He stepped away from her, and a muscle started ticking in his jaw when he saw her stunned expression. If she was going to pretend she didn’t know any Ray, he might just kill her. That or fuck the memory out of her, and then fuck her some more to make her forget any other man existed.
“Aren’t you going to answer me?”
Lane almost jumped back when she saw the fury that flashed in Angelo’s eyes. What was wrong?
“Well?”
“I’m sorry,” she stammered, his cold tone making her even more nervous, and the worse thing was, she didn’t even know what she had to be nervous about. She asked slowly, “Are you talking a-about my Ray—-”
“What did you say?”
This time, Lane did jump back. His dangerously soft tone made such a frightening sound she wished he had shouted instead. Swallowing, she shook her head, unsure of what he wanted to hear—-
“Did you say your Ray?” Angelo wanted to rip someone’s head off. He had once been dismissive of crimes of passion, thinking that anyone with genuine intellect couldn’t possibly be ruled by their emotions.
But now he knew it could happen...because it was happening to him this very moment.
My Ray? She had called him my Ray?
Violence threatened to erupt from him, and if that fucking Ray had been in the same room, the other man would have been dead.
Lane almost jumped again at the way Angelo’s gaze suddenly pinned her to the spot.
He said grimly, “Tell me who this Ray is.”
She shook her head.
“Tell me!”
“Not until you tell me why you’re so mad,” she cried out.
“You dare—-” Rage and disbelief had him at a loss for words. “Are you seriously asking me that? Why the hell else would I ask—-”
“I don’t know! I just don’t know, and all I know is that you’re acting weird—-”
“What did you expect?” he spat. “You called him your Ray—-”
“Because I wanted to be sure we’re talking about the same man—-”
“Of course we’re talking about the same fucking Ray,” Angelo snapped.
This time, Lane backed away until she was at the opposite side of the room. His inexplicable fury making her anxious and terrified for Ray, she tried to sound reasonable as she said, “Just tell me what you think he did first.”
“Why? Because you’re worried I’d kill him?”
“Yes!”
And so the truth was out, he thought grimly. She cared that much for Ray.
“W-what did you expect? That I wouldn’t care?”
“Yes.” He laughed humorlessly. “Stupid of me, isn’t it?”
“He’s my stepfather, Angelo. I can’t just—-” She trailed off, noticing the way Angelo suddenly stiffened.
“What,” he asked slowly, “did you say?”
Her lips tightened mutinously. Here they go again, another trick question to make her say something incriminating—-
“Did you just say he was your stepfather?”
She gazed at him warily. Was that the trick question? Was this just like his situation with the girl and he was about to tell her he had another skeleton in the closet, and it was a secret relative—-
“Answer me.”
“Yes!” She straightened, ready to verbally defend Ray.
“Dio.” Angelo looked at her like he wanted to strangle her. “Do you know the entire time I thought he was your lover?”
“What?” she gasped. “Why would you even—-”
“Because you keep talking about him, and when I asked you about him, you told me he wasn’t related to you by blood.”
“Well, of course he isn’t, he’s my stepfather, you idi—-” She stopped the moment she realized what she had almost said.
But it was too late.
“What did you say?”
The dreaded trick question, but thankfully she knew this time what she should never say. Inspiration struck, and she blurted out, “I said, it’s time for you to keep your promise.”
Silence.
She tried not to fidget. Had he changed his mind? Had he lost the mood to take her? Because she hadn’t. In fact, all this fighting had her panting, and now all she could think of was what other things they could do to make her pant.
She noticed Angelo slowly shaking his head and her anxiety rose. “What’s wrong?”
“You.”
Huh?
“You’re what’s wrong.” And he meant every word. Sheer relief mixed with unspent violence was a toxic combination, and it had his blood pumping hard while his adrenaline had shot up to the roof.
Ray was her stepfather.
Her stepfather, not her lover.
Which meant—-
She was his.
From the very start, she had been his.
He looked at her, and it was as if his violent passion had found another outlet of release. He was going to fuck her as hard as he could. His body would not allow anything less.
He offered her his hand. “Come.”
That one word vanquished all her worries in an instant, and the air inside the control room was suddenly heavy with sexual tension.
Angelo was looking at her in a way that could only be described as ravenous, and Lane couldn’t help gulping as she thought about what he was hungry for. It had her trembling and lightheaded, but still she managed to ask, “W-where are you taking me?”