“I wouldn’t say that.”
When I saw her point the gun at her own chest and prepare to pull the trigger, I knew she hit rock bottom. Bones had tortured her beyond repair and death was her only escape. If I hadn’t stopped her she would have done it. There was no doubt of that. Since then she’d come a long way. It took her months to smile and even longer to finally trust me.
“I want to help in whatever way I can. Whatever you need, I’m there.”
I wasn’t letting Button anywhere near him. There was no way in hell I was using her as bait or sending her into combat with Cane and I. After the threats Bone made I didn’t want him to even look at her. “We’ll see.”
***
When I came home from work Button was nowhere to be found. She wasn’t in the bedroom, on the balcony, near the pool, or in the study. Normally when I came home she presented herself to me immediately with a kiss.
But now I couldn’t find her.
I tried not to panic and jump to the worst possible conclusion. The house was undisturbed and the staff were unharmed. The gateway to the estate had been closed and locked when I pulled up in my car.
I walked to the bottom floor and searched for my butler. “Lars.”
He emerged from the kitchen, his white hair combed back and a warm smile on his face. No matter how angry I looked, he didn’t seem to notice. “Yes, Your Grace?”
“Have you seen Pearl?” I wasn’t going to resort to calling her name around the estate. She knew her job was to greet me the second I came home. I just made the demand yesterday and she wasn’t that forgetful.
“I’m in here.” Button stepped out of the kitchen with a red apron around her waist. “Sorry, I lost track of time.” Stains were smeared across the fabric and a spot of sauce was on her cheek. She walked to me while wiping her hands down the front of her apron. “It’s a whole other world in that kitchen—”
“Don’t pull that stunt again.” I couldn’t dim my anger in front of Lars. He knew what kind of man I was so my threats weren’t surprising. He crept back into the kitchen and tried to disappear without either one of us knowing about it.
Button’s eyes narrowed to threatening slits. “What stunt?”
“What did I say yesterday? When I come home, you either drop to your knees or bend over. Sending me on a wild goose chase around the house in unacceptable. For a second I thought something happened to you—”
“I was making you dinner, asshole.” She put both of her hands on her hips and darkened her look.
My tongue suddenly felt too big for my mouth. The words instantly died in my throat when I realized just how hostile I became in the matter of seconds. She was the only person who could put me in my place like that.
“I lost track of time and didn’t realize you were home. But if you want me to drop to my knees and suck you off right this second, I will. Is that what you want?” She raised her voice and was borderline feral.
If I didn’t backtrack this argument would take a deadly turn. When I went head-to-head with Button I usually lost. She was smart with words and unafraid to make me feel like the piece of shit that I was. “When I couldn’t find you I panicked. I thought someone took you…I’m not going to apologize for that.”
“No.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “You are going to apologize for that. You just insulted me in front of Lars and treated me like a slave. You bet your ass you’re going to apologize to me and you’re gonna mean every goddamn word.”
My body reacted in the wrong way, and my cock hardened in my slacks and pressed against my zipper. Something about her ruthlessness got to me. I’d never met someone so small and fearless. Even when she didn’t know me, she wasn’t afraid of me. It just made me want to possess her even more.
She kept her stance and continued to threaten me with those full lips. They were pressed tightly together to keep the venom in her mouth. This was a battle she refused to lose, and she would fight until the war was won.
I’d never let anyone speak to me that way—let alone a woman. But she put me in my place so effortlessly and didn’t flinch while doing it. I wasn’t sure if she really was strong as steel, or she simply made me weak. Whatever the case, I allowed this to happen. And there was only one woman who could make me do it.
No woman had ever brought me to my knees—but she did it. I took a knee in front of her and looked up at her.