Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 48709 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 244(@200wpm)___ 195(@250wpm)___ 162(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 48709 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 244(@200wpm)___ 195(@250wpm)___ 162(@300wpm)
Damien clenches his fist, staring hard out the window like he can’t look at me. But then he does, all in one swift movement, spinning to hold me captive in his gaze suddenly.
“Gabriel should’ve paid for what he did. Not just to your dad, but to other people too. I had to make a deal with the goddamn devil to keep this city safe.”
“What would’ve happened if you killed him?” I ask.
“Hasn’t Nick ever explained this?”
I stare at him stubbornly. Nick has explained it, but I want to hear what he has to say.
“The Cartel can’t allow me to murder one of their leaders. They’d send in heavier hitters. Things would get even nastier. Perhaps the Bratva can fight them back. It’s home turf. But maybe not. Either way, countless people would die. Within ten years, the city would become a hellhole if the Cartel won. Drugs would destroy the streets. Trafficking would destroy lower-income communities. All the protection we have in place to stop criminals from infringing on our neighborhoods would go away.”
He speaks passionately. I can feel how much he cares for every single person. It’s right there in his voice, bursting out of him.
“That makes sense,” I say quietly.
“It still doesn’t make that okay.”
He’s looking at my tattoo.
“It’s a reminder,” I say, shrugging. “Of what will happen if I do what my dad did. It’s a threat.”
“Tattooed into a scared girl’s skin. It’s pathetic what these bastards have to do to feel tough. You saw what happened when Gabriel had to stand toe to toe with a man. No backup. No weapons. He crumbled like the coward he is.”
“He’s vile,” I whisper. “I hate him.”
Damien looks at me steadily. “So do I, Liliana.”
He takes a sip of his coffee while I bite my toast, making sure to keep my mouth closed, suddenly convinced I’m going to somehow make a fool of myself.
“There’s an excellent kitchen here,” Damien says a minute later.
It’s strange how comfortable the silence is with us, as if we don’t feel the need to fill it. If there was anything romantic going on from his end, I’d call that a good sign.
A glimmer touches me at his words.
He’s thinking of me, of what will make me happy.
Surely that means something?
“You can order any ingredients you want. I’m not sure how chefs practice if there’s a method….”
“There is,” I say, my heart fluttering, and my cheeks growing warm and tingly. “There’s lots I can do. I’ve read books about it. And I’ve practiced in our apartment. But yeah, lots to practice. Thank you, Damien.”
He holds my gaze, the shadow of a smile on his lips.
I’m sure there’s more he wants to say.
Maybe I was wrong before. The silences are okay when we’re not looking at each other. But there’s only so much I can take when he’s staring right at me like this.
It’s like he’s staring through me and into me all at once.
“I’ll have to think of a way to repay you.”
Shut up, dork, I scream in my mind. The words are so out of place. They sound so freaking weird, coming from me.
I stuff toast into my mouth and study the garden beyond the window. It’s more of a large ground area than a garden, with long green lawns leading to a two-man-high stone wall. Men are walking back and forth in suits, patrolling.
Am I a prisoner, or is this for protection?
I need to freaking relax. Things will be far worse if Gabriel gets his hands on me.
“You don’t need to repay me,” he says a moment later, standing.
“You’re going now?” I ask.
He strides for the door, his shoulders wide, his muscles tense.
Have I done something wrong?
“I’ll see you later,” he says, walking through the door.
I stare after him, my pulse pounding.
CHAPTER
NINE
Damien
I’m in the car with Max, thinking about the last time I saw Liliana.
The last time.
That makes it sound like it was years ago, but it was only minutes. But I can feel her presence, trying to pull me back to the house, to the dining room. It was the way she looked after she said it.
I’ll have to think of a way to repay you.
The words bounce around my mind. She was so pouty, then suddenly unsure like my shy young thing thought she went too far.
An animal howled in me to grab her, peel down her sweatpants and reveal her gorgeous round ass and slide my hand up her leg, stroking at her pussy, feeling how soaked she was already. Or if not, rub her harder, faster, until she was wet and tingling she can hardly take it.
She’d cream for me right there, my goddamn woman.
“Damien?” Max says, jolting me from the fantasy.
“Yeah?” I say gruffly.
“I need to ask why.”
I glance at him, his hair in disarray from where he’s been running his hands through it.