I don’t blame her for that. I also won’t allow her to maintain them against me.
I could spend hours going over where the scene took a turn, but in the end, no matter what she says, the truth is I pushed her too hard. Not in kink, exactly. Having her blindfolded and filled with cocks while I direct the action is a whole hell of a lot more intense than a few ropes and bound arms. Or it would be if I’m only looking at the surface. Things shifted for us last night. It started when she crawled to me. I should have fucked her then and there instead of demanding more.
But, fuck it, I want more.
I want everything.
My phone buzzes where I left it on the nightstand, and I have to stretch to reach it without disturbing Tink. Unknown Number. Only one person would be calling me at four in the morning from an unknown number. I take a slow breath and lock everything down. “Yeah?”
“Wide awake and up to no good.”
Peter.
Even anticipating that it would be him on the other end of the line, I go cold. “One could say the same for you. Normal business hours are between eight and five. Try calling back then.” I hang up. A calculated risk, just like everything I’ve done for the last month since Peter started making moves. I can’t root him out. I have to force him to come to me, to meet me on my home turf, so to speak. Otherwise, it’s guerrilla warfare in my own territory; a conflict that can stretch on for years with my people paying the ultimate price. No fucking way.
The phone buzzes again. I count slowly to five and then answer. “Yeah?”
“Hang up on me again, and I’ll slit your whore throat.”
There you are. His public persona has never been quite as good as mine, but he’s adept at charm when he puts his mind to it. I don’t want him that controlled. I want him in a fucking freefall. “You’re interrupting my night, Peter. It’s rude.” I let amusement filter into my tone, knowing it will drive him up the fucking wall. “I’m entertaining.”
“Entertaining.” He sounds like he wants to crawl through the line and strangle me. Good. But when he speaks again, he sounds almost calm. “I knew you were a fucking rat, but I didn’t expect you to be so content with sloppy seconds. My territory. My men. Even my woman. It’s beneath you.”
“She was earlier, yes.”
Dangerous silence for a beat. Three. Five. “I hear you married her.”
“You heard right.” Now to drive it home. “She wasn’t even free a day before she had my ring on her finger. Practically begged me for it. Said she wanted a real man in her life instead of a pissant bully who can’t get it up.” Tink’s gone tense against me, awake and listening, but I can’t retract a single damn statement. Too much is at stake. “You say sloppy seconds, Peter. Tink and the rest of the fucking territory call me an upgrade.”
“Whatever you have to tell yourself, Hook. She might be fucking you right now, but she never stopped being mine.” He says it idly, and a thrill of true fear goes through me. Peter’s the most dangerous when he’s calm. “But it seems my darling Tatiana needs a firmer hand to correct her.”
This is what I wanted, but fuck if I can stand hearing him threaten her. I open my mouth, but Tink’s hand lands on my chest. I glance down, and she’s staring at me, her green eyes a little too wide. She shakes her head and mouths, Keep going.
I hold her gaze, trying to tell her that it will be okay. I’ll kill this fucker before I let him touch her again. I force mirth into my tone. “You can call her yours all you want, Peter. But it’s my name she’s screaming when she’s coming on my cock. See you around.” I hang up and turn the vibrate function off the phone before I toss it aside. It immediately lights up as he tries to call back, but I have eyes for only her. “I’m sorry.”
“Why? This is what we both wanted.”
I shake my head slowly. “This is what’s required. Want has nothing to do with it.”
She looks like she wants to argue with me, and I welcome it. Anything to chase the shaken look off her face. I’ve consoled myself over the years that I do what’s necessary, but I don’t hurt anyone who doesn’t deserve it. I can’t make that claim any more. Not with this woman in my bed, trying not to shake.
Not knowing what’s coming.
She must see something on my face, because she sits up. “I’m fine.”
“It’s okay if you’re not.”
“Even if I’m not, it isn’t your job to clean up the mess. I have it handled.” She starts to move away.