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“You, a meek little lamb?” His lips lift. “No, Bianca. No one sees you in that light. Least of all me. You are, however,mine. And I wanted to remind every single one of the very powerful men in this room that if anyone moves against you, they move againstme.”
You are mine.
Unexpectedly, the words send shards of desire shivering through my body, and I’m reminded immediately of the moment when I first sat down here at the table and he grazed my mound. In full view of these men. And how much I wanted him to stretch just that little bit farther with his fingers…
He seems to have an uncanny ability to ascertain my thoughts. His grin this time is wide and wolfish with most of his teeth displayed. “Are you missing my touch, Bianca? Do you want your husband’s flesh sunk deep inside you, coaxing you into an earth-shattering orgasm?”
I fold my arms across my stomach. Underneath the fabric of my dress where it rubs enticingly against my breasts, my nipples harden into aching points. “I don’t know about earth-shattering, Rio. That’s debatable, really.”
“Oh, really?” He chuckles, the sound floating around me like a taunting lilt. “I promise you, Bianca. If I decide to give you an orgasm tonight, itwillbe earth-shattering.”
I’m still trying to formulate a response when he signals a couple of the goons to come forward. “Escort my wife back to her suite. Her business here is concluded.”
He turns away, effectively dismissing me, and I lean in and tap him on the back. “That’s it? Seriously? You’re just…done with me?”
His head tilts, but he doesn’t turn. As if I’m not worth the effort.
“For now,” he says, still facing away from me. “But if I do decide to come for you, be assured any orgasm you achievewillbe the most earth-shattering you have ever experienced,mia cara.”
* * *
Rio
I makethe rounds of the room in the aftermath of the meeting, chatting individually to each of the family heads and trying to focus on business rather than the sexy woman who will likely be waiting for me in her suite. Waiting, and wondering if I will visit her and give her the relief she craves.
WillI visit her tonight? I haven’t yet decided. Her frustration will grow if I stay away, as will her need. Knowing she wants me, and making her wait until a time of my choosing to give in to her body’s pleasure, is a form of aphrodisiac in itself.
But I am punishing myself as much as her with the abstinence, and I am not certain I can go another night with my balls aching, my sheets tangled from the tossing and turning, and my brain not focused where it should be.
On the enemy who threatens us all.
Like me, the others I’ve invited here are worried, though none of us wish to show it. A visible display of weakness in our world is tantamount to throwing down the gauntlet.
Here. I am weak. Come take my empire. Come take everything of value to me.
And so, we all posture and pretend to have things under control. When the reality is, a stranger has clearly entered our midst and is shaking things up. And none of us have a damn single idea who it is or how to stop them.
At least now, we will all be on the lookout for anything unusual, and the lines of communication between us have been reopened. So, the enemy is no longer facing one family alone. He is facing every family in the Northeast of the country combined.
Rossi sidles up to me, a cigar in one hand and a tumbler of whiskey in the other. Part of me is annoyed that he’s adapted so well to losing the finger.
“It will be difficult for anyone to move against us now that everyone’s eyes have been opened. Clever of you, Rio, to unite the families. But a word of caution. Your father tried the same, a few months before he died.”
My mind skitters away from thoughts of Bianca, and I focus on Rossi. He takes a tiny step back under my sudden, intent regard. “My father wanted to unite the families? I was never made aware…”
“You were young. No one thought you would last in the role, so no one thought to apprise you of everything that had happened in the lead-up to your parents’ deaths.”
“And yet here I am, more than ten years on. Still in the role, and stronger than ever. Perhaps it is time Iwasapprised, Rossi, of everything you know. Because if not…”
This time, when I trail off, Rossi doesn’t provide an answer. He simply nods, the flare of fear noticeable in his expression, before he lifts his tumbler to his lips to drain the contents in a large, convulsive gulp.
Several hours later, the guests finally depart. I intend to go straight to my suite to consider what I have learned this evening and grab a few hours of sleep before the show starts all over again in the morning.
But instead, I find myself taking the elevator down to the bunker where Bianca is living. At least down here, I know she and the baby will be as safe as they can be. This level is strong enough to withstand explosions, and there are limited ways in and out if anyone tries a targeted attack involving guns.
Part of my reason for locking her down here is punishment, of course, but equally, the intention is to keep her safe.
If I had not already forgiven her for running, she would not be here. I have her family fortune; she signed everything over not long after our marriage. I do not need her alive for anything other than personal reasons. And yet, somehow, in the space of several months, she has turned my world and my beliefs upside down.
