“No?” I scoff before I can stop myself.
“No.” His eyes blaze, and for some reason, I know he’s telling me the truth. Now I just have to figure out why he chose to spare my life and make me live his. “In time, you will learn to get along with me, but for now, all you have to do is keep your mouth in check and live the high life.”
“Ah yes, because you’re Nate Knowles, crime lord and all-round badass alpha,” I say, sarcasm lacing my tone.
“Yes, I am, and it would do you good to remember that,” he says before letting go of me completely and turning and walking away.
I watch his retreating form and admire his broad shoulders before focussing on his ass.
Christ, I need to get a grip.
I am going to be totally screwed if I allow my womanly wants to take over everything I stand for.
I will be nobody’s toy.
I’m not here to be owned by some guy that thinks he can have everything he wants without consequences.
I am my own person and I intend to stay that way, and I need to make sure I blind-side the bastard, so he doesn’t see my exit from his life coming.
Chapter Four
Six months earlier
Nate
“I know what I’m doing, Stefan,” I tell my right-hand man––soon to be dead man if he keeps bloody questioning me about what I’m doing with Kat.
“You sure, Nate? Because I know you, and I know that there is another reason for doing this,” Stefan continues, pushing me a little bit more.
“I told you, I have it all under control,” I bite out.
“But––”
“Will you just fucking stop!” I shout as I stand up and bang my fists on my desk in anger. “I do not need to be questioned, I know my own goddamn mind and it has decided that I want her as my wife. End of fucking discussion.” It’s that simple. I want her and I got her.
My eyes narrow on Stefan, the closest person to me, as I try to rein myself in.
Stefan holds his hands up, palms facing me in surrender. “Okay, I get it, you’re fine. You’re so fucking fine that you just slammed your fists into the desk and gave me the bloody death stare. Me. Your closest friend. Your best friend. But hey, who am I to question the great crime lord, Nate Knowles, in making one of the most bizarre decisions ever,” he says before letting his hands drop to his sides.
“Stefan––”
“No need to tell me to do one, Nate, I’m already out of here.” And with that, he opens my office door and leaves, closing the door quietly behind him.
I let out a sigh and sit back in my chair, my mind feeling like it’s going to explode with all the questions going round and round like a fucking Ferris wheel at one-hundred miles an hour.
Stefan and I have been friends for years, and there isn’t much that gets me pissed off at him, but when it comes to her, I will piss on any prick that stands in my way.
Kat Wiltshire. The woman of my goddamn dreams, and the one I have to break in order for her to truly see the bigger picture where we could be happy, a couple, a team. She took money from me six months ago, was meant to pay it back and that be the end of it, but she couldn’t pay me, and I know it isn’t really her fault. Doesn’t mean that I am willing to let her go. Not now. Not ever.
I know the money was for her and her ex-douche-bag bloke’s shitty bar that was making zero profit. I also knew that the business was totally fucked and unsavable when I leant her the money. Her ex is one slithery snake, but when he put her in my path, I had to become somewhat snake-like myself. You see, I’ve admired Kat ever since she walked into my office, and I’ve never wanted to fuck anyone more.
I’m a man that gets what he wants, and I want her.
Only thing I need to do is make sure that I don’t break myself in the process, because fuck if she isn’t the only person who could ever do it.
The amount of power she has, and she doesn’t even realise it.
The way in which I have shunned other women because I knew that I didn’t want a life of quick pussy and torrid affairs.
