MASSIMO
Axel’s mouth hangs open as he stares at me. “What?”
“I’ll stick to the rates agreed three months ago if you give me Paisley.”
Paisley turns as stiff as a rock on my lap, her mind no doubt going into overdrive.
“You want Paisley as part of the negotiations?” Axel confirms.
Her head whips around as she glares at me. “I’m not a possession you can trade.” She turns her attention to Axel. “Tell him.”
Axel runs a hand through his hair. “Is this non-negotiable?”
I can feel my pretty little red-head squirm as she tries to escape my iron grip. “You can’t seriously be considering this,” she says.
It makes my erection more uncomfortable as her ass rubs against it. “Stop moving, princess.” I tighten my grip on her hip, holding her more firmly. “It’s non-negotiable. We have no deal if she’s not included.”
Paisley takes me by surprise, slamming her elbow into my chest. The impact shocks me and I release her long enough so she can jump to her feet away from me. “No fucking way. I’m a free woman and you can’t trade me.”
Her brother, Rick, stands and moves toward her. “Yeah, she’s my sister.” He glares at his president. “You don’t sell family, Axel.”
“Sorry, Rider.” His attention returns to me. “We have a deal. You can take her.” Axel holds a hand out across the table for me to take.
I shake it firmly. “Perfect.”
“When can I expect the first shipment?” he asks.
“Tomorrow morning. How is ten kilos of each?”
Axel’s face lights up. “Perfect.”
“Payment in full at time of delivery, of course.”
Axel nods. “You got it.”
I notice the brother edge toward Paisley, whispering something in her ear. And then she makes a run for it. Paisley will learn there’s nowhere she can run, that I can’t find her.
Axel growls. “Fuck. After her.”
I hold my hand up. “Leave it to me.” I follow her out of the back and into the busy bar, where I spot her instantly. That fiery auburn hair is impossible to miss. The other guy from the party has stopped her in her tracks for me.
I approach them to hear him say. “Why don’t you come back to my place and I’ll keep you safe, darling?” His smirk widens. “You can finally lose that virgin tag and ride my cock while we’re at it.” The mere suggestion that this guy wants to touch her makes my blood boil.
“Fuck you, Elijah.” She shoves him. “Get out of my way.”
I grab him by the lapel of his jacket. “Listen to me carefully.”
His eyes widen when he recognizes me.
“Paisley is mine, and no one else will ever touch her. Have you got that?”
Axel clears his throat. “Please put my man down, Massimo.”
“What the fuck is going on?” he asks his boss, as I let him down.
“Paisley is a part of the deal we made with the Morrone family.” I notice her brother lingering a short distance away, his fists clenched. If she were my sister, I’d be fighting to the death to ensure she wasn’t taken. Clearly, he’s a coward. “She belongs to him now.”
“Like hell she does.” Elijah says, glaring at me. “I had a claim on her first.”
Paisley releases a frustrated growl. “I don’t belong to any of you. I’m a human being.”
Axel crosses his arms over his chest and squares up to Elijah. “And what are you going to do about it, exactly?”
“Axel, please don’t do this.” The brother says, eyeing me warily. “She’s my sister, for fuck’s sake.”
He claps him on the shoulder. “Sorry, lad. It’s already done.”
“What exactly are you going to do with her?” the brother asks, glaring at me.
“That’s none of your business,” I say.
Axel growls. “All of you better stop whining before I put a bullet through your heads.” And then he glares at the other man. “Get out of his way, Hawk. Paisley belongs to him now.”
I can’t work out if it’s Hawk or Elijah or both. Axel calls him Hawk and Paisley calls him Elijah. These bikers all seem to have two names, and it’s fucking confusing.
Paisley doesn’t realize I’m right behind her until she turns. Her eyes widen as she was no doubt hoping to make another run for it. “I won’t go with you willingly.”
Music to my ears. “I counted on that, princess.” I hold up a pair of handcuffs.
“Fuck you,” she says, slamming her fist into my chest hard, wincing the moment she does as she shakes out her hand.
I grab her wrist and spin her around effortlessly, slapping the handcuffs on her. The sight of her restrained like that does something to me. Paisley tries to fight, but she’s not strong enough to overpower me.
I lift her by her waist over my shoulder, steadying her with a firm grasp on her thigh.
“Put me the fuck down, you son of a bitch,” she shouts, kicking out to hurt me.
I tighten my grasp on her thighs, holding them still. She’s wearing a skirt tonight, which means I have access to her bare flesh.
“Good doing business with you,” I say to Axel before turning and carrying my prize out of the bar.
When I walked in here, I wanted to see her again and perhaps flirt a little. Then I went down the rabbit hole, so to speak, when I realized I could take her from Axel as part of the deal. It solves two issues. One my borderline obsession with the girl and two my father stupid ultimatum that I must marry in six months.
I’ll give him a fucking heir alright, with this sexy little minx. He’ll hate it, but I don’t give a shit. One look from her was all it took to unravel my resolve.
“You fighting me is going to be so much fun when I get you alone.”
“Help,” she cries out, but the music is too loud and too many people are talking.
“No one will help you, Paisley.”