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Leaning forward, I place my hands on the cushion behind her, boxing her in. “Oh, I do. As long as I get what I want. And if you haven’t realized this yet, Little Raven, I always do.”
Her mouth parts as I inch closer, but I don’t do what she expects. I don’t own her lips like my mouth wants to. I jerk away and, without turning back, go into my bedroom. Once she can no longer see me, I remind her of one thing. “Remember, if you wake me up, that cage you were in will feel like a five-star hotel.”
She says nothing in return, which takes me by surprise, given how freely she spoke before, but I don’t let that stop me from resuming my nightly routine. All except one thing.
Normally, I’d wear nothing to bed, but knowing there’s a chance Olivia will be in my bed and that I need to maintain control in this situation, I know better than to be naked with her in arm’s reach.
With the way she responds to me, neither of us need that temptation.
This woman needs to remain exactly what she is: a witness and someone to be used to keep Titan from further irritating me.
I haven’t been able to forget what Jax said earlier about the possibility of Titan killing Senator McAdams just to fuck with my business.
Part of me would like to believe the senator’s death resulted from his greed, attempting to profit from multiple mafia groups. However, regardless of how easy the man was to manipulate and blackmail, he never acted stupidly in his dealings with me. That alone gives Jax’s assumption some weight, along with other pieces I’ve been putting together throughout the day.
Titan Moretti has been cautious in his moves, but he’s finally been caught. He’ll now face the choice of disappearing or dying by my hand. While the latter would assure he’s never a problem again, his death would also ignite a war in our world that I’d rather avoid.
I prefer my position in the business world to that of a mafia king. Nevertheless, I won’t shy away from a fight. I’ll eliminate him without hesitation if I think for one second that he’s not amicable to my proposition. Protecting the empire that I’ve built is what matters most to me. I’ve transformed an underground enterprise into a thriving multibillion-dollar business, one that’s reputable.
That doesn’t mean I’ll ever fully distance myself from the darker side of my business. There’s a part of me that finds release in knowing what I’m capable of. Yet, I’ve fought to ensure I don’t have to involve myself further with individuals like Titan since my father’s murder. He believed that expanding mafia connections would bring protection, but it’s ultimately what cost him his life. I made sure to learn from that before I found myself with the same fate.
I lay in bed, staring at the cream-colored ceiling with my hands tucked behind my head, trying to cease the rampant thoughts I’ve allowed to enter my mind.
Counting down from one hundred typically does the trick, but with Olivia’s floral scent embedded into the pillows around me, I’m ready to head downstairs and use the gym.
Before I can swing my legs off the bed, the audacious woman enters the bedroom with her head held high. Even in the dim lighting, I can see her eyes fixed on me. I say nothing as she approaches, standing beside the bed in silence. For several moments, only the whirring of the ceiling fan fills the room.
Then, she starts rearranging the pillows. “What are you doing?” I demand.
“You said the bedding wasn’t allowed on the floor,” she replies. “But you didn’t say it couldn’t be moved around.”
When she finishes, a wall of pillows stands between us, and she places one last pillow at the foot of the bed before lifting the comforter and climbing in.
“Don’t blame me if you end up with a foot in your face tonight,” I state. “I’m used to having the bed to myself. I move around. A lot.”
This seems to give her pause, but she stays resolute in her decision and gives me her back. “I’ll just keep my face this way.”
“Suit yourself.”
“I will.”
Her retort makes my fingers tighten into fists as I force myself to close my eyes, resume counting, and consider that maybe a confrontation with Titan Moretti wouldn’t be so bad. The sooner he’s neutralized, the sooner Olivia will be out of my bed and out of my system.
I may desire her, but I won’t indulge in her—not now, not ever. I wasn’t lying earlier when I said I always get what I want, but I also know when taking what I want puts everything else I deem important at risk. My world is not meant for her. I knew that the moment I saw her wide blue eyes on that stage, meaning…Olivia Danes is the one thing I’ll deny myself.
* * *
The next morning,I get into the SUV on my way to work and find Jaxon behind the wheel. While that’s not abnormal, the pensive look on his face is. He’s not usually one to hold back his thoughts.
“What?” I ask once I’m settled in the back seat and he’s driving.
“Justine spoke with Olivia again last night,” he says, as if he doesn’t know I came home to see that for myself.
“Your point?” I’m rather sure he’s aware I asked his girlfriend to bring Olivia food, so I don’t know why Jaxon seems so put off by the two women speaking.
“Olivia asked Justine to do her a favor,” he adds, keeping his eyes on the road.
Now, this is news to me.
