Page 94 of The Mafia Assassin's Redemption-

“I’m taking you shopping, getting you an outfit, and then we’re going to indulge in some sex play.”

I back away. “We just did.”

He grins, and it’s a devious lift of his lips that makes my knees wobble. “No. That was foreplay. I want to punish you for today. Maybe reward you, too. See what agood brat you are, and if you’re a better sub. And I want to get some information. Kill two birds. What do you say? Up for an adventure?”

TWENTY-ONE

torin

I should just stay home,but I know I can’t.

My basement computer spat up Russian links to our dead John Doe, the guy who was surrounded by all that cocaine. And that was while it was also scouring the web for dirt on Bianco so I can kill him if need be. I really don’t care if it doesn’t make sense that he’d wait until now to try and hurt her. Who the fuck knows if someone pushed him, compromised him, or fed him some missing information.

The man’s my number one suspect.

I ignore the fact that apart from one meeting with the white-collar criminal, he’s kept his fingers out of mafia life and has made an absolute fortune.

Because I need someone to hurt, to punish, to destroy.

But I’ll take the Russians. I’ll see what’s going on at the club, if any of them are there. I know the tattoo symbols now. They’ll be easy to spot.

It’s somewhere to start, at the very least.

And it gives me an excuse to take her to the sex club I’ve wanted to try out with her.

If I can have a crowning jewel moment, I’ll take it erotic, soaked in kink.

Not the way she looks at me now, like I’m not hated, like I’m what she wants.

Like I’m her savior. Her other half.

I’m nothing like that. At all.

I place my hand on Harry’s lower back, ringing the buzzer on the door to the sex shop in the Bowery. There’s no sign announcing what it is. As we enter, the place looks like an art gallery and BDSM clothing shop smashed into one. I say hello to Madame Gaia, the owner, as we pass through.

Harry’s radiating curiosity.

And Gaia looks at her with delight. “Torin,” she says, “pretty little toy.”

“Hands off.”

She laughs and Harry scowls. My wife starts to say something, but I shut her down with a look.

There are rule books if you want to play properly, contracts to sign. I’ve never had any woman long enough to sign a contract. And I’m not into blood play, overt pain, or any of the more extreme levels of the game.

Not usually, anyway.

Shiv and I would play dangerously and viciously.

The comment from the guy I killed comes back and haunts my thoughts. Because I know I’ve missed something. There’s a puzzle piece I’m not seeing or haven’t found.

“…Quinn killed… you took it… Bianco… danger. The girl’s worthless?—”

It all has me spinning. He mentioned Quinn. It might only be a taunt about how Siobhan died.

Or maybe she had a thing with him. We’d play all kinds of games, and at that age, I was wild. Her fucking someone elsethen, without my permission, would have gone down in flames.

But now? I’m trying hard to care.