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The luscious woman would soon learn that she was the ultimate prize in a fevered game of chess. Winner takes all. Yet I didn’t care about the territory, the money, or the power, even though it would be the reason Devon’s empire started to crack.
At this moment in time, all I wanted was an end to my personal nightmare.
The rest I considered crumbs and nothing else. Let Alessandro have his reign of power, gloating over taking over more territory. My empire was more subdued but just as powerful.
I sat quietly, waiting for my business meeting to begin, and my cock remained hard as a rock. I’d never felt the level of attraction I had the night before, enough so sleep had forsaken me, replaced with the creative beast dwelling inside. I’d lost myself in vivid colors, spending several hours perfecting my masterpiece. I’d been crazed from desire, determined to finish the piece in order to have it sent special delivery.
I wanted her more than I could explain, my thoughts vile and filthy, consuming a portion of my mind that should be left for business. Even my palms were sweaty, which was the most ridiculous aspect of all. No woman had affected me this way. She’d become my single obsession, a need that I wasn’t certain I could shove aside. If I couldn’t, I would draw her into a darkness she might never recover from.
And I wasn’t entirely certain I cared or had the strength to keep my distance. Why the hell did she continue to crowd my mind?
Breathtaking.
That was the single word to describe her.
Damn it, I was savagely hungry.
I took a deep breath, attempting to drive aside the stench of the man sitting in front of me, finding the exotic perfume that had lingered inside my nostrils for several hours after leaving the charity event. As I drummed my fingers on the table impatiently, I allowed several filthy visions to enter my mind, none of which had occurred, but they’d kept me awake all night. Once I’d arrived in New Orleans, I’d been inspired to paint. All because of one glimpse of Eden. I’d been forced to set it aside given the necessity to reenergize our operation, one year turning into several.
Now it had returned with a vengeance.
I was the younger brother, likely never to ascend to the throne of Don, my status as second born often nothing more than a hindrance. Last night had rekindled the burning desire, but not only to brush paint across a blank canvas.
To devour a human whole. Her spirit. Her surrender.
Her very soul.
The hunger continued to burn deep inside even now, which wasn’t conducive to handling business, especially when the asshole in question was already late.
And I wasn’t the kind of man who handled tardiness well.
My Capo’s cough dragged my attention back to the meeting. Jameson could read me like a book, doing his best to drag me down from the rafters whenever possible. Today could be one of those days. I leaned over the table, glaring at the gruff soldier who’d brought the news Rodriguez would be late.
“Where the fuck is he?” I demanded.
“He’ll be here. Sir. He had important business to handle.” His sneer was just about to get wiped off his face.
Permanently.
I glanced at my watch, in truth wondering whether the driver had heeded my delivery instructions. If not, I’d have his head on a silver platter as well. While I enjoyed spending time in New Orleans, I preferred doing so without being stymied by worthless meetings with a savage organization that ate their young for breakfast. I knew it was necessary, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t irritated by the need to babysit Rodriguez.
As I stood, so did Jameson, my Capo making certain the asshole with greasy hair was aware he was fully armed. It didn’t matter the meeting had been called in a neutral location, a small dining room of a creole restaurant. I couldn’t care less there were dozens of people enjoying their lunch without understanding vicious monsters were mere feet away.
I didn’t bother offering any additional demands. What was the point? If Sanchez Rodriguez didn’t want to do business with the Montenegro family, then so be it. The blood would be on his hands.
“Wait a minute,” the soldier barked from behind me. “You can’t go anywhere.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Paco. I can do any damn thing I desire.” I opened the door to the main dining room, sensing a presence behind me.
“I didn’t know you were an impatient man.”
I’d talked with Sanchez briefly on the phone to establish the meeting, the restaurant his choice. Meeting him face to face would allow me to determine if the rumors about his expansion efforts were true. If so, we’d need to establish our boundaries. He ran his organization like my father had, preferring brutality to either common sense or professionalism.
While I preferred handling business sitting across a table, that didn’t mean old-fashioned brutality wasn’t necessary when situations prevented anything else. However, I wasn’t in the mood for a bloodbath.
At least not until I had Eden safely tucked away.
“You’re late,” I growled, closing the door and slowly turning to face him. He was older, scarred from past battles, but his eyes held the cold, calculating look of a true monster.
