Page 19 of Blood Ties

As my blood boiled, my hands curled into fists at my side.

“So that’s it? The two of you get to make my decisions for me?” I was referring to both of them now and the fact that Alessio had made the decision for me regarding whether or not I wanted to explore the combustible nature of our coupling.

“Nivea. This is serious business. This isn’t the time to throw a tantrum about your freedoms or lack of,” my dad snipped. I hated this side of him. The cold and ruthless business side.

“A tantrum?” I gasped in outrage. My mouth opened to spew out my rage, but I snapped it shut. Then I picked up the glass and emptied it in two swallows before I forcefully replaced it with a thunk. I turned on my heel and stormed for the bedrooms Alessio had described. Not caring which one I got, I entered the first door and slammed it behind me.

“Of all the bossy asshole moves,” I began my grumbling tirade as I paced. Then I snatched a pillow from the bed and smashed it to my face so I could scream into it.

Feeling marginally better, my shoulders slumped and I crawled onto the bed and ended up drifting off to sleep, plotting the demise of the two controlling bastards in the other room.

Despite my anger, I hoped Alessio would come to my room after my dad went to bed. When he didn’t, a little crack started in the corner of my heart, and I knew I’d been an idiot.

There was no way he fucked me because he was truly attracted to me. Had I thrown myself at him? I ran over everything that had happened, but so much of what happened before his mouth was on me was a blur.

However, I knew I hadn’t imagined the feel of him inside me. Nor had I imagined how he’d ensured my pleasure before his own.

Now if I could forget it, that would be great.

“Vitamin R (Leading Us Along)”—Chevelle

“If you take the stepmom out, there’s no guarantee the others that she hired won’t still finish the job,” I told Matthew, though I was pretty sure he already knew that.

“I have no doubt. Which is why I intend to find each and every one of them first.”

“You know there’s a reason those kinds of deals run through the dark web. Anonymity is a necessary safety precaution,” I hedged.

He gave me a cold smile that sent chills down even my own hardened shell.

“You won’t be able to find out information like that,” I tried again.

“Don’t underestimate me and my resources,” he smoothly replied.

I huffed a drawn-out breath, then ran a hand through my hair. Then I lifted my drink to take a much-needed swallow.

“When did you start fucking my daughter?”

I choked on the smooth whiskey and covered my mouth as I turned my head away and coughed up what I’d damn near inhaled.

“What?” I croaked.

He leaned his elbows on the bar as he held my gaze. “I’m not an idiot and I haven’t stayed alive as long as I have by being unobservant. Did you put your dick in her before or after you decided not to kill her?”

“Jesus. Who the fuckareyou?” I didn’t get rattled easily, but this motherfucker shook me to my damn core.

“Answer the question and I’ll answer yours.”

Staring into his icy gaze, I clenched my jaw as I debated how exactly to reply. Deep down I knew this wasn’t the guy to bullshit. Finally, I bit out my answer. “Tonight was the first time.AfterI protected her.”

Like a human lie detector, he searched my gaze for an insanely intense moment. Then he lifted his chin slightly. “I’m mostly retired, but I worked for years as a… paid mercenary.”

“You mean an assassin,” I drily corrected.

His grin didn’t reach his eyes. “Takes one to know one, right?”

“Fuck,” I muttered. My brain was rapidly running through my thoughts, clicking on some, discarding others. “Does she know?”

He shrugged. “About you? Obviously not. Me? She has a pretty good idea idea. I sheltered her and her mother from most of it, but there came a time when out of… necessity… they needed to know certain things. I’ve taught her to be careful and we have protocols in place for a reason. I was afraid living here on her own would make her complacent. I also worried that bitch her biological father married would be an issue—just not to this extent.”

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