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“Clara, are you okay?” I rush toward her.
“There are some men in your office waiting for you with the guy you arrived with,” she chokes out before leaning forward to whisper, “They have guns.”
My eyes widen and I struggle to keep my face neutral, not wanting anyone to see the panic ravaging my body. “What were your instructions?” I ask.
“To come get you from the lobby and return with you.”
“Okay, I’m going to walk in front of you, and you’re going to remain behind me at all times, okay?”
She nods, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.
I reach for her hand and squeeze it. “It’s going to be okay. I promise they won’t hurt you anymore.”
“They have your friend,” she tells me.
I crack a smile. “Good luck to them. The moment Tommy is free, I want you to move behind him and he’ll keep you safe.”
“Okay.” Her voice is small and full of fear, but she understands, and that’s all that matters right now. Getting her to safety is my only priority.
The moment I step into my office, there are eyes on me, and my skin crawls under their observation. The three senior members of the Russo family sit on what is usually my side of the desk. Their leering gazes glide down my body leaving filth in their path, but my face remains disinterested.
“You’re in my seat,” I sneer as I glance at the corner of the room where a huge man is holding Tommy. His eyes are murderous as they flick between Clara and me.
“My apologies, Wynter.” Angelo chuckles but makes no attempt to rectify the situation.
“It’s Miss Saint James to you,” I snap. I shouldn’t be poking the bear, not when he could kill me where I stand before I could even blink, but I can’t help myself. I want every member of the Russo family to know I’m not afraid of them, even if it’s a lie.
“She’s fiery,” Paul comments.
“Our nephew has good taste,” Tony adds, and my stomach revolts. Everett is nothing like his family, but every time I’m reminded of the blood running through his veins, memories of all the wounds I’ve tended to on his skin flash across my vision.
“Take a seat.” Angelo gestures toward the chair in front of the desk, but it’s not a question. If I don’t sit, he’s going to make me, and I’d like to avoid any of these men getting their grubby paws anywhere near me.
I lower myself into the chair and glance over my shoulder at Clara by the door. Her body shakes violently, and I long to wrap my arms around her and provide her the comfort she so clearly needs.
Tommy’s eyes are on her too, a keen interest I’ve never seen in them. “I’d like you to allow my assistant to leave,” I say, turning to face three sets of cold eyes.
“It’s cute you think you’re running anything here, bitch.” Paul glowers across the desk.
I roll my eyes and immediately reprimand myself. Do I have a goddamn death wish?
“Apologies. You are in my office, in the building my family owns, on our turf, but excuse me for thinking I have a say in what happens here.”
The snark in my tone isn’t intentional, but I’ve been underestimated my whole life, and the men sitting across the desk from me think I’m weak. They think they can scare me by turning the tables on me in my own office, but they don’t realize how strong I truly am. I’m not going to bow down to whatever they think they have over me, because they’re in my territory and a queen protects what belongs to her. “I think it would be best for Clara to leave as she has no involvement in the sides of our business that correlate with yours,” I explain truthfully. She may know some of what we do behind closed doors, but I’ve tried to keep her as far away from it as I could. She’s too sweet for the likes of our darkness.
Angelo considers me for a moment, and I take the time to do the same. My eyes remain locked with his cold ones, my face remaining impassive and almost bored. The show I put on for them is part of the fun, and the longer I can draw this out, the more chance I have of Everett showing up to help. He nods once. “The girl may go.”
I look over my shoulder at Clara, who is still standing in the same place, eyes wide and unsure whether his approval is some kind of trap. “Go,” I whisper, and a moment later, she’s running out the door. I turn back to Angelo and force a polite smile to my lips. “Thank you.”
“I’m quite a reasonable man, Wynter,” he says, and I barely hold back the snort of laughter.
I nod. “It is quite reasonable to kidnap and torture one of our women.”
A booming laugh fills the room, and my eyes dart to Tony, who has both hands on his stomach and his face turns red from his chuckles. “Fuck. I see why Everett likes the girl. So full of fire.”
Angelo smirks, his eyes never moving from me. “Yes, I’m starting to think maybe I took the wrong woman. You are, after all, unattached. I know my nephew hasn’t married you or knocked you up yet. And how much fun it would be to break your will,” he muses.
For a moment I consider lying and telling them I’m pregnant, just to prevent them from trying, but even if that were the case, the baby would still have their blood running through its veins and would still be considered an heir even if I would never allow any child of mine to be a part of the heinous things the Russo family is known for.
