by Julia Sykes
But no one in the packed restaurant seemed to be sparing us a second glance.
Well, that wasn’t exactly accurate. A balding, middle-aged man caught my eye as I looked around. After a second of eye contact, his genial expression melted, and he paled. He quickly looked away.
I glanced up to find Marco scowling at the man. His face was harder than I’d ever seen it, the harsh lines of his square jaw set and his cold eyes narrowed.
He must have felt my gaze on him, because he blinked once and looked back at me. The fierce expression was gone in an instant. He didn’t smile at me, but he wasn’t scowling, either. I realized that the neutral expression he usually wore must be his default. I’d thought he was trying to be intimidating when his face was carefully blank. But I’d just seen his actual intimidating expression, and the neutral one was practically a silly grin in comparison.
I fiddled with my napkin in my lap to hide my trembling fingers beneath the table. Marco was even scarier than I’d imagined.
The server came by to take our order. Before I could look at the menu, Marco barked out a list of dishes that could probably feed five people.
“That’s a lot of food,” I remarked when the server left.
He shrugged. “I’m hungry. And this way, you can try some of everything.”
“Oh.” He still wasn’t smiling, but that seemed like a nice thing to say. Like he cared about whether or not I enjoyed my dinner. “Okay. Thanks.”
He tipped his head in a slight nod, acknowledging my response.
Joseph’s fingers laced with mine beneath the table, stopping me from picking at my napkin. My anxiety mostly melted away at his reassuring touch.
“Ashlyn was asking about the pool earlier,” Joseph told Marco. “Any progress on that?”
Marco’s granite jaw firmed, and his eyes narrowed on Joseph. I would have scooted away if he’d turned that glare on me, but Joseph didn’t seem affected. I supposed he was used to it.
“Well, keep me updated,” Joseph said when Marco didn’t deign to answer. “It’s really important to Ashlyn.”
Marco’s eyes riveted on me again, and I shifted in my seat. He wasn’t glaring anymore, but his gaze was… intense. I wanted to look away, but that strange sensation of being trapped by his stare alone kept me locked in place.
“Why 1997unicorn?” he asked.
I blinked. “What?” I said, a bit breathlessly. It was the last thing I’d expected him to say. I’d thought we were about to have an argument about the pool.
“Your password,” he prompted. “Why did you choose 1997unicorn? I’m assuming the university didn’t assign it to you.”
“Oh. Well.” I shifted again. Joseph’s fingers firmed on mine, grounding me. “That’s the year I was born. And I guess I just, um, I like unicorns?” The last came out as a question.
The corners of his mouth curved again. “What do you like about them?”
“What?” I was acting like a total idiot who couldn’t carry a conversation, but this entire line of questioning was baffling. Why would Marco care about my interest in unicorns, of all things?
“You heard me,” he said, his voice coming out in a rich, deep tone I’d never heard from him before. It was much warmer than anything he’d ever said, but somehow more… powerful.
“Well, they’re beautiful.” The words tumbled out of my mouth. “And, I don’t know, magical. I just like the idea of them, I guess. I used to love the movie The Last Unicorn growing up. I’d watch it all the time.”
He grinned. He actually grinned. And it wasn’t the scary, sharply amused smile I’d seen him wear once before. This was a genuine smile, and it reached his eyes. They crinkled at the corners, and warmth actually eclipsed the hard, cold light that usually reflected off them.
I’d never appreciated how ruggedly handsome Marco was. I’d been fully aware of his masculine physique, and I’d picked each of his harsh features apart in moments of fear. But when he smiled like this, he didn’t seem all that frightening. He was magnetic, compelling.
“I need the bathroom,” I said suddenly, almost surprising myself. Sitting so close to Marco was too… Well, I didn’t exactly feel uncomfortable around him right now. It was more… intense. Sitting close to Marco was intense.
“We’ll be right here, angel,” Joseph said, squeezing my hand one last time before releasing it.
I popped up out of my chair and hurried to the bathroom. Embarrassingly, I ended up getting a little lost looking for it. The brunette who’d showed us to our table directed me from the front of the restaurant back toward the kitchen. The ladies’ room was down a long hall to the left. Luckily, it was far out of sight from Joseph and Marco, so they hadn’t seen me wandering around like an idiot. I’d already made enough of a fool of myself, talking to Marco about unicorns.
And what the hell had all that been about? Why would Marco care about me liking unicorns? It was a silly, childish thing, and I was a little embarrassed by it. There was a reason I’d chosen it for my password; passwords were secret.
Even though I hadn’t particularly needed to go, I used the facilities and washed my hands. When I’d dried them, I lingered in front of the mirror for a minute longer, willing the pink blush to subside from my cheeks. My body was hot, flushed. It was cold outside, but I’d been far too overheated when surrounded by Joseph’s and Marco’s bulk.
Ice water, I told myself. I need ice water.
I unlocked the bathroom door and took a few more seconds to smooth my hair back from my face. I heaved in a deep breath, bracing myself to return to the table.
I wasn’t sure why I felt the need to brace myself. Joseph was there, waiting for me. He would make sure I was safe and happy.
The bathroom door swung open, and I jolted.
“Occupied,” I said, but the lady didn’t seem to care.
No. It wasn’t a lady.
A man stepped into the small, tiled space. He was almost as tall as Joseph, even if he wasn’t as broad. He looked leaner. Scrappier. Meaner.
His lips were curled in a sneer, a wicked scar on his right cheek puckering with his twisted expression.
“This is the ladies’ room,” I said, trying not to stare at his scar.
He shut the door behind him. Locked it.
“I wanted to talk to you, Ashlyn.” He took a step toward me.
I took a step back, and my butt hit the wall. The space was too small, and the man was too close.
Before I could open my mouth to scream for Joseph, the man pulled aside his leather jacket to reveal a gun holstered at his side. His other hand came up to his face, and he pressed his finger against his lips as he shushed me.
“What do you want?” I whispered, not daring to raise my voice any louder. “How do you know my name?”
“I know a lot of things about you.” He took another step toward me, but there was nowhere for me to go, nowhere to run. “Not as much as Joseph knows about you, judging by the pictures my friends took.” He reached up and brushed the backs of his fingers down my cheek.
I turned my face away, but he didn’t break contact. My heart hammered against my ribs, fear coursing through my veins. It was just as toxic as it had been the night Marco kidnapped me. Only, this man wasn’t reassuring me that he would take me to Joseph and keep me safe.
He traced the line of my jaw before picking up a lock of my hair. He lifted it to his nose and inhaled deeply. I shuddered, feeling more violated than I had when he’d touched my face.
“You’re very pretty,” he told me. “I can see why Joseph likes you. I’m sure he’d be heartbroken if anything happened to you.”
A soft knock sounded against the door. “Ashlyn?”
“Joseph!” I gasped out his name, too breathless to scream for him.
A loud bang echoed through the bathroom as the door flew open, the wood splintering around the broken lock. Joseph slammed into the man who’d been threatening me, his momentum taking them both to the floor.
I shrieke
d when strong arms grabbed me.
“It’s me,” Marco said. “I’ve got you.”
He picked me up, cradling me against his chest as he turned me away from the violence. Joseph brought his fist down on the man’s nose. I saw blood spray, and I hid my face against Marco’s neck.
“Don’t kill him, Joseph,” Marco warned as he carried me away. “We can’t draw first blood.”
Marco rushed through the restaurant, his big body shielding mine as he held me close, his huge arms protecting me. Several patrons exclaimed and stood to gawk, but Marco didn’t seem to care. He was completely focused on getting me away from the man who’d scared me.
“Wait!” I twisted in his arms when cool night air kissed my skin. “Joseph.” We couldn’t leave him behind. “That man had a gun.” My panic spiked, and I squirmed against Marco’s hold.
“He won’t use it,” Marco promised me. “They were just trying to send a message. Joseph will be fine.”
“You can’t know that!” I continued struggling, but his arms were iron around me.
“He’s already behind us.”
I listened, registering heavy footfalls racing toward us, closing the distance between us. I craned my head back to look over Marco’s shoulder.
“Joseph,” I practically sobbed his name as relief ripped through me.
“I’ll drive,” Joseph told Marco as he caught up to us. “You cover her.”
Marco nodded, shifting me slightly so he could open the back door of the BMW. He slid inside with me, placing me on my back along the seat. I heard Joseph slam the driver’s side door, and the car lurched forward. Marco leaned over me, his weight pressing me down into the padded seat as his body covered mine.
“That’s it,” he said, his voice low and soothing. “Hold on to me. You’re safe.”
I didn’t realize my fingers had curled into the front of his shirt, and I was holding on to him for dear life.
Marco’s huge hands started roving over my body with shocking gentleness. “Did he touch you? Did he hurt you?” Despite his gentle hands, his words were a rough growl.
“N-no,” I stammered, my teeth clicking together. It was so cold in the car. “He just said…” I trailed off, shivering at the memory of the man’s hand on my face.
“What did he say?” Marco prompted.
“He knew my name. He said his friends had pictures of Joseph and me together. He said Joseph would be upset if anything happened to me.”
Joseph’s harsh curse floated back to me, and the engine roared as the car picked up speed.
“We’re through the gates,” he announced a few minutes later. He must have smashed the speed limit to get us back to the estate so quickly.
Marco finally sat up, pulling me with him so I sat in his lap. He held me close and placed his hand on the side of my head, tucking my face against his chest. My fingers were still fisted in his shirt, but he didn’t seem to mind. He rubbed my chilled arms with his free hand, and he stroked my hair with the other.
“It’s okay, princess. I know that was scary, but you’re safe now.”
I nodded against him, soothed by the deep timbre of his voice. I was so rattled by what had happened, I didn’t even register the strange fact that I was feeling comforted by Marco. Just a few hours ago, I’d found him frightening.
But there was nothing scary about the way he held me, warming my chilled skin with his body heat. Tears spilled from my eyes, wetting his shirt.
“You can cry,” he assured me. “Hold on to me and cry. You’ll feel better after.”
I nodded, letting the tears flow freely as I purged all the residual fear from my system. Marco was right. I did feel better.
I was safe in his strong arms, and I didn’t have to be afraid of him anymore.
Chapter Twelve
Joseph
“I need to go into the city to see my father. I need to talk to him about the threat to Ashlyn. They must have been watching the estate this whole time,” I told Marco as I quickly ate the eggs and bacon he’d prepared for me. Ashlyn was still sleeping upstairs, likely exhausted from the trauma she’d faced last night.
Rage rushed through me at the thought of that fucker threatening her, touching her. Ricky Bianchi was easily recognizable by the scar on his cheek. Now, he’d have a broken nose to make him look even uglier.
The fact that I’d bloodied him could cause problems for my father—fighting within the family was forbidden. But Ricky had threatened Ashlyn, so I hoped that balanced out my actions. I didn’t want to be the one who instigated war. The threat to Ashlyn had been an intimidation tactic, a power play.
I knew that wouldn’t be nearly enough to make my father concede his rightful place as the presumptive boss. He’d been named successor, and he wouldn’t back down because of a few slights and insults. Gabriel Costa would literally take power over my father’s dead body.
Ricky might not have hurt Ashlyn, but I’d seen how close he’d gotten to her when I’d broken down the bathroom door. I’d gone to check on her since she was taking a while, and when she gasped my name, I’d known in my gut that something was wrong.
“I agree. You need to tell your father about this,” Marco said, his face twisting with fury that matched my own. He’d grown attached to Ashlyn, too, despite the fact that she didn’t like him.
Attached wasn’t a strong enough word. I’d seen the way he’d held her last night. I’d heard him call her princess. I knew what that meant.
He was just as obsessed as I was.
I speared him with a significant stare. “You won’t do anything while I’m gone, will you?”
“Like what?” he asked, feigning ignorance.
“You know what. I don’t want you to frighten her again. I think she’s finally coming around, after last night. She’s not scared of you anymore. Don’t undo the progress we’ve made.”
He frowned. “You’re wrong about her, you know. She might look delicate, but she could handle me. She could handle us.”
“I swear to god, Marco, don’t keep pushing me on this. Back off.”
His frown deepened to a scowl, but I saw the hurt flash in his eyes. “You really don’t want to share her with me? You really think I’d do something to hurt her?”
I blew out a breath. “I know you’d never hurt her. But you don’t understand her. Not like I do.”
“I think you’re the one who doesn’t understand. You’re blinded by your obsession with what you think she is. You want her to be this pure, perfect angel who will save you from your ugly life. She might be pure and perfect, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t want you, Joseph. The real you. Stop holding back.”
Longing tugged at my chest, and for the first time, doubt crept into my mind. Ever since I’d captured her and told her I was keeping her, she’d been… different. Sometimes, she seemed like her mind was somewhere else when she was with me.
“You know I’m right,” Marco pressed on, reading my hesitation.
I shook my head. “If she’s been acting distant sometimes, it’s because I haven’t earned her trust back yet. It’ll take time for her to open up to me again. I betrayed her with my deception.”
He cocked his head at me. “And how long has she been acting distant?”
“Since we kidnapped her, obviously.”
“She didn’t seem distant in those first couple of days with you. I saw the way she looked at you. I heard her screaming out her orgasms. Are you sure her distance didn’t start a little later? Maybe after she saw my sketches?”
My stomach turned. “If that’s the cause, then she’s putting distance between us because she’s scared of what she saw.”
“I don’t think so. She wants it, Joseph.”
I held up a hand. “Stop this. Just stop. I won’t risk scaring her away. I need her, Marco. Don’t you get that?”
He sobered, his hard demeanor easing. “Of course I do. I saw how you were without her, and I’ve seen you together. I know you, Joseph. I get it. But I
still think you’re wrong about her.”
“Then we’ll agree to disagree,” I said, tired of the argument. I sighed. “I need to go. I’m going to say goodbye to Ashlyn before I head into the city to meet with my father. I’ll see you tonight.”
He nodded, allowing me to close the subject.
I left him in the kitchen and headed upstairs to kiss Ashlyn before I had to leave. I didn’t want to go, not after she’d been threatened. But she’d be safe on the estate. She’d be safe with Marco.
I needed to deal with the threat where it really mattered. If Ashlyn was being targeted, it was actually an attack on my father, an attempt to intimidate us. No one in the family wanted to strike first, so my father’s enemies would make subtler power plays until things escalated out of control.
I hoped it wouldn’t get to that point, but if they thought they could come anywhere near Ashlyn, I’d do whatever it took to keep her safe.
I opened the bedroom door softly. I didn’t want to truly disturb her; she needed to rest. But I at least had to see her, had to touch her, before I could leave. I was addicted to her, just as obsessed as Marco claimed.
I brushed her silky dark hair back from her face and pressed a soft kiss against her pale cheek. She let out a happy little humming noise and stretched like a sleepy kitten. She was so adorable, it made my heart ache. I’d be perfectly content to stay here and touch her all day. I’d never get enough of her: her soft body; her sounds of pleasure as I stroked her skin with reverence; her screams of ecstasy when I pinned her down and fucked her hard.
The thought of restraining her burned into my mind, images of her bound in my ropes tormenting me.
No. I shoved the tempting picture from my brain.
The connection we shared was enough to keep me satisfied for ten lifetimes. I could do without my kinky toys as long as I could just have her in my arms.
“Good morning,” she mumbled, her lips curving in a small smile as she opened her pretty blue eyes.
“Good morning, angel. How are you feeling?”