t you drink, Ruby?’ His voice was hypnotic, pulling on a cord deep inside that made her want to reveal everything to him.
‘I don’t like the loss of control it gives me.’
Silver eyes narrowed. ‘Something happened to you?’
‘You could say that.’
‘Something bad?’
‘Depends on your definition of bad. Someone upset me. I thought getting drunk would solve the problem. It didn’t. It made it worse.’
‘Who was it?’
‘My father—’ She stopped as she realised how much she was revealing to him.
‘Ah, sì. Fathers. It’s such a shame they’re necessary for evolution, isn’t it?’ Although his words were light, his eyes had taken on that haunted look she’d glimpsed this morning in his kitchen.
Out of nowhere came the overwhelming urge to take his pain away. ‘I can’t believe we’re standing in one of the most spectacular rooms I’ve ever seen, discussing our daddy issues.’
‘You’re discussing your daddy issues. I have none.’
She frowned. ‘But you just said—’
His mouth tightened. ‘I merely expressed a view on evolution.’ He took a large slug of his drink and set the glass aside. ‘Come, the show’s about to begin.’
He walked her deeper into the room, to an even larger space where a stage was brightly lit in hues of blue and green.
Several more acrobats struck different poses from their ropes but as the oriental-themed music filled the room they started to perform as one. Immediately she recognised the world-renowned group whose exclusivity was reserved to royalty and the crème de la crème of A-listers.
The fluidity of their movement and sheer talent taken to hone such an awe-inspiring performance kept Ruby mesmerised for several minutes, until she noticed Narciso’s renewed tension. A glimpse at his profile showed a tense jaw and tightly pursed lips.
She debated for a second, then took a breath.
‘It’s okay if you don’t want to admit to having daddy issues. I lived in denial myself for a long time,’ she whispered, aware several guests stood close by.
‘Excuse me?’ he rasped.
‘I could apologise but I thought we were...you know...sharing.’
‘I don’t share, Ruby. At least not in that way.’
‘Listen—’
‘You’re missing the show,’ he cut across her.
Forced to curb her reply, she resumed watching the show, aware that he grew tenser with every passing minute.
A particularly daring acrobat surged right over their heads. Narciso’s hand tightened around hers. Thinking he was reacting to the spectacular display, she glanced at him, to find his gaze fixed across the stage, on the man who’d confronted her less than an hour ago.
In that instant, the resemblance between them struck her hard. Their similar heights, their silver eyes, the proud, arrogant way they viewed the world. How could she not have seen it until now?
‘Oh, my God, he’s your father.’
He stiffened and glanced down at her with cold, grim eyes. ‘He’s a man whose DNA I happen to share. Nothing more.’
Applause broke through the crowd as the show finished in a crescendo of dives and leaps choreographed so fabulously, she couldn’t help but clap despite her shocking discovery.
They were father and son. And they hated each other with a passion that was almost a separate being every time they were within feet of each other.
She wanted to know what had placed such a wide divide between them but she held her tongue. She had no right to pry into anyone’s life. Her own baggage was enough to be dealing with. After fighting for so long and so hard to get away from the noxious environment her parents chose to inhabit, the last thing she wanted was for someone like Narciso Valentino to dredge it all up.
The smartwatch on her wrist beeped twice.
Narciso glanced down at it. ‘We’re leaving.’
Her heart climbed into her throat, and she fought the snap of excitement fizzing through her. What on earth was wrong with her? She couldn’t be secretly thrilled with the thought of being alone with this man.
Could she?
Within minutes their cases were being loaded into the trunk of the stretch limo that stood idling in the underground car park, with a smartly dressed driver poised at the door. She slid in and Narciso joined her.
The moment the door shut, she wanted to fling it open and dive out. She’d thought she was venturing into the unknown by coming to Macau.
By agreeing to go to Belize with The Warlock of Wall Street, she was really stepping into an abyss.
‘I...don’t think I can...’ She stopped. What was she doing? She’d forced herself to endure a TV show after Simon had convinced her it was the only way she could fund Dolce Italia.
She’d plunged herself into the very environment she’d grown up in and actively detested just so she could establish her independence. Now she stood on the threshold of seeing it pay off.
‘Having second thoughts?’ he asked as the car rolled up a ramp and exited into bright mid-afternoon sunshine.
‘No. I’m not,’ she insisted more to herself than to him.
‘Good.’
The smartwatch emitted several discreet beeps. ‘What’s it doing?’
‘It’s erasing the evidence of my activities here.’
‘Wow, you’re not part of the CIA, are you?’
‘I could be if spies are your thing.’ He gave another of those wicked smiles and her mouth dried.
‘I’ll pass, thanks. Although I’m curious what you have to do to belong to a club like that.’ She took the watch off and examined its multifaceted detail.
‘It involves a lot more than chicken bones and goat sacrifices, I can assure you.’
Against her will, a smile tugged at her mouth. Letting go, she laughed. He joined her, his perfectly even teeth flashing in the sunlight. The deep sound echoed in the enclosed space and wrapped itself around her.
Danger! Her senses screamed again. But it was a seductive danger, akin to knowing that extra mouthful of rich, decadent mousse was deadly for you but being unable to resist the taste.
And she’d quickly discovered that if she let herself fall under his spell, he would completely bypass her hips and go straight to her heart.
‘Here, take this back.’ She held out his watch, stressing to herself that she didn’t miss having something of his so close to her skin.
‘Keep it. It’s yours.’
‘Are you serious?’ she gasped. ‘But what about its value—’
‘I wasn’t thinking of its monetary value when I offered it. And if you’r
e thinking about pawning it, think twice.’
‘I meant its sentimental value to you, of your visit here? And I’d never pawn a gift!’
‘I’m happy to hear it. As for sentiments, I prefer mine to be warm-blooded.’ He took off his mask and laid it on his knee. ‘Luckily, I have you.’
The statement sent equal parts of apprehension and excitement through her. She slowly slid the watch back onto her wrist, and watched as they approached the Pearl River. Luxury super yachts in all shapes and sizes lined the marina.
The limo drew to a stop beside a sleek speedboat and Narciso helped her out. The driver held out a leather case, its velvet inside carved in the exact shape of his mask. Narciso placed the mask inside, shut the case and handed it to the driver.
Seconds after their luggage was loaded, the pilot guided the boat towards the open river.
‘I’ve spent a lot of time asking you where we’re going but I need to ask you one more time.’
‘Don’t you trust me?’ he asked with a mockingly raised brow.
‘No.’
He laughed again. And again, the sound tugged deep inside.
‘We’re heading to the airport. My private jet will fly us to Belize.’
Nodding, she watched the disappearing skyline of Macau City. It’d earned its name, Vegas of the East, but there was also soul in this place, and in other circumstances Ruby would’ve loved to explore a lot more.
She turned to find him watching her. The hunger was back in his eyes, coupled with a dangerous restlessness.
‘What?’ she demanded when she couldn’t stand his intense scrutiny any longer.
‘I came here for a purpose. You succeeded in swaying me from that purpose. I intend to find out why.’
‘Was that purpose to destroy your father?’ she asked before she thought better of it.
He immediately stiffened. The breeze rushing over the water ruffled his hair. He slowly scythed his fingers through it without taking his eyes off her.
‘Among other things.’
‘But you decided to spare him at the last minute.’
‘A very puzzling notion indeed.’
Her heart hammered as his speculative gaze rested on her lips.
‘I don’t think it’s puzzling at all. I think you knew exactly what you were doing.’