Page 15 of Stitched Up in You
“Do you want to explain to me why you’re not working on getting me my money?” I ask. Energy crackles in my palms, and I begin to pace the floor. The desire to kill her is all but consuming.
If I didn’t need her to find where they took my property, she wouldn’t be breathing. Although it’s not incompetence that allowed her to infiltrate my domain, it still rankles, the idea entirely abhorrent that a small human, one I find so unremarkable, is capable of such chaos.
“Where’s my cat?” she demands.
My gaze clashes with hers, alarm spreading at how brazen she is acting until I realize my blunder. I shove my hands into my suit pockets to keep from killing her outright for not doing what I want immediately. Insubordination and blatant refusal are two things I don’t abide by within my company walls. Operations are kept orderly and efficient to alleviate issues and increase the standing of Talbot Global, and anyone found not maintaining their tasks to standard are let go without warning. This foundational type of cutthroat mentality is what has kept Talbot Global on the top of the world’s leading corporations, andI refuse to allow a simple human to thwart everything I’ve fought to gain.
“Until you make an effort to do my bidding, you’ll not see your cat,” I reply coolly. My power has been pulsating and abnormal since the breach was found. It took far too long to find this female to set it to rights. Far longer than I was willing to accept when first finding out that the most potent magical property of supernatural existence is lost and in the hands of incompetent humans.
I want to end her life, to watch the light dim from her gaze even as the ever increasing need to bring her to heel consumes me.
The petulant way her mouth pouts paired with how eerie the green of her eyes spark when mad makes me feel almost triumphant.
“What you’re asking me to do is illegal,” she hedges.
“Funny that didn’t stop you from doing the exact same illegal act to me. This isn’t a negotiation; this is an order. You will do everything Mikael asks of you, or you won’t leave here. Do I make myself clear?” I ask, shoving the gnawing ball of power building in my sternum down, refusing to give it an outlet.
“I hear you, big guy,” she says, sarcasm dripping from her tone.
Red spreads across her cheeks as her gaze passes over me, and her pink tongue sweeps out of her mouth, showcasing a glimpse of a barbell. My brows pinch together as my lip curls in derision.
“I’ll agree to your terms, and I’ll do what you want, but I’m not touching a computer until I have Edgar in my hands. I want my cat,” she repeats, tossing her arms over her chest in a determined manner.
My posture goes rigid as my body stiffens in an attempt to hold back at the challenge, my pulse skating as the alreadypresent rage roiling inside of me reaches a new height. All this fucking woman seems to care about is her cat, which is why I sent for the damn thing earlier, but she needs make haste.
“So, you’ve said repeatedly. You want your cat back, and I needyouto getmythings back. Perhaps we could make a deal so that you can do what I brought you here to do, hmm?” I find myself saying. The volatile levels of current coursing through my body have the hair of my arms raising as the static electricity I naturally produce increases, as it does every time I withhold my baser self.
An idea forms. I’ll give her cat over and do what I must to get the moonflower formula back. After that it will be fun breaking this woman. Even now she glares, contrasting with every other being that has been in her position since my creation.No one dares to challenge me.
“Okay I’m listening,” she says, a gleam of mirth around the shape of her mouth.
Passably pretty at a second glance, the soft cheeks of her face give her a cherub-like countenance, and the pert tip of her nose completes her haughty look. Her red hair has at least been set to rights, complementing the bright green of her eyes, but she isn’t fooling anyone. She’s only playing docile.
I assess her once more and see her in a whole new light, the shrewdness of her gaze giving her away. She would take me for a fool and have me believe her innocent, but you can’t fake the level of mischievousness that practically emanates from her being. She thinks to outwit me, I’m sure of it.
The harder I glare, the more innocent her façade becomes, as if she’s some sort of chameleon attempting to hide how troublesome and hardheaded she so clearly is. My vision narrows as I squint at the bright red beacon of ginger hair on her head.
I am about to destroy you.
For the first time in probably a century, a true smile tugs at the corners of my lips. This will no doubt prove entertaining. She’ll no doubt reach out to her handler the moment she’s given enough room to do it, and when she does, we’ll know where to attack.
Chapter 7
BERNADETTE CRENSHAW
How many women can say they’ve hate-fucked Frank Stein?
I’m going to go with none since the man has never been photographed with any woman ever, and everyone from the ages fifteen to eighty wonders what the guy’s deal is, including me.
Only I’ve got every intention of finding out and then some.
I snort to myself as I make my way to the kitchen, my socked feet slipping silently over the marble floors, intent on grabbing a sandwich before I’m forced to do his bidding again—literally.
I haven’t made the last two days easy on any of them, hemming and hawing every chance I get to slow the process. Frank’s absence has helped that a lot, but it does make me highly curious.
The tabloids whine every single year, as they have since Frank Stein seemingly came out of nowhere, and before everyone knew it, he was a self-made billionaire and the world’s richest man. A highly respected philanthropist, Frank Stein, dedicates his billions to assisting the common man and settingup major funding for animals around the world, which makes it so hard to believe my current situation is working for the guy under extreme duress.
I reach the countertop and run a finger down it as I head toward the cabinet to snag Edgar some food while I’m at it. Mikael finally brought him to me last night, ordering that work would start in the morning. It’s now afternoon, and I am exhausted but feeling good.
