Page 46 of King

Somehow, from somewhere deep inside me, I snap to my senses and drop my hand away - stepping back in a hurry.

Zina seems to realize what was about to happen too and she turns her back on me, tugging her nightie down and trying to cover herself.

“I just wanted to show you - in case it was something important.” She stammers.

“Fine.” I say sharply.

“I’ll - um - I’ll see you in the morning.” She mutters, walking away from me.

I watch her leave my room and my cock aches, throbbing and pulsing. With a growl of frustration I climb back into bed, flicking the light off and refusing to acknowledge the effect she has on me.

I can’t trust myself around her. Even confronted with evidence that she might be involved with my biggest rival - I am still drawn to her. I’ll need to watch myself - and her. I was so easily distracted now, so quickly forgetting about the message in favor of her temptations.

My jaw clenches, my cheek against my pillow. Perhaps my son sees something that I don’t see. Maybe she is a master of manipulation and I am falling for it hook, line and sinker.

FOURTEEN

zina

“You’re coming with me.” He snaps, standing in the doorway of my bedroom. I’ve just stepped out of the shower and I’m staring at him in disbelief, clutching the towel against my body as his eyes roam unrestrained over me.

“You can’t just barge in here, Giovanni. You have to at least knock.” I blurt out.

“Wear something corporate.”

“Where are we going?”

“I have a meeting. Hurry up. You’ve got thirty minutes.” His voice is commanding and cold. He throws the information at me and walks away without waiting for my reply.

I blink at the empty doorway, trying to figure out why he would want me at a business meeting. But I’m happy for the chance to get out for a bit and to do something different. I’m also secretly pleased that he wants me with him. Any time with him means something to me. Regardless of his moody attitude.

From my closet I select a body hugging white dress, the bandage style designs accentuates my waist and has a power-suite vibe to it when I pair it with black heels and a black blazer.

My hair is pulled up into a high bun on top of my head and I opt for a dark shade of fudge colored lipstick.

When I walk into the living room to tell Giovanni I’m ready he stares at me, wide eyed and gawking. I grin, pretending not to notice his admiration.

He catches himself and clears his throat loudly, gesturing towards the door. “Let’s go.” He snaps.

I walk ahead of him out to the car and the entire way I can sense the heat of his eyes on me.

He tugs my door open and his gaze is locked onto my legs as I lower myself into the seat. “Thank you.” I say sweetly.

“Mph.” He huffs in response.

The meeting is hosted at a warehouse near the docks. It’s clear that he brought me here as a show of power. Maybe this is a subtle threat after what happened last night. He wants to show me the strength of his control over his allies and his enemies, just in case I’m working with his rival.

The men seated around the table look rough and dangerous. Some wear black suits, clean cut and crisp, others, seated in the outer edge, are in overalls, covered in grease and grime.

Giovanni stands at the head of the table, leaning forward with his knuckles pressed into the wood.

“Another shipment was tampered with. Who the fuck knows what is going on? I want answers.” His voice booms across the room and the other men tense. He has power here. The air is thick with ego - but Giovanni is the one in power.

I watch curiously as people hurry to offer their thoughts and solutions, but none of them has anything valuable to add until one man stands up, his dark hair falling forward into his eyes. His name is Marcus, and he is Giovanni’s strongest ally. “I brought you a gift.” He says calmly.

Giovanni folds his arms over his chest and tilts his head to the side. His jaw is set as he watches Marcus, waiting.

Marcus waves his hand to one of the guys dressed in overalls and he disappears from the room. The rest of the room is silent, curious, waiting -

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