Devious Eyes (A Cane Novel Book 2)

by Charlotte E Hart

  “And I suppose you can provide these?”

  “Under certain conditions, yes.” This is taking too long. I need to escape this and get to Nate.

  “And those are?” He gestures with his hands, willing me to elaborate further.

  “That my brother is off limits. The deal you set with my brother still stands. Drugs will continue to be shipped. I will deliver authenticity and the remainder of the diamonds on those conditions only.” I round the desk and head for the door, breezing past him. Marco reaches out to snatch at my arm, but I counter, twisting his lecherous hand up behind his back, ready to break his fingers if needed.

  “Don’t ever touch me again. I tolerate you out of courtesy. You have your diamonds. I want my brother free. Anything beyond that needs to be re-negotiated.”

  “The clock’s ticking, Gabriella. I’m not a patient man.”

  I leave him and trail back out into the sea of people all looking to spend money.

  If I were sensible, I’d collect my things from the coat-check and leave, arrange a flight to Antwerp and get Christophe on the phone as soon as possible. I need answers—answers that only someone like him can get me. No one knows the diamond world like he does. Whoever stole my diamonds, he’ll know. But nerves buzz across my skin as my heart beat thrums at a million miles an hour in my chest. Standing up to Mortoni was a gamble, and really stupid. He could have killed me and my brother. Plan, assess and execute. That’s what I do, and nothing about this follows that principle. I should be thinking sensibly, but I know why I took the risk.

  I’m not sensible. At least when it comes to Nate.

  Searching for him through the crowds of people I see him in every expensive suit that crosses my path, having to focus my eyes to check what I’m seeing. Of course, it’s not him. It’s some other guy in a suit, but the disappointment is real.

  “I haven’t seen you in here before.” A deep voice resonates from behind me. I tip my head back as I summon the strength to get through this conversation without causing a scene.

  “No, you haven’t.”

  “You looking for someone?” he asks, walking around in front of me.

  I peer over his shoulder, still searching the room, but there’s something familiar about the man blocking my view. He’s got a broody vibe going on, all serious and intense. All it does is remind me of Nate, so I keep scanning.

  “Maybe. If you’ll excuse me.” I step out to pass him, but that doesn’t work. He moves to block my path again, eyes boring into mine.

  “That’s not the direction you’re after.”

  I falter, not understanding what he means or how he knows what direction I’m after at all. “Oh, really? And why is that?”

  “Because he’s not there.” He scans me slowly. There’s nothing sleazy about it, more like he’s analysing me for some reason. “Last I saw he was heading to the private room out back.” My eyes flick across to the room Marco told me about.

  “My associate seems to think that room is off limits.”

  “It is to most.”

  He just stares after that, waiting for me to say something. I don’t know what else to say, and this isn’t relevant to me getting to Nate, which is the only thing I’m interested in, no matter who this man is.

  I move to step around him again, that room and nothing else on my mind. “What are your intentions with Marco?” The grip on my upper arm sends a wave of ice through my veins, and I’m turned back to him before I can take another breath.

  “None of your business.” I wrestle but can’t shake his hold.

  “Oh, I don’t think that’s accurate. See, Marco is an associate of mine, so his business is my business. You’re included in that now.” He looks me over again, still gripping so tightly I can feel a bruise forming. “Unless you’re one of his whores. Are you?”

  The slap is hard and clean. He didn’t even see it coming. Fury rushes over his features, but he releases me with a shove the instant my palm connects with his cheek.

  “Don’t ever call me that again.”

  He rubs his jaw and stretches his mouth, laughing a little and testing out the sting to his face. “You won’t like what you see in there. He’s not in a good mood.”

  I’ve had just about enough of this stranger. “And who exactly are you to say anything to me?” All the time I’m wasting I could be looking for Nate.

  “I’m an interested party. And he told me to get rid of you.” Get rid of me? How dare he? My stomach convulses, but not enough to stop me getting to him to give him a piece of my mind.

  “Hired muscle?” Well, that’s not what I was expecting. Seems Nate might have been keeping a few secrets himself. “What’s your name?”

  “Not relevant. You need to go.” He moves towards me, but I hold my ground. I won’t be bullied from the building by this guy. Not after everything I’ve already done this evening.

  “No. I’m going to find Nate.”

  “Even if you won’t like what you find?”

  “Stop talking in riddles.” This man is infuriating.

  “Gabriella, you’re still here?” Mortoni comes to stand next to me and looks at the security guard with an air of concern. They look at each other for several seconds, giving Marco enough time to slip an arm around my waist again. I pull away, fed up with the whole scenario and ready to walk, but the guard notices and smiles at the move like something is hilarious. Nothing is that I can tell.

  “Marco. With me.” He steers Marco away from me and I’m left with the means and the knowledge to see Nate. “Oh, and Gabriella?” I turn back to look at the guy. He’s still smiling, although there’s a hardening of his eyes setting in. “Security will let you through. Tell them you’re there for Nate, and act like a whore.”

  My heart leaps in my chest, but the warning curdles my stomach. In a place like this, my imagination doesn’t need to run far to come up with a conclusion that has me seeing red. If I burst through those doors and find Nate with some hooker, I’m liable to draw blood the way I’m wound up now. I detour to the nearest bar where I order whisky. Neat.

  The gentleman behind the bar gives me a curious glance when he delivers the glass, and all I do is stare at it like the drink has done me physical harm and I’m sizing it up for a fight. I channel all of my frustration and annoyance towards that drink and then pick it up and toss it down my throat.

  The heat is pleasant at first, warming me from the inside, but it soon turns to a burn in the pit of my stomach, stripping away the mellow smokiness of its flavour.

  “Can I get you another?” The southern drawl of the bartender would have melted me at the knees a month ago. He’s tall, young and full of possibilities for a woman who’s only ever passing through, but all that has changed.

  Now, I need to go, and hope the feelings I have locked away for Nate are even in the same realm as the ones he held for me.

  Chapter Sixteen

  They’re both here, naked. Blonde hair on one, dark hair on the other, all of it strewn around the sterile white sheets we provide for clients. I cross to the bed and watch them touching themselves, all the time trying to rid myself of her scent and focus on what I have in front of me instead.

  Half an hour I’ve been sitting in the corner, watching them while they play with each other and screw around. It’s half an hour I’ve been trying to find some fucking guts to get on with what needs doing, downing more scotch to help.

  “Hey, baby,” Jenna says, honey flavoured sounds dripping from her tongue. “You ready now? We’ve been waiting.”

  Loretta crawls up the bed until she’s in front of me, dark lips muttering something to me that I barely hear. She reaches for my jacket, lifting it from my shoulders as I bring the scotch to my mouth again. And then Jenna’s there, too, her fingers working buttons on my shirt all the way down to my trousers. I smirk a little, watching as she dips her head down towards the zip, teeth inching over the fabric until she tugs at me and catches my dick between soft lips. I frown at the feeling,
gazing at the blonde hair as it bobs along the cloth and tries to tease my dick awake. I’m either too fucking drunk, or too uninterested in whores, neither of which is making the thought of Gabby disappear.

  I grab her hair, frustration fuelling my hand harder than it’d normally land. She doesn’t squeal or yelp; she does what good whores do—she moans. She moans and groans like the slut she is as I chuck the bottle and reach into my trousers to get the flaccid weight out. I’ll force it awake, make it do what it needs to, so I can forget and move on.

  “Yes, baby,” she says, her tongue lapping around her own lips as I tip her away from me and lean her over the edge of the bed, head hanging downwards. She can take it all for a while, let me use her. I’ll shove in so deep I can watch her throat moving as I fuck into it.

  My other hand catches hold of Loretta, tugging her towards the bed so she can go down on this bitch while she sucks my cock.

  Fuck women.

  The door swings open suddenly, making me turn slowly and glare at whoever the hell it is, hand hovering over Jenna’s neck.

  Gabby?

  “Get these sluts out of here,” she snaps, hands on her hips and attitude pouring from her frame.

  My brow raises, wondering who the fuck she thinks she is, but my dick wakes up instantly. It’s damn irritating. Jenna moves her head, so I hold her in place and continue to stare at Gabby with little sentiment.

  She does that to me out there? Shows me nothing? She can have the same given back. See how she likes that shit.

  “Turn that ass around and leave,” I eventually reply, bored in tone as I turn back to look at my whores rather than her. “Unless you wanna join in?” I dip down, licking the length of Jenna’s stomach to prove my damn point. “Do you?”

  She storms over before I’ve taken another breath, legs crossing the floor with unknown intent until she reaches for Jenna’s hair and tries to drag her away from me.

  “We’re talking, Nate. Get rid of them.”

  She glares so damn hard it has me standing up and letting go of Jenna for fear of forcing my anger into her neck rather than the one person who deserves my temper.

  “Who the hell do you think you are? I told you. Leave.”

  “No. You’ll have to fuck them in front of me.” She sneers at both women and walks to a chair. “I thought more of you, though.” What the hell? She sits and crosses her legs as her arms rest calmly beside her. “This is beneath you.”

  Both my brows rise, irritation biting into every part of me, as I stare in response, still holding my dick. Beneath me? How would she know what was beneath me, or even dare questioning what I do or when I do it?

  “I’m not leaving until we’ve talked, Nate.”

  “How did you get in here?” I tuck the fucking thing away, zipping my pants and glaring at her.

  “It wasn’t hard. Now, are you fucking? Or are we talking?” I don’t even know what to say to that. My mouth opens, anger, annoyance and arousal mingling to create something I haven’t got a damn clue what to do with. “Quickly. I haven’t got time to mess around.”

  “Gabby, I don’t know—”

  “Gabriella Alves. That’s the first thing you need to know.” She looks over my chest, and then crosses her legs the other way. “What you saw of me out there was relevant for many reasons, none of which I’m discussing with these sluts in the room.” She looks around me at Jenna, a frown creasing her brow. “Why are you even in here with them anyway? This is the Cane room, only used by the highest bidders or owners.” I say nothing to that, not sure how she even knows, but Loretta laughs a little as she walks to the side of me and wraps an arm around my waist.

  Her face hardens, suddenly filled with animosity about something. “Get rid of the sluts.”

  I stare, still unsure what the hell to do for the best. She’s come in here, a new name, a new attitude, and yet she still sits there looking as if she could rip my damn heart out with just a few more words if I let her. I shouldn’t. I know that. I should carry on fucking these whores and forgetting, but it’s not in me to want to anymore, certainly not now she’s close enough that I can touch her again.

  Jesus.

  Eventually, I back away to the other side of the room, my fingers grabbing for the scotch bottle as I go, until I find a chair opposite her and take off my shirt completely.

  “You can both go,” I tell the girls, flicking my gaze to them and reaching for more cash in my pocket. They hurry over to take the rolls of notes, then gather their clothes, barely putting them on before they scamper out of the room and the door closes.

  “Really?” Gabby spits, surprise evident. “Back to hookers already?”

  I snarl at that and take a drink, some part of me disgusted with my own thoughts on the matter, the other just plain pissed at her in general.

  “That’s not the Nate I know.”

  “Then you clearly don’t know me well enough.” The rim knocks my teeth as I take another swig, making me check myself given the amount of booze I’ve consumed. “I’m a Cane. It’s what we do.” Fucked as that is. I gaze over at her, remembering her under my hands for those ten days and trying with everything I’ve got not to just go grab hold of her. “What we’ve always done.”

  She looks lost for a minute, her eyes flicking between confusion and doubt. Maybe the name means something to her, maybe it doesn’t. Who fucking knows. Or cares.

  “You weren’t like that when we were—”

  “But you ran, didn’t you, Gabriella?” I cut in, halting her tongue. “You left without even giving me a goodbye.” She sighs and looks at the floor a little. Damn right she should.

  “I had reasons for that and I’d like—”

  “What? What would you like? For me to forgive you?” I glower, glancing over her legs and wishing they were wrapped around me. “I don’t. It’s unacceptable. Fucking rude, actually.” I lift the bottle again, damn sure that’s the only thing that’s going to get me through not touching her.

  “Nate, please. Stop drinking.”

  Screw that.

  I lift it higher, glugging to try to find sense, or avoid it.

  God, she’s so beautiful. Still. I wish I didn’t think that. Wish I could dismiss her as easily as I did those whores and forget. My hand scrubs my face, pinching my temples to get rid of the tension there. Not once did I have a fucking headache on holiday with her. And now I’m riddled with them again. Confusion. Anger. Unable to concentrate on anything. It’s all her, isn’t it? Still.

  The bottle drops to the floor.

  “Why the fuck did you leave me? Was it Marco?”

  “What?”

  I stand and walk over to her, unable to keep myself away for the same reason that always consumes me when she’s near. Love. I grab her, pulling her up to her feet, and wrap her into my arms before I overthink what the hell I’m doing. Marco or not, I’m getting some of this again. I need it. Need her.

  “You’re together, right?”

  “What? No, I…”

  I smother her words, either uninterested in the answer or fucking stupid. She tries to break away, fights me as if this isn’t the right thing to do. It is, though, and I keep the pressure going without allowing her any room to breathe until she finally relents and clasps onto me. Fuck Marco. Fuck the distance she put between us. We’re doing this again, if only for one last time.

  Her back hits the wall as I push her into it, my full weight covering as much of her as I can. I’m starving for her, breathless, and under no fucking illusions of how quick this is going to be as my fingers bite into her skin. Every part of her gets grabbed hold of until I hitch her up onto me and her legs wrap around where they should be.

  We still for a second, then mouths moulding with each other again, tongues rolling deep to regain the intimacy that’s been missing. I clasp hold of her lip with my teeth, nipping harder than I should just to fucking remind her who she ran away from. She groans into me, legs tightening and fingers gripping into my hair.

&n
bsp; “I fucking hate you.” The words mutter from my mouth as I kiss my way down her neck, one hand holding her throat against the wall. “Hate what you did to us.” My teeth sink in again, savouring the flavour of her as I skim across her shoulders then back to her face. She pants as I hold her still and run my fingers over her lips, dipping one inside. “You lied to me. Took my fucking dream with you.” My dick throbs as it rubs at the covering that shouldn’t be there, enough so that I reach between us, jerking the panties to the side and then unzip for a decent reason this time. “You need reminding about doing as you’re told, Gabby?” Still she pants, not a fucking word coming from those lips of hers. I don’t even care for an answer. I’m ravenous, as is my dick as I rub it over her soaked pussy. “Hold on to me.”

  I shift her slightly, drawing her closer so I can brace against the wall behind her, and then drive in with no care for her comfort. It’s as damn furious as I can make it, hips shunting her back to the wall with every grunt, and the squeals and moans coming from her only increase my fever. I can feel all my frustration, all my anger and turmoil, boiling under the surface. It’s building with every drive inwards, ready to explode all over her for what she’s put me through.

  My hand grasps hold of the back of her neck, twisting her face to me so I can watch her come, or see her revel in the pace I’m creating. I don’t know or fucking care. I just want her moans, the sounds she makes when she comes, want that sense of need she has for me.

  “Oh god, I’ve missed you,” she breathes out, lips trying to get to me. I don’t let them reach me. I scowl at the words and keep fucking her instead, desperately trying to keep my heart from saying the same thing back. That isn’t what this is. Can’t be. “Please, Nate.”

  My head folds into her neck, part wanting nothing more than to tell her the same thing, another trying to keep her far away where it’s safe. But nothing’s stopping the explosion that’s travelling through me because of those thoughts, no matter how I lie to her face. It’s coming from the depths of me, channelling from somewhere only she manages to find in me regardless of my annoyance. I damn well love her, don’t I?