Page 12 of Ruthless Beasts

“Ferrari,” he corrected, and it didn’t seem right. His last name against the innocence of her eyes, but I guess things didn’t have to be right to be true.

She looked down at the empty plate in front of her, her hands wrung tight. Her voice was the tiniest of whispers that somehow seemed like the loudest of words. “Ferrari. Another name I shouldn’t belong to.”

CHAPTER FIVE

ADAM

There was a certain level of annoyance that the girl tried to claim another last name as her own. The same last name as the father, who clearly didn’t try hard enough to stop me from taking her. The father who would have married her off to a boy, not a man, who wouldn’t have protected her if her life was in danger.

It never was in danger. We don’t kill women, at least not unless they strike first. Still, there was no possible way her father knew that. He should have done more, should have fought my men and broken free to save his daughter. But he didn’t.

Ferrari. Another name I shouldn’t belong to.

That was where she was wrong. If the name found her, then she belonged here. Just like everyone in this room, and every guard on this property. I just wasn’t sure in which capacity she belonged just yet.

I watched her for another moment before I pulled out a chair and sat. Annoyance already tugged at me as I took her in, wearing clothes that clearly weren’t hers. I’d talk to my men laterabout that. It wasn’t her fault, I suppose, but it didn’t mean I liked it.

Struggling for words, any words when I didn’t want to be here, I finally mumbled, “I hope you found your room well.”

She didn’t respond, and that was fine because I wasn’t in the talkative mood. I served my food. Mercer and Ace did the same while she watched us, not attempting to fill her empty plate. I ate a few forkfuls of biscuits and gravy before I bothered speaking again. “Eat.”

“I’m not that hungry.” Her voice was so quiet, so soft, it didn’t fit into a house of all men.

“Eat anyway,” I ordered.

“I—“

I didn’t want to hear her excuses. If you sit at my table, you eat a meal. It’s as simple as that. I wasn’t dealing with any of those fucking rebellious hunger strikes, or disobedience. She was only hurting herself, and I couldn’t have that.

“I said eat.”

Her eyes welled up with tears and a whimper escaped, but she didn’t argue further. She reached over, taking a biscuit from the tray and adding some fruit to her plate. It was still a practically empty plate, but I guess that would be her problem come lunch time. At least I could leave, knowing she was provided for.

“I’m going into the office today.” I spoke to no one in particular. I didn’t miss the pause from Ace and Mercer at my announcement.

Mercer pushed food around his plate. “You rarely go into the office.”

I caught the hidden meaning. He was accusing me of avoidance, of using work I preferred to do at home as a scapegoat in order to not have to deal with the situation. He’d be right. I’d rather go into the office, rather hide away in thesmoky casino, where noises were at an all-time high and drunks roamed the halls, than be in the same room as the girl at my table.

“I think it’s time I start. I could use an improvement in my work ethic, don’t you agree?” I pierced him with my stare, daring him to challenge me.

He didn’t break eye contact as he slowly formed an answer. “Now’s better than never, I suppose. Will she be okay here by herself?”

I spared the girl the barest of glances because I didn’t know. Did I even care? “I’ll send Drew and Max in to watch her.”

Watch her, like she was a threat and not a wife.

“I could stay behind,” he offered.

“You’re needed. You have a meeting at noon,” Ace reminded him.

A meeting. I nearly snorted at that. No meeting that involved Mercer was ever a good one. In fact, it usually ended with stained floors and a shit ton of clean up.

His body remained stiff as he let his eyes travel to the side. “I can reschedule.”

“It’s probably best that you don’t.” Ace cleared his throat. “This meeting is worth two hundred thousand. It’s been a long time in the making.”

A long time of some low life asshole taking out a tab he couldn’t repay. A long time filled with warnings and threats and false promises of repayment. A long time of letting a fucker's lies slide until there was absolutely no excuse but to collect our money or collect his life.

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