“You’ll see.”
Doe wasn’t like other women. She took less than ten minutes to get ready. Obviously, it was expected that a woman like her, who had lacked the necessary resources for the everyday grooming routine of a normal female, to not care about make-up and all the superficial crap that went with it. Of course, Karina had supplied everything Doe would ever need—and more—in order to pamper and paint herself into one of those artificial porcelain dolls. But Doe had yet to use it. It didn’t seem like something she cared for, and I liked that. I liked the fact that she didn’t have the need to hide behind a shitload of layers.
After breakfast, we walked outside, the yellow Renegade quad bike ready and waiting for us. Doe frowned when she glanced from the bike to me, confusion causing creases on her forehead.
I smiled then shrugged. “This is one huge-ass estate, and these babies are the best mode of transportation to get around.”
I knew she’d be nervous, so I grabbed her hand and led the way. Like the good girl she was, she let me guide her as she climbed on behind me. “Don’t let go,” I said over my shoulder.
She tightened her hold around my waist. “I don’t think I can even if I wanted to.”
The second I started the bike, she tightened her grip. It only took a few seconds of feeling the morning air against her skin and the wind blowing through her hair for her to relax. I wasn’t even halfway to the other side of the estate before she loosened her hold around me a little.
“This is amazing,” she shouted over the noise of the engine.
I smiled, making a mental note that once all this shit with Vadik was over, I was going to get her her own damn quad. His and hers. Good God, I was turning into a pussy-whipped dork.
We pulled up to the barn house, and Doe stared at the building as she stepped off the bike. “I didn’t even know this was here.”
“How could you? It’s hidden pretty well. No one besides the family knows it’s even here.”
She looked at me. “Why is it so well hidden?”
“You’ll see.”
I could sense she was nervous. And why wouldn’t she be? I was giving her nothing, not even the simplest hint of what we were about to do.
“Don’t be nervous,” I said as I unlocked the door and guided her inside.
“I’m not nervous.”
I cocked a brow. “Liar.”
Inside, it seemed like a simple barn house. Leather couches, a long dining table in the middle of the open-plan building, and of course, a bar. But the real story behind the supposed barn house? This was where we gathered with all our associates and allies, discussing business away from the main house where too many ears roamed the halls. This was the place where the most important decisions were made. The place where we didn’t have to hide our true colors.
I glanced at the seat at the head of the table. We hadn’t used the barn house since Dad died. It just didn’t feel right, and I wasn’t ready to sit in his seat, taking his place.
Suddenly, I missed my brother. I missed Dante being by my side, but I knew the best place for him right now was with his family. Again, it seemed like the selfish asshole in me decided to take a back seat.
“Why are we here, Antonio?”
Doe’s voice pulled me back, forcing me to shake the feeling of nostalgia as I took in the oaky scent of the building.
I turned to face her. “We’re here so you can learn.”
Nervously, she took her hair in her hand and pulled it down her left shoulder. “What am I going to learn?”
My gaze remained fixed on her, my face stone. “You’re going to learn how to kill.”
Chapter 8
Doe
Learn how to kill? I wasn’t a killer. Not even during my years as an imprisoned slave had I ever attempted to kill anyone. It just wasn’t something I thought I had in me. Taking someone’s life. Ending their existence in this world. Being the one to send their soul to heaven or hell. I’d witnessed countless killings and murders. I’d seen blood drain from people who had taken their last breath, but I never thought I’d be able to be the one to deal the deathblow.
Antonio stared down at me. “Don’t look so worried. This is something you need to do.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Why?”