Devious Eyes (A Cane Novel Book 2)
Page 31
I sip my champagne and scan the people who’ve descended on our home. Emily’s parents are here. A few people I’ve assumed are friends of hers. I can’t imagine Quinn has many friends, genuine ones at least. After what Nate said, there’s a question mark over everyone.
“Who’s Quinn talking to?” A tall man in an impeccably tailored suit talks conspiratorially with Quinn. A glimpse of a tattoo peeks from under his collar as he turns his head. They both wear serious frowns, their stances threatening to anyone else in the vicinity.
Nate’s body turns rigid beside me. He spins me away from Quinn and back towards the ocean.
“That’s Benjamin Vico.”
“Is that meant to mean something?”
“I guess not to you. We had some dealings with him several years ago.” He goes for his pocket, looking for the cigarettes I made him quit, then huffs. “We left that behind us, but I guess Vico’s a fair bet for Quinn to make again now. Certainly useful.”
“What does he do?” Every part of me knows that I’m not going to like the answer.
“Racketeering, drugs, trafficking, I could go on. They have…”
“They?”
“The Vico family. One of the biggest mob families in New York.” He stands behind me and his lips wander sensually up my neck. “Just stay away from him.”
I gaze at the view, trying to stop the uneasy feeling in my stomach, but his words seem to be making my anxieties worse, not better. “When will it stop, Nate? I thought we were here so everything would go away?”
“She should know by now this isn’t just going to vanish into thin air.” Quinn’s voice makes me jump. “It might be an idea for her to consider which side she’s really on.”
I turn around to see Quinn behind us, Benjamin Vico right beside him.
“Quinn, let’s not do this here,” Nate says, a sharp tone slicing the air as he takes my hand and steps in front of me a little. The expression on his face shows me that although I might not like what’s coming, I most definitely want to know what’s going on. “Give me a break and—”
“No. I think now’s a perfect time,” I cut in, ready to move this conversation along. “We’ve been waiting six months, Quinn. I want to know when we can get our lives back.” He looks me over, a raise to his brow.
“Bored already, Gabriella? Want to get back to those diamonds you’re so fond of. Missing your brother?” My eyes shift between him and Benjamin, unsure how much I can say in front of this other guy.
“Leave her alone, Quinn. She’s as much right as anyone to know what’s developed.”
“She has no fucking right, Nate. This is Cane business.” The Vico guy chuckles and backs away a step, which annoys the living hell out of me and makes me take a step forward. Nate’s hand is on my torso before I’ve got a word out of my mouth.
“She is a Cane, Quinn. I married her six months ago.” The gasp I try to hold in escapes. “Get over whatever the fuck your problem is.” They stare at each other for so long I question if a fight’s about to break out. “She’s my wife, Quinn. A Cane. Start showing her some goddamn respect before I knock some sense into you.”
I hold my breath as I wait for Quinn’s response. His eyes flick to mine and scrutinize me, as if he’s examining me for the first time. I fight my instinct to hide behind Nate and make sure my feet don’t betray me. He finally diverts his attention away from me and back to Nate. They don’t say anything for a moment, as if they’re in some unheard argument that only brothers can hear. If I weren’t looking at him so closely, I would never have seen it, but Quinn gives Nate the smallest of nods and swings his attention to Vico instead. He smiles in response, drinking a little of his Champagne as if he’s just enjoyed the show.
“Interesting dynamic,” he says before raising his glass in a toast, exposing his wrist and yet more ink. “Congratulations.” Both Nate and Quinn glare at him. “What? It’s a happy day for Cane. You should both drink some more and stop arguing,” he says, moving past Quinn to take my fingers in his. “Pretty wives deserve toasting.”
The kiss that lands on the back of my hand has me frowning, because regardless of the gentlemanly intent, his lips feel like ice against my skin. “And fucking.” He backs away, smiling at me, and at my shocked expression. Nate steps forward, but Quinn shoots him a warning look. If I wasn’t concerned about Benjamin Vico before, I am now.
He’s older than both Quinn and Nate—early forties perhaps—and holds an air of superiority regardless of the Cane company around him, and that warning glance means something serious. Even I know that as I watch him walk away from us. Quinn downs the tumbler of scotch in his hand the moment he’s gone, huffing at something before beckoning to Emily. He waits as she walks across to us all.
“Meet another Mrs Cane, Em.” He kisses her cheek and turns her to look out at the view. “She’s family now, too.”
She glances at me, a sly grin creeping over her face as she nods.
“Well, now the family shit’s out of the way, we should start talking real business. Get this thing moving.” Quinn slips his hand into his pocket, pulling out two dice and laying them on the edge of the table, his other hand closing around Emily’s.
She looks at me, and in that moment, I know that the innocent facade she’s graced us with holds a well of secrets. It makes me wonder if I’ll ever get to uncover them, or if she’ll keep up with the perfect wife routine. Time will tell, I guess.
I take a deep breath and squeeze Nate’s hand. Maybe it’s for reassurance, or maybe it’s that I finally feel truly a part of something. A family—faults and all. He turns me so we’re all looking out at the ocean, lined up beside Quinn and Emily. The Cane family.
“You ready for this?” he asks.
I nod. “I am.” I hope I am.
The End
Innocent Eyes
Read Quinn and Emily's story in Innocent Eyes
"If he's gross, I'm bailing."
That's what I said to my supposed best friend when she asked me to take her place. A blind date, she said. What harm could it do?
He was charming. Beautiful. God's finest creation. He wined me and dined me. Made me do things I'd never before dreamt of in the bedroom. It was perfect. Dangerous. Arousing.
But Jenny didn’t tell me the full story. She didn’t tell me about the debt she owed. And now Quinn Cane wants his money's worth, and he’s going to make me pay whatever way he can.
“A debt needs to be paid.”
The woman who came to meet me didn’t owe me money. I could tell by her innocent eyes. Still, the debt will be paid either way.
She was something to play with and use as I saw fit, but something about Emily Brooks made me want to keep her. So she became my dirty girl. Pure. Innocent. Mine.
Then she whispered my damned name and invaded my world, changing its reasoning.
She wasn’t meant to break the rules. But she rolled my dice and won.
Shame. Forgiveness. Dark. Erotic. Romance.
Innocent Eyes - A Cane Novel -
Also By Charlotte E. Hart
The White Trilogy
Seeing White
Feeling White
Absorbing White
The VDB Trilogy
The Parlour
Eden's Gate
Serenity's Key
The Stained Duet
Once Upon A
The End
Standalone
The Spiral
Also by Rachel De Lune
The Evermore Series
More
Forever More
A Little Something More (Christmas Novelette)
Surrender to More
More Than Desire
Finally More
The Cornwall Tides Trilogy
New Tides
Standalone
Reminiscent Hearts
The Break
About Rachel
Rachel De Lune
Rachel De Lune writes emotionally driven contemporary an
d erotic romance.
She began scribbling her stories of dominance and submission in the pages of a notebook several years ago, and still can’t resist putting pen to real paper. What ifs are turned into heartfelt stories of love where there will always be a HEA.
Rachel lives in the South West of England and daydreams about shoes with red soles, lingerie and chocolate. If she’s not writing HEAs, she’s probably reading them. She is a wife and has a beautiful daughter.
For every woman who’s ever desired more.
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About Charlotte
Charlotte E. Hart
Charlotte is a Dark Erotic Suspence/Romance author living in the heart of the British countryside. She’s lived all over the UK, but finally settled in a small town that still reeks of old school England.
Writing and poetry have become a revolution for the soul, and she cherishes every second that she’s sitting at the laptop tapping her way into a new character.
When not writing she enjoys socializing with close friends and traveling cities across the globe. Travel has always been a constant companion to reading and it only increases her thirst for stimulation.
“Life is a torrent of differences, different needs and wants, and it doesn’t always end that well. Yet we strive to find our souls final attachment, hoping for validation in our true desires.” – Charlotte E. Hart