Page 28 of Corrupting Lily

Dominico

The declaration has been made. Lily is mine. Before I can make it official, I need to tie up some loose ends on her side. Like the bounty on her head and the man who put it there.

I had already been called about it this morning. My choice did not sit well with thefamigliahaving an outsider on the throne beside me. But it is done, and I don’t intend to renege. Not after tasting her. I lick my lips just thinking of it. I couldn’t let her go even if I wanted to.

“So, last night was interesting.”

I wondered who would bring up last night first. Nero or Dante. My money was on Dante, but it is Nero who casually opens the conversation, he and Dante sitting opposite me in my office.

“It seems that applies to both of us.” This makes Dante laugh as he nudges Nero in the ribs, causing Nero to immediately regret saying anything.

“Enough. What have you learned about Senator John Underwood and his connection to Lily?”

Smiles fade as the two men look at each other and then back at me.

“Nothing good, according to the rumors. He is underhanded, not only in politics. He has a wife on whom he cheats as frequently as he bribes people, and he has three children out of wedlock with women at least twenty years his junior. Additionally, he has faced seven lawsuits against him, all dismissed, from women accusing him of sexual assault. Among them were his secretary and his nanny. All have been swept under the rug to avoid impacting his campaign in the next elections. It was so well hidden that we had to use our contact in the FBI to pull the files.”

Nero hands over a tablet with the video paused on the screen.

“Then there's this. Taken from a party nine months ago, it involves Lily. It was part of the footage the FBI was asked to remove from a gala event at the Brandon Centre. It's not pretty and seems to correlate with footage of Lily's penthouse later that night. If her reaction is any indication, the two are linked.”

I press play. The video begins at the Brandon Centre. Initially, an empty corridor is visible, with the entrances to the ladies' and men's powder rooms in view. Lily enters the frame, her face filled with anger, as she speaks to someone off-screen. The next moment, Senator John Underwood steps into the frame, his back turned to the camera. He approaches her as she steps back, and words are exchanged between them. When her back hits the wall, I see a flicker of panic on her face before he closes the distance and pins her against it. He leans forward to kiss her, and she turns her face away, her look of disgust unmistakable. Undeterred, he moves his hands along her sides as she struggles, her palms pushing against his chest.

Anger rises as this vile fucking creature puts his hands on my girl like she is a fucking toy. Then suddenly, Lily raises her knee, the impact evident as the piece of shit stumbles back, clutching his privates as hisface scrunches up in a mixture of anger and pain. Then she disappears, and the look of fear on her face is the last thing I see before the footage changes to one of her being carried out of her penthouse apartment by a bodyguard. Bloodied and beaten while the person responsible walks casually behind them, his ear glued to his phone as if this is just another day. Lily’s unconscious face disappears from the screen, seared in my memory as I put the tablet on the table slowly.

“Where is the Senator now?” It was time I was wielded as the weapon I was: as vengeance. And on whose better behalf than my little flower?

“Having lunch at the Grand. I’ll get the car ready and call ahead so they can prepare for our arrival,” Nero says, already getting up.

“You will fetch Lily. And tell her to wear something sexy,” I say to Dante, who leaves to follow my instructions.

Fifteen minutes later, we are in the car, heading out of the compound towards the Grand. Lily sits beside me in a figure-hugging, knee-length yellow dress. Her hair is pulled up into a ponytail, reminding me of last night and how it had felt wrapped around my fist. She wears almost no makeup, just a swipe of mascara and lip gloss. She looks innocent and so fucking incredibly beautiful that I feel sorry for women who spend hours getting ready just to achieve what she has in minutes.

She blushes when her eyes meet mine, then smooths her hands down her dress, revealing her nervousness.

“I didn’t have much time to get ready. Do I look okay?” Lily asks, her self-consciousness manifesting as a lovely shade of pink on her cheeks.

“Sei la cosa più bella che abbia mai visto,” I reply, watching as she gulps and wets her already glossy lips.

“What does it mean?” she asks softly, her gaze dropping to my lips.Her desire is clear. She wants me to kiss her.

“You are beautiful.” Her eyes widen, and she inhales quickly as I lean forward, invading her space.

“What did you mean last night at the club when you said I was yours?” I smile and dip my head to her neck, breathing in her sweet perfume. Her unique scent lingers on my suits from the many times I have carried her already.

“You.” I nip her neck, making her moan. “Are.” Another nip as I move higher towards her earlobe. “Mine,” I say before I suck on the skin just below, the small whimper she gives me alluding to how sensitive the area is. When I move back, her eyes are closed, and her lips are slightly parted.

When she finally opens them, the desire fades as she pulls back.

“I have heard that before. More times than I care to admit. It has never ended well for me.”

“I am not like those men, Lily,” I warn, definitely not wanting to be lumped in with a group of abusive assholes. Yes, I was domineering. Yes, I was authoritative. But I would never hurt her.

“Is that what Senator John Underwood said to you?” I ask, leaning back in my seat as I observe the emotions on her face, while rage still simmers just below the surface—waiting to be unleashed.

“Along those lines.” She looks away, but not quickly enough to conceal the flare of sorrow that the thoughts evoke.

“He wanted what I wasn't willing to give. The more I resisted, the more he persisted. Isn’t that how powerful men operate?” she asks, looking at me as she waits for me to contradict her. Unfortunately,this is how men who are used to getting everything they want behave. When denied, it wounds their pride.

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