Page 11 of Pure Vengeance

A man, a little shorter than him, but with a similar build, steps into the room.

“Put her in Alexia’s old room. Have some clothes brought up to her and get the doctor to look at her scrapes.” He gives his orders with a quick gesture in my general direction.

“You got it, boss.”

Then he’s gone.

No other look or comment. Just gone.

“Oh!” His head pops back into the room, aiming an arrogant grin at me. “Don’t even think about touching yourself, Claire. That part of you is mine too.”

I gasp. He can’t possibly know.

He can’t.

He winks then disappears again.

I squeeze my thighs together, trying to make the sick arousal he’s built up in me go away.

That part is his too.

Over his dead body.

CHAPTER FIVE

Anton

“What the hell is this I’m hearing? Instead of taking out someone who tried to kill you, you spanked her instead?” Marco, my younger brother, barges into my office. His face is pulled tight into a scowl like I’ve committed some serious crime.

“Hello, Marco.” I shut my laptop. Claire Montecelli is an open book. I’ve been scrolling through her Instagram feed for almost an hour. Most of the posts have to do with the library she works at, and some light traveling she’s done.

“Seriously, Anton. What the hell?”

I eye Dimitri who stands at my door.

“Sorry, man.” He shrugs. He’s not blood, but he’s been part of our family for so long he might as well be called brother. “Three floors down, everyone heard it. Even the maids scrambled when it started.”

I hadn’t held back, that was for sure. The girl won’t be sitting comfortably for a long while.

And serves her fucking right.

I roll my shoulder; the pain still lingers enough to remind me every time I move that she fucking shot me.

“What happened?” Marco sinks into the chair across from me.

“Nothing.” I lean forward. “I’m handling it.”

“Yeah?” He arches a brow. “She’s been moved into the bedroom right next to yours and there’s a doctor up there now patching her up. That’s how you handle an assassin?”

“You’re questioning me?” I drop my voice enough for him to understand there’s a limit to the insolence I’m willing to take from him. He may be my brother, but this family is my responsibility. I don’t bear that weight easily, and I won’t have my motives, or my actions questioned by him or anyone else.

“I’m wondering what you’re thinking. That’s all.” He leans back, softening his expression.

“At first, I thought she was sent by the Delaney brothers, but after talking to her, and looking more into her story, I realize she has no connection to them. Her story seems to be checking out.”

“And what’s that?” He asks, but the hardness is gone. More curiosity now instead.

“Her brother, Michael, worked as a dealer at one of our tables for two years. About a year ago, he was fired for helping one of the players cheat. A few weeks after that he was killed,” I explain.

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