Page 42 of Fixate
Oh, my.
I whipped my head his way, forgetting my need to avoid looking directly at him as I raised my brow. “Anyone I know?”
“Probably.” He shrugged. “Not that I’ll admit anything. Pip helped me recently extinguish some of the men loyal to Stasia. He’s decided to stick around in case I need him further.”
We approached a set of doors labeled for staff only. Pharrell held up a card to the sensor, then with a loud beep, the door popped open.
The other side opened up to a short hallway that split in both directions. He led us down and to the left. It was a maze from there, with several turns and crossover points. There was less security in person and much more in the way of closed off sections that Pharrell’s card seemed to have full access to.
“Do I get one of those?” I asked him after the third time he’d used it.
He waved it at me with a smirk. “You think you’ve earned free reign of my world?”
I wanted to bow my head at his words. Some deep part of me felt the need to prove myself at that question. I just didn’t know why.
What was it about him that had me so off my game? I’d never bowed to another, unless it was a custom of formality. Even then, I never wanted to sit at their feet like some type of pet for them to do as they pleased with.
“Maybe not yet,” I finally admitted when the silence made me uncomfortable.
“Then we’ll reevaluate when you feel like you have.”
That’s all he said. It was like he wanted to tease me with how he left it so open ended.
After that exchange, his attention turned to the departments he meant to check on. I watched from close by as he spoke with each of the managers, going over complaints and needs as if he would handle them all. He didn’t write a single thing down, yet from the way he held himself, I just knew he’d remember it all.
Hours passed as I watched him and followed his every move. I found myself admiring his work ethic, as well as his good looks. No one could deny Pharrell had a magnetism to him. Even the patrons of the casino turned their heads his way when we walked past.
The later it got, the more I worried he was pushing himself too much too soon. When I arrived, he’d been worn down. Though we’d napped, I didn’t think it was enough to recharge him back to full working status.
My point was justified when he slumped into the seat of the hired car he called for our evening plans. Apparently, the after-hours business wasn’t done on the casino grounds. Smart, but very inconvenient given his state.
“You sure we have to handle this now? You’re a strong wind away from passing out.”
He turned his head my way at my question. It was leaning back on the leather headrest as if even holding it up was too much at that moment.
“I’m fine. This shouldn’t take long. Then we can get back, and I’ll sleep more. I promise.”
The words didn’t make me feel any better. I’d have much rather him go straight to bed than to be dealing with whatever mafia fiasco there was to take care of.
“We’re here,” the driver said as we pulled up to a generic warehouse.
Pharrell led us inside. His phone rang before we could get very far. “I’ve got to take this. Keep going down that hall. You’ll hear the men working. Just follow the sound.”
I gave him an ‘are you serious?’ look since I didn’t think it was best for me to just wander into his operations. But he waved me away as he answered his phone with a curt, “Yes?”
Whoever was on the other end should have handled whatever was going on themselves. The more tired Pharrell got, the shorter his temper. It still was nowhere near the level of Domenico’s.
I shivered at the memories thinking of the former Romano brought forward. He’d had far too much control over my life for far too long.
It’s partly why the idea of calling Pharrell Daddy threw me. I just got out from under one man’s hold. To freely give up my autonomy to another felt foolish.
Then again, I wasn’t sexual with Domenico. He was more of a dictator hellbent on obedience. I didn’t get that vibe from the man across the room from me.
When he waved at me to keep going for the third time, I huffed and shuffled down the hall. I felt like a brat for basically stomping away. It couldn’t be helped though. This was not how I thought things would go.
Noises echoed down the abandoned space as I moved through the building. I followed them like he’d told me to until Ifound a large open space with several crates spread about and a dozen or so men moving between them.
I spotted one man with a clipboard in his hand shouting orders to the others. He was dressed more like a car salesman than a mafia henchman.
