Page 4 of Blood and Beauty (Owned by The Don)

He was large, much larger than the men behind him. Large enough to take up the entire space of a doorway. His shoulders broad, his arms thick. His dark hair slicked back in a sophisticated sort of way, but still curled at the ends around his jawline.

Which was strong and precise. It looked like a jaw that was hard to break. Though I'm sure nobody in their right mind would ever attempt to break this man's jaw. Dark hairs dusted over it and for some stupid reason, my fingers itched to touch his short beard.

He leaned down to get a better look at me and I immediately wanted to cower away from him, but my instinct told me that was probably not a smart decision to make. His eyes were intense. So dark, but golden in their own way. Almost...amber.

Is this the devil? Does the devil dress in Armani and smell like sex and whiskey?

His scent and presence made me drunk with confusion and fear, yet I was still pulled to him. He was beautiful. In a dark and lethal sort of way.

His full lips moved as he spoke his next words, my eyes drifting towards his strong nose that seemed crooked the closer he got.

"Buenas noches, pequeña."Good evening, little one.

My mother may have raised me to be illiterate in my own culture, but my minor is in Spanish.

His voice is rich, the source of that chocolate sound I wanted to melt into earlier, the sound that roused me awake in the strangest way.

"Are you wondering why you're here in my office, pequeña? You may nod."

I held his eye contact a second longer than I wanted to, the color both confusing me and alluring me all at once. Slowly, but surely, I begin to nod.

His mouth twists into what seems like a ghost of a smile, a sinister one that vanished as soon as it showed. He drops my chin abruptly as he places his foot back on the ground, walking away from me and to my mother.

I keep my eyes down, wanting to shut them forever.This can't be happening. This can't be happening. What have you done now, Mom?

"It seems mommy dearest has been stealing from me,Esmeralda." He says my name as if he's trying it out for the first time, as if it fits his lips just right. I almost feel sick again.

My mother starts whining and flailing again, I can tell every one of us are annoyed by her attempts now. It only lasts a few seconds before the devil man wraps his hand in her hair and jerks her head back, the movement making the lead in my stomach sink deeper.

"I'm going to ungag you. You have one chance to be honest about what you've stolen. I'd choose your answer wisely."

He removes his hands from my mom's hair and slowly unties the gag and pulls it away from her mouth. Within seconds she's panicking and pushing out nonsense.

"I promise it wasn't much! I just needed some cash and some blow to get me by! Everyone at the club was using that stash! I swear I didn't do much wrong at all!"

I hear the cracking sound of his smack before I see it. Her cheek plants against the floor and for a second, her weary eyes meet mine.

He tips his chin at the men behind him, and they bend down to my mom, one gagging her again and the other pulling her head back, forcing her to look at the devil in the Armani suit before us.

"You've stolen almost three thousand dollars in both money and cocaine, Ms. May. I've been watching you since you stole your first bump."

Her eyes widen and I curse silently.

Stupid, greedy bitch. When will anything ever be enough?

He dusts off his dark blue suit jacket and stands, the fabric of his jacket hugging his arms as if it was stretching to be free of him.

I look down again and hear the click of his leather heels walk towards the direction of the antique, wooden desk. The squeak of his chair echoing as he takes a seat and folds his hands behind his head, leaning back as if he was on a vacation, not holding two women hostage.

Maybe this was a vacation for him.

"You do not need to worry, Ms. May. While your sticky fingers have been in my establishment, I've already thought of a way for you to repay me."

My head snaps up in his direction and he clicks his tongue at me, letting me know not to make any further movements.

"I have many whores that can do many jobs at my businesses, but it seems my maid for this house that I'm residing in has also dabbled in sticky theft as well."

His eyes light up and I immediately wonder where that maid is now.

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