speak. Twice in one day she’s practically laid herself on a sacrificial stone for me to take. And twice I’ve denied her. Twice I’ve forced myself to reject her. Twice I’ve ignored my body’s craving. Twice I’ve fought my mind’s demands to take her.
I won’t manage a third time. I need to send her back to Adams, because this game isn’t a funny distraction anymore. It’s getting dangerous.
I open my mouth, set to order her out of my home, as well as my life, but she turns and walks away before I can muster the words. When she makes it to the door, she looks back at me as she scoops up her clothes. “You should have sliced the asshole’s throat too.” Then she’s gone before she has a chance to see my reaction.
Which is to fall back to the wall and gather myself before I stop her from leaving and fuck the fucking daylights out of her.
* * *
“Drink?” Brad asks as I enter my office a while later. It’s taken me an hour of standing under the spray to gather myself.
“Do I look like a need one?” I take my chair and run my hand through my wet hair. That move alone answers my question, and Brad hitching a brow tells me he caught it. Although if he thinks my stressed form has anything to do with me bludgeoning a man tonight, then he’s wrong. I won’t correct him. “Where’s Adams?”
Brad points to my phone, just as it starts to ring on my desk.
“Clever,” I quip, answering the call. “You have good news for me, don’t you, Perry?”
“How’s Rose?” he asks immediately, ignoring my question. Brave man. The fucker has some explaining to do, though pointing out I heard his threat on my life will also point out that I heard his conversation with Rose. Firstly, he can’t know that I know he has another investor. Secondly, I need him to trust Rose.
“I didn’t take your call to talk about your whore,” I say calmly, ignoring Brad’s poorly concealed look of incredulity at my reference to Rose. “I asked you a question. You have good news, don’t you, Perry?”
“Not exactly,” he says nervously. “We have a problem.”
“I don’t like problems. They make me cranky.”
“I managed to get the Jepsons on a plane back to the States.”
“Good.”
“To finalize the deal.”
“Good.”
“They took off last night.”
“Good.”
“The plane went down in the Pacific.”
“Not good.”
“They’re dead.”
“Really not good.” I flick my eyes to Brad who’s already on his mobile checking out Perry’s story. Someone up there seriously doesn’t want me to have that marina. “So who’s in charge of the estate?”
“Their son.”
“Good. Then have him sign.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“Don’t piss me off, Perry,” I warn. The thrill of my recent kill is disappearing by the second. “Why?”
“Well, first off, he was on the private jet too. He’s alive, but he’s in a coma. Second, even if he makes it, he’s ten years old and the estate is held in a trust until he’s twenty-one.” The second Perry finishes, Brad gives me the nod. His story checks out.
“Motherfucking God,” I breathe, landing Brad with disbelieving eyes. It’s one fucking disaster after another. “Then let’s hope he doesn’t make it,” I say without thought, earning a stunned look from Brad that I ignore. “I’ll check in again soon.” I’m about to hang up when I hear Perry blurt my name, panicked. “Rose is surviving,” I tell him before he can ask. “Just.”
“What have you done to her, Danny?” He’s between anger and emotion. It’s quite sweet. Shame she doesn’t feel the same way about him.
“Nothing she didn’t love and beg for.”
He inhales, the sound whooshing down the line. “What happens if the Jepson kid makes it?”
I nod toward the cabinet across the office, deciding I do need that drink. Ringo has one in my hand quickly, ice and all. “Then you’d better get creative, because you’re not getting Rose back until I get that marina, and even if I do release her, you won’t get to indulge in her perfect pussy again because you’ll be dead.” I hang up and down my drink in one fell swoop, gasping in appreciation. “I want every detail from the crash investigation.”
“Got it,” Brad confirms. “Do you think he had anything to do with Vegas?” he asks as I study the side of the crystal tumbler.
I keep coming back to desperation. Adams is in the shit, would do anything to get himself out smelling of roses. But with Rose