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“Lily Sanborn.”
“Has she ever waited tables before? Or does she have a license to kill?”
“That rowdy, huh?” A part of me wanted to go back to the motel, demanding she tell me what the hell was going on. “I have no idea about most of her skills, but she’s feisty and a looker.”
“Depends on the night as far as the assholes who pop in. If she can handle you, then I guess she’d do just fine working here. When’s she coming in?”
“I don’t know if she is. I mentioned it, but she’s a free spirit.”
“Do you want me to let me know if she pops in?”
I thought about his question. What right did I have to check up on her? Why should I give a damn about anyone who wanted nothing to do with me? “Yeah, let me know.”
“Will do. It’s good to know you might be settling down.”
“Very funny. Keep that to yourself.”
He laughed. “Not a chance, partner.”
I tossed the phone after ending the call, fighting to get her out of my mind.
She had her life.
I had mine.
I’d done what I could do. But if she stayed, all bets were off. I wanted the girl more than I should.
As I headed further away from the motel, something told me we’d meet again. Only I was worried that it would be under entirely different circumstances. I had no doubt the person she was terrified of was a man.
And he was out to get her. If my gut was right, he was the kind of asshole who wouldn’t stop until he’d taken back what he believed belonged to him.
If he tried, he’d learn that in my world, those who attempted to hurt or destroy anyone I cared about faced an entirely different kind of punishment.
Then I’d drag him straight to hell myself.
CHAPTER7
Lily
“What do you think you’re doing?”
The harsh barking sound was more brutal than usual. I tried not to jump, but Giovanni’s voice instilled fear every time he got this way. “Just walking in the gardens.” ‘Gardens’ was stretching what I’d called the strip of land surrounding his estate. His estate. It was my home too. While I’d seen a grounds company through the window of my prison, they never tended to the flower garden. Now the flowers were gangly, weeds taking over most of the area, but the vibrant colors were still beautiful. I’d only recently been given permission to go outside, although always under the watchful eye of his men.
“You know better than to stretch your boundaries, my stupid pet. Maybe I’ll need to shorten your leash.” He came closer, the evil grin on his face one I knew far too well.
I usually cowered, trying to prepare myself for his anger. When he touched me lovingly, rubbing the back of his knuckles across my cheek, I shivered, hating myself for once finding him attractive. He was a true monster in every way, the devil incarnate. He was simply missing the horns. To everyone else he was a respectable businessman, feared by many but loved by other women. I knew what he was made of, the ugliness that filled his soul.
I also knew what he was capable of. How my father had become involved with him I’d likely never know. Nor did it matter.
Shuddering, I closed my eyes, trying not to react any more than I already had.
When he suddenly wrapped his hand around my throat, I instantly couldn’t breathe. He pulled me onto my toes, twisting my neck to an uncomfortable angle. Then he dropped his head so our lips were a few inches apart. “Listen up, stupid pet. You might think I don’t know what you’re planning but you’re wrong. If you ever try and escape, you know what will happen. The hunt will be delicious.”
I closed my eyes, doing everything I could to shove out the wretched memory. Giovanni always liked to threaten me with the hunt, even taking me to the woods flanking his house, the several acres of natural woodlands as terrifying as the rest of my surroundings. He’d filled my head with stories of the boobytraps he’d placed throughout the acreage: bear traps and hidden pits full of sharp spears and venomous snakes; trip wires that brought down machetes and fired off weapons. Then he’d share with me the previous hunts he and his men had indulged in, tracking down whatever enemy or person who’d betrayed them.
And he’d explain in vivid detail what he’d do when they were captured, the methods he’d use to maim then kill them.
The man was twisted.
