Page 10 of Loyalties & Longings

My hair is a bit of a mess, so I give it a quick brush and push my fingers into the roots a few times to give it a little volume. That’ll do. I slip a hair tie on my wrist in case I want to pull my hair back up off my neck later. My face is a little plain, but I don’t like wearing makeup at the best of times, so I opt for a few quick flicks of mascara. Stepping back to look in the mirror, I take in the whole look. Sexy grunge, just what I was going for. After grabbing a small cross-body bag that’s the perfect size tohold my cell, credit card, and identification—not that I ever get carded—I make my way out to the living area.

Dad has never allowed me to go out alone because he thinks someone will recognize me. Knowing that I’m his daughter, someone could try to kidnap me or something else. I would hate to even think about the something else, and I always try not to let my mind wander too far down that path. It sucks so much being a woman in today’s day and age. I’m probably already ‘asking for it’ by wearing this tiny dress.

Fuck society.

I mean, I’m into some pretty crazy shit when it comes to being aroused and my sexual fantasies, but I want my sexual experiences to be on my terms. I want to have the choice, if not be in complete control. Screw being the victim of some thug trying to get revenge on or blackmail my father.

So as per my father’s rules, he’s always sure to send a chaperone with me. Therein lies the problem. He has only ever had Massimo whom he trusts to look after me.

One night last year, though, Massimo tried to dance with me, putting his hands on my hips and pulling me to his body roughly. The action made me think he was going to try something. He did, almost kissing me, but I shoved him away and stormed out.

Gross.

My skin crawls, even now, at the memory.

Afterthatnight, I refused to go out because I knew Dad would still have Massimo accompany me.

However, now Blaze is out of prison, Dad has decided he’d be better off taking me out because he is younger, stronger, and much more capable of protecting me. This is totally fine with me, and my insides are all aflutter at the prospect of being close to him again. I do not mind him being my bodyguard for the night. He can guard me with all of his bodyallnight long.

I head downstairs, expecting to see Blaze and my father, whois exactly where I left him earlier. I stop dead in my tracks the moment I reach the threshold, though. Blaze had arrived while I was getting ready and is leaning against the wall on the far side of the room. Dad is sitting on the sofa with a bunch of paperwork strewn across the coffee table in front of him. But another person is sitting on a chair with their back to me, and he turns in my direction. My body shudders from head to toe.

“Hi, Lakey,” Massimo says, with a disgusting smirk spreading over his mouth. “I’m coming out tonight with you and Blaze. You know, for extra protection,” he says, looking me up and down, licking his lips.

No.

No, no, no, no,no!

I look to Dad, who’s barely even paying attention. He’s deep in concentration, sifting through the paperwork, so he doesn’t see the horror on my face after learning Massimo will also be chaperoning me. I look at Blaze, and he is now standing alert, legs spread, arms crossed, and a scowl on his face. I see the muscles in his chest dance from tensing. Heisgoing to make tonight a little more bearable, but I am not lying when I say my whole demeanor has been crushed.

Dad looks up, finally acknowledging that I entered the room.

“You look nice,Bella. But yes, I’d feel more comfortable if you had BlazeandMassimo with you, especially after these past few days. Someone, or more than one person, I don’t know if they’re working alone or not, is trying to take over the city,mycity. They’ve proven that they’ll do anything. They want to take over by any means. They’ve not only targeted Blaze’s car and busted it up real good, but we also have reason to believe they killed Jordan, one of my guys who is in charge of the pushes down on the strip. He hasn’t been seen or heard from since Monday. Gone and vanished without a word.” He stops briefly, zoning out. He looks as though he’s considering something momentarily, thenshakes his head before continuing.

“But,Bella, we don’t know what other lengths they’re willing to go to. I’m not risking it. If anything were to happen to you, I wouldn’t forgive myself. So, you’ll have both of them with you when you go out tonight. No arguments. Take my car,” he says definitively.

Of course, my father, being the way he is, thinks the only thing better than one bodyguard is two. He leaves me with his two most trusted men, besides himself, of course, following me around as my protection.

He’s oblivious to the fact that one of these men is probably more dangerous than whoever is trying to move into the city. And the other, well, he’s dangerous for so many other reasons, and I’m not sure I’ve worked out which is the greatest danger yet.

After the interesting confrontation in my hallway last week, our car ride to the club is awkward, to say the least. The tension is palpable, and the air in the car is thick. Although, that could be from the residual beef between the men or the gross stench of Massimo’s body odor and second-hand cigarettes he seems to permeate ceaselessly. I wind down my window. Fresh air is necessary at this point. I feel like I’m going to choke.

Not in a good way either.

At least with Massimo driving and me in the back seat directly behind him, I can perve on Blaze in the front passenger seat. I haven’t been able to get him off my mind all week. I may or may not have even used the memories of that night in our hallway to fuel a few orgasms while riding solo with my favorite vibrator.

I remember his intoxicating scent of whiskey and hazelnut and the way his eyes seemed to burn into me, leaving me feeling caressed in all the places I wanted him to touch me. I recall the pain of him squeezing my elbows when he got angry with Massimo and the hard bulge I could feel through the thick denimfabric of our jeans when I reached up to whisper in his ear.

Shit.

I squeeze my thighs together. Even now, I can feel the heat of desire pooling in my core. Shifting in my seat, I feel the dampness grow between my legs, and of course, I’m not wearing any damn panties. Boy, the things this man does to me, and he doesn’t even have a clue. He seems like the kind of guy who could handle my insatiable desires and maybe even my fucked-up fantasies. Heck, he might even be the kind of man who would be into it and may enjoy that stuff too. Or maybe it’s just my wishful thinking. Does a man who is into dark and depraved sexual acts have a certain look to them?

As if on cue, or maybe he can read my damn devil thoughts, he turns to face me, sucking in his bottom lip between his teeth a little. He can probablysmellmy sexual desire. My thighs instinctively squeeze tighter together.

“Have you been to this club much then?” Blaze strikes up small talk with me.

“I used to take her out all the time to Enzo’s clubs. This one, Danger Tamers, is by far our favorite. Isn’t it, Lakey?” Massimo answers for me as we pull up to the VIP parking section.

Blaze squints at Massimo doubtfully then looks at me. I nod, unable to find my own words, therightwords. I mean, Massimo isn’t wrong. Thisismy favorite of Dad’s clubs. We used to come here a lot together, but nottogether, together. He used to have to follow me around at Dad’s request like they are both doing tonight. He’s ridiculous for trying to make it sound like something it’s not.

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