Page 27 of Mafia Manipulator


Font Size:  

What the fuck? Collins'hasty retreat had me wondering what she’d worked herself into a tizzy about. No, I knew exactly why she’d been upset with me. I couldn’t play the oblivious card in this situation. Brooke was becoming a liability. She got ahead of herself. Thought too highly of her position in my life. I shouldn’t have called her. I should have brought someone else with me. However, due to the nature of the gala, I had a role to play, besides why I’d really been going.

Unfortunately, the major players I believed would be at said event didn’t show their faces. I couldn’t decipher if they were scared or toying with me. Knowing Torino and Valentino, the answer was both.

Bowing my head, I exhaled.

Seeing Collins straddling Robbie’s lap. Her soft sighs and moans as she rolled her hips, turned me inside out with rage. She shouldn’t be anywhere near him. Those sighs and moans were mine. Allmine! Yet, it would have been hypocritical of me to say a damn word, which I had. I’d left this house with Brooke on my arm, and my ring on her finger. Concealing the truth about where I was going and why cost me dearly tonight. I put Collins on my personal chess board and made her a pawn, not my queen.

“Boss,” Robbie said, coming up behind me. “I didn’t know that was her plan originally.” No, I suspected not. If I had to guess, Collins set him up to be caught by me, though it was very arrogant of me to put myself higher in her esteem than I probably should be.

“You certainly enjoyed yourself.”

He swallowed hard. “I won’t admit that I didn’t. She’s hot, boss. Lonely. She wants more. She wanted companionship.”

“I should fire you.” Fury burned through my veins. Not at Robbie specifically. More so because I’d been duped into a situation I still didn’t control. I hurt Collins in the process and gave Brooke too much of my time. The idea Collins opened up to him, but not me, stung too. Instead of flying into a blind rage, I had to keep myself steady. “I have an assignment for you. If you complete it, you’ll keep your job.”

“Understood. What’s the assignment?” he said.

A wry smile crossed my lips. “You’re going to fuck Brooke and record it.”

Robbie tensed behind me. “Sir, what?”

“You heard me.”

“I thought you were—”

“You thought wrong. Tonight was a rouse that went terribly wrong. I have to make amends.” My gaze locked on the door of the cottage. All the lights were off inside. I was sure Collins would regret everything she said come morning, as much as I regretted this evening, too. My fear was, after everything I’d learned from Soren, she’d run, and I’d have no one to blame but myself.

The whole time I was gone, I couldn’t shove aside the knowledge of someone trying to track Collins, along with cutting the oil line on her car, out of my head. I had so many questions and very few answers. “Brooke has jewelry that’s mine as well. Retrieve it like a good lap dog, and I’ll give you a bonus.”

“Sir.” Robbie stepped away from me. “I’ll go now.”

“She’s in the suite at the hotel,” I stated, unable to look away from where my prize lay only five hundred feet from me. “The keycard is at the front desk. They know someone is coming to retrieve it.”

“Understood.”

“I’m counting on you, Robbie.” The only way to undo the knots I’d tied along the way was to cut them and begin again. Brooke was the first to go. Torino and Valentino the second and third. The final, whoever painted a target on Collins. There were coincidences and then there’d been attempted murder.

Instead of going to bed, I wandered into my office and went straight to the liquor cabinet. I wouldn’t sleep until Robbie returned. If he did his job properly, by morning Brooke would be knocked off my board, removing her from the field of play. Seeing the devastation in Collins’ eyes when Brooke clung to me... What she must think of me, put a hole in my gut. I hadn’t expected to see her in the house, hence why I didn’t take issue with Brooke dressing here. Then again, it seemed, with Collins, I didn’t think at all.

Fuck.

Pouring a generous amount of whiskey in my tumbler, I went to my desk to sit. Tonight... I fucked up. The plan I’d laid out backfired. Not for the first time, I wondered if I had a mole in my group. Someone who told the families I’d be at the gala, so they kept my prey away from me. Logic said I could be paranoid, but I’d seen the list of guests beforehand, thanks to Soren, so what happened? What changed? Were they spooked?

Frustrated and aroused, leave it to the silver tongued Collins to get my dick hard from her lashing, I took a deep swallow of my scotch. I wanted to forget the night. Also, I was sulking, like I accused Collins of doing. Tomorrow, I’d laugh at the situation.She drank a bottle of my best Burgundy.Of course, she wouldn’t have cheap tastes. I chuckled to myself at the absurdity of it all. Could this night get any worse? No, I shouldn’t ask that question. It could. It always could. Robbie might arrive at the hotel to find Brooke gone. What’s worse, she could show up here to find out why I’d left her there.

That was a confrontation I didn’t want or need.

Though, I suppose I deserved her ire, too. I made no guarantees with her at any point. Our non-relationship was all transactional, and after last time, when my dick wouldn’t cooperate, I hadn’t asked her back into my bed. I used her tonight as a pawn for my game. She indulged a little too much and had to sleep it off. Of course, saying such didn’t assuage the guilt consuming me. No matter what I said to Collins come morning, it was all an excuse, especially because I couldn’t tell her the truth. I’d never been this tied up about another woman. Rosalina being the only exception.

Even then, my motivations were cut and dry. Finish up my remaining tenure as the Syndicate of Families hired killer, then obtain my rightful seat at the table. There’d been no grey area. No hidden agenda on my part. I played the dutiful lap dog with the singular goal of marrying Rosalina. Now... Now; I wished I could go back to a happier time in my life where none of this subterfuge occurred. Though, I realized, sitting there, half-empty glass in my hand, it’d been naïve of me to believe my happy ending came at the fulfillment of my contract to the families.

No, men like me didn’t get a happy ending. We’d always be a dog to someone else. Men like me would always be killers and would always be hunted by the people we were sent to eliminate.

Damn the consequences.

It was a never ending, lose-lose kind of life.

Downing the remaining contents in my glass, I poured another. The incessant tick of the second hand on the grandfather clock drove me to the brink. Alone with my thoughts, I could feel the madness closing in. I needed that call to report at least one loose end was tied up before I could relax and sleep. I also had to decide what I’d do about Collins. I realized, no matter how many obstacles I put in both of our ways, she would find a path to my bed. However, getting her there comprised options I hated more than I approved of after the incident tonight. Things I’d never do to force her there. I also wouldn’t beg her.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
Articles you may like