Page 103 of Inked in Devotion

Even if Lucy and Kirill’s marriage united the bratva and the Italian mafia, it didn’t mean our soldiers were automatically best friends. In fact, there was competition. Like the Italians couldn’t forgive the bratva for stealing their princess. Kirill and Dom were tolerant of each other.

Their businesses rarely intersected.

“Hey.”

My peripheral vision clocked Chloe entering from the side door. The scent of clean floral soap and her citrusy shampoo preceded her appearance. My nostrils flared. It’d been a long time since I fucked her. It reminded me of the rage that suffused every muscle and sinew when I saw Daniel Wu with his arms around her.

With their sweaty bodies plastered together.

The only thing stopping me from leaping on that mat and ripping Daniel away from her was my son. There would have been bloodshed. I’d studied Daniel Wu’s background extensively. There was truth that he indeed fought off five Triad assailants, but the legend made it seem that he emerged unscathed. The truth? He lost a lot of blood and coded on the operating table. That fact was hidden from his sister, but I had my sources in Hong Kong who verified it.

Daniel Wu wasn’t invincible. If he bled, I could kill him.

“Was he good for you?” Chloe’s soft voice asked. I finally allowed my eyes to consume her. It’d been a struggle not to drag her into my bedroom and fuck her into submission. She couldn’t hold my gaze and dropped her eyes. My mouth twitched. She wasn’t unaffected.

“Our boy is a champ. I gave him one of those teething cookies.”

Her hair appeared damp within the confines of her ponytail. Sweat already beaded her forehead. Chloe hadn’t properly cooled down from her workout before she took that shower. “You didn’t need to rush.”

“Oh, but I had to.” She collapsed in the booth I vacated. “I’m. Starving.”

Maybe I could work off some of my aggression, otherwise it would be that suffocating wall between us if I didn’t get it off my chest. I caged her in the booth and leaned forward.

She scrunched her brows. “What are you doing?”

“If you need self-defense lessons, no matter what, sparring or shooting, you come to me.”

“It’s for the shelter program. I was testing it out.”

I narrowed my eyes. “With Daniel Wu?”

“He was available and suitable.”

“Why didn’t you ask me?”

“I don’t have your résumé; how do I know you’ve taught self-defense before? Daniel’s a black belt. A practitioner of Wung Chun too.”

“You have his résumé?”

“Of course.”

I brought my face closer to hers until there wasn’t any doubt I was breathing her air. “I don’t have a résumé. I prefer to show you in person what I’m capable of.” My gaze dropped to her heaving chest and back to her eyes. “You didn’t have complaints before, did you?”

She emitted a nervous laugh, and I allowed her an inch of space.

“That’s exactly it. I don’t think we’ll get any self-defense work done if you teach me.”

I straightened and left one hand leaning against the booth. “Are you saying you have no control?”

“I’m saying you’re going to seduce me.” Chloe lowered her voice into an irritated whisper.

Her eyes were adorably shooting daggers at me; it was hard to hold on to my self-righteous jealousy. Because it was self-righteous. I didn’t have any right to be jealous, but here I was claiming that right.

“No more Daniel Wu,” I said finally. “If you don’t want anything to happen to him⁠—”

She gasped. “You’re not threatening him.”

“I’m not. Not saying he won’t encounter an accident.”