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“Oh, my God. You bugged my phone.” He’d made the statement so matter-of-factly, his voice so controlled that I sensed he was enjoying terrifying me. But that wasn’t it. This was his usual method of operation, a daily activity if necessary. That was more jarring than almost anything else. He was truly the most powerful man I’d ever met.
After tossing me a heated glance, he chuckled and rolled down a side street, the once quaint homes replaced by mansions. This must be the section of town where all the rich people live, although I was surprised the neighborhood wasn’t that far outside of town.
“I didn’t have the opportunity, Raven. But your dorm room was fair game. Given you are under my protection, I had to ensure no one would touch you.”
“Was my roommate involved? Did she betray me? She asked me to be in her wedding.”
“No, Paisley is very much your friend. I wouldn’t involve her as that wouldn’t be fair to either one of you.”
“Please don’t try and disguise your activities as noble. You’ve been following me. Haven’t you? You were there more than once, watching me. I felt you.”
“Mostly, I’ve had a soldier check on you from time to time. As I said, your security is now a priority, and yes, I visited your dorm to ensure you were safe and because I wanted to see you.”
“Jesus Christ. You’re…”
“Horrible? Isn’t that what you were going to say, Raven? It’s fine. Whatever you think of me is just fine.”
“Stop!” I snapped. “You want me to hate you because you can’t allow anyone to get close. Jesus. I don’t know what you went through in your life, but I can’t live in the shadow of anger and fear, or whoever you cared for so much that it broke you into pieces.”
The air in the car was sucked almost completely out, the feeling of being suffocated clawing at my nerves. And my aching heart.
“I will do everything in my power to keep you safe and to make you happy.”
“Practiced words, Arman. Fine. Have it your way. I won’t bother trying to get to know you any further.” The tension disgusted me. If only we could both allow our guards to fall. “A soldier watched me? You mean he was guarding me. You make it sound like you’re in the middle of a war.” I fisted both hands, the anticipation of the next few hours, days, weeks so daunting I couldn’t breathe.
He slowed the vehicle down even more, finally making a turn down a short driveway. While I’d only seen his house in the dark, the palatial grounds gave it away. There were at least four people working on the beautiful landscaping, tending to the shrubs, and watering plants and flowers. The entire scene was surreal. This was where I was going to live.
Visions of a fairytale ending floated into the back of my mind. I was an idiot to think this would end well.
“Make no mistake, Raven. My entire family has been embroiled in the middle of battles and wars for several generations. I have countless enemies who will stop at nothing to burn our empire to the ground.”
“And I’m a weakness.”
“Yes. You are. But you will be safe.”
Well, at least he didn’t sugarcoat the reality.
“Why do you want to continue living that way? Always looking over your shoulder, worrying about being killed. That’s why you can’t enjoy something off the cuff. How sad. Why not alter your lifestyle, become a financier or a software developer? Maybe own a baseball team or concentrate on your land development business in Texas? Become a restauranteur.”
The way his upper lip curled was entirely too sexy, which forced me to look away. When the entire house came into view, I was stunned. It was a cross between a gothic Victorian and a sweeping Mediterranean. If there was such a thing. But with the arched windows and doors, the tile roof, it didn’t exactly fit a true Victorian even with the ornate iron railing surrounding the triple-decker porches.
“You already know about my real estate ventures and that includes owning a hotel and fabulous bistro in New Orleans. I have no desire to become embroiled in computers as I’m not into that kind of technology. I pay people to handle the technological aspects of my lucrative businesses including a handful of accountants and stockbrokers. However, I am in discussions to purchase the New Orleans Panthers. If my brother had anything to do with decisions I made, he’d approve of me attempting to purchase the Saints franchise as well.”
It seemed every word out of the man’s mouth was incredulous. Flippant. And sexy as hell. Everything about him was also infuriating.
“You can’t possibly be telling me the truth, Arman.”
“And why would that be? I own or partially own several businesses, have investments in a half dozen others, Raven. My father might be considered a brutal man, but he was an astute businessman, teaching his three sons and my sister as well that power isn’t about what you own but about what you gain in doing so.”
“Profound.” And it was actually, a flash beneath his armor, something private that he told no one else. As much as I’d told myself after the nefarious deal I’d made that I wanted no part of learning any more than necessary, that had been nothing more than a lie. Just like the one I’d told myself that I could contain my lust. That wasn’t the case at all, at least not around him. There was too much fire between us, his eyes burning with licking flames every time he looked at me.
And I felt the same. God help me, I almost liked him. At least a part of him.
“A truthful statement yet one I didn’t understand for far too long,” he said quietly.
“Let me guess. Your net worth is somewhere in the billions.”
He tipped his head and pulled the car in front of a six-bay garage, pressing a button for the automatic opener. “Somewhere in that neighborhood a few times over. I’ll let you in on a little secret. Money no longer means anything to me.”
