Femme Fatale (Pericolo #1)

“Okay,” he utters, caving to my will quickly.

I seductively waltz back over to the bed, playing with the silk tie as I do so. He rubs his hands together gleefully, and I just can’t withhold the smirk from tearing across my face. This is going to be all too easy.

“Lie back,” I instruct him, and he listens as I step beside the bed. “Hands up,” I order sternly, my voice remaining fierce, and I lick my lips with the mounting levels of anticipation. I love how he listens, willing to please only me with this submission to my will. I loop the tie around him, pulling the material as taut as possible around his wrists. I thread the cloth in the headboard of Jimmy’s bed, pulling tighter and tighter, before I tie the loose ends together.

“Is that tight enough?” I ask, drawing a line down his bare arm with my index finger.

He struggles against his bindings in response and looks at me. “You’ve either had practice at this or I think you’re good at tying knots.”

“It’s not all I’m good at,” I pronounce with a wink and leave his side to grab his drink. I make haste to go back to him and start the real party. “Drink up,” I lightly command and place the flute to his lips. He guzzles the drink down, allowing me to tilt the glass until it’s completely empty with only a champagne covered strawberry left in the bottom. I place the glass down on the bedside table and lean over Jimmy’s body a little more. I ignore him for a moment as I grab my drink and leisurely sip. I sit back beside him and look down at him. I can see the stronger dosage Giovanni’s mixed has a rapid response on the body now.

“How do you feel?” I ask him as he starts to do the all-knowing head shake to clear the fog that’s quickly descended upon him. “Do you feel woozy? Feel like you’ve lost all control?” I run my hand down his chest, digging my nails in a little as I do. “Do you feel that tightness in your chest as your body heat begins to rapidly increase?” I lean in, his eyes bulging, the whites slowing turning red. “Do you feel the poison taking over?”

Jimmy just begins to make struggled gargling noises at me.

“Now you know how Zane felt,” I grunt, my jaw locking tight with my ever-growing agitation. “This is how he felt when you shot him in cold blood and left him there dying, thinking you were doing me a service. I am doing the same as you did to him. I am making you suffer.” I grab onto Jimmy’s thinning hair, forcing him to look at me in his last struggling minutes. “Shame you won’t survive this to remember that you never mess with an Abbiati.”

I release him roughly and take a stand. I watch as the blood draws along his lashes like an onslaught of tears. The crimson drags down his face as he looks at me with a sense of pure helplessness. All I do, as he fights and strains for the ability to stretch out to grab me, is step back. This is Femme Fatale revenge in all its glory.

Two down, two to go. Papà will be pleased.

As I inwardly celebrate, the doorbell rings and my inner monologue freezes. Perfect, my second victim of the day has arrived.

I hurry myself to make it downstairs and open the door only to lean against the frame and look at Marius. His eyes widen, clearly shocked at the sight of me in nothing in lingerie and designer heels on his best friend’s doorstep.

“Nice of you to make it,” I state, keeping my voice lustful.

Marius has always been a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine. At thirty-three, he’s completely ripped, tanned, tattooed, and every woman’s dream. He is, for all intents and purposes, sex on legs. He likes to come and hang out with Giovanni from time to time, and always, without a doubt, will attempt to hit on me. His shameless flirtatious way hasn’t granted him a way into my panties in this lifetime, and he’s about to see that he never stood a chance with me.

“I always wondered when I’d get this sort of morning call,” he speaks as he steps into the house. His voice is deep, a husky baritone that could make any woman weak. “I just never thought you’d want a threesome with old man Jimmy, mind you.”

“Full of surprises, me,” I remark, smirking as I do so. “I’ve seen how you men work beside my father. It’s admirable. I’ve also seen you without a top. It was only a matter of time before I caved and wanted you, Marius.”

“Do you know how long I’ve wanted you to say that? Hell, do you know how long I’ve wanted you to notice me?” he asks me, his lips pushing flush against my neck, and while doing so, pushing me to nearest wall. His lips drag over my skin, kissing, biting, sucking. I will admit when he hits the tender spot just below my jaw, I weaken and allow him full control for a second. He must have sensed my body caving, as he pulls away and looks down at me. “That’s why I had a hand in this, Amelia. I wanted you.”

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