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“Yes, sir. You certainly have.” There was annoyance in Maddox’s voice, but I also heard respect for the man who’d just punched him. Something told me they were friends. “Do I make an example of the son of a bitch or drive a stake through his heart?”
I couldn’t help but notice the dusting of stubble covering Arman’s strong jawline as he rubbed his hand from one side to the other, obviously deciding on his answer. When he lifted his head toward the man who worked for him, I was able to catch the coldness lacing his whiskey-colored eyes. The vengeful expression he wore sent a shower of fear down my spine but the power he exuded, the aura of superiority created a spiraling rush of electricity all the way to my passion pink painted toes.
Even his name exuded raw brutality.
“Teach Grayson Alexander a lesson he won’t forget, Maddox. Then dump his mutilated body on the doorstep of the man who thinks he can destroy my family’s business. I want the bastard shitting in his pants.”
“Are you certain you want to do that?”
“Are you questioning me?” Arman snarled.
Maddox exhaled as he paced the floor. “I’ll take care of it, boss. I’d never question your… authority. Do you need anything else?”
“Just a way of escaping my own party.” Now Arman laughed bitterly.
“You can’t leave. You’re the host.”
“Unfortunately so. Edmee would kill me. Call me when it’s done. We’ll need to handle damage control tomorrow for the destroyed product.”
I stood frozen, unable to take my eyes off the scene. A murder had just been ordered, a hit, and I knew the name of the victim. Oh, my God. If I was found here, I’d certainly be killed for what I’d overheard. Horrified, my instinct and everything I’d been taught screamed that I needed to get the hell out of here and head to the police. But if I got involved, that would place my life in danger.
The gorgeous man with the luxurious ebony hair lifted his chin, staring at the closet door. I bit back a scream, moving away from the slight opening.
“Got it, boss. I’ll be here first thing in the morning. I’ll also make certain our merchandise is locked down for the night.”
I realized as Maddox headed to the door that I’d been holding my breath. I slunk further back into the clothes, praying that Arman would leave soon, or I was certain my thudding heart would give my presence away.
There were no other sounds, but I knew Arman had remained in the room. What was he doing? I waited for a few seconds before returning to my perch. He stood with his back to me, staring out the window of his bedroom. Then he turned around abruptly, heading toward the door leading to the hallway, slamming it shut after leaving.
Jesus Christ. Megan had been right. The man was a monster.
Only then did I take a deep and very ragged breath. I waited for almost a full two minutes, ensuring that he wouldn’t return before slowly swinging open the closet door. After counting to ten and calming my nerves, I stepped into the bedroom, trembling all over.
Then I sensed a presence behind me and stiffened, ice running through my veins.
“Good evening, princess. It would seem I have a beautiful disaster on my hands. Now, what am I going to do with you?”
CHAPTER2
Arman
The last thing I’d expected was to find a stunning young woman standing in the middle of my bedroom. Although I wasn’t immune to women attempting to seduce their way into my bed in hopes of garnering a hold on both my status and bank account. That had already happened twice during the festive evening.
I’d also partaken in the joys of fucking several beautiful women over the years, but never inside this room. There was no particular reason why other than this was my sanctuary, a private space allowing me to strip away the pomp and circumstance of my position as Don of the most powerful crime syndicate in the south.
That wasn’t completely the truth. Why I was continuing to lie to myself I wasn’t certain.
When I craved the company of a woman, I used hotels, including the one the family owned, which allowed me privacy as well as additional security. I had no desire to be on someone’s Facebook page the next morning. That wouldn’t bode well for my reputation or my secure methods of handling business.
Over the past few months, I’d stopped bothering, the act of sin turning into drudgery more than anything. I’d been told time healed wounds. For me, it was the opposite. Nothing had soothed the darkness inside. I’d buried myself in work instead, doubling the family’s wealth. I’d been set to enter into yet another lucrative contract in another state when Grayson had decided to betray me. While Maddox was handling the necessary retribution, it was the aftermath that most concerned me. That’s why I couldn’t put it past Grayson to hire someone to provide additional ammunition. What I wasn’t certain of was whether he’d sold his soul to the FBI or another enemy.
Either way, the appearance of the gorgeous girl couldn’t be a coincidence, the party something Grayson had been invited to originally. He would have known the security system would be off, and the number of people inside my house I didn’t know prevented me from easily identifying another saboteur.
I was known for being an unforgiving savage, someone who should be feared. Maybe this girl had no clue who I was.
My father had coined the name Kingpin for himself, which I found offensive. Unfortunately, the term had stuck throughout New Orleans, the title falling to the firstborn son when my father had retired only two years before. However, there was no denying I’d turned into a man even more brutal and unforgiving than my father. Therefore, the title would stand.
Even if I was in the process of attempting to clean up the Thibodeaux name and our reputation. We were well known throughout the country, the entire family wealthy beyond our means. However, most of it had been made through illegitimate sources, which consistently placed us in the scrutiny of law enforcement. I’d grown weary of it, my determination to drive us into completely legitimate markets receiving tons of negative feedback from family members and employees alike. Who hadn’t enjoyed the extra perks over the years? Myself included.
