Page 12 of Ashes

He is about to find out just how good I am at keeping my promises.

I put my car into reverse and headed out onto the quiet streets, my thoughts inundated with the opportunity presented to me.

My other meeting would have to wait.

I looked out the floor-to-ceiling windows, searching through the crowded club for what I came here for.

I leaned a hand over the one-way mirrored glass, brought the whiskey tumbler in my hand over to my lips, and took a long pull from my drink.

There she is.

Sienna Bruni hadn’t been too difficult to track. She rarely ever went out, and when she did, it was either for work or here at Fenice, which just so happened to be one of the many properties I owned.

Sitting with two of her friends in one of our reserved booths, she sipped from her glass of wine every once in a while, sporting a smile while the brunette next to her carried the conversation.

Nearing the end of her glass, she swiftly slid out of the black booth and made her way to the bar on her own.

She was wearing a black dress that softly hugged her curves, a drastic change from her usual blue scrubs. Her hair was pulled back from her round face into a ponytail, stranded curls escaping like she’d rushed while doing her hair.

Même à distance elle est magnifique.

But she didn’t stay alone for long. As soon as she reached the bar, a man in a three-piece cheap suit pounced on her, a leering expression on his face.

The sight lit a match in my blood and an unwanted feeling flared in my chest. I left my office and made my way downstairs, reaching inside my pocket.

I settled on a barstool not too far from her to watch, but not close enough for her to see me.

On. Off. On. Off.

I kept going, but the feel of the metal flicking open strangely wasn’t relieving the tension tightening my shoulders.

I couldn’t hear their interaction over the loud music, but by the annoyed expression on her face, she was clearly not interested. She fended him off and turned her attention away from him to gesture for the bartender to place her order. But the unwanted man didn’t seem to get the message.

Instead, the creep moved his body closer, this time placing a hand on her lower back. I was halfway out of myseat when she whipped around, grabbed his hand, and discreetly twisted it behind his back.

She pulled him closer and forced him to bend down to hear what she had to say. Although I didn’t know exactly what she was saying to him, the look on his face told me everything I needed to know.

He finally got the message and quickly left, his bruised ego following sloppily behind.

The bartender refilled her glass and set our signature beer and an espresso martini on the counter with a napkin. I kept watching her in awe as she made her way back to her table and handed her friends their orders.

On. off.

I flicked my lighter’s lid shut, then pocketed it.

I only realized I was still watching her when our gazes clashed. She shifted in her seat, crossing her left leg over her right.

A myriad of images of ways I could make her bend to my will flashed in my mind, but I pushed them aside, knowing the opportunity would rise again very soon.

She briefly turned her attention back to her friends and I took the opportunity to slide out of my seat and leave.

I would see her again soon enough.

CHAPTER 3

SIENNA

I felt sick.