Beautiful Seduction

CHAPTER9

Valentin

I stood outside the door to the office suite, taking several deep breaths. My God. What the hell was I doing fucking her in my club?

As I closed my eyes, I couldn’t get her image out of my mind. I flexed my hand, reveling in the light discomfort from spanking her. Her scent covered my body, her perfume infiltrating my nostrils. I could fuck her for hours, but I hadn’t lied to her. I’d strip away her innocence, turning her into the kind of woman she’d hate. Then she’d loathe what I’d done to her.

I didn’t want that for her.

Maybe there was a small part of me that remained decent after all.

Huffing, I opened the door, heading inside. I’d pulled her into the bathroom after seeing the bastards walking through the club. The second to last decent thing I’d done was ensuring they didn’t see her with me. I should have forced her out the back door at that minute. Instead, I’d lost control.

“Your plan failed,” Brando said as soon as I walked inside. “Not that you care.”

“I know the men arrived. I’m assuming you escorted them to our meeting location?” If I had to guess, I’d say they were an envoy sent to determine if my invitation was genuine.

“Yeah, I did what you commanded me to do. You’ve got four assholes sitting on ice in the goddamn storeroom waiting for you. Meanwhile, you were out there fucking some chick. Those stupid assholes at the entrance allowed them in without calling me. If I hadn’t seen them on the freaking surveillance camera, they could have shot up the place.”

“They were armed.”

“Of course they were. My question to you is are you fucking insane?”

“I didn’t notice that you were the one placed in charge, Brando. When you’re ready to handle the leadership position, I suggest you let me know. In the meantime, if you don’t want to eat the end of my gun, I suggest you shut the fuck up,” I snarled, the statement uncharacteristic for me. I unbuttoned my jacket, the scent of her perfume lingering on my skin, intoxicating as fuck and I wanted more. The single touch hadn’t been nearly enough. I needed her, the woman I should shove aside and never allow myself to become immersed in again, but it had become impossible.

Especially after touching her minutes earlier.

She’d become a respite, a moment where the violence ceased, the thinly veiled shield between our two worlds holding us delicately in the palm of its hand.

Only I knew with one false move, the protective shield would be ripped away, exposing her to the corruption and violence that I lived with every day. She didn’t deserve to be forced into accepting the unspeakable acts that would only increase with time. However, the fact she’d found herself in my club was another poor excuse for a coincidence. Shit. If I was in my right mind, I’d take her to my home, interrogating her until she told me the truth, not give her carte blanche to do some freaking exposé on my organization.

At this point, I had to think about how to handle the Poles.

I was more certain than ever Filip was doing nothing more than making an inroad, allowing other members of his family to come in. That wasn’t going to happen.

I’d also recognized the son of a bitch who’d approached her. He had no direct affiliation with any particular family. He was a scavenger, making his money from the highest bidder on his services.

Which included being a hired gun.

By now, he’d been dealt with permanently, but that wouldn’t sit well with the Adamos family.

The lovely Cassidy had a target on her back a mile wide. If she had any part of exposing Lazor, then he would hunt her down no matter what state she lived in. Fuck.

“I’m sorry, boss. It won’t happen again.”

I was certain it would.

* * *

Cassidy

Every part of me remained on fire, my heart still thudding. I watched as he disappeared into a black hole, which meant there was another corridor.

Then my anger started to swell, furious with Valentin as well as myself.

You might as well brand me with a huge ‘S’ for stupid.

“Goddamn it,” I hissed.