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“I’m not asking. Get some sleep.” I turn my back to her, dismissing her.
“Who the fuck are you talking to?” she suddenly snaps. “How dare you order me like that and then turn your back? I’m not your personal whore.”
I spin fast, taking her by surprise. Backing her up to the wall, I push my face close to hers. I see her fear, but she tries her hardest not to let it show. “Tonight, I lost a good man. I come home to find my mother has attempted suicide and my sister is alone with a fucking biker. I am not about to fight with you on this. Until I’m done with you, you will behave exactly like my whore and do as you are fucking told or I will send that tape to your father. Then I’ll tell Hulk how you aborted his baby in some backstreet clinic, paid for by the mob.” It’s a low blow, but I’ve been pushed to the edge tonight, and I can’t control myself any longer.
Piper’s eyes fill with tears. I expect a slap or an object to come flying towards me, but she doesn’t move a muscle. We haven’t spoken about the clinic that I’d sorted out for her. Months ago, Piper had asked Lucy and Tag to help her, but they were newlyweds and going on their honeymoon, so Tag passed it to me. I know the clinic well, and they were happy to help me out. Two thousand cash and Piper’s problem went away.
I step back from her. “Get some sleep, Piper. We’ll be leaving at some point tomorrow.”
Instead, she hooks her fingers into the waistband of her shorts and pushes them down her legs. I stare at her, dumbfounded. She isn’t wearing underwear. Her shaven pussy is right in front of me, and it takes all my control not to drop to my knees just to taste her once. “What are you doing?” I croak, my throat suddenly dry.
“Well, if I’m your whore, then get it over and done with.” She pulls her hoodie over her head, leaving her in just a strappy pyjama top. When she takes that in her hands, I rush forward and grab her wrists to stop her from removing that too.
“Stop,” I growl. “You’ve made your point. I didn’t mean whore. You said that word first. I’m not going to have sex with you, so put your clothes back on.” When I’m sure she won’t remove any more clothes, I release her wrists.
She pulls her shorts up. “Thank you,” she says, jutting out her chin.
“For what?”
“Reminding me what arseholes men are. For a second, I forgot we were playing a game, acting as part of a plan. I almost thought we were friends.” Her eyes are sad, and I bite my inner cheek to stop me from making a fool of myself by telling her how I really feel about her.
“You needed reminding. I have a plan, and you can’t fuck it up because of your silly little high school crush on Hulk. Goodnight.” I watch as she stomps from the room and heads up the stairs. I take the stairs two at a time, and when I reach the top, I begin to unfasten my blood-soaked shirt. She stops when she realises she has no idea where she’s going and folds her arms over her chest stubbornly. I hide my smirk. She’s still sassy even when she's lost. “In here,” I say, opening the bedroom door across from my own. She pushes past me like a sulky teenager, but I catch her eyes assessing my tattooed chest.
I remain in the doorway, staring down at the shirt that’s now in my hands. I see Luke’s face flash before my eyes. Even the biggest men have a look of fear in their eyes when they see the end coming.
“Were you close?” asks Piper. I shake my head to snap me from my daydream, and Piper is in front of me with concern in her eyes. “You said one of your men died.” She takes another step closer and reaches her hand out to take my own. The image of her kissing Hulk flashes in front of me and I back out of the room before she can bewitch me with her touch.
“Goodnight, Piper.”
I head back down to the office. The sun will be rising soon, but I’m too pumped to get any sleep. Michael is staring at the wall with an empty glass in his hand. “Rough night,” I mutter, and he snaps from his thoughts.
“You ever gotten sick of the nightclubs?” he asks. I take a seat behind my desk and signal for him to continue. “There’re too many chancers out there these days. It isn’t like it was before when your dad first opened the clubs. That guy tonight wasn’t even from London. He’s a nobody and he took out Luke just like that.”
“He’s a dead nobody now.” I sigh, but Michael’s right, the clubs are dangerous. They’re attracting the wrong kind of people, and the kids who drink in there aren’t scared of anyone or anything. They’ll die for no cause at all just because someone knocked into them by mistake. Luke had stepped into someone else’s argument tonight. He was trying to calm the situation to stop the police from turning up, and he ended up getting stabbed by a no-mark piece of shit. “It’s all part of this world, isn’t it?”
“No,” says Michael coldly. “Not anymore. There’re no rules. No respect.”
“Get some sleep,” I suggest. “It’s been a rough night. Did you sort the flights for Italy?”
Michael nods. “Private plane. Noon. They’re expecting us. His mother was beside herself.”
“She’s lost her only son, and he didn’t leave an heir.”
“Makes ya think, doesn’t it? I thought your plan with Piper was crazy, but then something like this happens and you see how quickly your family name is gone. Suddenly, I don’t think your plan is crazy anymore,” says Michael thoughtfully. “If I were you and I had that fine piece of arse right upstairs, I wouldn’t be here talking to you.” He leaves, slapping me on the shoulder.
I wake at my desk. The sunlight beams in, and I blink in protest then move my neck from side to side. I really have to stop falling asleep in this office. It’s almost ten in the morning, and we have a plane to catch. I open the office door and hear laughter coming from the kitchen. It’s a nice sound, and I gravitate towards it.
Penny, our housekeeper, is humming to herself while frying eggs. Piper and Ella are watching something on a mobile phone, laughing uncontrollably, and Michael is watching the pair fondly.
I stand in the doorway and take in the sight. It’s been a while since this place heard laughter, and it warms my heart. Both women must sense me standing here around the same time and they look up. Their smiles fade and they both lower back into their seats. Penny brings their plates to the table full of bacon and eggs. “Good morning, Mr. Martinez,” Penny says, bowing her head slightly. I return her smile and take my usual seat at the head of the table.
Michael picks up his newspaper and begins to scan it. The girls remain silent, and I’m reminded of when my father was alive. He could kill the happiness in the room too, just by entering it.
Penny slides plates in front of me and Michael. I haven’t showered from last night, and the last thing I feel like doing is eating. “We fly at noon. I’ll take you home to pack some clothes, Piper,” I say.
“I’ll drive her,” Ella suggests.
I shake my head, knowing her game. “I’ve told you already. You are not to see that biker again.”
