Page 33 of His Ruthless Claim

By the end of the week, I'm exhausted. I don't know what to think of everything when Kendra breezes through my apartment door, a bottle of cabernet in each hand. Her silk pajamas rustle as she kicks off her shoes.

"Girl, we need to talk." She heads straight for my kitchen, grabbing wine glasses. "You have guards now?"

I sink into my plush velvet couch. "They weren't…optional."

"Really?" She arches a perfectly groomed eyebrow, pouring generous servings. "So, I take it you aren't staying away from the guy Jazz warned you about?"

"I can't do anything about it." I accept the glass she offers. "Someone like him doesn't really take orders."

"Yeah, I get that vibe." Kendra settles beside me, tucking her legs underneath her. "I've seen him at events. Man gives me chills. Like looking at a shark in a suit."

I should have expected that Kendra would have crossed paths with him. He does have legitimate businesses, and the marketing firm she works at is one of the most prominent in the city.

The wine is smooth and rich and just what I need right now. "He's not what everyone thinks."

"Oh?" She leans forward, gold hoops swaying. "Do tell."

I trace the rim of my glass, remembering the way his fingers felt in my hair. "There are... moments. When something cracks through that perfect control. I just think that he has a hard time…letting people in."

She gives me a disbelieving look. "And you think he's letting you in?"

I shrug. "Maybe. He keeps coming to see me, doesn't he?" Even if I don't know why. He protects me. Checks on me. And there is something clearly there, with the way his empty eyes fill with something almost like hunger when I challenge him. "He's not emotionless. He's... contained. Until he isn't."

"Girl." Kendra sets down her glass. "You're falling for him."

"I barely know him."

"But you want to." She studies my face. "You're not scared of what he is."

"No." The truth of it settles in my chest. "I'm fascinated by it. By him. The way he wears power like it's woven into his DNA. How he can silence a room without saying a word." I take another sip of wine. "And those rare moments when the mask slips... they're more compelling than any charming smile could ever be."

Kendra shakes her head, but she's smiling. "Only you would find a psychopath's microexpressions romantic."

"He's not a psychopath." I think of his fingers on my chin, possessive and gentle all at once. "He's just... complicated."

Oh, fuck. Maybe I am in way too deep.

I just don't think I care enough to pull back.

17

LUCA

Idrum my fingers against the mahogany conference table, scanning the security reports spread before me. Mickey shifts in his chair, his usual confident smirk replaced by uncertainty as he presents the daily briefing.

"The new crew is bringing in the numbers we need. No suspicious activity except-"

My attention drifts to the antique silver watch on my wrist. The hands tick past three, the same time she stepped outside to take a phone call yesterday, laughing into her phone while gesturing with perfectly manicured hands.

"Boss?" Bas clears his throat. "About the shipment coming in-"

"Continue." I keep my voice flat, controlled. The way I always do. The way that makes people think twice before questioning me.

Carmine slides another folder across the table. "We've got three potential issues with the dock workers. And that boutique-"

My fingers still against the wood. The watch feels heavier somehow. I find myself touching the worn silver edge,remembering how Skye's amber eyes lit up when she noticed it yesterday. How she'd tilted her head, studying it with genuine interest rather than the usual fear my presence inspires.

"Some of the other families are asking questions." Ace's words snap my focus back. "About our presence in the neighborhood."

---