Page 60 of His Deadly Lies

I pause at the base of the stairs.

This part of the basement is for show only, in case someone decides to spill the beans and our compound is raided.

Knowing Carter will follow, I head over to one of the panels on the wall, the button for the elevator hidden in a decorative swirl in the wooden molding.

I tap my nails against the wood, an erratic tattoo.

“Look,” I start slowly.

Carter stops behind me, and he’s close enough for the heat of him to seep into my bones.

“I have no fucking clue if I can trust you or not. My head tells me I’m better off putting a bullet between your eyes and calling it a day, even if my gut…tells a different story.” I pause beside the elevator. “But I’m warning you right now, Carter, that if something goes south and you sell this family out in any way, I will ensure that every Vittorio who can possibly take over your empire is wiped off the face of the earth. Got it?”

I’m too anxious to stick around and wait for his answer. I slam my finger into the button, and the doors slide seamlessly open in an instant. Once inside, I press my code in to reach the underground basement, and the doors start to close while Carter is only halfway inside.

I’d rather he not have full access to the house just yet with my code, no matter his proximity to me.

He stands at my side with his posture deceptively relaxed. “And where are we going?” His voice holds a hint of amusement now.

The walls of the elevator close in around us, too small, too cramped all of a sudden. Not to mention it’s fucking hot in here.

“The basement,” I repeat as though he’s dull. “Or were you too distracted to pay attention earlier?”

He reaches around me, slowly, and gestures toward the control panel. “You might have input your code, Princess, but you didn’t actually push the button for the right floor yet.” His arm brushes against my waist, and my insides go molten.

I suck in a breath, the air burning all the way to the bottom of my lungs. It seems like being pissed at him, threatening him, does nothing for the chemistry we’ve got. It’s too much for me to ignore for much longer. Especially when he’s too close to me. I don’t have any alcohol in my system now, no drugs. Only a small bit of coffee, and it’s not enough of an excuse to justify touching him.

I do it anyway.

Grabbing his arm to stop him, I say, “I’ll get it.” My voice breaks as I speak, and an instant later, I’m pinned to the elevator wall, spun around at the last second, and his hands are in my hair. Tilting my head up to face him.

He stares at me, searching my face. What is he looking for? “You drive me batshit crazy,” he growls.

My chest tightens. “Is that a problem?”

“Yeah. It’s starting to be a serious problem, Princess.” He steps between my legs. “I’m an old man, and I’m set in my ways. I’m used to doing what I want when I want it and trailing after you, sleeping in your godawful uncomfortable chair—”

“No one asked you to stay,” I put in.

Carter shakes his head. “Like I could leave you.”

It must be my imagination. He sounds insulted. By…that?

“I don’t understand what it is between us because you’re an entitled brat who thinks she’s designed to rule the world, and god dammit, but I’m starting to believe you’re right.”

“You’re not old.” I blurt it out, the thought circling in my head, and Carter’s smile holds a chill.

I lose my breath entirely when he slides his hands down my face, the sides of my neck, my arms, and finally down to my torso. He hoists me up, and I wrap my legs around his waist on instinct, angling to press my core against the hardness at his front.

Fuck.

He presses me against the wall of the elevator and slams his hand against the buttons to pause our descent. The elevator grinds to a halt, and then his palm is pressed down on my throat and squeezing, enough pressure to get me hot in places that have no business being hot. I swallow against him knowing he feels every minuscule move.

“This is a terrible idea,” he grinds out, his back teeth clenched. “You and me. It’s a fucking awful idea, especially with everything going on. I don’t know you. You don’t know me.”

I nod but say, “Right now, I don’t care.”

It’s the first time either one of us has spoken about this living, breathing beast between us.

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