I knew exactly who he was talking about. I swallowed my anger over London because that wasn’t as important as my next question. “Will she be accompanying you on Saturday?”
“Possibly. We’ll see how her bruises heal up.”
I swallowed the bile that rose up my throat. I’d have to leave that comment out when I spoke to Crow. It would break him in half. “I look forward to meeting her.”
“And I look forward to seeing your pet.”
Before I could say anything to ruin things for Crow and Cane, I ended the conversation and got off the phone with him. I wasn’t particularly close to the Barsetti brothers, but I understood what it was like to lose a family member. My offer to help them came from my own loss. If I at least had Alec, I might not feel so alone. I would have someone to share the burden of my name. I could have disappeared into the sunset and lived out my life in solitude along the coast of Greece. But I couldn’t disgrace my parents’ legacy by abandoning my duties.
I called Crow a few moments later. “Hey, it’s Crewe.”
“How’s our product treating you?”
My men were happy to be armed with new equipment. The fortifications surrounding me reached a new peak. I kept a few guns for myself, stashing them in places that London wouldn’t come across. “Well. Pristine, as usual.”
“You get what you pay for. So, have you heard anything from him?” Crow rarely mentioned his name, always referring to him vaguely. He did a good job controlling his anger, but I thought I could feel his rage through the phone.
Maybe I was just imagining it. “I just got off the phone with him. He didn’t give me a concrete answer, but he said he might stop by. And he said he might bring Vanessa.”
Crow didn’t say anything.
I gave him a moment to digest what I said. His mind was probably working a million miles an hour. If someone had been stolen from me, all I would ever think about was getting them back—along with my revenge. “You have a game plan in mind?”
“Cane and I will be there. We won’t show our faces, and we’ll remain out of sight. If we see an opportunity to grab her, we will.”
“I’m sure he’ll bring a few guards as well.”
“We’ll figure it out. Ideally, we’d like to make it seem like Vanessa ran for it. He won’t suspect you that way.”
“No gunshots, okay? There’s gonna be a lot of important people there. My criminal activities are unknown to them, and it needs to stay that way.”
“Understood. You’re doing us a favor, and we wouldn’t stab you in the back.”
I took his word for it. “Thank you.”
“I’ll talk to you later.”
I got off the phone then got back to work, resisting the glass of scotch I desperately wanted to drink.
I walked into the bedroom with my tie already loosened, anxious to see London since she hadn’t made an appearance all day. Sometimes she came to my office for a visit, sitting on my lap and distracting me from the pile of work I needed to get through.
I wasn’t ready for the sight I came upon. Standing in black lingerie, London looked like every man’s fantasy. The lacy top had two openings where her tits hung freely, firm and perky with hard nipples. Her crotchless thong barely covered anything, leaving her long and beautiful legs visible for my eyes to cherish.
I’d never seen her in lingerie before. I’d never asked her to dress up for me, and now I was glad I never did. It was much more exciting when it was a surprise. I pulled my tie off my neck and slowly walked toward her as I dropped my jacket.
I took my time undressing in front of her, my eyes on her beautiful face the entire time. My throat went dry, and my heart raced in my chest. My cock was already hard from thinking about her all day, and now he was so thick he might burst.
I got my slacks and shoes off then dropped my boxers to the floor. My rock-hard dick greeted her with a distinct twitch. The fact that this woman wanted me so much when she used to despise me was such a turn-on. Now she needed me home every night, needed me inside her several times a day.
She circled my neck with her arms and kissed me hard on the mouth, her tongue diving past my lips with desperation. Her nails dug into me, razor-sharp and powerful. Her hands trailed down my body as she slowly lowered herself to her knees.
I took a deep breath when I knew what was coming next.
She grabbed the base of my cock and shoved my entire length inside her throat, her mouth gaping open and saliva pooling at the corners.
I already felt like a king in my own world. I owned everyone and everything. But nothing made me feel more kingly than having this woman on her knees with my cock in her mouth. Nothing made me feel more powerful than watching the desire burn in her eyes. My hand moved to the back of her neck, and I guided her up and down my length. Tears pooled in her eyes, and she struggled to breathe as my cock took up most of her throat. But she kept going because she knew I loved it—and she loved it too.
We had dinner on the balcony of the bedroom because London didn’t want to go downstairs. She said she wanted to eat in my t-shirt and boxers, looking casual but sexy at the same time.
I preferred her in my clothes over a gown any day.
She cut into her fish and looked over the balcony, enjoying the lights from the rest of the castle and the cloudless sky. All the stars could be seen, twinkling high above us.
While she paid attention to the beauty surrounding us, I paid attention to her. Her mascara was slightly smeared because of the tears that had fallen from her eyes. Her hair was disheveled from the way I’d savagely gripped it. But all those imperfections made her flawless. She was more beautiful than any famous work of art that hung on my walls.
Our relationship was nothing compared how it used to be. It was a lot of bickering back and forth, my constant need to overpower her and restrain her every time she resisted. I had to conquer her more than once to get her to submit. But now there was a quiet companionship between us, a relationship full of silent conversations. I didn’t have to put on a front with her anymore. She didn’t need to put one on with me.
We could coexist—happily.
And the longer I had her in my life, the more beautiful I found her to be. Her features didn’t change and her weight didn’t fluctuate, but I found myself appreciating the curve of her cheekbones, the plumpness of her lips. I cared more about the beauty of her eyes than the shape of her figure. Her words had new meaning to them because I found everything she said insightful.
I didn’t know what was happening, but I liked it.
She continued to eat quietly, her eyes downcast. There was a slight breeze in the air, and it blew a few strands away from her face.
I drank water with my meal, hating its blandness.
She looked across the table and noticed my nearly empty glass. “You’ve been doing well. I’m impressed.”
“It hasn’t been easy, but not impossible.” It would be impossible for me to stop drinking altogether. That was something I wasn’t willing to compromise on. But three to four glasses a day was doable.