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Her heart stopped.
For a split second.
And then it kick-started with a vengeance, thumping wildly, the ache between her legs throbbing with every mad thud.
Keeping her face clear of all expressions, keeping her body completely still, not showing even the hint of the rampage inside her, aware of her father's shrewd eyes sharp on her for any indication of guilt, Morana raised a quiet brow.
"Who's Tristan Caine?"
Her voice stayed steady; her insides shook.
Before her father could respond, the other exit of the restaurant at the end of the street opened and Morana saw her father's eyes turn to it. Steadying herself, not to make any moves that could give her away, she turned along with him and saw the men of the Outfit walk out the door, towards the other end of the lot where their cars were parked. Four men exited in a file before Dante stepped out, his huge body that was his namesake athletic in his suit. Morana saw him turn and stare at her father.
Her father nodded once, in that polite warning way reserved for enemies who were in his territory and he couldn't do a thing about it.
Dante nodded back, all tiredness from previously gone, in that polite way that gave her father the finger.
Morana resisted the urge to smile at the way it riled her father.
Dante's eyes shifted to her then, for a second, and he nodded to her, in the way she'd always seen him nod at her. Morana didn't nod back, but standing there with the realization that her enemy was more respectful of her than her own father stung.
Dante moved from the door and Tristan Caine walked out, his animalistic body contained inside that suit, flexing with his steps as he strode with four other men on his heels. He stopped to talk to Dante, presenting her with his profile. Keenly aware of her father standing right beside her, Morana averted her eyes and pretended to check her phone, her heart pounding everywhere in her body, from her chest to her ears to her core. Everything throbbed. She throbbed.
And then his eyes came to her.
Again.
Fuck.
She contained a shiver. Barely.
And then his eyes left her.
She held her breath, and when it didn't return, she looked up at her father, to find him watching Tristan Caine with narrowed, angry eyes.
Curious, she followed his gaze to the man who'd been between her legs just minutes ago and blinked in surprise.
Tristan Caine was holding her father's angry glare without blinking, one of his eyebrows raised, his lips curled in a small sneer that was as fake as her British accent. What was he doing?
She got her answer a second later, understanding the game. It was a game of dominance. And there he stood, asserting his dominance in her father's territory, completely unruffled. And she knew, deep in her gut, it was about her.
She'd never felt so alive and never wished she could be more dead than she did at that moment.
"Get in the car," her father spit out angrily, pushing her arm towards the town car. At any other time, Morana would have dug her heels and argued. But not right then. Right then, she practically bolted to the car and got inside, needing to get away from the situation that could explode at any time. Her skin sizzled with the tension hovering in the air and she got in the vehicle without sparing him one glance.
Her father followed, shutting the door and telling the driver to pull away.
Morana grit her teeth and looked out the window, resisting the urge to clench her hands into fists as her father watched. Slowly, her heart calmed down and the shaking inside her stopped as she closed off. She'd been dealing with her father for many, many cold years. She would deal with him now. Ignoring the ache in her body, keeping all and every thought and memory of him at bay, Morana sat straight and just kept her eyes on the fleeting scenery –poised, calm, collected.
Her father didn't say a word for the entire ride. Not that she'd expected him to. No. All the cool he lost would be in private, not in front of his men where she could insult him again. His reputation was much, much more important than hers.
It was a short journey from the restaurant to the mansion. It was long with her knowledge of what was coming.
The minute the property gates appeared and the car slid into its spot, Morana got out of the vehicle and started walking towards the monster of a mansion, closed behind high fences and weapons that could turn against her at a moment's notice.
She almost reached the stairs to her suite when her father's voice boomed from behind her.
"He couldn't keep his eyes off you."
