Page 49 of Violent Little Thing
ADONIS
I wait until takeoff to walk out of the bedroom at the back of the plane and take the seat facing Samuel.
The woman cuddled up beside him, giving him fake affection, doesn’t notice me until Samuel’s jaw goes slack and her lips have nowhere to land.
Then her bucked eyes rove over me, pulling my lips into a smirk.
Damn. The unmistakable fear tensing their expressions unlocks a dormant, primal part of me.
It starts with a quickening in my chest and an involuntary flexing of my fingers as I slant my head to get a better look at them.
“You’re a hard man to track down, Sammy. You know that?”
He stiffens at the nickname while the wide-eyed brown skin woman beside him straightens in her seat.
I shift my attention to her .
“Go to the back for me. Sammy and I need to discuss something I’m sure he doesn’t want you to hear.”
Scrambling, Samuel Kirk fixes his sagging posture and nods like it was his idea. “Yeah, baby, go in the bedroom and get ready for me.” He ogles her with a twisted smile meant to encourage her, but her gaze falters on mine as her steps stutter.
All I do is nod and she’s retreating again.
One interaction and I already have his woman looking at me for instructions. The sense of satisfaction I feel doesn’t get a chance to fully form before my demeanor turns stony.
Speaking over Samuel’s stutters, I finger my collar and lean forward. “Not showing up at the charity gala was smart but damn it would have been a lot easier to kill you in that mansion.”
“A-uh-d-donis,” he trips over my name until I reach in my jacket and pull out my beloved Beretta.
“You saw what I did to your friends, and you kept your distance. Smart.” I snicker, cocking the hammer. “But then you thought it would be a good idea to book a flight on one of my planes.”
“I-”
“I’m not done,” I interject. “Out of all the people I’ve killed, you deserve it the most.”
Unlike the others, I could only watch his video with Delilah once. But the second Marcellus disappeared, and Samuel decided to drag her over the carpet like a rag doll, I knew I was going to have fun killing him.
Now disappointment riddles my mind because I can’t do it. Not yet.
“I was gonna use you as target practice, Sammy. Empty every round I had in my clip and leave you sitting here to rot. But it’d be a shame to fuck up one of my planes just to teach you a lesson.”
Relief washes over his face and the sight makes me smile.
“More than that, you’re no good to me dead.”
Another flood of relief replaces his panicked expression.
“But trust me, by the time I finish with you, you’ll be begging for an exit. Any way out.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that as a sitting member of the board of The Lost Rose, you just became my bitch, Sammy.
” My smile is sincere as I watch my words sink in.
“I don’t give a fuck what you have to do, but your first order of business is making sure no harm comes to my parents because of the marriage I just called off?—”
“But…”
“Same goes for the Dupree family. Nothing happens to them.” Chiara could spin whatever story she wanted about me cheating and leaving her jilted. As long as it doesn’t end in my family or hers getting fucked because I fell in love, I don’t give a fuck. I want to love Delilah in peace.
He doesn’t waste another protest on me, but stares at me with watering eyes.
“After that, you’re going to pull rank and make sure no harm comes to Delilah.
Ever again,” I tack on at the end. “That means if her brother offers her up for another auction or tries to sacrifice her to satisfy a debt, you won’t even entertain it.
Because that woman is untouchable, and the second you fuck up and show me she isn’t, I’ll mail your son one of your hands and a video of what you did to her when you thought nobody was looking. ”
His eyes bulge .
“I c-can’t do that. They won’t listen to me. These things go to a vote.”
“You said I should kill you?” I feign confusion and lift my gun to his brow until his stammering fills the air.
“I can do it. I can do it! Whatever you want, just let me live.”
Contempt curls my lip, but I lower my gun, willing for once in my life to play the long game.
Because I still plan on killing Samuel. There’s just no fun in telling him that.
But the second I have exactly what I want from him, I’ll drag him through Hell and make what he did to Delilah look like a walk in the park.
Sitting back, I slot my gun back in my torso holster and cover it with my jacket. Then I rest my ankle across my knee and give him a smile.
“Now, if it’s okay with you, this plane won’t be landing in Miami.” I check my watch. “I need to get home and take my baby to dinner. She got her GED today.”
I cock my head, reading the unease on his face.
“Something she probably wouldn’t have been able to do if she married you.”
Unsteady fingertips swipe the sweat around his melting hairline. Holding back a laugh, I pose a question.
“Steak or Italian?”
“W-what?”
“Steak or Italian? She’s a little picky, so I was thinking of playing it safe with a steakhouse, but Alonzo was telling me about a new Italian spot he tried. What do you think?”
Bewilderment balloons his already cartoonish disposition. “I—steak is good,” he gets out.
“Yeah, I thought so too.”
I ignore him for the rest of the turnaround flight back to Wildwood and take my phone out of my pocket, making sure I’m connected to the WiFi so I can send a message.
Me: Get dressed, baby. I’m on my way home and I’m taking you to dinner
Delilah: ?
Delilah: I thought you were on a business trip
Me: Was. It’s over. I’m headed back to Wildwood
Delilah: But you just left
Me: Get dressed, menace. Victor will drive you to the restaurant to meet me when you’re ready
Delilah: *gif with narrowed eyes*
Me: Squint your ass to the closet and put something on
Delilah: Stop telling me what to do
Me: I love you
Delilah: I see it wasn’t a command
A smile is still on my face when we touch down at the private regional airport and Sammy exhales a ragged sigh. I look up to see the sweat streaking his face and grimace.
Standing, I button my suit jacket. “I’m glad we had this talk, Sammy.” I use the back of my hand to pat his shoulder. “Don’t forget what I said.”
Then I walk to the front of the plane, toward the flight attendant who never got a chance to leave her seat during the flight. She has the jet door open, and steps deployed, waiting for me.
“Always a pleasure, Mr. Samson.”
I give her a nod as I exit the plane and straight to the car waiting for me.
My shoulders drop, my jaw loosens and the furrow in my brow gets replaced by smile lines around my mouth as I reread my messages. I can’t wait to see Delilah.