by Kelsie Rae
“I respect you, King. We might not always see eye-to-eye, but I think you have a knack for seeing the bigger picture and are able to play your hand better than anyone I know. So yeah, I want your permission.”
He stays quiet and inspects my proposition from all angles while never relieving the pressure of his stare.
After a few long seconds, he lifts his chin. “Fine. You can talk with Dominic and find out what your options are. But you do not move forward until we both agree on a plan. We clear?”
Pushing myself up from my seat, I tap my knuckles against the hard surface of his desk. “Yeah. Thank you.”
29
Q
As I wrap my hair in a towel after drying my bare body from the shower, my skin prickles with awareness.
Someone’s watching me.
Glancing over my shoulder, my heart leaps in my chest before evening out just as quickly when I recognize the culprit.
“Hey, stranger,” I greet him. “Where have you been? It’s late.”
With his shoulder against the doorjamb and his arms crossed over his chest, Diece scans me from head to toe, so I do the same to him. He looks good in his white button-up shirt that’s rolled to his elbows. A loosened black tie hangs around his neck, and a pair of dark slacks complete the ensemble. He definitely couldn’t star in a Hallmark movie with a scowl like that, but it doesn’t stop my mouth from watering.
“I was collecting intel,” he answers me coolly. His tone screams indifference with a hint of restraint. The combination makes me pause.
With my head cocked to the side, I prod, “For?”
“For catching Sei.”
“Any luck?”
His jaw tightens. “He’s a slippery bastard. We can’t use you as bait if we don’t know where he is.”
“I could try walking around the streets again like I did before,” I offer.
“Obviously, that hasn’t been working,” he sneers. I jerk back with wide eyes before he takes a deep breath and mutters, “Sorry. It’s been a long day. Dex, Stefan, and I have been scoping out a few places he’s been known to go, but we haven’t had any luck with those, either.” With a sigh, he rubs his hand over his weary face. The bags under his eyes make my chest tighten before I sway toward him and close the distance between us. Every muscle in his body is tight, but I ignore his odd behavior and rest my head against his warm, albeit hard chest in an attempt to put him at ease.
“You’re pushing yourself too hard.”
“I promised to keep you safe, and I can’t do that until I find Sei.”
“You’ll find him.”
Another sigh.
“You will,” I promise.
He stays motionless, making me feel like I’m hugging a freaking statue, but I refuse to let him go. “I missed you.”
The seconds tick by in silence as my reservations begin whispering in the back of my mind.
He doesn’t care about you. Not in a forever kind of way.
You’re only here to pass the time.
He wouldn’t want you to stay, anyway. Why do you think he’s searching so hard for Sei?
The heat from his palm warms my bare back as it dances along my spine and makes my insecurities scatter like sand in the wind. “I missed you too.”
I swallow back the tears that are lodged in my throat.
After a few more minutes of silence, his deep voice breaks it. “Did he…?”
“Did he what?” I whisper.
He pulls the towel off my head and lets it drop to the floor. As my damp hair kisses the back of my neck, he tangles his fingers into it then pulls me back into his chest like I’m his lifeline. “Did he ever talk to you about where he likes to go? What he would do if Burlone died?”
“We didn’t talk much,” I mutter while trying to rein in my galloping heart.
Sensing my anxiety, he starts, “You don’t have to—”
“I know.” I peek up at him. “But I want to help. Let me think for a second.” The silence is suffocating as I search through my memories for an inkling as to where he might be hiding. Then I purse my lips. “He never really considered the possibility that Burlone would fail at anything. He was adamant that he’d take over the Allegretti family once Burlone retired and that I’d be his”—my mouth fills with acid, but I swallow it down—“queen. I don’t really think he had a backup plan. He didn’t feel like he needed one. Did you try talking to Will? He was with him….”
“Yeah, we tried. Just said he was in an old apartment. Didn’t say much more and was blindfolded whenever they left the house. Hell, even if he wasn’t blindfolded, he’s a kid. It’s not like he looks at street signs and shit.”
Good point.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I can’t think of anything else.”
“Don’t be sorry. We’ll find him.”
“I know.”
The real question is…what then? What happens after Sei’s off the streets? What happens to us? I wish I had the courage to ask him, but the words get lodged in my throat.
Diece rubs his hands up and down my bare arms before leaning back to examine me closer. “It’s late. You should get some sleep.” Untangling himself from my grasp, he takes a step toward the exit before I can even understand what’s going on.
“Wait!” I call out. “Where are you going?”
“I’m going to shower then go to bed.”
“The shower is right here.” I motion to the still steamy glass enclosure in the white marble bathroom.
He studies it for a few seconds, then picks up the towel at our feet and wraps it around my bare chest. “I figured I’d use a different one. I don’t want to keep you up.”
I can’t decide if he’s being thoughtful or distant, and I catch myself squeezing my hands into fists.
With the last of my self-control, I release all the pent up oxygen in my lungs. “You should stay. I won’t be able to sleep without you, anyway.”
“I’m sure you’ll be fine,” he deflects with that same icy tone as before.
“Excuse me?”
Where the hell is this coming from?
“Look, I’m tired. I don’t want to argue. I just figured you might want some space, and I’m trying to give it to you.”
“Why would I want space?”
A low curse escapes his lips before he roughly rubs his hand from his forehead to his chin as his exhaustion and frustration fight for dominance.
“Just…get some rest, Q.” Then he heads to the exit.
Reaching for his arm, I force him to stay with me before stepping between him and his escape. His eyes widen for an instant, then return to indifference as he stares at the wall behind me, pretending like I don’t even exist.
“What’s going on with you?” I demand.
“Nothing.”
“Bullshit. Talk to me. Something’s different.”
“Get some sleep, Q.”
“Will you stop it?” I spit before standing on my tiptoes in hopes of grabbing his attention, but he refuses to look at me. And it kills me. “Do you not want to sleep with me anymore? Is that it?”
He scoffs. “It’s called fucking.”
I flinch back. “Excuse me?”
“I didn’t stutter.”
“Stop! Stop being like this,” I plead. “Please. I’m begging you. I don’t know what happened tonight, or why you’re acting like this, but please don’t push me away. This isn’t like you. Will you…will you just look at me?”
His hardened eyes find mine. But for the first time since we met, they aren’t warm and inviting. The light isn’t there. He’s nothing but a stranger. And it chills me to the bone.
“D….”
“I just need some space.”
“Why me?” I choke out, praying he won’t break my heart when I was so close to giving it to him. “I want to know why you wanted me that day in Kingston’s office. Was I just a pretty face? A toy? Something to pass the time? Something to fuck?” My voice breaks. “Why me?”
His eyes soften and lose their flinty sheen, giving me a glimpse of the man I’ve been falling for. The warmth from his hand melts a bit of the iciness building between us as he lifts his hand and cups my cheek. I lean into his touch, desperate to fix this. Whatever this is.
His gaze drops down to my lips, but he stays quiet as the air pulses between us, leaving me with more questions than answers. We’ve been having sex regularly ever since I gave myself to him. And every time we connected physically and emotionally, I’ve healed a little more. Each and every touch erased the scars created by Sei’s abuse. Each and every moment eased the ache in my chest and hinted at a future that I thought was ripped away from me.
One that’s filled with happiness, and unconditional love, and safety.
But I want it with the man in front of me. The scary mafia man who saved me from Hell. The guy who watches Hallmark movies just to see me smile and taught me self-defense.
That guy.
Not the guy from two minutes ago who looked at me with contempt. Like I was chewed gum that he stepped in by accident and is left to clean up the mess.
And right now, I don’t know what to think.
“You want the truth, Q?” he asks, that same tortured expression slipping into his features.
“Yes,” I whisper.
“I wanted you because I knew you were stronger than you think. Sexier than you can imagine. And just broken enough to accept me and my connection to the Romano family.”
Confused, my eyebrows pinch, and I replay his comment before asking, “What do you mean?”
“I mean that if I’d met you before you were taken, you wouldn’t have given me the time of day.” I can see him slipping away. I can feel it in my bones.
“That’s not true—”
“Yes, it is.”
“No, it’s not.”
“So, you’re telling me that you didn’t dream of finding a Hallmark guy instead of a beast attached to the mafia?”
I flinch back. “What?”
“Isn’t that what you told me at Matteo’s estate?”
“Well…yeah, but—”
“Don’t lie to yourself, Q,” he murmurs. The anger from before has transformed into a resigned sadness that breaks me. “Without your shitty past, you wouldn’t have been able to see past the suits, the Romano family, and the blood on my hands. Hell, you couldn’t stand the sight of me when we first met—”
“That’s because I’d been raped over and over again for weeks,” I cry. “I couldn’t stand the sight of anyone, including myself, I might add. Where is this coming from?”
The real Diece fights his way to the surface and scrubs his hand across his face in defeat. Like the battle that’s raging inside of him is taking its toll, but he doesn’t know how to stop it.
“Talk to me, D,” I plead. “Where is this coming from?”
“Honestly? I don’t even know anymore. Look—”
The door flings open, and D shoves me behind his massive frame to protect me from the unexpected visitor.
“What is it?” Diece barks.
“We had a few motion sensors go off in the back,” Lou announces, his voice laced with panic. “Someone’s on the property.”
“Who?”
“We don’t know. Dark figure wearing a hoodie. Come on.”
“I’ll be right there,” Diece returns before turning back to me. “Stay here.”
“Where are you going?”
“I gotta go help find our little visitor.”
“Do you think it could be—”
“Just stay here and don’t leave this room. Lou will be in the security room down the hall. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
His back muscles bunch and flex beneath his white shirt as he stalks toward the door, leaving me alone.
And scared out of my damn mind.
Racing toward the closet, I grab the first set of clothes I can get my hands on. The thin cotton material sticks to my damp skin as I pull the T-shirt over my head then stick my legs into a pair of shorts. Once decent, I run my hands through my short hair and stumble across the hallway into Will’s room.
I can’t leave him alone.
The door creaks as I push it open and take in his room. It’s blanketed in darkness, with only the light from the window casting shadows along the walls. There’s a little lump beneath the covers, and I breathe a sigh of relief before spotting the closed door that belongs to the closet. It taunts me. Daring me to open it and check for the monsters that lie in wait.
I hate closed doors. I hate them with every fiber of my being. The unknown of what’s waiting on the other side. The claustrophobia that threatens to consume me. All of it. With my heart in my throat, I inch closer, then look back at the little lump on the mattress.
For Will.
I need to check for Will.
My hands tremble, and my palms are sweaty as I reach for the handle and twist.
It’s empty.
I exhale and laugh to myself at how ridiculous I’m being when a hand covers my mouth and jerks me back. A squeal escapes me, only to be lost in the perpetrator’s black glove.
But it’s the smell that makes my knees give out. The familiar stench of acrid smoke.
His warm breath fans my cheek and makes me gag as the familiar voice that haunts my dreams chills me to the bone.
“Did you miss me, Peach?”
30
Q
Paralyzed, I squeeze my eyes shut, convinced I’m locked in another one of my nightmares. My fingers grapple with the doorjamb as he tugs me backward, treating my body like a ragdoll. I’m desperate to find some traction, but it’s useless.
Elbowing him in the side, he hunches forward but keeps his hold on me and shoves me toward the bed. I land on top of Will with a thud, sandwiched between the two of them. Will’s eyes snap open before Sei backhands him and seethes, “Make one sound, and I gut you right here.”
Will’s lower lip quivers, but he nods his understanding and doesn’t make a sound.
“Good boy,” Sei praises, keeping his voice quiet. “You’re going to stay here and not make a peep. If you do, I’m going to kill your little friend here. Understand?”
Again, Will nods.
“Good. And Peach”—he leans forward and breathes me in—“you’re going to come with me. I’m going to remove my hand, but if you make a single sound, then I’ll kill the kid. Understand?”
Will’s eyes widen with fear as they connect with mine before he mouths, Please.
My head bobs up and down like a good little soldier while vomit creeps its way up my throat.
No, no, no, no. This can’t be happening. I can’t do this again. But I can’t let him hurt Will. He’s just a kid. He deserves a life without monsters like this one. How do I get us both out of this?
Sei removes his hand and pushes himself up, then tangles his hand into my hair and wrenches me to my feet when I don’t join him quickly enough.
“You cut your hair,” he seethes.
I gulp but stay quiet.
“You know how much I loved your hair.” Twisting his punishing grip, my hair feels like it’s being ripped from my scalp, so I grimace and nod.
“Yes. Yes, I know,” I cry, keeping my voice quiet.
“You’ll pay for that later. Right now, we’re getting out of here. And remember. You step out of line, and I kill you and the kid. My patience is gone, Peach. Trust me.”
Will’s terrified gaze catches mine a second time as he lays frozen on the mattress.
“It’ll be okay,” I whisper to him. “Just do what Sei says, and everything will be fine. You’ll be safe here. I promise.”
“Queena—”
“Get moving, Peach,” Sei growls, cutting off Will. “Now.”
He shoves me toward the balcony window, then squeezes my bicep as he searches for something hidden in the green vines that climb the exterior of the house. A long piece of rope is revealed a few seconds later.
“Ladies
first.”
“H-how did you get that there?”
“You think I don’t know how to climb a trellis, Peach?”
“The cameras—”
“Were disabled.” He finishes for me. “Your boys are looking on the opposite side of the property. Now, get moving. And before you even think about running as soon as your feet hit the ground, take a good long look at the gun tucked in my jeans.” He lifts his shirt to display the black handle. “You won’t make it more than five feet before I gun you down.”
“Dying would be better than going anywhere with you,” I spit.
“And where would that leave me? Without my sweet Peach to taste every night?” he counters with a grin. “I’d be left to find another piece of fruit, now wouldn’t I? Maybe your friend Regina or Ace can help fill the position. I bet their pussies taste like raspberries, don’t you?”
Nostrils flaring, I keep my mouth shut but pray to whatever gods might be listening that he’ll burn up on the spot. He deserves to be tortured in Hell for all eternity, and the thought of him hurting someone else…it guts me.
His toxic smirk holds so much promise that I want to collapse into a ball and cry.
“Please,” I whisper.
He ignores my plea and returns, “You’re right, though.”
Confused, I stutter, “A-about what?”
His hand spreads across my lower abdomen a few inches above my pubic bone before he pulls me into his chest so that my back is plastered against it. Then he runs his nose up and down the column of my throat. “I’ve always been a sucker for peaches.”
Throwing my head to the side, I barely connect with his nose, but it doesn’t crunch the way I’m praying it will. The way Diece taught me it would if I did the defensive move properly.
Shit.
I can’t think clearly. I can’t think at all. Not when he’s touching me.
He tsks. “Seems like someone has forgotten their place. Now get down the fucking rope, or I’ll carve up your little boy in there. Go!” He shoves me toward the rope, but I fall to my knees, twisting my ankle.
