Page 71 of New Orleans Collection

“No,” he states, but doesn’t elaborate and I understand why. There are some secrets that are better to take to the grave with you. “Have fun,” he chirps brightly and then steps out of the room and closes the door behind him.

When we’re alone, I ignore Henri completely and turn toward the cabinet instead. Giovanni leans against a wall and watches me, ignoring our guest as well. Silence can be a great motivator for people to start spilling their secrets without any questions being asked.

“She’s mine,” Henri growls. “She was given to me and then you walked into Club Sin and stole her from me.”

Even though my blood boils at his words, I don’t acknowledge them. Instead, I grab a blow torch and a knife out of the cabinet and shut the door. While the sound it makes isn’t actually loud, it seems like it in the quiet of the room. I look at Gio, asking silently if he wants in on what is about to happen. When he gives me a chin lift instead of choosing his own instrument for torture, I know he’s only here to bear witness to what is about to happen.

I’m more than okay with being the one responsible for finding out what Henri is up to and why he targeted Fleur for his next obsession before ending his life without a hint of remorse. I should feel something for the life I’m about to take, but I don’t. He scared our woman and it’s enough of a reason for him to die.

I step closer to Henri and his eyes go to the blowtorch before widening and rounding with fear. “I already told her that she was given to me. I paid for her and then we were going to play a little game before I claimed her as mine.”

I narrow my eyes as I stare at the man in front of me, knowing without a doubt that no one in Fleur’s life would sell her. Never. Not a fucking chance.

“How did you find her to buy her?”

“On a website,” he tells me without hesitation, and I watch his eyes as he does. The man might not be all there and is definitely confused, but he does believe what he’s telling me. “I saw her and knew she was mine. I paid and then was told where I could find her if I was patient enough and how much fun the game would be because she would pretend like she didn’t know or want me.”

The smile he shoots me has my gut churning, but I don’t let it show on my face.

“Who sold her to you?”

“I didn’t get a name, only the initials JM.” I freeze and I know Gio does as well. Henri can’t read the fucking room at all because his eager voice brings my attention back to him and out of the fog of hate crawling over me with the realization that Martinez is behind the whole thing. “Can I have her now? She’s mine and I want her still. I don’t even care that you and the other two stretched her pussy. I bet she’s still tight and I could sink into her and ride her hard. I’ll let you have a turn after me.”

I drop the blowtorch in my hand and close the distance between us in a few strides. I don’t even think about it as I use the knife in my hand to slit Henri’s throat. Blood rains down on me, cooling some of the inferno inside me at the thought of him ever getting his hands on our Fleur and the havoc Martinez was trying to inflict.

“His death was swift,” Gio’s voice is cold from where he’s still leaning against the wall. “It was more than he deserved.”

I shrug before looking over at my brother. “I couldn’t listen to him for even a second longer. If that means killing him quickly then I’m okay with it.”

Gio grins at me, a feral show of his teeth, before he teases me, “It seems love might have made you soft, brother.”

I throw my head back and bark out a laugh. “Only for her. Only for fucking her.”

He nods, understanding flashing across his face. I look down at myself and sigh because my brother doesn’t have a single drop of blood on him but the same can’t be said about me. Gio shakes his head and waves his hand to indicate my ruined clothing.

“Always stand behind when you’re cutting a throat. You know this.”

“Whatever,” I grumble and then stomp over to the door and knock loudly so Hack can let us out.

I have no doubt that the DSMC will take care of taking out the trash. I have a woman to get home to. Knowing she’s going to finally be in our home has the tightness in my chest which hasn’t gone away since the moment I came home to find her gone easing slightly.

I have a feeling it won’t go away until I wrap Fleur up in my arms and then lose myself in her completely.

CHAPTER 14

GIOVANNI

When I walk into the primary bedroom behind Leo who heads straight to the bathroom, the first thing I see is Fleur sitting at the end of the bed. I’m glad we had the room redone while we’ve been staying at Fleur’s house because now it’s ready for her to be here. She doesn’t know it yet, but she won’t be leaving again.

The anger I felt earlier when I was woken up to find Fleur gone has lessened, but it’s not gone completely. Part of me, the part of me always up for a little mischief, appreciated her actions. Still, she put herself in unnecessary danger instead of asking me if I would take her out. I would have done it, and she probably wouldn’t have even needed to pout to get me to agree.

“Well, don’t you look pretty.” Fleur looks at me when I speak, and I can see the regret in her eyes. It seems Rocco has been busy because Fleur is wearing a corset that I can’t imagine is comfortable to sit in. But there she is. As I take in the way the corset pushes up her tits, I growl, “And sexy.”

She flashes me a small smile before looking at Leo as he walks back into the room. He’s wet from the shower and has a towel wrapped around his waist. As she looks at him, worry filters back into her expression.

“You made a bad choice today, Fleur,” Leo’s voice is deep with an edge of darkness to it that would make me shiver if I didn’t know that only pleasure for our woman will come from it.

“I know,” she whispers and lowers her eyes to where her fingers are twisting together.

---