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I refused to break eye contact to show weakness, but I was definitely afraid of his words. I was afraid of the way they made me feel. It wasn’t terrifying like it was with Egor. He never threatened me at all, just beat me and fucked me whenever he wanted. But Carter made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end with just his words. I felt the warmth in my belly, the mix of fear and excitement in my heart.
“And just so you know, I hope you do fuck up.” He finally broke eye contact with me and picked up his newspaper again. “You can waste your time trying to understand me, but trust me, you never will.”
“Why don’t you just tell me? You bought me for a reason. I might fulfill that reason if it’s not repulsive.”
His eyes scanned back and forth as he read the newspaper. “Look, I bought you at the Underground to piss off someone.” He tossed the newspaper aside. “He crossed me a few months ago, and I knew he wanted you, so I made sure I got you first. It was a pissing contest, is all.”
“You bought me for fifty million for your ego?” I asked incredulously.
“Sweetheart, I’m a billionaire. I have so much money, I don’t even know what to do with it. So just be grateful.”
“Be grateful?” I cocked an eyebrow. “Why should I be grateful?”
He rested his elbows on the table and leaned toward me. “I don’t need to know where you came from to understand what you lived through. The scars on your back spell it out for me. My company is preferable to your previous master. So, yes, be grateful.”
A glimmer of hope erupted in my heart. “If you just bought me to piss someone off…will you let me go? Not tomorrow, but eventually?” I had to figure out how to escape one way or another. This man wasn’t keeping me in this house. I had a life to get back to. I would either have to kill him or hope he would release me. He was the one who would dictate how that would happen.
He held my gaze for a long time, his eyes shifting back and forth slightly. When he was this focused, he looked even more beautiful. When he was angry, he seemed confident. When he was pissed, he seemed aggressive. With those muscles and good looks, he had the perfect package. “Never.”
Fifteen
Bones
After I visited the doctor and had my bandage removed, Vanessa and I left for Florence. I didn’t prepare to put the apartment on the market just yet. She was anxious to see her family and get back to her gallery, and I wasn’t in a hurry to get rid of the place anyway. It would just be more money in my pocket—and it wasn’t like I needed that.
We took my truck, which was packed with all the essentials. I took a few rifles, shotguns, and pistols because I couldn’t live anywhere without a stash hidden away. Even at the most peaceful times, danger was lurking behind every corner.
I didn’t know if the issue with the Skull Kings had been resolved by the Barsettis yet, but something told me it hadn’t been settled. The Skull Kings weren’t exactly logical, and the Barsettis were too paranoid to make any moves of their own.
I wasn’t sure what would happen.
I didn’t mention any of this to Vanessa. She was happy right now—and I never wanted her to be unhappy.
Just like she did in my old truck, she sat in the middle right beside me. Her arm was hooked through mine while I kept one hand on the wheel. We used to drive around like this all the time, and sometimes she would sneak a few kisses against my neck. Her hand would glide over my thigh and to the definition of my jeans, teasing me.
I liked it when my baby was all over me.
I missed it.
I used to think about those memories every single time I was in my truck. That was probably why I crashed that night, the depression and the booze mixing together until it became combustive.
“Thank you for coming to Florence with me.”
I kept my eyes out the window, looking at the open countryside in front of us. There was nothing but vineyards, old cobblestone houses, and hillsides in front of us. It was a beautiful summer day—just like one of her paintings.
“I know it’s not your first choice—”
“I want to be with you—wherever we are.”
She rubbed my arm and then kissed my biceps, her soft lips brushing against my hard muscle. “I know you do.” She rested her head against my shoulder and leaned into me, snuggling with me just like she did on the couch.
These simple moments were the ones I missed the most, when we didn’t say anything to each other, but enjoyed one another’s company all the same. Her affection was like a shot of my favorite whiskey. Sometimes it was even better than when she fucked me because touches like this were from the heart.
