We stared at each other from across the room, our silence speaking more volumes than our words ever did. Somethingswelled up within me—something I was too afraid to name. The longer I held his gaze, the more I saw the slight crack in his armor.
Beneath all that cruelty and mean expressions was a man dealing with a lot at once. He was a man with no one to help ease his stress or bring out his humanity.
Demyon was burdened more than he cared to admit. And for the first time, I wondered if his ruthlessness wasn’t born from choice but survival.
There was a lot to unravel in this man, and right now, I was determined to do just that.
Chapter 12 —Demyon
The meeting was one word away from turning into a fuckin’ bloodbath. Antonio Gonzalez, the leader of the Italian Mob, was smart enough to have quickly detected that the meeting was already going south.
His spokesman was starting to get on my nerves with his stupid attempt at a negotiation. He was supposed to be the bridge between Antonio and me, the one who would help both organizations reach an agreement on our territorial disputes.
Yet he was blowing it.
If I didn’t know better, I’d have thought he was doing it on purpose so both sides would clash. I couldn’t understand why Antonio needed that douchebag to speak for him when he could speak for himself.
The idiot must’ve had a death wish, considering the threats he was hurling at me, knowing full well I hated being threatened. He was lucky Antonio intervened when he did because I was about to put a bullet in his head, consequences be damned.
Antonio had called for this meeting, saying he wanted us to find common ground on our territorial disputes. According to him, there’d been enough bloodshed already, and he’d lost more men this year alone than he had in the past.
I agreed to meet with him out of respect for his courage in admitting defeat. So when his spokesman began raining subtle threats about neutralizing my organization if we didn’t abide by their rules, I almost lost my temper.
It was a good thing Antonio had taken over the conversation when he did. None of them would’ve left that meeting alive. He and his men had no idea how close they came to meeting their makers because one of them couldn’t keep his mouth shut.
I already had snipers at strategic locations around our building, each waiting for my signal. Ten of my best men had infiltrated Antonio’s security the day after he called for the meeting and blended in with his men.
Meaning ten of those he called bodyguards were my people. He’d been doomed from the start, and he didn’t even know it. While we were talking, my men all subtly nodded at me, hinting at their readiness to obliterate the enemies at my command.
I took these extra precautions to be two steps ahead—just in case the meeting was an ambush. Inmyline of work, trust was a luxury men like me couldn’t afford; one wrong move, and you’re dead.
At the end of the day, the crisis was avoided because Antonio decided to step up and take control of the situation. We finally reached an agreement on our territorial disputes and set ground rules to keep both parties in line.
When the meeting was over, we went our separate ways, hoping this new alliance between us would yield more profit than expected.
All through the drive home, my mind was filled with thoughts of that crazy little devil back at the mansion. A small smile tugged at the corners of my lips as I recalled the stunt she pulled the other night at the event.
I’d been furious at first when I saw her with another man. But thinking about it now, I realized she might have only been trying to get under my skin the whole time. Perhaps her plan was to get a reaction out of me, and like an idiot, I fell right into her trap.
Her effect on me was becoming a great concern, especially because I often lost my sense of reason around her. She successfully manipulated my emotions at the event without even trying. That was a huge problem.
I was so engrossed in thoughts of her that I didn’t realize we’d gotten home until the front gates parted. When the vehicle pulled over outside the magnificent building looming before us, I stepped out of the backseat and headed inside.
My shoes scuffed against the floor, the soft clicks echoing off the walls as I moved through the foyer. I ran my fingers through my hair and rubbed my tired eyes when I stepped into the living room.
I was barely three paces from the door when I spotted her at the head of the stairs. She was wearing a long, floral, brown dress that reached the floor. Her hair fell in effortless waves down her shoulders, and in those stormy blue eyes was a glint of something strange.
She seemed different in a way I couldn’t explain. Her expression was softer than usual. And the longer we stared into each other’s eyes, the more something cracked open inside me.
Quietly, I walked through the living room and climbed the stairs with slow, majestic steps
“You were gone a long time,” she said, standing in my way, her voice laced with something lighter than the usual disdain. “What happened?”
I raised my brows. “Why? Did you miss me?”
“Yeah, you wish.” She rolled her eyes. “Next time you wanna leave me alone for a long time, be sure to leave something behind to help me cope with the boredom.” She let the words sink in for a moment. “My phone, for instance.”
I cast a disbelieving look at her, my brows still raised. “Not gonna happen.”
