I lowered my voice.“Stand by the door, Giorgio. Don’t let anyone in unless I say so.”
“Yes, boss.”
“Get back to your video game,” I told Maxim and Lorenzo.
Emily was still staring at the counter, pale and petrified. I got it. Even men from our world pissed themselves when they heard my name, so yeah, no surprise the girl was shaking. She didn’t belong here. But those eyes. They caught me the second I saw her.
One side of her face was bruised and puffy. Tony must’ve slapped her. Piece of shit never had a moral compass to begin with.
It was clear she’d just showered; the soft scent of her shampoo still hung in the air. Those tempting curves of hers were now wrapped in a long-sleeved black maxi dress, modest with its round neck.
Even though I’d had my way with another woman, thinking about her full tits fitting perfectly in my hands got me hard all over again. She was the kind of girl you pulled close without asking. The kind you bent over a table and took your time with, in every filthy way your mind could come up with.
But this wasn’t the time for fun. I needed to figure out who she was and what she was doing here. Still, one look at her and I knew she wasn’t going to say a thing. I figured if I kept her distracted, she might loosen up a little.
“What’re you having?” I asked.
She looked at me, clearly surprised. I raised my glass and she got the message.
“Something strong, please.” The answer came with an awkward smile.
“What’s the strongest thing you’ve ever had?” I asked, amusement creeping into my voice.
“Vodka soda.”
Not that I expected much more. I told Aida to bring her a martini. She winked and tossed me a playful, “Sure thing, sir.”
Emily knocked it back in one go and held out the glass. “One more, please.”
Aida shot me a surprised look, and I nodded. Same thing with the second and third martinis. Across the table, Maxim was watching, eyebrows raised like he was thinking,What the hell’s up with this girl?
When the fourth glass hit the table, I snatched it before she could touch it.
“Easy. Slow down. You’re not in a fucking haunted house, and I don’t have horns growing out of my head. No need to shake like that or drown yourself in booze.”
Looked like the martinis had done their job, because the little kitten dared to claw at the lion.
She snatched the glass out of my hand, knocked it back, then hiccupped. “Slow down? Seriously? Have you even looked in a mirror? You look like a caveman, big arms, that angry stare, and casually having sex in front of people like it’s no big deal. And that scary-ass T-shirt. Skull prints? Who the hell still wears skulls these days?And don’t even get me started on the bodies tied to horses. What the actual fuck? You’re a killer. I’m in a house full of killers.”
Aida’s jaw dropped. I’d ruined men for less than this. But somehow, this one was different. I didn’t know why, but I intended to find out tonight.
I motioned for Aida to leave. She didn’t hesitate. Last thing she needed was to get caught in the blast zone of my temper. Maxim and Lorenzo, those two fools, had given up on their game and were now watching us like it was the UFC finals.
Emily, meanwhile, seemed to realize what she’d said. Her eyes darted around the room, searching for an escape, panic flickering behind them.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled, fidgeting with her fingers and looking down at her feet. “I don’t even know what I’m saying. I mean, if you were in my shoes, maybe you’d feel the same way.
First, I had a fight with Tony. Then I tripped while running and smashed my left elbow. And right after that, your hellhound tackled me down on the same elbow.
Then you walked in, looking like some bald-headed Khal Drogo ready to strangle me. And when I thought it couldn’t get worse, Rafael threw me at Tony’s feet, and guess what? I landed on that poor elbow again… Oh, and Tony slapped me so hard I saw stars. All of that in under thirty minutes.
She paused to draw in a shaky breath. “Now I’m sitting in a room that reeks of sweat, sex, and your cologne, about to answer for some crime I didn’t even know I committed, with my face bruised, my whole body aching, and my elbow throbbing so bad not even three painkillers could touch it, and…”
She stopped, blinked, then looked at me. “Oh my God. I’m so sorry. I seriously have no idea what I’m saying.”
She reached out, grabbed my scotch, and took a sip.
I leaned in.Immediately, she raised her hands to shield her face, recoiling like she thought I was about to strike her.I reached for her sleeve and slowly rolled it up, ignoring her fear to see the damage.
