An image of Adelina came into my mind. “I have hobbies, Con. Maybe you should look into getting a few.”
He chuckled into the phone, sounding like a robot. It wasn’t genuine at all. A little terrifying, actually. “All my hobbies are about money—and power.”
“I have all the money and power I need.”
“Is that so?” he asked. “Then you wouldn’t have a problem stepping down and leaving all the business to us, right?”
It was exactly what I feared. I didn’t let the silence stretch on for long. “I think there’s too much business for one person. Your eyes are too big for your stomach, Con. If you eat too much, you’re gonna get sick.”
He chuckled at my analogy. “You were always good with words, Cane. But I was always good with actions.”
Before he could issue some kind of threat, I took control of the conversation. “It would be easy for both of us to overrun the market. Bones did a great job running his business, but even his influence only reached so far. You always need another set of eyes watching your back. You can watch mine, and I can watch yours.”
Constantine chuckled. “You want to do business together.”
“Not together,” I said. “But if I can’t take on a client, I’ll refer him to you. If I know of anyone else who’s dealing, we can take them down together. I understand your confidence, but you’re coming into a brand-new business. I’m the veteran here. You’re just a rookie.”
Silence.
Maybe I’d said too much. “We coexist peacefully. I just killed Bones. I would hate to kill anyone else…” Issuing threats needed to be avoided at all costs, but if I didn’t show strength, he might doubt my power. It was best to remind him that I was a formidable enemy even if he thought he had a greater advantage. Crow was ready to fold the second things got difficult, but I didn’t want to take that route. This business was all I had. I could retire and spend the rest of my life drinking wine. But I needed something to get me out of bed every morning. I wouldn’t have a wife, so I needed something else.
“I would hate to kill someone too, Cane,” Constantine finally said. “Especially someone I actually like…”
7
Crow
I sat at my desk at the winery, but my mind wasn’t on orders, reports, or clients. Button had just gone into the fields in a white blouse. She picked a few grapes and checked the line as she ran her fingers through her hair, looking like a vision under the sunlight. A small amount of sweat collected around her neck, and I wanted to lick it away.
I could stare at her all day.
She’d walked back into the warehouse where the barrels of wine were stored fifteen minutes ago, but I hadn’t stopped thinking about her. Adelina was with her, probably talking about wine or Cane.
I eventually abandoned what I was doing and walked to the warehouse just outside the main office. I walked down the cobblestone path and stepped inside the shadow cast by the building. Button was opening a box full of brand-new wine while Adelina was washing dishes on the other side of the room.
I walked up to Button, and it took her a few seconds before she realized I was there. The indifferent look in her gaze immediately faded away, hardening into an affectionate look mixed with a hint of excitement. She set down the bottle she was examining and gave me her full focus. “Hey.”
I rested my arm against the bar and gently crowded her, looking down at her as property rather than a person. I had a distinct reaction to my wife that no one else ever received. It wasn’t the kisses or the embraces. It was the harsh way I stared at her, the way I took her space without asking for permission. I said more words to Lars and Cane on a daily basis, but I communicated with her far more. Right now, my intentions were abundantly clear. I wasn’t in the mood to talk because I’d never been a conversationalist. I wanted her legs spread, her wet pussy full of my enormous length. I wanted her to bite her bottom lip so she would stay quiet until I was finished. Call me old-fashioned, but that’s what I’d come to expect from my wife. I worked and provided for her—her job was to fuck me.
“What?” She set the bottle on the counter and met my intense gaze.
All I did was nod to the office.
“That’s it?” she asked. “I don’t get a single word out of you?”
I narrowed my eyes in hostility then walked away. I should have just called her, but that would have required me to say words. I would have texted her, but even that was too much work. I’d rather just stare at her and tell her what I wanted.