Page 19 of High Roller

My breathing is erratic, and I know soon I won’t be in control of myself if I don’t get a grip soon.

I try every breathing exercise I’ve ever learned in yoga, but I swear that’s just making it worse. I wrestle myself out of Victor’s coat and hurl it across the room. It sweeps across the plate of food Gracie left for me, sending its contents crashing to the floor.

I kick a tomato slice, and for a moment it improves my mood, so I throw a piece of cheese at the mirror.

Anything to stay sane, right? I can’t let my kidnappers or my husband win. For the next several minutes, I’m throwing food around the room like a crazy person, and at some point, I throw the silk pajamas into the middle of the room.

I rummage through all the drawers looking for something to help me escape, but of course there’s nothing.

Eventually, I wear myself out enough that I curl up in bed crying myself to sleep. When I set out to embarrass Finn, I never imagined it could turn into a nightmare that wasn’t of his making. Have I traded one monster for another?

Chapter 7

Victor

Outsidethedoortosuite two, I hesitate before I knock. To be honest, I still don’t have a clue what I’m going to say to her, or if I should say anything at all.

But I need to make it clear I don’t intend to harm her. Even if we tell Phineas we have her, I have no intention of hurting a woman who doesn’t want it. It’s just not in my nature.

Now if she comes at me, I won’t hesitate to take her down and make sure she can’t hurt me, but I don’t need to get violent to get my point across, contrary to what my partners in crime think.

I have a penchant for torture, and I’m not afraid of a little blood if it gets us closer to our goal. But we’ve tried to keep the bloodshed to a minimum in our operation, because we don’t want to be like our families, and we’re trying to build a different type of organization in Las Vegas. We may work outside the law, but we have a healthy respect for law enforcement, and we try not to get in their way if we can help it.

Talking to Andres last night reminded me of where my penchant for violence comes from, and I’ve been trying to shake it ever since. I’m still not sure if I’ll be going to Mexico again anytime soon despite the news my brother gave me. I was there a year ago after Ernesto Trentini was killed and our family was blamed for it, but I try to avoid trips home for as long as I can. Our father seems to think the end is near for him, so I may not have a choice, but I’m not ready to drop everything and run home just yet.

Finally, I knock on the door and call her name. “Lili, it’s Victor. I’m coming in.”

“I don’t want to talk to you,” she calls, her tone sullen.

“Too bad. We have to.”

I open the door, and freeze.

She’s still stark naked, and the clothes Gracie brought her yesterday are on the floor in the middle of the room. The plate with the sandwich supplies has been tipped over and its contents strewn about the room. My overcoat is on the coffee table with a tomato slice sitting on top of it, likely staining it. My fists clench and unclench as I take in the scene.

“If you were mine, I would bend you over my knee and blister your ass. And then you would clean up every bit of this mess and stay naked for a week,” I threaten as I look around the room.

“I’ll never be yours. I’ll never be anyone’s ever again. Fuck you.”

I pick up the silk pajama top and hand it to her. “Put this on.”

“Make me,” she spits out, her eyes fiery with defiance.

“Believe me, Spitfire, I fucking will if you try me.”

She folds her arms across her chest and glares at me.

Shaking my head, I step forward and reach for one of her arms. Some of the defiance fades, replaced by fear, and she backs away.

“Fine. I’ll do it.”

“Good girl,” I say, handing her the shirt.

That was the wrong thing to say. Her face becomes a storm of fury, and she hurls the silk fabric at me. “Oh, fuck you. Forget it.” She stalks over to the bed and climbs onto it, and it’s all I can do not pin her down and fuck the attitude out of her.

Then the little minx lays back against the pillows and lets her legs fall open. A slender hand reaches between her thighs, and she rubs her clit.

“Stop that right fucking now if you know what’s good for you.”

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