She had guards on the door to keep her inside.
“You do know this is no different than living in yourcastle, right?”
“Castle?”
“Your country home. You’re keeping me here under lock and keyagain.”
“It’s for your protection.”
“Is it, really?” she asked, struggling to believe him.
“Noelle, I havea lot of enemies.”
She smiled. “I know.”
His jawhad a tic.
“You know, if you’re honest with me from time to time, I might be able to help.”
“There’s nothing you can help me with,” he said.
“You have a lot of enemies. I’ve got guards on the door. Something is going on.”
“Nothing is going on.”
“Ugh! Damn it, Evil. When are you going to wake up and realize that I know, okay? I know that you’re not agood guy. I know that not all of your businesses are legal. You think I don’t know about the drugs, or the fighting, or the whores? You think I don’t know about all the businesses you’ve got deals in?”
With each word she spoke, hegrew tenser.
She licked her lips and placed both of her hands on her neck, trying to work out the tension. It was hard to dobecause she felt so raw. “I didn’t come from a great background. I didn’t graduate from high school. I’m not some innocent person you need to protect. I know what’s going on. I know that you’re… I don’t even know what to call it. A mafia person? A crime lord? Your name instilled fear into a lot of people who said it. Long before you and I ever met, I knew of you, Evil.” She pointed at her face. “This doesn’t happen to men who are one hundred percent good guys. I get it. Someone was trying to hurt you.”
Evil kept onstaring at her without saying a word. She didn’t like the silence. It made her a little uneasy. Why wasn’t he talking?
“All I’m saying is that you can talk to me.”
Evil didn’t move. There was nothing but stillness and she waited, kind of scared to see what would happen next.
He took a step toward her, then another. She had to wonder if this was what made people so terrified. If so, then she needed to have her brain tested or something because all it was doing to her was making her highly aroused. What the fuck was wrong with her?
Evil walking toward her shouldn’t be arousing her.
This was insane. She was going fucking crazy.
Evil stopped in front of her. “My enemies know about you, Noelle. They know that you’re important to me. They know that I’ll go crazy if anything happens to you. Your life is in danger because of me, and I won’t have anything happen to you. Not again. I will protect you.”
“What kind of enemies?” she asked.
“For now, it is the mafia that I’m aware of. I’ve got people looking into just how much information they have on you. This was once the mafia’s turf, but I took it from them. It was easy—there was no strength here. Just a name that was whispered as if it should mean something. Trust me, it doesn’t. They’re going to try to weaken me. To take this city back, and I’m not going to let them, Noelle. I take care of what is mine, and you are mine.”
Shewanted to hold him, to tell him that she was sorry, but she couldn’t bring herself to say the words. Instead, she looked at him, and Evil stared right back at her.
“That’s why you will have constant guards. It’s why you’re locked in here, under my protection. You will stay alive.” He turned away from her and left.
Noelle licked her lips. She had wanted the truth, and nowthat she had it, she smiled. He trusted her enough to tell her some of the truth.
What kind of weirdo was she?
ChapterSix