“I think I paid enough not to have to ask you.”
He withers under the warning of my glare and gives me a quick nod. “You’re very right, sir. Good evening.”
Then, just as I ordered, like it was an item on a very expensive menu, the owner and his staff begin filing out the front door in a procession of apron-clad soldiers fighting in a battle that’s already been won by yours truly.
“Win,” Ash croaks out.
I don’t answer her because my stare is on the Morelli table. It takes them all of three seconds to realize what I’ve done, each of them tensing almost simultaneously with fury.
Yes, assholes, I bought out your fancy little steakhouse and paid handsomely for every damn employee to walk out before you even had a chance to order. Looks like it’s Chinese takeout for dinner instead of steak.
“I’d love to stay for the fireworks, but I have an early morning. Today, Miss Elliott.” I offer my arm. “Time to leave.”
She stands up, tosses her phone into her purse before yanking it off the table, and hooks her arm with mine. Her scent teases and taunts me. I’m annoyed she smells so good. Right now, I don’t want to smell her. Hell, I can barely look at her.
The restaurant is still full of patrons. Everyone’s faces are a sea of confusion as they wonder why the employees have left. But not the Morellis. They know they’ve been publicly fucked and now they’ll have to do the walk of shame.
I stop in front of their table, flashing them a wolfish grin. “Ahh, well, if it isn’t the infamous Morellis. Coincidence running into you all here.”
“Unlikely,” Lucian says, disgust written all over his face. “Nothing is ever coincidence where the Constantines are concerned. Especially you.”
“You give me far too much credit,” I say back in a smooth tone. “I must warn you, though. It doesn’t look like you’ll be dining here tonight.”
If looks could kill, I’d be a dead motherfucker. Luckily, their hate-filled glares glance off me without incident. Leo, however, is fuming with rage. The Beast of Bishop’s Landing. They call him that for a reason. Ash’s grip on my arm tightens, and though I’m pissed at her, I still won’t let that asshole touch one hair on her pretty little head.
“Didn’t you hear?” I continue, my brow quirking. “The building was overrun by rats. We can’t have that, now, can we? A little extermination is in order before we can set this building back to rights.”
Lucian stands up and glowers at me. His dark hair is impeccable, and his suit is pristine. But rats dressed in Tom Ford are still rats. Infesting the city as if money makes them royalty.
“Are you threatening us?” Lucian demands in a low growl.
“Gentlemen don’t have to resort to threats.” I pin Leo with a pointed look. “My father raised me better than that.”
Leo scoffs. “And what about your mother? She’s a real piece of work. How did she raise you?”
“You fucker.”
Lucian’s jaw tightens with fury. “You’re starting something you won’t be able to finish.”
They started this when they killed my father. Of course I can’t prove it, but I believe it. Who else has such a vendetta against my family? Regardless of what happened before, Leo opened up this can of shit when he thought it’d be okay to threaten something of mine. I didn’t sell him that building to protect Ash. I sold it because if he wanted to play, I was ready to fucking play. I’m only getting started.
“I believe your brother started this when he broke our contractual agreement,” I tell Lucian. “Keep your beast on a leash.”
Leo also rises from his seat, fury rippling from him in violent waves. Ash flinches but I remain unaffected. “This doesn’t end happily for you,” Leo snarls at me and then points a finger at her, “or for you, princess.”
Ash sucks in a sharp breath. I can almost taste the fear emanating from her. Poor girl is terrified. It’s time she realizes the world she’s playing in.
This isn’t a fairy tale.
This is war…
And only Constantines win those.
* * *
As soon as we’re squealing out of the parking garage and onto the busy street, I turn on Perry’s stupid classic rock station to drown out whatever it is Ash might want to say. It’s best she doesn’t say anything at all right now.
I need to think.
Leo Morelli ignored our deal. He was supposed to leave Ash alone in exchange for the ability to purchase the Baldridge building. It’s written into a legal goddamn document.
He didn’t listen.
Chose to terrorize her anyway.
She was upset and terrified after he filled her head with threats to make her comply. I’ll figure out every detail of what’s going on. And once I do, there’ll be hell to pay…for all those involved.
We pull into her apartment building an hour later after sitting in heavy traffic. She wisely keeps quiet. I shut off the car and climb out. It’s difficult to pry my gaze away from roaming down her smooth legs, but I manage to keep my dick in my pants for once. The ride to the twelfth floor is silent. Ash fidgets as though she wants to speak, but in the end, doesn’t. I wait for her to fish her keys out of her purse and then unlock the apartment door.
“Do you want to come in so we can talk?” She gnaws on her pouty pink lip that’s always so damn distracting.
“Talk?” A dark chuckle escapes me. “I don’t pay you to talk, Cinderelliott. I pay you to be my filthy toy.” I gesture toward the inside of the apartment. “Hence the whore apartment.”
Her whole body flinches as though I’ve physically wounded her. I, on the other hand, feel nothing. She’s a sexual investment, not my girlfriend. This is a dirty game, not a relationship.
“Don’t worry. I’ll let you know when I need my dick sucked again,” I clip out, turning on my heel so I don’t see the heartbreak in her eyes. It doesn’t affect me. I warned her. “Goodnight.”
The door clicks shut almost silently behind me. It cuts deep knowing that she’s going to spend the night in that apartment because of what went down tonight, but it doesn’t hurt me like it clearly hurts her. The gnawing I feel down to my bones is the sane man inside me reminding me this is why I don’t get close to people. They always fuck you in the end.
I vowed my heart would never be open to pain.
It’s impossible to break something that doesn’t exist, right?
If only I could explain the deep, gutting ache inside my chest.
I think they call that…regret.
CHAPTER TWO
Ash
Chirp.
I love my bird. Shrimp is the best little birdie on the planet. But, the one single sound he makes isn’t a pleased one. It’s angry. Hurt. Scared. This, above anything else that’s happened tonight, is the most upsetting. I’ve let Winston down. And, I’ve let my damn bird down.
Stupidly, I got swept up in the little fairy tale I’d imagined where I was a maid turned princess who perfectly fit into her filthy prince’s story. Winston, billionaire CEO and world’s hottest bachelor, gave me a fantasy not a reality. He offered me a world made of glass. I stepped into those new shoes, blinded by the shininess, eager to be his little plaything.