Buttons and Shame (Buttons 4)

His only response was a nod.

“Crow is such a pain in the ass,” Pearl said over the phone. “A big drama queen.”

I loved hearing her talk about my brother like that. She wasn’t some pushover who obeyed her husband like some women I knew. She had her own mind—and very loud opinions. It wasn’t easy to put my brother in his place, but she did a great job. “You said it, sister.”

“I’ll talk to him again in a few days.”

“I believe you can do anything. But I don’t think you’re going to find any success with this.”

“Trust me,” she said. “I’ve got this. He’s just overprotective. Once he gets used to the fact that Bones is really gone, he’ll come around. Sometimes it’s even hard for me to believe he’s dead. I still have nightmares from time to time.”

I never really thought about her perspective on the whole thing. As a man, all I thought about was money, revenge, and sex. I’d never been sympathetic about anything. Even when it came to Vanessa, all I cared about was making Bones pay. I never took the time to think about her suffering or how she felt. But now that I was close to Pearl, I actually pictured myself in her shoes. How would it feel to have all my rights taken from me? To have someone use my body however they wished?

It was an unsettling thought.

My driver pulled up to the curb of the airport in Rome. The sun was peeking over the horizon, but the runway lights were still on. “I’ve gotta catch my flight. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Hope all goes well.”

I hung up and walked into the airport to check in my luggage and go through security. Crow and I had a line of private planes at this airport as well as in Tuscany, but I wasn’t a certified pilot, so it was more trouble than it was worth. Since this was a harmless business meeting, I didn’t see the need to fly private.

With my satchel over my shoulder, I grabbed a coffee then took a seat near the gate. My flight was about to board in ten minutes, so I needed to kill time. I looked through my emails and took care of those to remain productive. Announcements played over the intercom, and the sound of jets firing off as planes sped down the runway carried on in the background. I tuned most of it out.

“Stay.” A coarse voice entered my ear. It stood out because it reminded me of the raspy voice Bones once had. I kept my phone in front of me but peeked up with my eyes. In the row of black chairs a few aisles back, a woman sat in an oversized jacket. It obscured most of her body, but the slender curve of her neck and jawline hinted at the feminine curves underneath the fabric. Mocha brown eyes were etched with worry as she watched the man walk into the bathroom. Her brown hair was over one shoulder, messy like she’d just rolled out of bed to catch her flight. A distant bruise sat over her collarbone, hardly noticeable except for the contrast against her fair skin.

I couldn’t stop staring at her.

Her expression wasn’t unique because I’d seen it before. She looked worried, just the way Pearl did when she first came into our custody. The woman’s eyes surveyed the airport like she was looking for something or someone.

I lowered my phone because I was no longer interested in my emails. I was only interested in those high cheekbones and those full lips. She had a few freckles around her nose, faint enough that they could be covered with foundation if she were wearing any. The typical woman I was attracted to was done up, had beautiful hair, lots of makeup, and a skintight dress.

This woman didn’t fit any of those criteria.

She must have felt my look because her eyes traveled over to me. They landed on me, showing the same expression of fear she’d been wearing the entire time. She suddenly looked away, her eyes darting to the ground where they’d be safe from my penetrating gaze.

Her timid nature aroused me. I liked a woman who was submissive, who yielded the floor to a powerful man. I didn’t take submissives often. I just had rough sex with women I met who were vacationing in Rome.

She didn’t fit the bill.

But I was still interested.

She was in an airport, about to fly off to some other part of the world. After this exchange, I would probably never see her again. People came and went as we lived our lives, but the idea of never speaking to her troubled me.

I wanted to know her name, at least.

I hooked my satchel across my shoulders then walked toward her. Without looking at me, she was aware of my approach. Her shoulders stiffened noticeably, and her chest no longer expanded with the breaths she’d been taking just a moment ago. I took the seat beside her and tried to think of an introduction. I usually uttered a simple line or compliment, but that didn’t feel right with her. “I’m Cane.” I extended my hand to her.