Page 3 of Deceptive Desires

RFM

My initials. Roman Francis Montclair.

Carved into his ribs.

It’s my signature.

Most think it’s to feed my vicious nature, but it’s really a tagging method. I interrogate far too many men to keep track of them, so I tag them with my initials.

If I catch one and they have my initials on them, I look at how healed it is and what size it is. The bigger the carving, the more severe their crime. And if it’s still healing, that means their offense was recent.

It determines how I handle them next.

It’s an effective method.

Now this next part, that’s to feed my vicious side.

I run the knife off on the lemon, trying to get rid of the red liquid. Dried blood is a bitch to clean.

Then, I press the lemon half into his side and squeeze, letting the acidic juice burn him.

I revel in his cries, as a smile forms on my face.

This was a good one. He didn’t even piss himself.

“You’ll be staying the night here, just like this. And tomorrow, one of my men will let you out.”

I use the other half of the lemon to clean my hands and cut through the smell of blood. The lemon does a good job of hiding the stench.

As I head out, I relive the moment.

This is where I thrive. My brothers don’t do the grunt work, so I do. And I love it. I love the thrill of the confession. I love getting it out of them. The games we play. The way I get them to sing. The crunch of bone, the sounds of begging, the smell of blood. It fuels me.

I do it all for the Syndicate.

It’s the criminal organization my family runs. My dad passed it down to Dominic, my eldest brother, when he retired. Dom’s the head. The cold, ruthless bastard runs it with an iron fist. Our second brother, Matthias, runs the legal operations,Syndicate Enterprise. It’s our cover. When people look up Montclair, SE comes up. It’s one of the biggest security and defense companies in the nation. Our youngest brother, Sebastian, is a computer genius. Bash works on both sides of the operation. Helping create things for Syndicate Enterprise and using his skills in more nefarious ways for the Syndicate.

And that leaves me. I’m the enforcer for the Syndicate. I have a crew under me, but I like to get my hands dirty too. I lead by example. The streets are my home.

Which leads me here. To this Russian fuck who was inourterritory, solicitingourcustomers, outsideourclubs. Which isn’t fucking allowed.

I know they’re up to something. But after thesituationwith Matthias’s fiancée, Margot, we’re trying to keep our alliance intact. Dom wants me to keep an eye out under the radar and not provoke the Bratva. But I know those fuckers are up to something. I’m going to get to the bottom of it.

And if it’s anything like tonight, I might just do it with a smile on my face.

Chapter 1

Cecilia

A melodic tune wakes me from my dreams. I crack my eyes and am greeted by the rising sun. I turn off my five thirty alarm and sit up in bed.

This is going to be the best day ever.I tell myself, as I do every morning.

Every day has the possibility of being the best day ever, it’s up to me to make it happen. I want every day to be even better than the previous. That’s how you have a happy life. Seek out good, and good will seek you out. Mamá taught me that.

I throw on a pair of soft leggings and a sports bra then throw my long brown waves into a messy bun. I grab my yoga mat and lay it down by the window in the living room.

I sit in the classic Sukhasana pose, cross-legged with my hands resting open on my knees. I close my eyes and focus on my breathing. I deliberate on today’s affirmations and land on,I am open to what the world gives me. Whatever is thrown in my path today, I will handle with grace and kindness.