by Penelope Sky
“So, you’ll share it with me?”
“Yes.”
She looked at the wine list. “They’ve got a good selection of Barsetti wines. That’s my favorite.”
I recognized the name Barsetti, but I’d never tried the wine.
The waiter came to our table, and Cassini picked out the red wine she wanted. “Could we also have the bruschetta as an appetizer?”
She’d be eating that alone.
She ordered her entrée, and then I ordered the grilled chicken. I hardly ate out because the food was prepared with too much oil and other fattening substances. I’d made my choice a long time ago, that I would cut carbs and fats from my life so I could drink as much as I wanted. Most people needed food to survive, but I needed booze.
The waiter walked away then returned with the bottle of wine. He poured two glasses, brought the bruschetta, and then disappeared.
She brought the glass to her lips and left a distinguishable print of her mouth.
I imagined that same print on my dick.
“It’s good.” She placed a slice of bread on her plate and took a bite.
I didn’t move because I was entranced by her, by the way her mouth moved as she chewed, by the way that black dress fit her so perfectly. Her olive skin was flawless, having its own distinct shine. The hollow of her throat was kissable. I could picture my tongue tasting her as my dick was buried deep inside her. My mouth craved to kiss her everywhere, going all the way around her mouth, pussy, and ass. I was a sexual man with exceptional needs, but this woman amplified my desires. Watching her do something so simple, like drink a glass of wine, was practically pornographic to me.
She finished her bruschetta. “Are you going to try one?”
I’d rather try her. “No.” I grabbed the glass of wine and took a drink. If I weren’t so adamant that I didn’t want anyone else looking at her, I would lift her onto the table and fuck her right in the middle of the restaurant. I suspected we wouldn’t make it back to the compound because I’d pull over and fuck her in the truck.
She took another piece and ate it slowly, watching me. “What?”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Exactly. You’re just staring.”
“I like to stare.” I set the glass down and felt the drops of wine move over my tongue. With bold flavors that were innately fruity, it was a smooth vintage. But it was still no scotch. “I like to stare at my property.”
“Really? So you just stand there and look at your truck?” she challenged, being a smartass.
I liked it when she was a smartass. “No. I like to stare at the beautiful things I own. You’re the first piece of that collection.”
Her fingers rested against the stem of her glass as her eyes softened slightly.
“Let’s go home.” I didn’t want to sit through dinner and be tortured. Dinner was the prelude to sex, just boring foreplay. I was so hard in my jeans that my dick was about to pull down my zipper. Her pussy was already wet—that was a prediction I could make with absolute certainty. So let’s skip the bullshit.
“We can after dinner.”
“We can get it to go.”
“Is sitting here with me that boring?” She sat perfectly straight, holding her gorgeous figure with pride. She had the sexiest shoulders, soft and rounded. Her hair was held back from her face loosely, and I wanted to yank the clip out of her hair so it would be free.
“Just the opposite.”
“Then you can wait.” She drank her wine again, smearing more lipstick against the glass.
I took an involuntary breath, aroused by her bossiness. As a hard man, I didn’t respond to orders. I called the shots because I had to be in charge. If someone challenged me, I’d destroy them. But every time this woman put me in my place, it made me so fucking hard. She wasn’t afraid of me like everyone else. If anything, she felt safe with me—invincible.
“Now have some bruschetta.”
“No.”
She rolled her eyes. “You told me you expect to die young. So maybe you should live a little while you can.”
“I drink. That’s how I live a little.”
She ate another piece and didn’t press me on it again. A crumb got stuck in the corner of her mouth, and her tongue swiped it away.
She was torturing me on purpose. “Your tongue is going to be raw when I’m finished skull-fucking you.”
She hesitated before she took another sip. Her eyes filled with playfulness, like she found that amusing. “When we’re finished here, I’ll get on my knees on the hardwood floor and push that dick as deep in my throat as possible. Spit will pool in the corners of my mouth, and tears will drip from the corners of my eyes because of your size…”
My breathing increased as the desire cut off my air supply. She was torturing me, but I couldn’t stop picturing the scene she painted for me. Her strap would be pushed down, and her hair would be a mess from my fisting it so much.
“But for now, let’s enjoy ourselves.”
My nostrils flared.
She smiled. “I like torturing you. It’s so easy.”
“I can torture you too.”
“But not as well as I can.” She filled her glass with more wine.
This woman had no power, but she somehow put me in my place so easily. She had her hands on the wheel, and she was choosing the route.
I was just along for the ride.
The waiter emerged and brought our dishes.
Thank fucking god. Let’s get this shit over with.
Cassini and I didn’t have a lot of conversation to share, but since I was a man of few words, that was preferable. We could sit together in silence and be perfectly entertained. A few exchanges of expressions were all we needed.
She dug into her pasta. “This looks good.”
I cut into my chicken and took a bite, unable to stop picturing her naked on her knees. I wanted to choke her with my dick, but I also wanted her legs wrapped around my waist while I sank deep inside her. I wanted to look into those pretty eyes as I felt her tighten around me in a climax.
Now that we had our entrees, I didn’t have to wait long until this night was over.
My gaze moved out the window when I saw several black SUVs pull up at the exact same time. The windows were blacked out, and the passengers were impossible to see. I was always on alert for anything unusual, and this seemed out of place.
Groups of men spilled out of the cars, all dressed in black. They didn’t carry weapons, but they were probably stashed under their clothes since they were about to hit a public place. It must be Lucian’s men, and their objective was to get Cassini back unharmed.
Cassini kept eating, oblivious to all of this.
“Baby, listen to me.” My eyes followed the men as they moved to the front door.
She sensed the seriousness of my tone and looked up, setting down her fork.
“Lucian’s men are going to hit this room in about thirty seconds—”
“What?” she said, her voice rising.
“There’s twelve of them, so no big deal—”
“No big deal?” she shrieked. She looked over her shoulder and spotted the armored vehicles outside. “Oh my god, what do we do?”
“It’s going to be fine.” I rose to my feet and grabbed her by the elbow. “You’re going to leave out this back door and run.” I pulled her to the back entrance, a door only used in case of an emergency.
“What about you?”
“Baby, I’ll be fine,” I said with a laugh.
“Why don’t you come with me?”
“Because they’ll chase us. And I’m not the kind of man that runs. Now, go.” I pushed the door open, and the fire alarm immediately went off. “Now run, baby.” I smacked her on the ass and pushed her through the door.
24
CASSINI
The gunshots sounded just when I made it to the corner. Like bombs were striking the surface of the earth, it was so loud, the sound in my ears seemed muffl
ed. My heels made it impossible to run, and I yanked them off so I could keep going.
My heart was racing so fast.
I had no idea where I was headed. I had no idea if I was safer out here than I was with Balto.
I hoped Balto would be okay.
The gunshots didn’t console me. I feared he was bleeding on the ground, dying alone.
It was too late to do anything, so I kept running. I headed in a straight line, running so fast my legs hurt. My chest tightened because I was breathing hard. I didn’t know where I was going, but I kept running like my life depended on it.
A black SUV pulled out from the side street and blocked my path. It was tinted and armored just like the others. Men dressed in all black immediately hopped out to snatch me.
“Shit.” I veered to the right and sprinted down the alleyway. I was a fast runner, but there was no way I could outrun five athletic men. Thankfully, they wouldn’t shoot me, so I didn’t have to worry about a bullet to my back.
I barely made it to the other side of the alleyway when one of the men charged into me and knocked me to the ground.
I hit the concrete hard, my body aching at the collision.
“Got her.” The man grabbed me by the wrists and tried to cuff them together.
I kicked him hard in the gut.
His hand shot out and slapped me across the face. “Lucian said we could rough you up a bit.”
I recognized his face and his voice. He was one of the men I saw at the estate on a daily basis. “Please let me go.”
He got the cuffs over my wrists. “Not a chance.”
I kicked him again even though the fight was over.
“Bitch.” This time, he punched me in the face.
My head smacked into the concrete from the force. My eyes stopped working for a second as my body absorbed the pain. I was going back to Lucian, and there was nothing I could about it. I would be beaten, tortured, and raped. Balto wouldn’t be able to save me a second time—if he survived. “Please let me go. Don’t make me go back to him.”
Another man grabbed me and tried to yank me to my feet. “Not a chance, sweetheart. He said we get a go with you as our reward for capturing you.” He grabbed my dress and yanked it up to reveal my bare legs and my thong. He whistled. “I’m not passing that up.”
Now I really started to panic.
Gunshots erupted in the alleyway, so loud because it happened right next to us. Two bodies dropped and thudded against the ground.
The men that handled me released me and turned around.
Another fell to the ground.
Now only two were left. They rose to their feet and reached for their guns.
A deep voice filled the alleyway, instilling more terror than those gunshots. “You want a go, huh? How about a go from me?” Balto emerged, his gun pointed at my first assailant. He looked uninjured. But he also looked pissed. He shot one in the arm then knocked the gun out of the other’s hand.
I stayed on the ground, still frightened even though I’d been saved.
Balto gripped one by the neck and slammed his fist into his face over and over, making blood spray across the concrete next to me. He held the man suspended from the ground at the same time, hitting him until his body went completely weak. The screams stopped when his face was completely caved in. Balto dropped him to the ground.
I deliberately looked the other way so I wouldn’t have to see it.
Balto moved to the other man, who lay injured on the ground. He dug into the man’s pocket and fished out his phone. Then he made a call using the camera on the phone. “Lucian, I just thought you’d like to know that your men gave it everything that they had.” Balto pointed the camera at the man as he placed his boot against his skull. The man started to heave with terror. “But in the end, seventeen men still aren’t enough for the Skull King.” He slammed his foot down right into the man’s head.
He screamed in terror.
Balto stomped his foot again. “I suggest you bring more men next time.” With another stomp from Balto, the man’s skull cracked and his screams were silenced. Death came for him, merciful. Balto pointed the camera back at himself. “Have a good evening, Lucian.” He tossed the phone on the ground and stomped on it.
I lay there, my wrists still cuffed together. The threat was over, but I was still terrified, terrified that Lucian almost took me back. The men threatened to rape me, and they didn’t hesitate before punching me in the face. Lucian was pissed, and he would be far crueler to me than he ever was before if he got me back.
I’d watched Balto shatter that man’s skull, and now I couldn’t unsee it. It was permanently ingrained in my mind.
Balto fished the key out of the man’s pocket then kneeled down next to me. “Alright, baby?” He loosened the handcuffs then helped me sit up. His hand moved into my hair, and he examined the swelling in my face.
“I’m fine…you saved me.”
“You really thought I’d let them take you?” The corner of his mouth rose in a smile, like this was all a game. “Not a chance, baby.” His thumb swiped over my cheek as he felt the puffiness.
I gripped his wrists and closed my eyes, my heart beating so hard it actually hurt. Those few minutes were the most horrifying of my existence. The idea of returning to Lucian was far worse than the years I actually spent with him. I was so scared—and I wasn’t afraid to admit it.
Balto held me that way for a long time, patiently waiting for me to calm down. “Baby, you’re alright.”
“I know…” I kept my eyes closed.
He gathered me in his arms then lifted me from the ground.
My arms hooked around his neck, and I buried my face in his shoulder.
Effortlessly, he carried me from that alleyway and back down the street where the restaurant was. As we approached the building, I heard the sounds of people gathered on the sidewalk, talking about the shooting that had just taken place. The police were there, but they didn’t stop Balto. He put me in the truck then drove away, as if nothing happened, as if I hadn’t almost been taken and raped by Lucian’s soldiers.
Instead of staying in my seat by the window, I scooted to the middle and hooked my arm through his. My face moved to this shoulder, and I closed my eyes as I relaxed in his comforting presence. Somehow, he defeated seventeen men entirely on his own—and saved me from a fate I couldn’t accept.
This man had been my captor for the last few months.
But now he was my savior.
25
BALTO
I carried Cassini out of the elevator and to my bedroom down the hallway. The incident tonight was normal to me, something I did on a nearly daily basis. There were always shootouts and battles that took place on the streets of Florence.
But she’d never seen anything like that.
I saw how scared she was as she lay on the ground with her wrists cuffed. I saw how she nearly burst into tears when the men threatened to rape her. And I saw the way she looked at me when I rescued her, the way her eyes filled with endless gratitude. She gave me a look I’d never seen before, like I was the only face she wanted to see.
Now she clung to me for comfort. She buried her face in my neck because being in my arms was the safest place in the world. Her fingers dug into me so deeply, it seemed like she never wanted to let me go.
I laid her on the bed, her strap falling down her shoulder just as I fantasized. She’d ditched her shoes during the getaway, so the bottoms of her feet were black and covered with dirt. Her eyes were still slightly wet from the terror, and the beautiful confidence she normally showed was long gone.
But I wanted her as much as I always did. In fact, I wanted her more.
I’d never been someone’s savior before. I was always the nightmare, always the killer. But I liked saving her. I liked protecting her. And I liked how safe she felt with me. I sat at the edge of the bed and looked at her.
She sat up and unzipped the back of her dress so it would come free from her
body.
The shootout didn’t change my arousal. I wanted her badly before Lucian’s men showed up, and I wanted her still. But she seemed too distressed for sex right now. I would normally dig my hands into her hair and take her, but I restrained myself.
She pulled the dress over her head and tossed it on the floor. The only thing underneath was her bare skin, her beautiful tits, and the little black thong she wore.
It was like she was trying to torture me.
She got under the covers. “Lie with me.”
I stripped down to my boxers and left my gun on the nightstand. I got into bed, and the second my body was against the mattress, she cuddled into my side. She tucked her leg between my thighs, wrapped her arm around my waist, and laid her head on my chest.
My hand ran from the back of her neck down to her ass, gently massaging her as she sank into me. If she hadn’t been there that night, I probably would have gone to a bar afterward and enjoyed a nice glass of scotch. Or I would have picked up a woman for the evening. I wouldn’t have stopped living my life normally because of what I’d done.
But this woman had never seen a man’s skull shatter like that. It was her first time.
“How did you kill all of them?” she whispered, her tits pressed against my torso.
I shrugged. “I just did.”
“But there were twelve of them.”
“That’s not very many. Trust me.” Lucian shouldn’t have been so arrogant and should have sent more men. He’d thought he would catch me off guard at the restaurant, but the truth was, you could never really catch me off guard. I thrived during the unexpected. I adapted to new environments with alarming speed.
“And then you got to me so quickly.”
“I run fast.”
“They could have taken me back to Lucian… I was so scared. Being in his captivity wasn’t so bad because I just accepted it. I behaved myself so things weren’t so awful. But the idea of going back there…made me sick to my stomach. I panicked because I’d rather die than go back there. I also knew everything would be different. Lucian would hurt me so much now that he knows about our affair. My existence would be a million times worse than last time. If you’d arrived just a few minutes later—”
