Page 36 of Boardwalk Kings

ChapterSixteen

AVA

At nine o’clock on the dot, Dante’s Ferragamo Oxfords clicked on the marble floor, all the way to the living room. He stood in the entryway dressed in an Italian suit, looking like a Roman god, his arm raised as he pushed up his jacket sleeve.

“I thought I said nine o’clock.” Dante tapped the face of the watch. “It’s one minute past, and you’re not ready.”

I glanced down at my clothes and frowned. “Do I not look ready?”

And here, I thought I looked sophisticated in a blazer, pencil skirt, and a pair of Jimmy Choo pumps I found in my new closet.

He lowered his arm to his side, shaking his head. “When I say nine o’clock, I expect you to be standing at the elevator and ready to leave. Understood?”

“Yeah, sure.” I grabbed my purse from the counter and tucked it under my arm. “Whatever you say, bossman.”

“Drop the attitude.” He steered me out of the apartment and down the hallway past the guards. “I’m not Nico or Stefan. You can’t spread your legs and get over on me.”

“Would you chill?” I groaned as we got into the elevator, the doors closing. “I’m on time. If you wanted me to stand by the elevator, you should have said so beforehand.”

He folded his arms over his chest, his broad shoulders looking so strong beneath his black suit. Dante always looked impeccable, like he ruled the world. “Nicodemus gave you specific instructions. But you chose not to follow them.”

“I’m not an idiot or a child. And you don’t need to speak to me like one.” As we descended the floors, I pushed off the wall and got in his face. “We have to learn to work together, or this will be a very rough partnership.”

He snickered, head turned away from me, but I could see him staring at me through the mirrored wall. “This isn’t a partnership. You are my employee.”

“Do you come to all of your employees’ residences to retrieve them for work?” I licked my lips on purpose, and as expected, his eyes drifted to my mouth. When he didn’t answer, I added, “Do you put them on your lap and threaten to spank them?”

His chest rose and fell an inch, just enough for me to see him breathing harder than before. He was good at maintaining his composure and hiding his emotions from the world. But I could see right through him.

As the oldest, he carried a lot of weight on his shoulders. He was used to being the leader, enforcing the rules for his brothers and employees to follow.

“You deserve a good spanking for being a brat,” he shot back, his top lip curled up. He looked like he was ready to attack me. “Unlike my other employees, you are indebted to my family. This isn’t an arrangement or a partnership. We own you. Now and forever until the day you leave this world.”

I pressed my chest to his, my breasts practically falling out of the low-cut top. His right hand twitched, and I felt his fingers brush the top of my thigh.

“One day, you’re going to lose control. And when you do, you’ll do it with me.”

He bent down, our lips almost touching. “I’m always in control. And I sure as fuck won’t be losing it with you.”

The elevator doors opened to the ground floor.

He grabbed my ass and pushed me into the hallway. “I’m not paying you to fuck my brothers. Time to work, good girl.”

I gasped at his comment. “I didn’t fuck your brothers.”

Dante rolled his eyes, hurrying down the long hallway toward the casino with a purpose. “Whenever I see you, one of them is naked or has their fingers in your pussy.” He snapped his head at me. “I’m never wrong. So don’t deny it.”

I beamed a sly smile at him. “Are you jealous?”

With his eyes on the casino floor, he scowled. “You should have more respect for yourself. It’s a real turnoff.”

“You have no right to speak to me like this. I’m not a whore.”

Dante shoved a hand through his black hair to push it off his forehead. His eyes narrowed as they landed on me. “Only a whore lets two men touch her while her father sits across the table.”

“What choice did I have?” I said in my defense. “Your brother cut my dress and then forced himself on me.”

“No, he didn’t. You didn’t even tell him to stop.” As we walked through the main casino area with dozens of table games, he said in a nasty tone, “And then you let the twins talk you into fucking them in the hot tub. That only got cut short because I put a stop to it.” Dante nodded at one of the security guards as we passed and went straight to the bank of elevators. “I know what I saw. Don’t fucking lie to me.”

---