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“Saw me?”
“Can we not talk about it?”
“Diego saw me?”
“Yeah, on his security feed. He saw you’d been left alone and went to help.”
“Oh.”
“It’s not as dirty or as crazy as it sounds.”
She smiled. “It’s fine. Really.”
“You sure. He wasn’t going all serial killer on you, I promise.”
“It’s really fine. I can handle it.”
“I didn’t expect him to date you though.”
“You didn’t?”
“Diego’s an intense … secretive kind of guy.”
“You got that right. I didn’t even know he had a friend.”
“He doesn’t talk about his life?”
“No. Nothing. He sometimes mentions the club, but we don’t talk about our work for the most part.” They did have sex a lot, not that she was complaining. The sex was more than incredible. Not that she had anyone to compare it to, nor did she want to. “So you work for him?”
“I’ve done a couple of jobs for him, but we’re sort of in a joint venture at the moment.”
“Do you like him?”
“He’s an all right kind of guy. He has his demons like we all do.”
“Thank you,” she said. “For helping to save me.”
“Diego did all the saving.”
“Were the cops there?”
“The cops were notified, I’m sure.”
He was speaking slowly.
She ate her food, realizing Richard was being careful around her, and she didn’t know why.
“Would you like to drop me off back at my home?” she asked. “I don’t want to intrude.”
“You’re not intruding.”
She jumped as he touched her leg.
“Shit, sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it.” That was all she seemed to be saying at the moment.
“I’ve got to go and check on a few things. Enjoy your food.”
Before she could stop him, he’d already gotten to his feet and moved away. Slumping down on the sofa, she was sad she’d forced him away.
What was she talking about that made him so nervous or for him to stop wanting to be near her? It made next to no sense at all.
As she ate her food, the sick feeling in her stomach slowly disappeared to be replaced with nerves. What was it Diego did exactly if it wasn’t just the club?
****
Diego’s first stop was to see his men, who were waiting for him at the club. All four of them were standing, and he was more than ready to end all of them. Stepping in front of the large men, he would kill each of them if they ever put Belle in danger.
He stared at each of the men. They were perfectly still, their hands in front of them, ready to take instructions. They were soldiers, these men. Their lives belonged to him as their capo, and they had to abide by his will.
“The block was destroyed, correct?” he asked.
“Yes, we stayed to see it burn to the ground.” One of them spoke up.
“Did anyone make it out alive?”
“A couple of the whores and their clients, sir.” This came from another.
He sat on his desk, gun in hand, ready.
“Do you remember what you pledged to me the day you worked for me?” he asked.
Their gazes were no longer staring straight ahead but at him.
“I pledged my life to yours.” Each of them said the exact same thing. They were like little sheep, only fueled by violence.
“The woman I saved tonight, she is … important to me. She is to be protected at all costs.”
“Yes, sir.”
“No one can know about her. I want to make myself perfectly clear here. Only you four know of her. If anyone finds out about her, it will be you four I hold responsible, and I will have my fun with your entrails, do I make myself clear?”
“Perfectly.”
“Good. Now, if anyone asks, those men had set up a whorehouse in my area. They had done so without my permission, without my consent, and because of that, I dealt with it. It’s the truth. You are not lying. You won’t speak of the woman.”
They all nodded.
“Get out,” he said.
They all left him alone, and he sat back on his desk. It was a risk he was taking, but killing four of his closest men would also raise suspicion. He had to keep his fucking wits about him, or risk handing over his territory to Angelo. That shit wasn’t happening, not on his watch.
Angelo would destroy everything he’d built, and nothing would make him hand over the keys of his kingdom to that sick, sadistic prick.
His men were dealt with; now he had to move on to another person.
Leaving his club, he took the back exit, so no one would see him. It wasn’t often he walked around in sweatpants and a hoodie. The look didn’t feel right for him, but at his next stop, he would certainly blend in.
He knew where Melanie lived because he’d been to see her. She was supposed to keep her distance, and well now, she had certainly overstayed her welcome.
Climbing out of his car, he made his way toward the building. It wasn’t the worst one in the area, but it certainly wasn’t the best.
