Page 3 of Thorns of Desire
“We thought the same, but we were wrong.”
“Meaning?”
His lips pressed into a thin line, and I knew he wouldn’t divulge anything else.
“Well, hunting on territory that doesn’t belong to you or Atticus is punishable by death,” I remarked.
“Please, I have a family, a kid?—”
I pulled the trigger before he could finish the sentence and watched as his body hit the pavement with a loud thud.
By the time I went back home to shower and put on a fresh suit, the fashion show at the Marchetti venue was finished. Instead of returning home, for some unfathomable reason to me, Enrico went to a goddamned nightclub.
Music pumped, obnoxious and loud, giving me a headache even standing outside the club, and I seriously debated leaving Enrico to his own devices. I was too old for this shit. We were Italians, used to loud people and big families, but not even that came close to the sound of the bass assaulting my ears right now.
“What the fuck was Enrico thinking coming to a club like this?” I muttered under my breath. Just as I braced my senses for further insult, I spotted him exiting the club with a redhead on his arm, and understanding dawned on me. My nephew was about to get laid. The corner of my lips lifted. “Thank fuck.”
I really wasn’t in the mood for crowded places and loud people, especially after a run-in with the Triads man who had put Atticus Popov and the Marchetti name in the same sentence. What in the fuck made them believe that Atticus would be attending the Marchetti venue? We didn’t do business with the Popov family.
Enrico ushered the girl into the car, his driver taking them away, and I decided to take a detour. With my nephew—who was currently speeding down the Parisian street toward his home—being the sole reason I was here in the first place, the expectation to stay and suffer vanished.Free to go. I was just about to turn around when a young woman caught my eye. She was short and curvy with long, wavy auburn hair, fair skin, and green, cat-like eyes. Her nose was small and straight and her mouth lush and pink. Even in the cloak of the night, I envisioned how perfectly they would look wrapped around my dick.
I’d been with countless women in my forty-five years on this earth—actresses, models, even an opera singer—but none had ever made me pause. Yes, they piqued my interest and made my dick hard, but my heart never blipped at the sight of any of them. Until fucking now. At the risk of sounding like a complete puss, my heart beat triple time over this woman. For a moment, I’d completely forgotten where I was, the entire world giving way to the gorgeous woman swaying her hips to the music.
Just as I was about to turn around, a melodious burst of laughter traveled over the din of the club, captivating me. She was bent at the waist, chuckling so hard that her whole body shook. It was contagious, and I found my mouth twitching, smiling right along with her. Then my heart skipped.Again.
I frowned. Fuck, this wasn’t normal. Maybe I needed a checkup. This had to be the first sign of a heart attack.
Her friends sauntered down the street but she fell behind, her attention on the phone in her hand. Her brow furrowed andshe started typing, unaware her friends were getting swallowed by the crowd.
It took no time for the vultures to descend, surrounding her like she was their next meal. Something about her seemed to trigger a protective instinct in me and I wedged my way through the group of men.
“Touch me, motherfucker, and I swear to God, I’ll have your hands sawed off.”
I stopped mid-step and an incredulous breath left me. She was pure fire.
I let my eyes drift down the slope of her back, circling her trim waist and dipping to her full hips. It was then that one of the assholes put his hand on her shoulder, and in one swift move, I shoved him away from her.
“You don’t fucking touch her,” I roared, surprised at my own reaction. I took a step forward, straightened my shoulders, and looked down my nose at him. “And you better run fromthiswoman or I’ll ensure that the saw she just mentioned is nice and sharp.” I’d enjoy nothing more to be quite honest. “Now, apologize and get the hell out of here.”
The men dispersed faster than a speeding bullet, running with their tails between their legs.
“None of them apologized.” A pouty voice pulled my attention back to the woman whose eyes were now shining with mischief.
“We can always go after them,bella,” I offered, watching her like I’d never watched a woman before. “You’d like that,sì?”
Her full pink lips curved up and… I actually clutched my chest this time. What the fuck? I stared at her, trying to figure out what the hell was going on.
“It’s tempting, but I can think of better ways to spend the night,” she said, her voice playful. She had a pleasant voice and a blinding smile. Radiant and mesmerizing. And her eyes… I hadnever been so captivated by a woman’s eyes, pulling me into her web, their long lashes batting up at me and filling me with sinful ideas.
She must’ve taken my silence for rejection because her face fell.
“Well, thanks for jumping in like a gentleman,” she said. “I’d offer to buy you a drink, but you don’t seem?—”
“That won’t be necessary.” Her eyebrow arched in surprise and the corner of my mouth lifted in a smirk. “After all, a gentleman always pays.”
She let out a soft chuckle, her gaze burning through me. Something told me forgetting this mesmerizing woman with the auburn hair would be impossible.
“Yeah… I don’t think you’re a gentleman.”
