Page 50 of Syndicate of Sin Bundle

“Have you found anything?” I shouted at the guards running in and out of my office. “Any-fucking-thing that will lead me to her? Huh?” I grabbed Roxie’s own personal guard by his throat and thrust him against the wall. “You were supposed to be guarding the fucking floor to make sure nobody left. How did you fucking let her get past you?”

Without letting him even speak, I slammed him into the wall again, pushed him away from me, and pointed at the door. “Get out of my fucking office. I don’t want to see you. Find Roxie for me or get out of this fucking city by tonight, before I kill you, you incompetent fuck.”

When the man scurried out into the hallway, I slammed the door and growled.

Roxie had left me, and I’d fucking let her. All I needed was to take care of business. I had been gone for forty-five fucking minutes, and she had snuck past all the men I had guarding that building.

Snatching my cracked phone from the ground, I dialed Roxie’s number and balled my hand into a fist when it went to voice mail. I called her again and again and again. Nothing. I tried texting her next.

Me: Answer. Me.

Was I desperate to find her? Fuck yes.

Did I care that I sounded pitiful? No.

She was mine. I’d already told her that I wouldn’t let her leave. She had. And when I found her, I swore to God I’d lock her in the house outside of the city, where I usually did business, and keep her there as mine. She wouldn’t leave my side from now on.

The Delivered notification on the messages turned to Read before three little bubbles popped up on the screen and then disappeared. I waited five minutes for her reply and concluded that it wasn’t coming, not unless I continued to be a prick.

Me: ???

Roxie: Where are you?

Me: At the club, trying not to lose my fucking shit because of you.

Roxie: Cool.

I clenched my jaw and growled, staring down at the phone. God, this woman did nothing but aggravate me. She knew I was fucking worried about her and continued to push me. Nobody ever dared to talk back to me or ignore me like she did. I fucking loathed it and loved it at the same time.

Except now, I didn’t love it.

I needed to know she was okay.

Me: Where?

Roxie: Having drinks with Marco. ;)

Roxie: Come and find me.

39

roxie

Smirking to myself, I finished typing the text to Cristian and deposited the phone on the counter. Was it wrong to fuck with him? Eh, maybe. Did I think he deserved it? Definitely yes. He’d left me alone this morning, and that bitch had come for me, threatening me. One day, I’d build up the courage to kill her.

I pulled my baseball cap down further to cover my face as I sipped my white sangria in the middle of Cristian’s club. It had been surprisingly easy to sneak in here without anyone noticing. Most of his guards and men were gone for the night, doing something, and that something was probably looking for me.

Cristian stormed out of his office, slammed the door behind him, and rushed out into the club, the flaps of his suit jacket flying open. Nostrils flaring, brow furrowed, jaw clenched, Cristian looked furious enough to kill someone.

When he stormed past the other side of the bar without spotting me, I let out a deep breath and slumped my shoulders forward. I didn’t know why I had come back. I’d escaped from the Mafia and had a chance to flee the state and country even. But for some ungodly reason, I didn’t seem to have it inside of me to leave him for good.

Cristian was annoying as fuck, but I liked it. I liked his crazy.

I just didn’t like that Alessa was still in his fucking life.

I wanted him.

I wanted all of him.

---