Page 35 of Cage of Thorns and Blood

If she does, will I see that as a betrayal? I ponder the question and realize that I wouldn't. After all, if I was in the Andretti home and saw information that could help my family, I'd give it to them no matter what my feelings for Renata were.

Clifford pops his head around the door again. “I'm heading out now, to go and make sure everything's running smoothly at the club. Oh, and the missing shipment? Some Greek fuckers, but it’s handled.”

“Handled how?”

“Broken limbs for a few people, and a person missing from the gang. They’re street level pricks. Hopefully this has put the fear of God into them.” He picks up one of the scented candles the housekeeper is always placing around the house and takes an inhale of the scent. “You do know that Romeo and Juliet was a tragedy, right?” He chuckles to himself. “It wasn't a life manual, cousin. It ended badly. Very, very, badly. Remember that.”

He leaves, and I walk to the dining room window to watch the cavalcade of three cars tearing down the drive. Clifford always rides with a security detail in front and back of his car. I tend just to have the one car behind me. I'm not as paranoid as he is. Then again, I don't go around cutting up as many people as he does.

By the time I’m sitting in the car outside Renata’s apartment waiting for her, I’ve already convinced myself that this is a terrible idea. Clifford’s words are eating away at me, and I think he is correct, and I’m losing my damn mind. I ought to put a stop to all of this. Turn around and drive away. Send her a text saying that I’m sorry, but something came up. I won’t, though.

Clifford is correct in another thing too. Romeo and Juliet was a tragedy, but it was a beautiful one. Perhaps there is only tragedy for Renata and me at the end of all this. Coming from two such opposing families, what else could there be? But I don’t care. I’m far too curious to see what happens between us to put a stop to this. I’m too deep into the thought of a repeat of what happened in my bathroom to stop it. I think I’d take a bullet for a chance to be inside her again, and that right there should be the reason I drive away right the fuck now.

She steps out of the elevator, and I stare, my dick hardening as she walks to the doors of her building. She’s wearing a long, strappy sundress, and her tits look incredible. I don’t think she’s wearing a bra underneath as it’s low cut at the front, and the straps are tiny. I can’t stop staring at her and imagining her tits in my hands, as I fuck her hard. She can ride me this time, I think. Yeah, I’d like to see that.

Her hair shines as she steps out onto the sunny street. God, she is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.

When we were young, Renata was insanely pretty, but she’s matured into a truly breathtaking beauty. As she walks toward me, two men walk by her and once past her, they both turn and let their gazes rake over her body. I want to burst out of the car and shoot them. Teach them not to fucking ogle what is mine. What was always really mine.

I pull myself up at those thoughts. No, she isn’t mine. She’s the enemy, and I will use her until I don’t need her anymore, or until I’m bored of her, and then I’ll toss her back to her pathetic, lonely life. Or I’ll keep her, and she’ll be grateful because I burned down her world, and I’ll be her only solace. Whatever. I shrug to myself as she approaches the car.

She slides into the passenger seat and turns to me. Her face is serious. A little bit drawn. What the hell happened?

“I think I’m being followed,” she says.

“What?” I glance around us, worried for a moment.

“I went out yesterday and noticed a big, black SUV following my route. I thought, at first, I was being paranoid, so I took a ton of turns, and the car did too. I’m sure I was being followed, Matteo. I thought you ought to know. What if it is the cops?”

I bark out a laugh. “Renata, why would the cops follow you?”

“Uhm, because of my family?” She raises her brows.

“They won’t follow you. You aren’t involved in the business in any way. See, this is why Nico, for all his faults, is right on this score. You can rest assured that you’re not being followed by the police because there is no reason for them to do that.”

“Okay, well, that’s even worse then, as it means I’m being followed by someone who might mean to hurt me.”

“They aren’t going to hurt you. They work for me.”

“What?” She turns to me in her seat, her eyes narrowed. I know that look. The famous Andretti temper. “You've had me followed? Matteo, what the hell? How dare you!”

“It’s a security detail,” I say. A security detail that will be getting the sharp end of my wrath for being spotted by her. I told them to stay far back and be discreet for God's sake.

Her narrowed eyes slowly widen, and her mouth slightly parts. “You gave me a security detail?”

“Yes. I was worried about you not having protection.”

“I'm not really sure what to say to that.”

“How about, thank you, Matteo,” I suggest with a smile.

“I don't know whether it's creepy or hot.” She shakes her head. “Perhaps it’s a little bit of both. That's kind of a full-on forceful move on your part, Matteo.”

“Look at it this way. While we're spending some time together, you're going to be completely safe. I suggest you use that time to speak to your piece of shit brother and ask him to make sure you have a security detail of your own. Or,” I add. “Use some of the money you have yourself, to get yourself some security.”

“You sound like my brother,” she grouses. “So how long do I have in order to organize my own security detail?”

I pull out onto a main road, blending with the traffic.

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