Buttons and Pain (Buttons 3)

Our bed was nearly broken from all the sex we had on the sheets. Instead of handcuffs or whips, we kept it at a vanilla flavor. Crow didn’t seem interested in anything more sinister, and I wasn’t either. I just wanted him slow and steady so I could treasure every moment of him inside me. There were days when I was sore but that didn’t stop us from going at it.

The valet collected our bags at the end of the trip, and I nearly broke down in tears at the thought of saying goodbye to this place.

Crow wrapped his arm around me and pulled me close. “We can always come back, Button.”

“I know. I had such a great time and I don’t want it to end.”

He grabbed the back of my hair and forced my chin up so he could look into my face. “I’ll take you to see the world, Button. This is only the beginning.”

“I know.”

He pressed a kiss to my temple before he walked me out.

***

“How was your trip, Your Grace?” Lars set our bags by the front door so the staff could return them to the bedrooms and get the old clothes in the washer. Like bees in a hive, they worked together to give Crow everything he needed.

“Wonderful,” Crow answered. “Mrs. Barsetti and I had a great time.”

I still wasn’t used to my new name.

“I’m glad to hear it,” Lars answered. “Is there anything I can do for you? Prepare lunch? Afternoon tea?”

“No,” Crow answered. “We’re going to shower and retire upstairs for the rest of the day. I’ll let you know when we’re ready for dinner.”

“Of course, Your Grace.” Lars gave him a slight bow before he turned to me. “Mrs. Barsetti.” It was the first time he gave me the same kind of bow. Then he walked back into the kitchen.

“He doesn’t need to bow to me,” I said to Crow.

“It’s an Italian custom.”

“Well, I’m not Italian.” I wasn’t going to let some cute old man do bend backwards for me. He seemed to love his job but that was beside the point.

Crow turned around and looked at me, the fire in his eyes. “You are now.” He grabbed me by the hand and walked up the two flights of stairs and passed my old bedroom. Ever since I left this place I still hadn’t gone inside. My bedroom had been Crow’s, and I never ventured anywhere else.

We entered the bedroom just as Crow’s phone rang. While we were on our honeymoon he didn’t take any business calls. Even Cane didn’t call him, which was astounding. That guy seemed more obsessed with Crow than I was.

Crow answered without checking the number, knowing he had work to do now that he was home. “Crow.”

I was standing right beside him so I could hear every word of the exchange.

“Crow.” The deep voice rang through the phone, terrifying without making a single threat. The tone and cadence of the voice was eerily familiar and frightening. It was unmistakable, and I could recognize it anywhere—even a few feet away.

Crow stilled noticeably, knowing exactly who it was.

“Long time, no talk, huh?” Bones chuckled into the phone like he made some kind of joke. “Cane tells me you were just on your honeymoon with my slave. How interesting.”

My blood froze and I couldn’t breathe. I didn’t understand what was going on, but whatever it was, it was bad.

Crow didn’t lose his composure once. “We had a great time. Thanks for asking.”

He chuckled even though Crow’s statement wasn’t funny. “Your brother talks but he doesn’t talk enough. When I asked where I could find you, he refused to give up that information—and I tortured him mercilessly.”

I closed my eyes as the pain shot through me. What Cane did to me was in the past and now I loved him like a brother. The idea of him being in pain nearly broke me. And I could only imagine how much that hurt Crow.

Crow didn’t seem affected. His expression was exactly the same. “It’s called loyalty, Bones. Something you would never understand.”

This time Bones didn’t chuckle. “My original plan was to have Cane lead me back to Pearl. But after weeks of endless suffering, he still won’t crack. So now I have a new plan.”

“I’m sure it won’t work either.”

I didn’t have a clue how Crow could remain so calm when his only family member was being tortured at this very moment. Only a man with concrete in his veins could manage it.

“It’s pretty simple,” Bones said. “We make a trade. Pearl for Cane.”

“I remember how our last trade went,” Crow warned. “You have no honor or honesty. Therefore, I don’t trust you.”

“Are you willing to gamble your brother’s life on it?”

“He’s already dead anyway.” Crow’s voice didn’t break with emotion. He accepted it without any reaction. “And I would never make that trade, Bones. You know it. Kill him and be done with it.”