He glanced at his watch like he was running late. “I think having a pity party for yourself is worse than my feeling bad for you. But do whatever you want.” He walked to the door with no intention of looking back.
I didn’t want to be here alone, not when I had no idea how long he would be gone. I couldn’t explore the property when Dunbar was giving me evil looks all the time. He was one of Crewe’s trusted employees, but I knew he would betray Crewe if he thought he could get away with it. I could picture him holding me down and doing unspeakable things to me. And Ariel…she was a loose cannon. “Wait.”
Crewe turned back around like he’d been expecting me to say something.
“I’ll come with you.”
He bottled his arrogance for once. “I’m leaving in five minutes. Hurry up.”
It was just the two of us in his shiny black car. It was a two-seater, and judging by how loud the engine was, it was fast. I looked out the window and didn’t ask him any questions. If I was lucky enough, last night wouldn’t come up at all.
Crewe never had the radio on, which I thought was strange. He never listened to music.
“What are you doing with them today?”
“Going over weapon selection.” He wore thick sunglasses, hiding his pretty eyes.
“Why did you buy weapons from them?”
“Protection is important. I want the best of the best.”
“Do you have a lot of enemies?”
“Everyone has enemies. If you don’t, then you’re doing something wrong.”
That was debatable. “I can stay in the car if you want…” He’d already done something nice by letting me come with him. I’d rather sit in a hot car than be back at the house with his men.
“Why do you hate Dunbar so much?”
“Because he’s an ass. He’s hit me twice now.”
“He thought you were escaping.”
I shook my head. “No. He has a problem with me. I honestly believe if you weren’t around, he’d do something worse to me…just because he wants to.”
Instead of shutting me down right away, Crewe considered what I said. “Dunbar has been working for me for a long time. He wouldn’t cross me like that.”
“I’m not so sure…”
“You need to give me more evidence than that.”
“It’s a gut instinct. I can just tell.”
Crewe drove with one hand, his other arm on the windowsill. “I don’t know about that.”
“You’ve never been a woman. You don’t know what it’s like to feel like prey all the time. You wouldn’t understand.” I knew when a man wanted to cause me harm for his own sick pleasure. If Dunbar thought he could get away with it, he would force me on my stomach and take me like a dog.
Crewe turned to me, his gaze unreadable behind his glasses. He looked handsome in anything he wore, even sunglasses that hid some of his face from view. He could be wearing a sombrero and tights, and he would still look good. “I know what it’s like to feel like prey. But no, I don’t know what it’s like to be a woman. You have me there.”
I wondered if he was referring to his family’s death. He was probably the last target on the list, but they never succeeded. “Do you think you could take me back to Fair Isle? I could be one of your women that you just see while you’re there.” He had women in Edinburgh, and probably everywhere else too.
“You like it there?”
“Yeah. I wouldn’t be in your way, and I like Finley. Actually, he’s the only employee you have that I feel comfortable with.”
“When do you get in my way?”
He had a terrible memory. “It was just yesterday when you said how annoyed you were that you took me to see Crow and Cane.”
“But you weren’t in my way. And no, we aren’t doing that.”
I hid my disappointment as best as I could. “So, where you go, I go?”
“Exactly.” He drove farther into the city and down a few streets until he reached a deserted complex. When he pulled up to the gate, the camera must have recognized his face because the doors opened and allowed him to pass through.
I searched the concrete complex and stared at the warehouses. It didn’t seem like anything illegal was going on at first glance. “If I’m always around, how will you spend time with your other women?” I didn’t like to think about him with anyone else. The fact that they were free and consensual just annoyed me. I’d give anything to have something consensual again. But I knew I was annoyed for other reasons too.
“I’ll make it work.” He killed the engine then got out.
I hid the sour look on my face as best as I could before I got out and joined him.
Crewe took my hand and pulled me with him, keeping me right by his side as he moved. He entered the warehouse and greeted the men and located Crow. His hand never left mine, and when he was face-to-face with the man we saw last night, his arm snaked around my waist. “Crow.”
He nodded. “Crewe. Excited to see our inventory?”
“Impress me.”
“This way.” Crow guided us to a back room where we had privacy from the rest of the men. Cane was already there, placing the different guns on display. They were all black, military looking. Some were machine guns, and others were hand-held pistols.
I felt a little nervous.
“They’re unloaded.” Crow smiled at me like he knew I was terrified.
Crewe kept me close to him as he examined everything. The only time he took his hand off my waist was when he used both hands to grab the AK-47. He felt the weight in his hands then aimed it at the opposite wall. He’d obviously handled guns before because it was clear he knew exactly what he was doing.
That made me uneasy. If I were back in New York, I’d be sitting in class right now learning about the nervous system. But instead, I was in Italy with a man who intended to keep me and fuck me for as long as he wanted. He was examining a hoard of weapons he was about to buy from criminal masterminds.
How did Joey get mixed up in all of this?
“What do you think?” Cane asked. “Your woman seems impressed.”
I shot him a glare.
Crewe didn’t correct him. “Everything is well-made. You didn’t cut corners.”
“We never cut corners,” Crow said. “You get what you pay for.”
Crewe returned the gun to the table then moved on to a handgun. He felt the weight in his grasp then checked the barrel. It was empty like they claimed. He moved on and examined the different specimens, looking at minor details that I didn’t notice with my untrained eye.
Crow turned his gaze on me, watching me like I might try something.
I stared back, threatening him with just my look.
The corner of his mouth rose in a smile, and he looked away. “Your woman has a backbone, Crewe. That’s hard to find.”
“She has a fist too,” I said. “And she’s not afraid to throw it in your face.”
Crow grinned wider. “Don’t let her go, man. She’s a keeper.”
Crewe grabbed another gun and examined it like he hadn’t heard a word we said. “Everything looks good. Let’s pack it up.” He came back to my side, his thoughts still lingering on the weapons in the room.
“Of course it looks good,” Cane said. “Fine Italian craftsmanship right here.” Cane walked out of the room, probably to tell his men they needed to get everything together.
That left me with Crewe and Crow.