“I’m not hungry.” Every horrible thing I’d wanted to say to him, to all of them, tripped against my tongue. I couldn’t do it. There was no doubt I’d face his wrath and at this point, I needed to garner a certain level of trust if I wanted to get away.
“Suit yourself for now, but you will eat dinner with us tonight.”
Even the way he issued the words meant he wouldn’t take no for an answer. I wouldn’t put it past him to tie me down and force feed me. I continued glaring at him, making no move toward the clothes. “I already told you. I’m not hungry.”
Sighing, he leaned against the doorjamb, acting as if he had all the time in the day. “We can continue playing this game for a very long time if that’s what you’d like, but at some point, you will tell us what we need to know.”
“No, I won’t.”
His laugh was heartier than before, the deep baritone sending a shower of skitters down from my neck to my legs. I felt dirty all over again. He’d been the first to strip away my veneer, able to sense at least one of my vulnerabilities. He’d tasted all of me and the way he was looking at me now was a clear indication of what he planned in the future.
He didn’t argue with me, but we both knew I couldn’t win the fight. When he walked closer, I backed away again until I finally hit the wall. And still he continued to move closer until the heat radiating from his body became even more suffocating than what I’d experienced in the shower. When he lifted his hand, curling his finger and reaching for my face, I darted my head as far to the right as possible, taking shallow breaths.
“Don’t touch me,” I hissed.
“I have every intention of touching you, Dahlia, just like I did before. I long to taste your sweet pussy and give you several orgasms before sliding my cock into your wet heat. You seem to forget that you and I have a history together, a beautiful memory that lingers in the forefront of my mind. Now, we’re creating more as a foursome. Doesn’t that excite you?” He managed to brush his knuckle across my cheek and even though I winced, he refused to stop.
Excite me. Yes. Yes! My heart raced as visions of the incredible moment pushed into the forefront of my mind. How had the three of them broken me down so easily? The sound of his voice was so sensual, the deep baritone sliding over me, the soft velvet creating prickles dancing down my throat.
My skin crawled, but not because I was repulsed by his touch. He excited me as he’d done before, the rich intensity of his aftershave creating flutters in my stomach. I fought to keep from reacting at all, but the nervous tic in the corner of my mouth likely gave me away. I could tell by his deep sigh that he was disappointed by my reaction.
Still, the bastard took his time gently rubbing my skin, moving his hand down, using the same finger to caress the pulse in my neck before trailing his fingernail down my arm. I used my other hand to tug on the towel again. It didn’t matter that he’d seen me naked before, I refused to allow that to happen again. To hell with him and his authority.
His breathing ragged, he lowered his head and pressed his lips across my temple, remaining in position for a full five seconds before pulling away.
Only when he’d returned to the doorway did I manage to take a deep breath. I sensed his disappointment I didn’t respond like some silly fawn.
“I’ve taken the liberty of providing you with several pieces of clothing. I hope they are to your liking. You’ll find a bag of cosmetics and other toiletries in the closet as well.”
When I didn’t acknowledge him in any way, he took a deep breath, then turned toward the hallway.
“And you will join us in two hours, Dahlia. I will send someone for you.”
I almost lurched forward, begging him not to close and lock the door, but when I heard the steel being engaged, I could do nothing but stand and shiver. The man was intent on breaking me because of the information I’d locked away.
He also intended on keeping me.
* * *
Alexander
I glared at my phone as it buzzed, moving away from the others to handle the call. My Capo’s call was long overdue. “About time, Steven. What the hell did you find?”
“You ain’t going to like it,” he said gruffly.
“I’ve run out of patience. Talk.”
“You were right. You got trouble brewing. Rocco Luciano is spouting off shit about taking over your empire. He’s finally seeking revenge for his father’s murder. That’s what I heard from two sources anyway. I did confirm he’d be in town from Chicago.”
Rocco Luciano. Son of Carmine Luciano, one of the men I’d assassinated for my father. While my father had assured me that the Luciano family would be decimated, and they had been, I’d known better. Rocco had been a classmate of sorts, running with an entirely different crowd. He’d been no threat to me then, the gangly kid nothing but a computer nerd. I’d paid him little mind after taking over my father’s organization, absorbing a good portion of the Luciano fortune as well. I should have learned that enemies never sleep, they just lie in wait.
“Has he made any moves?” I asked. What I knew about Rocco was that he took his time, just like he’d done when he took over Chicago. I’d considered his sudden move to another city cowardly. Then he’d gathered enough forces to take over almost half of Chicago. I had to give the scrawny nerd credit. He’d become a force to be reckoned with, but he would not take down my city.
“No. I made certain your father knew. He’s got round the clock security,” Steven said. “He’s just waiting to see what you’re going to do.”
Of course he was. My father always looked for an excuse to hold something over my head.
“Good. Am I to assume the situation involving my death remains a secret?”