My hand dips between my legs and a soft gasp slips between my lips as my thumb brushes past my clit. My eyes flutter at the sudden onslaught of pleasure, but as I focus on Roman again, his eyes are flaming with a wild need. “What a shame you’re busy,” I taunt. “I’ll have to call one of your brothers up here.”
His eyes blaze and I laugh, pulling my hand back. I’m more than happy to go again, but I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t a little worn out. I’ve been dicked high and low, left and fucking right. One dick, two dicks, three. This pussy needs a break, if only for a night. “Go,” I laugh. “I’ll be out in a minute.”
His dark gaze narrows as he watches me a moment longer, but after a short pause, he finally nods. “Okay, just call out if you need anything.”
A warm smile spreads over my face, and as the strain from his need seeps away and he’s left with nothing but adoration, I’m once again reminded of just how fucked up this is. It’s going to take some getting used to. Hell, what are we supposed to say to each other now that I don’t need to argue with everything he says? I’m sure we’ll find that common ground eventually and everything will just fall into place, but it’ll definitely be an adjustment.
Roman goes to walk away, and as his gaze drops, it immediately becomes plagued with deep thought. The door closes between us and I let out a heavy breath. He’s nervous about tonight’s meeting with the family, all three of the boys are, but I believe in them. They’re going to gain the family’s loyalty and Giovanni will have no choice but to bow out.
Not wanting the boys to get lost in their thoughts for too long, I quickly finish in the shower and grab a towel. I dry off and get myself sorted out before stepping back out into my room and finding something to wear that demands respect but doesn’t scream desperate. The options are endless, but at the same time, I also feel as though I have absolutely nothing to wear. After all, tonight’s meeting is going to be monumental, and I want it to be perfect.
Fuck, it sucks being a woman.
After twenty minutes of back and forth, I settle with a pair of black pants, knee-high boots, and a crop. Fuck the whole trying to impress bullshit. It’s too hard. I gave it a good try, but I can’t keep changing my mind like this. It’s driving me insane. Besides, if they don’t like me the way I am, then fuck them.
Striding out of my room, I listen for the boys. I can faintly hear Roman down in the kitchen, and the soft thumping of Levi’s drums sails through the air. A sweet peace settles through my chest. I could more than get used to a life with the boys. It’s unconventional, but it’s perfect.
My stomach growls and I start making my way down to Roman when goosebumps spread over my skin and an unsettled feeling fills my stomach. My back stiffens and my gaze shifts through the hallway as the odd sensation of being watched nags at me.
I narrow my gaze and take a slow breath, turning and looking up and down the hall to find it completely empty. “Marcus?” I question, my tone dropping with suspicion. I’ve had this strange feeling once before, and it came just moments before the three DeAngelis asshats stalked me through the castle with the murder puppies. It was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life, but the assholes won’t be getting the best of me like that again.
Marcus doesn’t step out of the shadows, and I let out a frustrated groan before turning back and continuing down the hall. “I know you’re there, Marc,” I mutter, knowing damn well he hears me. I keep moving but guilt slams through me, and I find myself pausing to look back at the shadows. “I know I told you that Roman and I were just going to talk, and well, I think the neighbors even know how that turned out, but I swear, this doesn’t change the way I feel about you.”
Silence. Complete fucking silence.
I roll my eyes and turn back. I guess tonight we’re playing games. Marcus has been possessive since the very start of our twisted little relationship, so I’m really not surprised. Though, it would be a shitload easier on everybody if we just sat down and talked it through like normal people do.
I pick up my pace and grin to myself as I feel him keeping up with me. He can be an asshole at the best of times, but sometimes, his assholery is just the right kind of twisted that sends the best kind of thrill soaring through my veins. Now, if he wants to stalk me right through the property and into a dark room, I’d be down for that.
The dirty little thought pulls my grin wider and I pick up my pace, seeing just how ready he is to play, and as I glance back over my shoulder, I see the slightest glimpse of his black hoodie disappearing into an open doorway, I laugh.
“Well, well,” I tease, stopping and turning back. “Isn’t it funny how the tables have turned?”
I start heading back toward the room, ready to catch him in the act in the most twisted game of hide and seek, and just as I reach the open doorway that looks into the darkened room, Roman’s voice comes trailing up from the kitchen. “Dinner, fuckwits.”
The soft thumping of the drums stops before Levi’s deep tone bounces through the mansion. “Yeah, yeah,” he grumbles, irritated about having to stop. “Coming.”
I take a step into the dark room just as another voice cuts through the silence. “Only fuckwit around here is you,” Marcus calls through the house, his deep tone coming from downstairs.
My eyes widen with fear as my heart leaps out of my fucking chest.
Oh, fuck.
A petrified scream rises in my throat but before the sound can come tearing from between my lips, a dark figure comes bounding out of the shadow, his dark eyes locked right on mine. His hand slams over my mouth as his tight grip curls around my waist.
My heart’s rapid beat is almost painful, and I struggle to catch a breath, my pulse deafening in my ears. The stranger pushes me back against the wall, shining just a ray of light on his face, and proving once and for all just how wrong I’d been.
The man is all versions of tall, dark, and handsome with one hell of a strong grip, but one thing is for sure, I have no fucking idea who he is. Short, black dreadlocks frame his sculptured face as black eyes stare back at me. “We can do this the easy way, or the hard way,” he warns me. “Scream, and I’ll kill your little fuck toys downstairs, is that clear?”
Panic surges through my chest as I try to figure out a game plan. The man is far too strong for me to try and get away, but there’s no way in hell he’ll be able to take out the guys. There’s one of him and three of them.
I slowly nod, and the man hesitantly releases his hand from my mouth, allowing me to suck in a deep breath. “What do you want?” I spit, fixing him with a lethal stare.
“Tell them you need a minute,” he demands, his tone fierce and full of authority, yet there’s something there that tells me he’s not about to pull a knife and slaughter me, so there’s that. But then, can I really trust that?
I swallow hard, not sure what to do, but he’s not exactly giving me a choice. If I scream, I’ll most likely be dead before the boys can even get up here, but if I don’t, I’ll have to find out the hard way what he wants.
Sucking in a breath, I prepare to scream for my fucking life when he leans into me, his wide chest pressing against mine like a lead weight. “Don’t even fucking think about it,” he warns. “I have six men downstairs with three bombs set and ready. The DeAngelis brothers are surrounded and they have no fucking idea. Now, I warned you that we could do this the easy way or the hard way. What’s it going to be?”