Page 43 of Savage Ambition

He composed himself, straightened his shoulders, and opened the door. The Japanese woman waiting outside handed him his robe, her expression revealing nothing as she helped him into it.

Alone in the bathroom, I studied my reflection in the mirror. My lips were swollen from his kisses and my neck marked where his teeth had grazed my skin. His fierce control and buried fire called to me.

Salvatore thought he was using me as a new toy for his prized possession. He didn’t realize I planned to take his best asset.

Dragon might think himself beyond my reach, but he was wrong.

Salvatore be damned, I wouldn’t stop until Dragon was mine.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

DANTE

Iwalked into Salvatore’s office, my body on autopilot while my mind calculated every outcome of our meeting. The massive mahogany desk dominated the room as an altar where sacrifices were made.

Behind it sat Salvatore, his broad frame filling the oversized leather chair. Being in his presence made my skin crawl. The pleasure I had derived from being with Renato faded into a distant dream.

I positioned myself across from him, arranging my robe to cover my body in a quiet act of defiance. Salvatore had seen every inch of me during my “training,” but denying him that small visual satisfaction was one of the few rebellions I could safely indulge.

“You two put on quite a show.” Salvatore’s voice carried the smooth cadence of a threat. “Your performance pleased me.”

I bowed my head in acknowledgment, careful to keep my face blank. One wrong word, one flicker of genuine emotion, and he’d snatch Renato away just to watch me suffer. It was Salvatore’s specialty to show me glimpses of pleasure only to replace them with pain.

“You seemed to appreciate your reward.”

I refused to give him confirmation of how Renato had made my body react in ways I hadn’t thought possible. “It was a successful interview. In my professional opinion, Renato would be a great addition to Gennaro Corporation.”

“Yes, he certainly would be an asset.” His fingers tapped on the desk, a habit I’d learned preceded his cruelest moments. “But I must confess, I’m a little disappointed you took such a passive role.”

“I thought it would be the best method to assess his full range of abilities. It’s a given that he would respond favorably if I had taken the lead.” The truth was simpler and far more dangerous. I’d surrendered control because for those brief moments with Renato, I’d forgotten to calculate, to strategize, to perform. My body had simply wanted.

His expression shifted to that disturbing mixture of paternal pride and something darker that always made my stomach twist. I’d seen that same look before he ordered men executed for looking at me wrong. “True. There’s not a person alive who wouldn’t succumb to your talent.”

“Thus, I allowed him to take charge, to see if he was worth hiring.”

“He knew how to make you moan.” Salvatore didn’t mask his suspicion. “It’s been some time since I last heard you be so vocal.”

I kept my face neutral despite the icy fear grabbing me by the balls. Salvatore cataloged every reaction, every sound, every breath I took with clients. He understood how unusual my response to Renato had been. “It seemed to encourage him.”

A cruel smirk spread across his face. Nothing good could come from that look. “I believe I need another demonstration.” He pushed a button on his desk phone, paging his secretary. “Send him in.”

My pulse quickened with conflicting impulses. I wanted Renato again while knowing Salvatore would twist it into something ugly. Nothing in my life remained untainted by his sadism. Every pleasure came with barbed hooks that tore flesh when removed.

Renato sauntered in with the confidence of a man who hadn’t yet learned that in Salvatore’s world, beauty was another commodity to be exploited until it broke. He dropped into the chair beside me, legs spread wide in casual dominance. “I’d ask how I did, but I already know the answer to that.” His cocky arrogance would annoy me if it wasn’t so well deserved.

“You put on a remarkable performance, but I find I am not yet convinced,” Salvatore stated, causing Renato’s eyebrows to rise.

“What else can I do to convince you, Don Salvatore?” Renato’s voice dripped with innuendo, his Italian accent thickening. I studied him through narrowed eyes. No one that gorgeous, that talented, worked in a brothel without a reason. Men like him could have anyone they wanted without payment. What game was he playing?

“My boy has had quite the evening. I want to see if you can arouse his interests once more.”

Renato’s golden eyes locked onto mine. “That’ll be the easiest test yet.”

Salvatore pressed another button, revealing a hidden door that slid open. “Please proceed.”

That small bedroom was where I had purchased Raphael’s innocence with my corruption, one brutal sex act at a time.

Knowing I had a role to play, I mechanically rose from the chair to enter the place that housed my darkest memories. My anxiety spiked when Salvatore followed, the door locking behind us with a click that sounded like a coffin lid closing.