Page 86 of Angelic Vengeance

“I apologize, but she’s only bartending tonight.” The girl smiled apologetically. I nodded and she left without another word.

As I left my table and walked towards the bar, Maria’s eyes found mine. She froze for a fraction of a moment but looked away before her eyes had the chance to bore into mine. She whispered something to her co-worker, dropped her hand towel and walked away.

She just ended her shift.

This girl…

I smoothly pulled out of Renato’s underground parking garage. Rain splattered against my black G-wagon as I got onto Main Street and lowered the passenger window. Maria’s eyes flickered to the side, but she pretended not to notice my car slowing down.

“Get in the car.” My tone was firmer than usual.

She threw me a sarcastic look. “Yeah… No.”

“Get in the car,Maria.” My voice carried her name with insinuation.

I had spent the past two years obsessing over how she almost took my life. But didn’t. Why did she let me live? I needed to know.

I had spent the past two years planning my revenge against the one person who almost succeeded in killing me.

And she couldn’t give less of a shit.

I saw it on her face, she didn’t remember me.

She thought I was just another guy who wanted to fuck her. She wasn’t necessarily wrong – I just wanted to fuck herover.

She suddenly stopped in her tracks and I mentally slapped myself. She never told me her name.Fuck.I didn’t need her getting suspicious now.

She turned to me with a mischievously sweet smile. “Say please,Zachary.”

I didn’t try to stop the smirk upturning my lips. Turns out my little assassin was asking about me as well… What else did she think about me?

“Get in the car or I’ll spank you until I brand my handprint on your ass.”

I chuckled when her smile fell – she actually looked terrified; nothing like the apathetic reaction to the death threats from last night. My face sobered when I added, “Please.” I needed her to get in, not run for the hills.

When she didn’t move, I tried again. “Francesca told me you were working late. She strongly suggested I give you a ride home cause of the storm.” That was… partly true.

The conflict in her head, as she tried picking between me and the storm, was somewhat amusing. The windwhipped against her jacket, and I couldn’t believe my eyes when she actually got in.

Pretending I wasn’t surprised, I nonchalantly drove off, rolled the window up, and turned the heat on high when a small shiver rolled through her. I tried to shake it off, but the tension thickened as the only sound between us was the heater.

Clenching my jaw, I sneaked a peek at her.Of course. No reaction.

What was wrong with me? I gritted my teeth. “Seatbelt.”

To my surprise, she complied without hesitation before making herself more comfortable. A weird feeling burned in my chest at the sight of her – so relaxed – inmycar. Aroundme.

The heavy drops of rain smashed against the windshield, blurring the blinding lights of Manhattan. As I focused back on the road, a smirk on my lips, I felt the heat of her gaze on my face.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“What?”

I didn’t take her for a sex-shy girl but I guess I didn’t know her at all. She short-circuited when I made the spanking comment earlier, but she didn’t blush. I’d never seen this woman react before, but if talking about fucking got more of a reaction than talking about murder…

Then I had no other option but to do what needed to be done to get the reaction I needed in order to understand her mind.