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We were both panting, but I could tell by the gleam in her eyes that she was in her element, thrilled that she’d gotten the better of me.

She licked her lips and damn if I didn’t crave kissing them once again.

“I don’t think you want to do that, Genevieve.”

“Oh, yeah?” she barked and I was almost mesmerized by the determined look in her eyes. I’d known no woman like this one in my entire life.

That made me hunger for her that much more.

“Yes. And do you want to know why?”

“Sure. Humor me.” She twisted the blade and there was no doubt she’d pricked my skin.

“Because my men will come through that door and they won’t take kindly to seeing you attempting to kill me. From there, things will get very ugly. I don’t think you want that either.”

She acted as if she was debating the thought. After wiping her face, she jammed her hand under my throat, turning my head slightly. “But that won’t be until after I cut through your carotid artery. At that point, there will be nothing anyone can do to save your sorry ass. Let’s get something straight, Jago. The Morales Empire isn’t for sale.”

I’ll be damned if she didn’t nick me again before pulling away, scrambling until she was clearly out of my reach. I had no intention of going anywhere at this point.

She held up the knife, twisting it in the light. I was shocked as hell and also more turned on than ever when she licked the tip of the knife before bending over, jerking up the leg of her trousers, and driving the knife back into the sheath.

She’d outsmarted my men and me.

After adjusting her clothes, she ran her fingers through her long dark curls while flashing her eyes and a wide smile at me before heading to the door.

“Lovely not doing business with you. Thank you for the dinner offer, but I’d rather eat with poisonous snakes. They’re less venomous.”

This time, she walked out the door and I didn’t try to stop her.

When my two men rushed inside, all I could do was laugh.

She might have won this round, but the sexy woman with the body made for sin had no idea she’d awakened something that had long since been dormant. She’d met her match in business and in pleasure. In doing so, she’d not only made an enemy, but she’d ensured her fate.

Within a few days, the dark-haired beauty would learn her fate and her punishment for daring to defy me.

After that? She’d learn a valuable lesson on the art of possession.

CHAPTER 8

Jago

Baris Demirci was a businessman. He dressed as such, his suits of the designer variety. The watch on his wrist cost more than people in Spain made in a year. He had an air about him that reeked of money, but I knew he was only a two-bit henchman for the Turkish mafia, poised at all times to pull out his weapon of choice and end whatever life he deemed annoying.

That was something I’d tried to overlook, but no longer.

His boss, Hamza Bata, was a twisted fuck of a man who enjoyed abusing women. I knew that by reputation and the propaganda pictures offered up as a warning to anyone who crossed him.

I was angry that Baris had all but laughed at my offer to do business with his boss, much like the beautiful and sassy Genevieve. Only I could forgive her for her act of insolence, simply because in the back of my mind I knew I’d insulted her with the figure I’d offered.

With this prick, nothing was forgivable.

He’d made the mistake of not returning to his private jet, preferring to spend a couple of nights in Barcelona drinking our liquor and using our women. As I’d discovered with every man, they each had their weaknesses.

There was no denying that the touch and taste of a woman was a powerful draw, yet he’d been a fool to think I didn’t have control over dozens of operations.

Including the brothel he’d opted to visit prior to returning home to whatever cave he lived in.

With Kruz and two other men by my side, we headed into the facility. One carried a bag of instruments I often used in the kills I considered personal. I thought about Genevieve and the nicknames she’d used for me.