Page 21 of Blossom in Shadows

I’m met with the bewildered and surprised eyes of Patrick O’Brien. His eyes shift nervously between the two men who are looking at him with death in our eyes and he shrinks back.

His voice is full of false bravado, “What the fuck is the meaning of this? Who the hell are you?”

I chuckle and grip his neck with one hand and haul him closer to me. Fear is rolling off him, even as he struggles against my hold while trying to keep his face impassive. He might not look afraid on the outside, but it’s his eyes, always the eyes, which give him away.

“You touched what’s mine,” I grit out through my teeth after I get in his face.

Not like he has anywhere to go. He doesn’t. Even though Tazio is standing back and letting me take the lead, I know he’s right there and ready to step in if anything were to happen.

Patrick’s voice tips upward, “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Last night,” I seethe, “the woman you tried to buy? The one who you put your filthy hands on? The same one you called a whore?”

“Shit,” Tazio grunts under his breath, now understanding just how serious this situation is.

“The cage dancer? The one hanging from the ceiling and shaking her ass like a fucking cock tease?”

“She’s mine,” I growl in his face before rearing back and landing a solid punch to his cheek.

Patrick recoils and I let him go only for me to land another punch. I don’t stop. Now that I’ve started, I need to avenge my woman.

When he drops to the ground, I land kick after kick and punch after punch. I absorb every muffled scream, cry of agony and sound of breaking bones as I work him over.

I know he’s not worth it, but I won’t ever listen to reason when it comes to my Zinnia. It hasn’t been long, but I’m obsessed with her.

Each word is punctuated by a blow to some part of his body, “Don’t ever touch my woman again. If you do, I’ll kill you and then put your head on a fucking spike to be displayed on my lawn as a warning.”

Patrick looks up at me, his lip busted while a pained groan comes from his chest as he reaches for his side as if to hold himself together. Nothing will help him now. He should start praying his death is quick and painless.

He nods in understanding, but it’s not enough for me. Will it ever be enough?

I look over at Tazio to find him practically jumping up and down on the balls of his feet with an eager expression on his face. I throw my head back and laugh. I know what he wants and when I step back from Patrick, I wave my hand toward the man and give Tazio what he wants.

Tazio isn’t the tallest man in my organization, far from it, but the man makes up for his height with intimidation, ruthlessness, and bulk. He pulls a pair of brass knuckles out of his pocket and slips them on his hand. It’s his weapon of choice.

Normally I would pull my gun from my holster. I like my kills to be fast and elegant, but Tazio likes to play with his.

Tazio delivers some blows to Patrick’s torso, a fucking beast once he gets going. A few of his hits have me wincing in sympathy, even though Patrick doesn’t deserve even that much kindness.

“You fucked up when you touched Elio Agosti’s woman,” his voice sounds like there is gravel in his throat and I watch as Patrick’s eyes widen as the full understanding of what he did sinks in right before he passes out.

“Tazio,” my voice is a reminder we can’t kill the man.

Much to my disappointment.

We leave the beaten and unconscious bastard on the floor. With some of my need for violence curbed, Zinnia invades my thoughts.

It’s not as if she was ever all that far from my thoughts.

I send Tazio to deal with the debt and I head back to my office while snow falls on this winter day. I don’t regret what I’ve just done. The lesson Patrick was taught won’t be one he can mull over. His death will be coming soon enough.

That knowledge gives me comfort, but not as much as I would find in my woman’s arms. She better come back home soon.

CHAPTER 10

ZINNIA

Today has been a long day and it’s not over yet. I still can’t get over the way it felt to have Elio on his knees for me this morning, taking care of me, looking at me like I really am his queen. It’s stuck with me all day and I even found myself packing up some things when I went back to my place. I know he’s not going to forget about his edict that I move in with him.

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