Page 14 of Intrigue
I tilt the blade slightly, increasing pressure just enough to send panic racing through him. “You’ll pay Silvestri double what you stole. Fail me again, and I’ll deliver you to them alive, in pieces. Am I clear?”
He nods frantically, swallowing hard despite the steel at his throat. I release him with a push, watching as he collapses against the bricks, breathing heavily, trembling.
“Tie him upside down in the basement until I get back,” I tell my men. “Let’s see if gravity helps him rethink his decisions.”
As I step away, I know he won’t last long, not with the injuries he already has. Hanging upside down, the blood rushing to his head, will cause unbearable pressure, disorientation, and pain. By morning, he’ll be begging for death.
I leave the alley without another glance, stepping back into the narrow street. I turn at the sound of laughter, my jaw tightening as Selene strolls into the gallery with Cassian trailing behind her, both of them lost in a conversation. I hear her laughter even from a distance and feel my blood begin to boilat the thought of him making her laugh like that. Even though I know how to control my impulses, I’m awakened by a jealousy so unbecoming I’m startled by it, a feral heat clawing through my veins.
I clean the splatter of blood off my fists, each red smear a reminder of how quickly my restraint snapped earlier, and stride across the cobblestone path to the gallery doors. They swing open to welcome me and as I traipse through, I catch the whispers of fear from the people in here, their eyes darting, bodies shrinking. Selene sees me coming and rolls her eyes, looking between Cassian and me, like he can do anything about my wrath, like he can shield her from the storm I’m about to unleash.
Like he can face me.
I come to stand in front of her, towering, my shadow swallowing her whole. She runs her tongue over her bottom lip, the way I know she does when she’s thinking, a slow, deliberate tease that sends a jolt straight to my cock, before keeping her focus on me. Her eyes, usually storm-gray, are darker now, with a storm of anger and incredulity passing through them, but beneath it is something that begs to be broken.
“Why are you here?” Cassian asks, straightening his shoulders and back to give me a domineering look. But he’s standing at maybe 5’11 so there’s not much he can do, a twig against a goddamn oak. I’m not even bothered by him. He’s wiry, all limbs and barely any muscle but I find, in his eyes, a quiet fierceness that feels all too real, though it’s laughable next to my hunger. “You shouldn’t be in here, Mr. Vescovi.”
I give him a long hard look, my lips curling into a sneer. “Shooting me straight with disrespect in one brief statement has to be a new one, even for me. I’ll let that slide once. You won’t like what happens if you say it again.”
Cassian has the grace to actually look annoyed, his jaw ticking. “I’m going to have to ask you to leave. Right now, I’m being polite but it won’t matter in a few minutes if I have to drag you out of here. And believe me when I tell you, I will.”
I’ve been known to bring down better men with just a snap of my fingers but for Cassian, his words barely even register, a fly buzzing around a lion. “And I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that, Cassian. I’m sure your pretty little fiancée can tell you just what a beast I can be with just the right motivation. Tell him, won’t you, darling? Tell him how I’d ruin him without breaking a sweat.”
“Don’t you dare speak to her like that.”
The place hushes all at once, a collective intake of breath. I give the place a sweeping glance before breaking into a burning laughter. Against my better judgement, I’m actually learning to enjoy this conversation, the way it stokes the fire in my gut.
Selene touches Cassian’s arm lightly, and my eyes can’t help but linger there for a bit too long. “Cassian, don’t engage him. He’s not worth it.”
Cassian sighs. He steps back, but not because of me.
For her.
Interesting.
“You don’t know the woman you claim to love. If you did, you’d know she hates it when a man tries to be her knight in shining armor. Especially weak ones like you.” I suck in a breath and tsk at him, circling the couple with one hand hidden in the pockets of my pants, the other itching to grab her. “See, the problem with men like you, Cassian, is that you think puffing your chest gives you power. What makes you think strolling into this miserable gallery, the only thing you have worth taking, isn’t within my rights?”
“If you’re trying to scare me, Vescovi, it won’t work. I don’t know what twisted game you’re playing but leave Selene out of it. You—”
“Cassian,” Selene says softly, stopping him from continuing with just a hand placed delicately on his, her touch light but commanding. I feel another bout of jealousy erode my blood at the sight of how comfortable they seem to be around each other, a jagged shard of want twisting deeper, but I don’t act it out—yet. “It’s not worth it.”
“I can see that,” he mutters, eyes narrowing.
“It’s not a smart move, Cassian.” I’m armed. I have a dagger in the belt of my pants and a gun hidden behind me, the weight of them grounding me. I could kill him right here and now, paint the floor with his blood, and go home and not have to worry about him but that’d be too messy. And risky. And bloody too, though the thought of her watching, wide-eyed and trembling, makes my dick twitch. “I’m in a bind. Do I go easy on you by cutting off all of your sponsors and deals and leave you penniless or do I go hard and cut off all your limbs one at a time until you die a slow and painful death? Why don’t you help out here, darling? What do you think? Should I carve him up slowly or just take what’s mine?”
Selene jumps to the rescue just as someone behind me calls out Cassian’s name for a delivery he needs to check and sign, her timing impeccable.
“Go ahead,” she tells him in a whisper. “I’ll handle things here and then we can go have that nice dinner you were talking about. How does that sound?”
“Alright,” he agrees, looking at me, his eyes wary but impotent. “But be careful around him.”
“I will, he's always been more mouth than action towards me,” she promises, a lie so sweet it almost fools me.
“Ouch.” I plant a hand against my cheek in mockery, pinning them both with a flat look, my smirk sharp enough to cut. “Don’t make me look like the bad guy here. Come on, I’m just here to talk about your wedding. I’m still planning it, after all.”
Cassian scratches his chin as he moves away, throwing over his shoulder, “Yes, a fact I’m going to change pretty soon.”
“Don’t hold your breath, you fucking worm.”