Page 58 of Tainted Princess
“Not for all the money in the world, Lebowitz.” I reached into my bra and removed my phone, holding it up so Jerry could see.
“Now, let me tell you how this is going to go.” I stopped the video and darkened the screen. “You are going to continue the arrangement you had with Enzo, deducting fifteen percent from every payment for making me sit at this goddamn table and deal with your obnoxious ass. You are never going to attempt to renegotiate this deal again, do you understand? Because if you do, if you so much as cause one ounce of trouble for Enzo or his organization, this little video I just took, the one with you up to your eyebrows in Oxy or whatever while spilling your guts all over this table? That’s gonna wind up on your boss’s desk. It’s gonna make its way to the State Attorney’s office. And your wife’s inbox. And I’ll post it to your kids fuckin’ Instagram accounts. You think your wife will show up for the conjugal visits when your fat ass is rotting away in a prison? Because, Jerry, I gotta tell you, your hot little hooker is not going to make house calls to your new location as a resident of the state of Nevada. And I don’t think you’ll like being on the receiving end ofthatbutt stuff, you get me?”
I watched as Jerry fumed, the muscle in his cheek flexing with every clench of his jaw. Finally, he nodded tightly, and I exhaled. I hadn’t realized my chest was so tight, but while my mouth had talked a big game, I really hadn’t been certain how that would go until Jerry gave in.
Pushing out of the booth, Jerry stood, glaring down at me with contempt, his hatred rolling off of him in waves. His nostrils flared as he huffed, his chest inflating like a bellows, but he didn’t speak, turning instead to look at Enzo, who had stayed suspiciously quiet through everything.
“This isn’t fucking over, Argenti,” Jerry growled, then he turned and stalked away, disappearing into the milling bodies of the club.
I could feel Enzo staring at me, the heat of his gaze causing my heart to pound, but I refused to look back. If I turned, if I looked to him for approval for my actions, that would show weakness.
And I was not fucking weak.
Enzo shoved out of the booth, his huge frame dwarfing me where I sat, and I followed. Lexi had gone home and there was no reason for me to stay at the club, my first night out on the town having been a spectacular failure.
But when I went to move past Enzo, headed for the door, he caught my hand, the spark of our connection startling me as lightning danced along my skin.
“Come with me,” he grated, not waiting for me to respond before he tugged me along behind him. I watched Vinnie move to intercept us, but I shook my head, wanting to see where this was headed.
Enzo directed me across the club and down a back hall, finally stopping at a locked door. He entered a code and hauled us inside. I barely got to take in the couch and two desks indicating we were in some sort of office before Enzo spun, his massive hand encircling my throat like a collar as he slammed my back into the door behind me.
“What the he—”
My protest was cut off as Enzo crashed his mouth into mine, his other hand pressed flat against the wood beside my head as he kissed me relentlessly. It wasn’t tentative and it wasn’t a request. Enzo owned my mouth with every stroke of his lips over mine, and my blood thrummed in my veins, the frenzy of his kiss causing my entire body to react. His hand on my throat squeezed, the pressure just enough to remind me who was in control, as his tongue delved between my lips, exploring my mouth like he had every right to be there.
I raised my hands, placing them on his chest, feeling the heat of his skin through his shirt as his heart thrashed against his rib cage. I had intended to push him away, but the second my hands made contact Enzo moved, thrusting his hips forward, and I could feel his arousal through his pants as he pinned my lower body against the door while his free hand snaked down and palmed my ass, his fingers digging in hard enough to bruise, and fuck me if I didn’t love it.
No one had ever handled me like that; aggressively, even angrily, like they didn’t care if they broke me.
He kissed me like I was oxygen, and it was violent and dark and so completely Enzo.
As red-hot lust flooded my system, I trailed my hands up and over Enzo’s shoulders, dragging him closer, desperate to kiss and not justbekissed. I tilted my head, dragging my teeth across Enzo’s lower lip, earning a grunt from him as he moved his hand from my throat, fisting my hair and yanking my head back. He moved from my lips to the column of my neck, his hot, wet kisses causing a riot of sensation that I felt in my whole body. I moaned as liquid heat coiled in my lower belly, my body moving dangerously close to the edge of something I was not ready to examine.
The hand on my ass moved up, covering one breast, my peaked nipple tingling with every pass of his palm over my skimpy shirt. I gasped when Enzo pinched, his fingers unforgiving on my tender flesh. I opened my mouth, unsure if I was going to ask for more or ask him to stop, but whatever I would have said was interrupted by someone attempting to open the door I was pressed against.
Jerking his head up, Enzo slammed his palm against the door, holding it closed.
“Who is it?” he barked, his breath sawing in and out of his chest. I leaned my head back, closing my eyes, not wanting to see the hunger on my husband’s face.
This was not part of the deal. We had sworn to stay away from each other, to not get in each other’s business.
This was the exact opposite.
But that kiss. Holy fuck. I had never experienced a kiss like that. Fiery and possessive and violent.
That kiss encompassed everything I knew about Enzo, and that was dangerous.
The person on the other side of the door knocked, the sound jarring me out of my wayward thoughts.
“Enzo?” came a soft voice.
A woman’s voice.
“Fuck,” he groaned.
Well. That answered that question.
Not just any woman.Hiswoman. The woman he likely pressed up against doors before I was forced into his life.
