Page 84 of A Madness of Crows

I tilt my head in Matteo’s direction, dubious. “She looks as if one good fuck would break her in half.”

Matteo hums, his hand tightening. She doesn’t flinch. “She’s stronger than she looks.”

I let the doubt cloud my expression as I look her up and down. Amie doesn’t meet my eyes, facing the floor, but I catch the trembling of her fingers before she tucks them into her black dress.

And I smile. “Well. That sounds like a challenge to me. Perhaps I was wrong, Corvo. Remind me to let you know in a few hours.”

She doesn’t respond, but Matteo howls. He thrusts her towards me, and she bounces off my chest as I stand. I don’t catch her, letting her stumble back. “Try not to break her permanently, Morelli. She does have her uses.”

I step closer, ignoring Matteo as I breathe into her ear. My fingers tangle with hers, gripping them. “Lead the way then, sweetheart.”

She shrinks back from me, but my hand slides around her waist. “Run if you like. I don’t mind a chase.”

I glance at Matteo, but he only waves us away. “Enjoy yourself.”

I don’t look over my shoulder as she leads me through the crowd, although I can feel Dom’s stare burning into my back. His anger prickles at my neck, but I only pause to grab a fresh bottle of champagne and two glasses before I gesture towards the door. “Hurry up.”

Amie’s mouth is a thin line as we leave the room. We walk down the hall in silence, and I keep my eyes on her, swaying and letting out a hiccup as we pass the men on duty.

She pauses at the bottom of the stairs, her eyes on the floor as she addresses the men standing there. “Matteo’s orders.”

The leers in their stare as they let her through turn to amusement when I wink at them. “Twenty says that you hear her screaming my name in the next thirty minutes, boys.”

Their laughter trails after us.

Her back is rigid as she leads me up those stairs. She’s not paying any attention to me as we leave the soldiers behind, and I shift my focus from her completely when we reach the upstairs hall.

It’s almost silent, the only muffled noise coming from the party downstairs. I glance down the carpeted space ahead of us, taking in the closed doors.

Amie hovers next to the door closest to us, her arms wrapped around herself. But her eyes watch me, wary.

My smile reappears, my eyes narrowing as I wave a hand. “After you.”

The guest room is neat and bland, shades of cream and not much else aside from a bed and a sideboard. I glance around, surreptitiously searching for any hint that we’re being watched as I stroll to the sideboard and set the glasses down, pouring two glasses.

Her voice is surprisingly steady. “Get on with it, then.”

I raise an eyebrow at the taut words as I turn. She’s already reaching for the back of her dress, and that hollow expression on her face tells me everything about her recent experiences.

She flinches when my hand covers hers, stopping her from dragging her zip down. I drag my finger over her bare shoulder. “I like a little conversation first.”

Amie slowly takes the glass when I nudge it into her hand and gesture to the edge of the bed. “Take a seat. Relax.”

I grab my own glass before I sit beside her, watching out of the corner of my eye as she sips it first, before downing the glass. “How have you been?”

Her shoulders hunch. “Fine.”

Shifting closer, I brush against her shoulder again, pushing her blonde hair back. She flinches when I breathe into her ear. “Cameras? I don’t like an audience.”

But she shakes her head, stiffening. “Not up here.”

Slowly, I pull back from her. “Then you won’t get in trouble if we have a little chat. Before the fun begins.”

She glances over her shoulder at the bed, her face drawn. “What do you want to talk about?”

I rise, refilling her glass. “That depends. Can you keep a secret, Amie?”

Careful.