He nods his head, although it takes him a long moment before he looks back at me.
“It feels too good to be true,” he says softly and I know why.
“Did you tell her the truth?”
“The truth?” he asks as if I don’t know.
It only takes me glancing at his side where he was shot for him to understand my question.
“She has no idea. She thinks it was random. A coincidence.”
“Is it Marcus?” I have a bad feeling in my gut, but he’s the only person that this leads to.
“Yeah.” His answer is quick and met with a simmering anger that I recognize from him. There’s the brother I know and love. “I told him about her. I needed his help.”
“You told Marcus. Who else?”
“He’s the only one I told. It had to be him or someone he told.”
“Why did you tell him anything?” I keep the accusations out of my tone. Daniel’s been reckless for Addison. He always was but this …
“I had her license plate and nothing else.”
My thumb rubs in circular motions over my pointer finger as I take it all in.
He adds, “I couldn’t lose her again.” I know he could have told Jase. Jase could have looked up her information. But I don’t remind him of that. He holds on to guilt too much and I’ve only just gotten him back. I need him here… especially knowing what’s coming.
I have nothing but silence as I think of any reason that Marcus would come for us. He’s not a man I want as an enemy, but I’m also not certain it’s him.
“It wasn’t supposed to happen like that. It will never happen again.” He strengthens his resolve and leans forward, daring me to object. But I do.
“And what if she leaves you again?” I ask him and he stares back at me, his chest rising and falling with determination. “What if she finds out something she shouldn’t?”
He doesn’t say what I expect him to, that she won’t. Instead he merely answers, “Then I’ll follow her.”
My breath leaves me slowly, words failing me.
“She’s mine,” he says as if nothing else matters. And maybe it doesn’t.
I nod my head once, ending the conversation.
The hands of the clock in the office are all I can hear as I run my thumbnail under the flap of the envelope and stare back at my brother. “She’s changed you.”
“How’s that?” he asks me. Again he’s on the defensive, and it makes me smile. I like to see him showing something that’s real.
“It’s hard to pretend when you’d do anything for someone you love.”
His gaze flickers to the envelope in my hand and he stares at it as he says, “I didn’t come here for a heart to heart, Carter.”
“You didn’t open it?” Although the words come out with disbelief, the corners of my lips kick up with amusement. He’s so consumed with Addison he didn’t give a fuck about the one thing I’ve been losing sleep over for weeks.
“Marcus said it was a message of what’s to come,” he tells me as I finally open it. The paper tears easily and inside I’m surprised to find only a one-by-one-inch square photo. It falls into my palm facedown and I toss the crumpled envelope onto the desk, then flip the small piece of photo paper over.
“I went through all that shit for that?” Daniel asks, but I ignore him, too drawn to the picture.
I trace the curve of her porcelain face. I let the rough pad of my thumb run along the edge of the photo as I note her beautiful smile and the way her dark hair is lit with the sunshine in the image.
My heart pounds hard and I can’t hear what Daniel’s saying. I can’t hear anything but the conversation I had with Tony Romano in the basement cellar months ago. The man who I’ve been avoiding, and the man who reached out to Marcus to deliver the message rather than tell me himself.
The dimly lit, cold and dark room was as unforgiving and unmoving as I was when he made his case and I turned him down.
Then he started bartering with things that didn’t belong to him.
With women the Talverys were shipping off. His enemies. He wanted me to help him in a war against the Talverys and he was offering their property as payment. There was no way I’d ever accept.
“What is it?” Daniel presses, barely interrupting my memory.
“The gift from the Romanos.” I don’t know how the words come out strong as I gently place the photo onto the desk. “They want us on their side of this war they’re starting.”
I remember the way the heavy knife felt in my hand as I picked it up from his desk and stabbed it down onto the splintered wood in front of him. The sharp tip struck the paper in front of him.
The photo of the enemy family.
“If you give me any woman to start a war, it better be this one,” I sneered in his face. I remember the stale stench of whiskey and cigars as I turned my back on him, leaving the knife where it was. With the tip of it stabbing the shoulder of the enemy’s daughter. The shoulder her father’s large hand was clenched around tightly.
His pride and joy, and one and only heir.
I didn’t think Tony would ever have the balls to take her and offer her to me.
“A gift?” Daniel questions with his brows raised and then picks up the photo.
“Yes,” I answer him impatiently, quick to hide my depravity.
The photo of the one thing I asked for—Aria Talvery.
“In exchange for a war … she’s mine.”
* * *
The End.
Want more of Daniel and Addison? I have an exclusive deleted scene for my newsletter subscribers, click here to sign up!
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Carter’s story, Merciless, is next.
Keep reading for a sneak peek …
* * *
There are a lot of things a man like me shouldn’t do.
A ruthless man with a past to hide doesn’t let a soul close to him.
A coldhearted man at war doesn’t risk anything for anyone.
A depraved man with a beautiful woman at his mercy … he doesn’t fall for her.
* * *
She was only a bargaining chip. Now she’s my property.
I own her.
Nothing has thrilled me more than the thought of taking her how I’ve always wanted to.
To break her and make that soft voice of hers whimper with a strangled moan as I ravage her.
* * *
I know better than to give in to temptation and let her distract me from everything that’s at stake.
* * *
No matter how badly I crave more of her.
No matter how much the sordid thoughts plague me.
No matter if she’s the one thing that I’ve always wanted more than anything else …
* * *
Have a peek at an exclusive excerpt:
* * *
I think he’s doing it slowly on purpose. Picking up the bits of sweet fruit and taking his time before he slips them between my lips. “Open wider,” he commands me and it’s only because my stomach pains with the need to eat that I obey him. I close my eyes, holding back the hate I have for myself in this moment. “Look at me,” he commands as I swallow the small morsel and his strong hand cups my chin, forcing my head up. He’s so close, his dark eyes swirl with an intensity that holds my gaze capture. “You’re so strong,” he tells me and I hate him for it. “You don’t believe me, but you are.” The rough pad of his thumb brushes against my bottom lip and I almost bite him, just to spite him. I catch the broad, white smile grow on his face as I look back up at him. He offers me another piece and I take it in my mouth. I have to wait for him to pull his fingers away, but he doesn’t. My gaze moves back to his and he lowers his lips to my neck, his fingers still in my mouth and the juice of the fruit tasting even sweeter. His short stubble brushes my collar bone and then he whispers in my ear, “See how strong? You’d love to bite me, but you know how to survive.”
His hot breath tickles my neck and sends goosebumps d
own my body. Shamefully my nipples harden and my back bows slightly. “Such a good girl, Aria,” Carter says and I pull away from him, not taking the fruit and brushing my ass against the carpet as I scoot backwards, putting distance between us. My heartbeat races as the vision of him on the ground, pinning me down flashes before my eyes and cruelly, it only makes me hotter. I swallow thickly, feeling my cheeks heat with a blush. Carter doesn’t move from his chair. “You’re all done?” he asks me. I can’t look him in the eye. I don’t even trust myself to speak. “Is it because you’ve finished or because you’re wet for me?” he asks me in a husky voice that only adds to my desire for him.
“Fuck you,” I say beneath my breath, narrowing my eyes and letting my blunt nails dig into the carpet. Carter lets the trace of a smile play at his lips, but it doesn’t reach his eyes as he stands up, towering over me. “I told you I wanted you Aria. And I get everything I want. Just remember that.”
* * *
Merciless – coming May 15th
About Willow
Thank you so much for reading my romances. I’m just a stay at home mom and avid reader turned author and I couldn’t be happier.
I hope you love my books as much as I do!
More by Willow Winters
www.willowwinterswrites.com/books/
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Reading Order
Standalone Novels:
Broken
Forget Me Not
She Asked for It
Give It to Me
Forsaken, cowritten with B. B. Hamel
Burned Promises - FREE
* * *
Sins and Secrets Duets:
Imperfect (Imperfect Duet book 1)
Unforgiven (Imperfect Duet book 2)
* * *
Damaged (Damaged Duet book 1)
Scarred (Damaged Duet book 2)
* * *
Valetti Crime Family Series:
Dirty Dom - FREE
His Hostage
Rough Touch
Cuffed Kiss
Bad Boy
* * *
Highest Bidder Series,
cowritten with Lauren Landish:
Bought - FREE
Sold
Owned
Given
* * *
Bad Boy Standalones,
cowritten with Lauren Landish:
Inked
Tempted
Mr. CEO
* * *
On the Sweeter Side,
cowritten with Vivian Wood:
Knocking Boots
Promise Me
* * *
Happy reading and best wishes,
Willow xx
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