by Holt, Leah
“It's business, Berlin, that's all I'm going to tell you. Come,” he said, jerking his head and moving his arm. “Take my arm before I get angry.”
Slipping my arm into his, I let him lead me back the way I had come. Looking over my shoulder, I spotted the basement door, and was relieved to be walking away from it.
What the hell is happening here?
Virgo caught me, following my gaze. “Did you think you were in trouble?” he asked as the corner of his lip twitched up with a smirk.
“What was I suppose to think?”
“Did you do something I need to know about?” I didn't answer, allowing my eyes to float to his. “I know about the stunt you pulled with Aubrey, and I was going to punish you too, but then I thought it would be more fun to give her a few extra instead.”
Clenching my jaw, I veered my stare. “It should have been me, not her.”
“You're right, it should have been. But she wouldn't put any blame on you, so I guess you can thank her for that.”
She's stronger than I thought.
“What business do you have with me?” Watching the floor as we walked, I stepped over small cracks in the concrete, wishing I was thin enough to slip through and disappear.
Is he selling me? Is that what this is all about?
Virgo didn't answer as he took a corner and stopped. Nodding at the guard outside the door, he asked, “Is he here yet?”
“Not yet.”
He? Who is he talking about?
“Perfect.” Smiling down at me, he lifted his hand to my arm and patted it. “You're going to love this, Berlin.”
The guard opened the door, stepping out of the way to let us in. Entering the room, I looked around. It was a new place to me, one of the few rooms I hadn't had the luxury of seeing before.
There was a long wooden table in the center, with several chairs placed around the outside. A thick oriental rug was beneath the table, and the walls had pictures of old Italian relics.
What the hell is this room for?
There was a recreation of the Volto Santo and the Shroud of Turlin. A painting of the Villa of Mysteries was hanging on the wall behind the table. My eyes were scanning each image, taken by the beauty and ironic nature of them being in Virgo's hands.
So much beauty for such a dark place.
“Beautiful isn't it?” he asked, walking up to an image of a woman on a horse and admiring her. Nodding in agreement, I stepped to one of a woman standing on the crest of a wave. “That's Venus,” he said, walking up beside me, his eyes mesmerized. “This painting is suppose to show her actual birth from the sea.”
“Why do you have this?” I asked, unsure how something so breathtaking fit into his world.
All I saw was darkness, a black hole that kept swirling and swirling, growing stronger every minute. I didn't see beauty, I didn't see color or shapes.
“Because I give life, Berlin, just like the sea gave her life. I take a seed and grow a flower, I formed everything in this place, just me. Without me, you'd have nothing.”
He said it as if I should be grateful for him, like he had given me something to cherish. He wasn't God, he was the Devil. He destroyed life, he tore it to pieces and put it back together like a shattered vase, and he expected that vase to still hold water.
I held nothing, I was too broken to be filled. All of us were, and yet he thought of himself as a creator.
Without you I'd actually be living.
My mouth opened to speak, but a knock on the door stopped me. Virgo turned to look at the door as it opened. The guard stuck his head inside, and said, “He's here.”
“Good, send him in.” Virgo swirled his hand in the air as he gripped my arm and guided me over to the table. “This is going to be fun. I have a surprise for you.”
“A surprise?” I asked as he pulled out a chair and pushed me down.
Smiling, his eyes twinkled with an evil glow, but he didn't answer, simply pulling out a chair for himself at the head of the table and sitting down. Steepling his fingers, he watched me carefully as his smile widened.
Leaning forward, I asked him again. “What surprise, Virgo?”
Left in silence, my heart started to pound as he let his eyes shift off of me and onto the door. He refused to answer me, leaving my mind to tumble and whirl with questions.
Why am I here?
What does he want from me?
What is the surprise?
There was no way for me to know. Not if he didn't tell me.
All I could was wonder. . .
Until the door opened.
Chapter Thirteen
Salt
Two men led me down the dimly lit hallway. They each had a gun, which they didn't show me, but I knew the cold metal was there, tucked discretely into the back of their pants. It was their protection. Protection against me.
These useless fucks have no idea.
Stopping at a door, the guard outside opened it, giving me a head nod to go in. I was highly aware of the situation I was walking into. I wasn't a fucking idiot, oblivious to the intimidation Virgo was trying to use against me.
The dark hall.
The ominous lighting.
The bulky assholes he had leading me to the powerhouse in this fucking place.
All of it was his way of letting me know he was in control.
Sadly for him, it wasn't going to work. I could kill every single one of these fuckers before any of them knew what hit them. I knew that and so did Virgo. But of course he needed his men to think they held some cheap value.
What a fucking joke.
Stepping inside, the first thing I noticed was Berlin. Her hair was knotted up and frizzy, her arms were red and bruised. Dark rings traced the thin skin under her lids, highlighting a stare that was angry, full of sadness and pain. As our eyes connected, I watched her skin turn white and her face fall flat.
Why the hell is she here?
Studying her expression, it was easy for me to see that we were both left in the dark. She looked shocked, confused, her mind tumbling with questions about what was going on.
“Bentley,” Virgo said, holding out his arms to welcome me in. “So glad you made it.”
“Virgo,” I said, puffing out my chest and standing taller.
I had called him earlier in the day, telling him it was time to meet. I let him create the details of when and where, not really concerned that he wanted it in his war room.
But I had no clue that I'd be walking into a meeting with her too.
“Please, have a seat with us.” His smile was thin, spreading like a crack across glass as he spoke. “We've been waiting for you.”
Taking a seat across from Virgo, I folded my hands on the table. I didn't say a word, I just stared down the table at him, never breaking away. The air in the room felt charged, filled with testosterone and power.
We both wanted the power, we both wanted to be the alpha, but we also both knew who that belonged to. And it wasn't him.
But I would let him play his games, appeasing him for the moment. It was the least I could do since I was in his home.
“I went over the papers you gave me,” Virgo finally said, his words cutting through the tension in the air. “And I'll be honest, I don't care for the changes.”
“Really? I thought they were pretty fair, all things considering.” Leaning back, I let my eyes fall on Berlin. “But honestly, I thought this business was between us. What's she doing here?”
“Oh her,” he said, waving a hand carelessly. “Berlin knows this business, maybe even better than both of us together. This girl,” he said, pointing at her. “This girl is right in the thick of it. I saw the sparkle in your eye the other day after you had your time with her, I didn't think you'd mind me bringing her along.” His lips folded into a heavy grimace as his face contorted like a mad scientist.
Crooking my jaw, I laid my hands down flat. I could feel Berlin's eyes as she watched me, taking notes on everything I did. Flicking my gaze to hers, she dro
pped her eyes to the table.
The more I looked at her, the more injuries I could see. Fresh wounds peppered her neck, perfectly circular in shape and the size of fingertips, her left eye was swollen, puffing around the edges. I didn't like it, it made me angry.
What has he done to you, my little flower?
“What happened to her?” Floating my eyes back to Virgo, he was chewing on his cheeks with that fucking smile I wanted to strip off his face.
“Bentley, come on, don't pretend like you don't know how it works here. You've been around long enough to know exactly what I do. And I think you enjoy it as much as I do.”
“Enjoy it?” Narrowing my eyes, my brows dipped in. “Not once have I ever agreed with what you do.”
“And yet, you've never done anything to stop me.”
“It wasn't my business, but if you want to make it my—”
Cutting me off, he slyly said, “I know she sucked you off, she told me all about it.” Berlin flinched as he said it, closing her eyes tight. “But,” he said, standing from his seat and walking up behind her. “What she refused to tell me was what you two talked about. Berlin has a problem with following directions and lying to me. She's wearing the colors of a disobedient liar.”
I'm going to fucking kill you. . .
“So you beat her for it?” Veering my stare, my nostrils flared wide.
“Oh, I didn't beat her.” Flicking his eyes to look down on her head, the edge of his lip curled. “The bitch got mouthy with one of my guys, she got what she deserved. But lying causes the same colors.” Using his hand to lift her chin, he forced her to look up at him. Trolling his eyes around her face, he had this look of satisfaction, as if he was proud of the damage on her body. “But forget that, tell me what you two discussed when you were alone. You paid her a lot of money for nothing, something else must have happened in that room besides a blow-job.”
Baring my teeth, I felt my muscles as they tensed, ready to throw the table and charge him. “It's none of your fucking business what was said between us. I paid her well, isn't that all you should give a fuck about?”
“It's not the money, although it was good, it's what was said behind those doors. What did you tell her, what did she tell you?” Resting his hands on her shoulders, he gently massaged her. “Because I'll be honest, she's pretty, but her skills aren't worth that kind of money. And I know, trust me.”
Gritting my teeth, I did my best to stay in my chair and not jump across the table and slit his throat. I wanted to and it was hard as hell to not just act on it.
Balling my fists, I peered up at him with a snarl on my face. Staying quiet, I refused to give him an answer. Whatever happened was between us. And that blow-job was all her, I didn't ask for it. Even though deep down I would have fucked her if she wanted it.
But she didn't want it and I wasn't that type of guy. If I was going to fuck her, it would be because she was begging me to give it to her. I didn't want to sleep with a lifeless doll.
“If you're not going to discuss our business, then you're wasting my time.”
As I started to stand, Virgo barked, “Sit back down.” His teeth were clenched, his face turning red as the power he wanted to exert was obviously failing.
“Excuse me?” I asked, cocking my head and glaring at him. Snapping my back square, my jaw clicked hard. “I know you didn't just talk to me like that. I'm not one of your fucking goons, I'll walk right out that door and you'll never see me again. But, not before I fucking reach down your throat and pull your balls out of your filthy fucking mouth.”
Virgo's demeanor changed instantly, his face twisting as his mouth pursed tight. There was a long silence, a silence I wasn't going to fill until he stepped off his perch.
“Alright, let's talk business.”
“Those papers,” I said, my voice coarse and firm. “You can fucking forget them now, I changed my mind, I want something else.” Sitting back down, I folded my hands on the table.
“Something else?” he asked flatly, digging his thin fingers into Berlin's shoulders. “Do I look like a man who negotiates?”
“There won't be any negotiations, you don't get to make choices on this anymore.” Stroking my jaw, I let my eyes fall on Berlin. “You need me, and in order for that to happen, I know what I want.”
“And what's that?” he asked, the tone in voice highly aware of what I was going to say as he followed my gaze to the beauty beneath his hands.
“You know.”
Thinning his lips, his brows bent angrily. “No.”
“No?” Smiling, I pushed my chest against the table. “She's one of many, Virgo, you don't need her. Let me take her off your hands.” I watched Berlin's back stiffen as she realized what I meant.
“She's not for sale, Salt.”
“Salt? Wow, I don't think I've ever heard you call me that.”
“I'm not playing fucking games with you, she's not for sale, period.”
“Everything here is for sale, aren't those your words?”
“Not this one, she's not ready.”
“They all have a price, Virgo—even her.” Narrowing my stare, I let my smile grow. “Tell me your price, you know I can pay it.”
“Not this one, she's trouble, you wouldn't like her at all.” Letting his fingers slip over her shoulders, he wrapped them around her neck as if he was cuddling her. “But I have more, you can choose one of them.”
“I don't want anyone else, I want her.” Letting out a shallow breath, I slowly licked my lips. “Let me see for myself how much trouble she is.”
“Okay, you're right, I need you. But I have so many girls who would fit you better than her. Let me show—”
“No,” I snapped. “You want me, my price is her.”
I watched him think about my offer, trying to decide what to do. Pouting his lips, thick lines drew up on his forehead. “You can have her for tonight, here, in one of the rooms. And we keep our price the same. You wanted a change, I'm willing to work with you.”
“Double what it was and I take her to my hotel, then we have a deal.” My gaze moved to Berlin, watching her muscles start to shake and her eyes glisten as if she wanted to cry.
I could tell she had never been used as a bartering toy before. Which surprised me, Virgo always tried to use his girls as a portion of the payment.
When I first started in the business, my father and Virgo met once to discuss a job he needed done. Virgo offered him two of his women, trying to sell them to my father like he was a used car salesman.
My father declined of course. We weren't in that business, we worked for money and nothing more. So my abrasive suggestion seemed to shock and please him all at once.
Sick fuck.
“I might actually enjoy doing business with you more than I thought.” Reaching across the table, Virgo held out his hand. “She needs to be returned by noon tomorrow, understand?”
“Of course.” Nodding, I stood up and shook his hand. Letting my eyes fall on Berlin, she was glaring at me, her eyes razor sharp, pupils as small as the sharp end of a needle. It looked like she wanted to rip my throat out.
I couldn't blame her, we were discussing her as if she was an object, an item you could just purchase at the store. And in that very instant, I rented her for the night.
“You're at the Santa Rosa, am I right?”
“Does it matter where I'm staying?”
“It does if I need to come find and retrieve my Lucciole.”
His firefly.
“Virgo, if you don't trust me, then we have nothing to discuss. I'll walk out that door and you'll never see me again.”
Stroking his hands down Berlin's hair, Virgo tipped his head into his shoulder as his eyes circled my face. “You know I can't afford to lose you.”
“Then don't fuck with me. You can either trust my word, or you can fuck off. It's that simple.”
Kissing the top of her head, Virgo kept his eyes on me as his lips pushed gently into her hair. “My sweet
girl, I hope you enjoy yourself tonight.” His hands worked over her throat, twisting her neck and lifting her chin. “Because this is a one time deal, you'll never leave this place again.”
Berlin's lip was trembling as he whispered the words against her cheek, a visible shiver was making her muscles shake uncontrollably. The terror in her eyes was palpable, I felt like I could reach out and snatch it from her.
Softly, he tickled the pads of his fingers down her face. “Take her,” he said, stepping away and adjusting the collar on his shirt.
Letting my eyes connect with Berlin's, I smiled down at her. “Gladly.” Stepping around the table, she stayed in her seat, her hands gripping the thin arms as if she was holding on for her life.
Virgo moved towards the door that led out into the hall. “Nino will show you out when you're ready.” Standing still for a moment, he looked back at me over his shoulder. “And just a warning, she's feisty, it's what I love most about her. Don't make me regret this, Bentley.”
Throwing the door open, he left me alone with her. She had this look on her face, as if her entire world had just imploded around her and everything she knew was gone.
Standing at her side, I looked down at her at the same moment she looked up at me. Her eyes were huge, the green in her pupils now engulfed by emptiness.
“Do I scare you my flower?” I asked, gently lifting a lock of her hair and twirling it around my finger. “Because I should.”
Chapter Fourteen
Salt
“Nothing to say?” I asked, glancing at Berlin in the passenger seat. “You're awful quiet now that you're out of that place? What happened to the sexy little vixen, ready to grant my every wish?”
Keeping her head out the window, she didn't give me an answer. She hadn't said a thing to me since we left the Canary compound. I couldn't blame her, I saw her face when she realized that her owner and I knew each other.
Shock. Regret. A hint of fear.
She wore those colors like a fucking halo.
Turning back to the road, I watched the trees in the distance as their tops swayed back and forth in the breeze. I thought I'd see her exhale a sigh of relief the second her toes touched cement and she was able to smell the fresh air.
