by Penelope Sky
I wondered if Crewe was going to mention that he’d recently seen Bones. It didn’t seem like Crewe and Bones were friends, but they obviously had a working relationship. It made me wonder if Bones took Vanessa because he couldn’t have me.
Was I directly responsible for this?
“Have you seen Bones lately?” Crow asked the question without warning, his eyes moving up to meet Crewe’s gaze.
I wondered what Crewe would say.
“A few months ago.”
Crow continued to stare at him with a poker face. “Were you doing business with him?”
“Sorta,” Crewe answered before he glanced at me. “I was going to sell London to him…until I changed my mind.”
Crow’s eyes shifted to mine. “You’re a lucky girl.”
Sadly, I actually did feel lucky. I would much rather be Crewe’s prisoner than anyone else’s in the world. He was honest and transparent. He didn’t get off on strangling me or cutting me. Plus, he was handsome and charming. The more I got to know him, the more I understood his personality. He’d been betrayed more than once—so he was cold. I wasn’t justifying his actions. I just understood them.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” Crewe asked.
“I’m having a hard time tracking him down, getting him with his guard down,” Crow answered. “When he leaves his premises, he rarely takes Vanessa with him. I’d have to get the two of them alone somewhere.”
“What are you asking me?” Crewe asked.
“Is there a way you could get him somewhere alone with Vanessa?” Crow asked. “I’d be eternally grateful. Your purchase would be on the house, as a thank you.”
I wasn’t sure if Crewe would go for it. He wasn’t the most charitable person in the world. “I don’t want to get on his bad side. He’s a good business partner and ally.”
Crow nodded. “I’ve been feuding with him my whole life. He’s not an enemy you want to have.”
“Though, I’m willing to try something to make this work for you,” Crewe said. “But I can’t look guilty.”
Crow nodded. “I understand.”
“I’m celebrating the grand opening of my new distillery in Scotland. I can invite him. It wouldn’t be suspicious.” Crewe stood with his hands in his pockets, standing the same height as Crow. Both men were dark and mysterious, dangerously handsome.
I didn’t want to be in the same room as that man—ever again. He made my blood turn cold and freeze over. Even though I belonged to Crewe, I didn’t want to breathe the same air as that fiend, Bones. Knowing what he was doing to that innocent woman made me want to bash a goblet over his head.
“That could work,” Crow said. “But I’m not sure if he’ll bring her.”
“I could suggest he bring a date,” Crewe said. “But that’s the most I can do.”
Crow considered it before he nodded. “I’ll take it. Thank you.” He extended his hand. “Truly.”
Crewe took it. “I had nothing to do with this, alright?”
Crow nodded. “Understood. Your weapons are on the house.”
“That’s not necessary,” Crewe said. “If everything goes to plan, you can reimburse me. I can’t guarantee he’ll even go.”
“That’s true,” Crow said. “We’ll see what happens.”
I didn’t say anything on the drive home because I was at a loss for words. I had complained about my captivity with Crewe, but it could have been much worse. Whether he had a change of heart or truly thought keeping me with him was a better revenge, I was lucky I ended up in the passenger seat of his car.
Poor Vanessa.
Crewe broke the silence after a few minutes. “You alright?”
“No.” I rested my hands in my lap and looked out the window.
“What’s on your mind?”
“You already know.” Ariel didn’t care that I was a prisoner, but I cared that Vanessa had taken my place. No woman should be subjected to that kind of torture. My imprisonment wasn’t fair either, but I could handle it.
“It’s unfortunate.” That was all he said about it, and he didn’t seem to care.
“That was nice of you to help Crow.” Maybe Crewe had a heart inside that tin chest after all.
“I’m sympathetic when it comes to family matters.”
I guessed that shouldn’t have been surprising after what happened to his own family. He was the last member of his line. Until he grew his own family, he would be alone.
“You’re still putting your neck on the line. I respect you for it.” Respect was something I hardly gave him, not when he manipulated me by threatening my brother. But his offer of help gave me hope that he was a good man after all, if he forgot about all his bitterness.
He kept his eyes on the road, his hand on the wheel.
I shouldn’t have respected a response from that, but I got my hopes up anyway. “If Bones had taken me, do you think Vanessa would have been left alone?”
“I have no idea. He took her out of vengeance, so having you may not have made a difference. He could have gotten bored of you right away and killed you. Who knows?” He said it nonchalantly like my murder had no significance.
“Wow…he really is evil.”
“They call him Bones for a reason.”
I didn’t want to know why, so I didn’t ask. I looked out the window again. “When is this party?”
“Two weeks from Saturday.”
I hoped he wasn’t going to take me as his date. He took me the Holyrood thing, which was pretty high-profile. But maybe he would take his French diplomat or whatever. The idea of him taking someone else bothered me, but I refused to admit it—especially to myself. “In Scotland?”
“Yeah. The distillery is in Edinburgh.”
“That’s nice…” I wanted to ask if he was taking me, but I didn’t want to bring it up.
“Are you ready to talk about last night?”
I thought that was buried. “No.”
“Too soon?”
“No. I never want to talk about last night.”
He drove down the country road, passing small houses with acres of land and crops. It was a cloudless day, and the sky was a clear blue. The sun shone through the window and hit both of my thighs, making them feel warm. “We’re going to be together for a long time. You may as well make the best of it.”
“Make the best of it?” I asked incredulously.
“Yeah. I could be your friend if you gave me a chance.”
“Sorry, I’m not friends with criminals.”
He smiled like he had a comeback sitting in the back of his throat. “But you’re related to one?”
That jab hurt. “I didn’t have a clue, and you know that.”
“But you still love the guy, right?”
“Of course.” I was offended by the question.
“Even though he breaks the law every single day?” he asked. “Even though he kills people?”
“He doesn’t kill people,” I said defensively. I purposely looked out the window to avoid his gaze. In reality, I really had no idea what Joseph’s criminal activities included. All I knew was stole intelligence from Crewe and tried not to pay for it. He tried to cheat a man out of four million dollars. That was the extent of my knowledge.
“And you know this, how?”
I didn’t. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”
“Too bad,” he said. “Your only relative lied to you. He got into a bad business even though he knew you could be used against him. He did it anyway. Me, on the other hand, I’m always honest. You’re gonna get the truth from me even if you don’t want to hear it. I’m the most trustworthy guy on the planet. You can always depend on me to deliver my promises. I’m a pretty powerful ally to have, Lovely. You should take advantage of that.”
He must have struck a nerve because I suddenly felt lonely. I took his words to heart because I knew they were true. I even said them myself. Crewe was the only man in the world powerful enough to protect me. Only if he
allowed me to leave would I escape. If he didn’t let me go, I should make the best of the situation.
“So talk to me.”
“Why do you care?”
He turned on another country road, his thick tires blowing up dust from the side of the road. The engine roared to life as he hit the gas and got back up to top speed. “Because I care about you.”
“We have different definitions of the word.”
“You’re like a pet, Lovely. I want to take care of you so you’ll last a long time.”
So I was just a toy in his eyes. “I’m gonna get old and wrinkly one day.”
He turned to me and winked. “You’ll still be pretty damn hot. I can tell.”
I rolled my eyes and ignored the charming comment. I knew he would be a good-looking older man. He had all the right features to stay beautiful. When he was older, he might even be sexier.
“So, tell me about your dream last night.”
He was going to apply pressure until I broke. Since he was the only person in the world I socialized with, I was at his mercy. If I hadn’t had him for companionship, I would have gone crazy months ago. “This a two-way street.”
“No, it’s not.”
“Then it needs to be a two-way street. If you want my friendship, you have to give me yours. That’s how it works.”
He focused on the road like he was considering what I was saying. “Interesting arrangement.”
“Wow. You must not have any friends if the concept is foreign to you.”
“I don’t,” he said simply. “Looks like you’ll be my first.”
I was the prisoner, but I actually felt bad for him.
“How does this friendship thing work?”
“Friends are always honest with each other.”
“Done,” he said quickly. “That’s easy.”
“They trust each other.”
“Hmm…I’m not sure I trust you not to kill me just yet.”
If I could get away with it, I probably would. “As long as you have that transmitter, I’m at your mercy.”
“True. And you know you can trust me?”
“In what way?”
“My intentions are always clear. I’ll never surprise you. What else?”
“That’s about it…other than genuinely liking each other.”
“Well, I know I like you.” He winked again. “What’s not to like?”
“And I…don’t absolutely despise you.” That was the best I could do.
He grinned. “Wow. We’re really making progress here.” His hand moved to my thigh, and he gave it a squeeze. “I think that’s the nicest compliment you’ve ever given me.”
“Don’t get used to it.”
“So tell me about your dream.”
“I’ll tell you if you tell me what happened with Josephine.”
He turned to me with his eyebrow raised. “What makes you think I’m gonna share that with you?”
“We’re friends. That’s what friends do. I tell you something, and you tell me something.”
He shook his head. “I’m not telling you that.”
“Why not?”
“It’s none of your concern. That’s why. Ask me something else.” His foul mood suggested I shouldn’t push any further.
“What’s your favorite kind of ice cream?”
He looked at me like that was a stupid question. “Is that really your question?”
“It doesn’t seem like you’ll answer anything more personal…”
When he realized I was being serious, he answered. “I’m not a big fan of ice cream, but if I were going to choose, it would be chocolate.”
“Wow. I feel like we’re best friends already.”
He chuckled then turned right again. In the distance was his villa, sitting on a small hillside with tall trees surrounding it. “Tell me about last night.”
Like I was wearing an old bandage, I decided to rip it off. “I dreamt I saw the accident that killed my parents. But this time, Joey was in the back seat.” I’d already cried last night, so I didn’t have any emotion left. I said everything simply, like it didn’t really matter. “I saw all the blood…their lifeless eyes. It felt real. I think that’s why I got so upset.” I looked out the window as we pulled up to the house, avoiding his gaze as much as possible. I wasn’t embarrassed by my feelings, but I knew he didn’t care about the way I felt. He probably just wanted to know because he was curious.
He pulled up to the driveway but didn’t get out to hand his keys over to one of his men. He kept the car running, our faces hidden behind the tinted windows. He reached over and grabbed my hand, his long fingers warm and comfortable. Once his fingers were wrapped around mine, I felt better. He had pronounced knuckles, masculine hands that handled my feminine curves with ease. His hands hinted at his strength, the power he possessed from a lifetime of wealth. He had the ability to move mountains, to make a queen blush. No matter how much I hated him, I respected his majesty. No other man in the world had the kind of influence he did. “I have dreams like that, wondering how my parents suffered before they died. I have dreams of my brother as a man, how he would have aged if he’d lived. They come and go. Some nights are worse than others.”
At least he understood.
One of his men approached the car but didn’t open the door. He purposely waited for his employer to make the first move. Crewe glanced at him before he took off his glasses and set them on the dashboard. “I want to say it gets easier as time goes on. But it never does. It’s been over twenty years, and I still haven’t made my peace with it.”
“How could you, when your family was murdered?” My parents were killed by a drunk driver, but it was unintentional manslaughter. The drunk driver didn’t have a vendetta against my parents.
“Even after I kill the man was who responsible for this, I’ll never find peace. I’ve accepted it. I’ll always look over my shoulder everywhere I go. I’ll always sleep with one eye open. I’ll carry on my family name without them, but I’ll never forget where I got my surname.”
I turned my hand in his grasp so I could feel our palms rub together. My fingers caressed his, and I could feel the dry calluses that marked his hands. I never noticed them against my tits because I was too focused on what we were doing together. “Looks like we have a lot in common.”
“We do. And I don’t believe in coincidences.”
“Does that mean you believe in fate?”
He stared at our joined hands before he looked at me. His eyes were impenetrable, impossible to decipher. “I believe what I see. And right now, I see you.”
He sat on the balcony with the phone glued to his ear for a few hours. It didn’t matter what country he was in, work never stopped. Ariel probably did a lot of work herself, but there were things Crewe had to attend to on his own.
I stayed in the bedroom and watched TV even though everything was in Italian.
He finally hung up the phone and walked inside, wearing his slacks and a collared shirt. His tie was loose and uneven.
I looked at him when I felt his commanding gaze.
“I have one more phone call to make.”
I already knew what demand he was going to make. I’d seen that look on his face enough times to know what was coming next. Now that he had complete power over me, he could pull my strings like a puppet.
“I want you naked on your back, legs spread. I want you to touch yourself until I’m done—and think of me.” When he came closer, I noticed the bulge in the front of his slacks. His fingers moved under my chin, and he grabbed me with restrained force. “Understand?”
I knew what response he was looking for. I knew what kind of mood he was in. “Yes, sir.”
He dropped his hand and walked back outside. He shut the door then pulled out his phone for the last call of the day.
I swallowed the lump in my throat because my mouth was suddenly dry. Goose bumps marked my arms, but it wasn’t because I was cold. Instead of being repulsed by the ar
rogant way he bossed me around, I was aroused.
I wanted him to go down on me.
He’d done it before, and it was the most amazing experience I’d ever felt. No man had ever made me feel that good, even the ones I thought I loved. But I didn’t want to ask for it. It wasn’t like I had any right to. That wasn’t how our arrangement worked.
I did as he asked and got on the bed, my thighs spread apart. I’d touched myself before, but not because a man asked me to. He was going to walk in at any moment, and he would know if I’d followed directions or not.
My hand moved between my legs, and I rubbed my clit, picturing his mouth there instead of my fingers. My breathing slowly increased, my nipples hardened, and my eyes closed as I got into it. I moved my hand in a circular motion and arched my back as I pictured his mouth down below. In the beginning, I was self-conscious, but the more aroused I became, the less I cared how I looked. I doubted I looked sexy. At this angle, my appearance probably wasn’t flattering.
When I heard something hit the floor, my eyes flashed open.
Crewe had already dropped his tie and shirt. Now his slacks were gone, and he stood in his boxers. His eyes smoldered as they took me in, the heat flushed across his face. He’d been watching me, but I had no idea for how long.
My hand stopped, and I suddenly felt embarrassed.
He grabbed his boxers and pulled them down. “Keep going, Lovely. Don’t let me interrupt.”
My hand moved again, and I stared at his long cock, suddenly hotter than I was before. He was the biggest and thickest I’d ever taken, and I wanted him now. It didn’t matter who he was or that I hated him. I wanted this man more than any other.
He moved up the bed until he was suspended over me, my thighs still wide apart. He watched me with arousal in his mocha eyes, just as turned on as I was. His head was oozing from the tip. “You’re the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen, you know that?”
My free hand wrapped around his neck, and I pulled him in for a kiss, wanting to feel his mouth against mine. The second we touched, I felt the jolt of pleasure rush through me. I rubbed my clit harder, getting swept away in the passion he elicited.
He kissed me back just as hard, breathing into my mouth.
“You’re the sexiest man I’ve ever seen,” I said against his mouth. I didn’t think before I spoke. My hormones were doing all the thinking for me. My job was to make him fall for me, and flattery might be the way to do it.
