All Souls' Night - Renee Rose Page 0,34

her, my hand on the small of her back, into the dining room. I exchange knowing looks with Erik. I have to tell her, it can’t wait any longer. Tonight, after dinner. We’ll go for a walk in my back gardens, and I will tell her.

She is quiet during the first part of dinner. Erik tries to entertain her with stories, she just responds politely. I listen in to her thoughts; she is trying to compartmentalize everything she has seen over the past day. Mafia? She thinks I am in the mafia? I have to stifle a laugh at that.

“You have three orders for the Venetian Ball, Bentley. One is looking specifically for one that is ruby and diamond studded.”

“I have the perfect one. It has a silver band and is studded with rubies, with teardrop rubies hanging down in intervals around it. It’s worth a pretty penny, though. Do you trust him?”

“It’s for Damiano.”

“That surprises me. I guess old dogs can learn new tricks. I’m happy for him. I’ll get the ruby one out of the vault later. Do you know the other preferences?”

“Is this for real?” The question from Keri is so quiet, I almost didn’t hear it. “Are you two really talking about millions of dollars’ worth of jewelry like I talk about checking out library books?”

“It’s just gems,” Erik says, looking between us. He is like me, money is a means to an end. The earth is full of gems and diamonds. It makes more every day.

“Just gems? Millions of dollars of jewelry is just gems?” Her volume rises in pitch.

“Calm down, Butterfly.” I take a deep breath and use my best dom voice.

“She hasn’t seen the vault, has she?” Erik asks.

“No, we just got in this morning. Then, I slept.”

“Ah. That makes sense.”

“No, I haven’t seen the vault. But I did see the fucking bathroom. The what, thirty-thousand-dollar bathroom?”

“Butterfly.” The warning is clear in my tone, she knows better than to curse at me like that. I don’t care how mad she is at me. I allow anger, communication, and expression as long as it is done with respect.

“Don’t.” She holds her hand up to me. “Don’t warn me. Don’t scold me. I’m not your submissive in this moment, I’m calling my fucking safeword loud and clear until I get some answers. Capisce? Is that a word that you understand better?”

“She thinks I am in the mafia,” I explain to Erik.

“The mafia? Those pussies?” Erik sputters laughing. I can’t help myself; I laugh, too. Humans and their crime families. Crime families are like yapping small dogs compared to what goes on in our world.

“You think the Mafiosi are pussies?” She’s the one sputtering now. “What kind of crime family are you involved in then?”

“We aren’t involved in any crime. While Erik is the closest thing I have to family left alive, neither of us are part of anything organized.”

“This isn’t funny, Bentley. The plane we came here in, you didn’t charter it, did you?”

“No love, that is my private jet.”

I never told her that I had chartered it. I should have corrected that thought when it entered her mind, but I’ve tried to be careful with giving away too many clues about how much of her mind I’ve read over the past year. A few tidbits here and there make her feel like I know her really well, can read her, and made her feel more secure about our relationship. Too many coincidences would make her suspicious and wig her out.

“This is just too much. You are what, a millionaire?” She is raging mad. Her hurt is radiating from her, I can feel it. I can’t blame her, those feelings are valid. I haven’t been completely honest with her. I mean, it’s not like I just meet a girl and say, “Hi, I’m Bentley, I like long walks on the beach and sucking your blood under the moonlight.”

“I have an endless supply of money. I stopped counting years ago.”

“That…” She struggles to find the words.

“I know.” It is unimaginable to a human. Money is finite. Unlimited financial resources is not something they can fathom. There is a lot about this situation that is going to be hard for her to understand. The least of my concern is the money aspect.

“How many lies are there? What more aren’t you telling me? We’ve been together for a year and I feel like I’ve been living a lie. I feel like I don’t know you at all.”

Fuck.

This is

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