Page 40 of Malevolent Secrets

“Anything, really. I just need to get back on my feet.”

Now, I may not know much about her, but I know that at twenty-five, she has managed to become one of the leads in her department at work.

I know that she has people much older than her reporting to her. I know she makes five figures in a month. She is very much on her feet. Heck, she’s even soaring.

Daniella Roberts is lying. And I want to know why. Actually, I’m sure I already do. She is trying to get close to me, to The Garden of Eden, because she believes that the information she needs can he found here.

She isn’t wrong, but I have no intention of letting her come within even an inch of this place. She thinks she knows me, she thinks she knows what we do here, but she has no earthly idea.

She doesn’t know that the glitz and the live music have all been used to strategically cover up the blood and grime. The loud music is a mechanism to drown out the screams of horror. I’m not letting her anywhere near this.

I also am not letting her go.

I take another step, closing the distance between us. Her scent—something floral and uniquely her—fills my senses.

“There are many kinds of jobs I can offer. Some more…demanding than others.”

She doesn’t flinch, holding her ground. “I can handle demanding.”

My mind races through the possibilities. Giving her a job would keep her close, allow me to keep an eye on her. But it would also bring her deeper into my world, a world I’m not sure she’s ready for.

I take her chin in my hand, tilting her face up to meet my gaze. “Sweetheart, you know who I am, don’t you?” I hate that I have to point this out. I didn’t want to break the spell between us. I was enjoying the lie that we are just a man and a woman who enjoy one another’s company.

I see the fear crawl into her eyes for a second before it vanishes. She knows there’s no use lying. What I’m curious to know now, is how much truth she will give me. After all, the best lie is the truth.

“Yes. You’re Lorenzo Duretti, crime syndicate extraordinaire, yada yada. Look, I just need a job. If you can’t give me one then I can go somewhere else. I'm sure Club Red is hiring.”

I grind my teeth at her flippant tone. I see the role she has decided to take on.

“You know who I am and yet you want to work with me? People who work with me die every day.”

“I’m not afraid,” she whispers, her eyes burning with determination.

I study her for a long moment, searching for any sign of doubt. But she doesn’t waver.

“Very well. I’ll find something for you. But understand this, Daniella—you’ll be under my protection. And that comes with certain…expectations.”

“Expectations?” she asks, her voice barely more than a whisper.

I lean in, my lips brushing her ear. “Loyalty and obedience, they are non-negotiable. If I ask you to come, you come.”

I allow the double entendre to sink in and I watch her gulp before I continue.

“My word is law here. First and last. I don't care how enjoyable fucking you is; I won't hesitate to punish you if you go against me at any time.”

Her breath hitches and I can feel the tension between us crackling like a live wire. I pull back, my gaze locking onto hers. “Do you understand?”

“Yes,” she breathes, her voice trembling.

“Good.” I release her and step back, giving her space to compose herself. “You’ll start tomorrow. Be here at nine a.m.”

I press a card into her hand, it’s a corporate card that has details of my company, including an address.

She nods, her eyes wide with a mix of anticipation and fear. “Thank you, Lorenzo.”

I wave off her gratitude, already thinking about the implications of this new arrangement. “Go home, Daniella. Rest. Tomorrow, your new life begins.”

As she stands to leave, I can’t help but feel a surge of possessiveness. She’s stepping into my world now and I won’t let her go easily. Not when she stirs something in me that I haven’t felt in a long time.

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