Page 58 of Strictly Forbidden

After closing the distance, she stared into my eyes. “The program and the trainer must have been amazing. I heard what Max suffered at the hands of some fucking assholes. Beaten. Burned. Left for dead. I can’t imagine how horrible the little boy felt. So alone. So unloved. I was told he was scheduled to be euthanized because he’d turned aggressive against anyone trying to handle him. Someone believed in him and found him the perfect handler, someone who was allowed to give him the nurturing love he deserved, pulling the poor creature from the depths of darkness, the kind that consumes your soul.”

She was watching as Max was romping near the tree line. Her tone was different, not accusatory but as if she knew a secret.

“See, humans supposedly have enough spirit left in them to fight the evils of mankind. Animals don’t get it. They are truly innocent creatures in a sea of vipers.”

“It sounds like you know that well from experience.”

She exhaled, finally returning her gaze in my direction. “You don’t know me and from what I can tell, you don’t want to know any more than what you were forced to endure. So, if I’m stuck here for the long term, then show me how I can help so we can make the place feel less like a prison. I’m sure you’d like that too. Come on, Max. Let’s get you inside out of the snow. We’ll play later.”

I watched as she escorted him to the front door and a moment of possessiveness drifted into the back of my mind.

As well as the thick bulge I wore between my legs.

Goddamn it.

We were now in forced close proximity, the conviction I’d determined to keep thrown to shit.

I wanted this woman.

A twisted part of me, the scarred man turned into a monster needed her. If I had any decency at all, I’d drive her somewhere far away, ensuring her protection then leaving.

But no part of decency was left inside of me.

Fuck me. I would have her.

And I doubted I could ever let her go.

Hate.

The woman was determined to hate me. Hell, I couldn’t blame her after the shit I’d put her through. We worked side by side for a solid three hours on the exterior of the house, pulling every board, ensuring there were no loose nails. She’d even helped me install a couple of deck boards I’d found in the shed, replacing the rotten ones.

And the entire time she’d remained silent.

Then again, so had I.

She’d told me she wasn’t hungry, returning inside where she’d even slammed the door. I’d checked out some of the perimeter, checking the cameras my grandfather had installed. From what little time I’d had, they seemed to be working. The equipment inside was being cranky, but I’d figured it out. I just needed time.

Now as the afternoon sun began its afternoon descent, she was inside cleaning while I was out splitting wood from a couple of larger fallen limbs. At least they weren’t as rotten as the majority of the precut pieces.

Hell, the woman had fortitude, even helping me drag the huge pieces closer to the property. By the time we’d finished, she’d been a beautiful mess and it had taken all I had not to kiss her.

What was I saying? I’d done what I could not to rip off her clothes in the middle of the frigid temperatures.

I had to make a better plan than hiding out here. I needed to find out which of the men I’d once considered loyal were still around, and which still held the honor of the blood oath we’d all been forced to take when joining the organization.

Saldono was a man focused on legacies and heritage, assuming the role both his father and grandfather had inherited. He’d groomed Antonio for the job as well. That meant the old ways and ancient culture had remained. Including his complete brutality with his men. That had swallowed some of the early days of respect, especially since most of the poor fucks didn’t get paid shit.

It was a clear case of the rich got richer, the poor got poorer. Saldono was a greedy son of a bitch.

How to go about finding the men who served under my notorious team without drawing red flags. At least if I got the varied electronic equipment and the internet fully operational, I could potentially fly in under the radar seeking information. My grandfather was that cunning.

I swung the axe I’d found, chunks of wood flying. I had to sharpen the damn thing soon. After placing another oversized piece onto the block, I brought the instrument down again with more force than before. Splintered pieces of wood scattered in every direction.

“What did that wood ever do to you?”

Her voice was laced with either rebellion or hate, possibly both. I rolled my arm across my forehead to keep the sweat from beading into my eyes.

“The blade isn’t sharp enough.”

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