Page 16 of The Boss

My American employee Michael hadn’t taken my warning lightly, contacting Atticus with the information. It could be a long shot or some asshole not realizing who he’d come up against, but I would turn over every rock to learn details. The kid deserved a raise.

“I don’t know for certain, but a night or two locked in the room will do her some good.” I touched the cut on my face. Usually, fury would make me unhinged until punishment was doled out.

Not with her.

Maybe I was still in shock from seeing the insanely gorgeous woman I’d last seen as a gangly kid with braces. But her hair was the same if not more vibrant, long copper-blonde locks framing her arms with bangs highlighting her perfect skin. I’d never forget her imploring eyes, the way she’d peppered me with questions until I gave her what she wanted.

What do you do?

Do you have a girlfriend?

Is she pretty?

Are you getting married?

You have a big house and a boat. Are you rich?

I rubbed my lip, my thoughts all over the place about my discovery. Willow wasn’t the awkward kid any longer, now a beautiful woman with long, tanned legs and a voluptuous body. It had been dangerous and compulsive of me to capture her, but there was no other choice.

If Shane was alive, maybe he cared enough about his sister to do the responsible thing so she would live. I’d need to find the best way of enticing him to a meeting. My lovely captive certainly wasn’t going to provide any help. I’d sensed that from the beginning. She was a feisty one, her tears ending as soon as she was placed securely in the backseat of the SUV.

After that, her expression of utter hatred and determination had taken over.

She hadn’t fought me when I’d placed her in her room, only turned and stared at me with those damn venomous eyes as I’d closed the door. My cock had been rock hard the entire time. Whether or not she’d noticed I hadn’t seen.

Fuck.

Being attracted to her wasn’t an option. Keeping her would become an issue, including with Gregory. It was obvious by our conversation he didn’t know anything about the danger his brother and family were in.

Were they collateral damage or had Shane turned on his parents? The thought should be irrelevant, but it troubled me more than I cared to admit.

Just like taking Willow away from the last place she’d seen her parents alive had done.

I reminded myself how this started.

My brother’s murder.

That took precedence over everything.

I pulled her phone from my jacket pocket, lighting up the screen. Her screenshot was a selfie taken with another girl. They both looked happy and carefree. I’d taken it from her to keep her from contacting anyone. However, if she had the contact information for her brother, that would be the first call she made.

“She’s a looker,” Nico said and the ugly green monster managed to surface.

“Hear me, Nico. No one in my employ is to touch her inappropriately. Do you understand?”

He instantly bristled. “Of course not, sir. I’ll relay the information to the others.”

“See that you do.”

The remainder of the quiet was filled with apprehensive tension. The last time I’d spent more than a night with a woman had been years. My refusal to enter into a relationship was based on the innate knowledge that sharing a life with someone meant taking significant risks. I knew that far too well.

Unless the right person came along, I simply wasn’t interested in the extra work. Even if my parents longed for grandchildren.

Did my refusal to care for anyone make me an asshole on top of every other moniker I’d earned? Perhaps. But my reluctance meant less danger and more business accomplished.

Club Darkness was a fitting name for the realm I’d allowed to become an indulgent sin for those willing to pay the price of entrance. It wasn’t private either but more exclusive by nature,the three-story club frequented by international celebrities on a regular basis. It was considered a jewel in the family’s crown, gaining notoriety the first week in operation.

The profits were hefty, coming in around thirty million dollars.

---