“God, you’re a dumbass.” He clears the sleep from his voice a bit more. “Think it has to do with Leonard and his band of merry miscreants?”
“Doubt it. She’s been watching me for a while, long before I got my hands on that idiot downstairs.”
“Is he suffering enough? Or do I need to come take care of it?”
“Take care of your family. I’ll handle the heavy lifting.”
I can feel him bristling through the phone. “You think I can’t handle th—”
“What is it?” Stella, my brother’s wife, mumbles sleepily in the background.
“Nothing, go on back to sleep.”
“Is Lucius okay?”
“He’s fine. Just got a woman trying to kill him.”
She laughs. “Why am I not surprised?”
“Actually, don’t go back to sleep just yet.” A loud smack and a squeal sound through the line.
I roll my eyes. How can two people still be so in love after five years, not to mention all the shit Sin and Stella have been through?
“Is that all you had to tell me?” Sin asks. “We have to be at the attorneys’ tomorrow first thing, and I have some business to take care of at the moment.”
“The failed murder attempt was the reason for my call, yes.”
“You’re alive. Quit bitching… Stella, my love, get on all fours. Now.” The line goes silent.
“Motherfucker.” I toss my phone down and light up a joint.
I go back through the encounter with my would-be assassin, doing my best to place her. I got nothing. Nothing except what feels like a few cracked ribs, but of course the booze, narcotics, and hopefully the weed will ease the pain.
“I’m alive, darlin’. Though you certainly tried it.” I lift my glass to her. She should’ve known you can’t use a bullet to kill the devil. It’ll take a whole hell of a lot more to put me down.
“What did I do to you?” I smile. It’s the only action that doesn’t hurt. “Whatever it was, I made an impression.” Inhaling, I hold the smoke in and picture her eyes in the black mask, the slight waver of her voice, the way she tried to be aggressive when everything inside me was yelling that what she needed was a ferocious animal fuck right there in the woods.
My cock is hard. Because I’m twisted. Because just the thought of overpowering her is like a shot of adrenaline through my system. I’ve never wanted a woman so badly in my life, and I don’t even know who she is. But a man like me doesn’t let go. Not when he gets on a scent as interesting as this one. She’s my quarry, and I intend to track her down and have another chat, preferably one where she’s bent over and moaning while I ram my cock deep inside her. Maybe it’ll end with one of us dead, but I suspect it’ll be worth it.
I blow out the puff of smoke. “The good news is, you’re still out there, darlin’. The bad news is, I’m coming for you.”
6
Evelyn
“I thought you wanted to remain silent in this?” My lawyer, Linton Graves, brushes nonexistent lint from his impeccable dark gray suit.
“I’ve changed my mind.” I smooth my blonde hair back and straighten my skirt. “The impediment I mentioned before is gone, so I can have an active role from this point forward.”
“Are you certain that’s what you want?” He peers down his too-sharp nose at me. “The Vinemonts are not too happy with your hostile takeover, and they aren’t particularly kind to their enemies.”
“I can handle them.” The two that are left.
“Plenty have said that, and plenty have been incorrect. Sinclair, the eldest, is an arrogant, condescending brute. But Lucius, the next in line, is particularly nasty.”
“And the third?” I already know the particulars of each brother, but it’s interesting to watch Linton try to school me.
“Teddy?” He waves a manicured hand. “He has no real involvement in the family business since he’s in his residency, but he will back his brothers fiercely and defend his one-third interest in Magnolia Sugar. Don’t fall for his charm, Ms. Delacroix. He’s still a Vinemont and will cut the legs out from under you if given half a chance.”
“Then let’s not give them the chance.” I throw my shoulders back and hope he doesn’t notice the dark circles under my eyes. Sleep never came last night, and I couldn’t stop thinking about the surprised yet bemused look on Lucius’s face when I took his life.
I thought I’d slumber more deeply than I ever had, but instead I tossed and turned. Something niggled at me, a worrisome sense of guilt that was utterly out of place. I shouldn’t feel sorry for Lucius, not after what he’s done. For all I know, it was him or me at that point. He had a gun, and he came after me. I did what I had to do. No, I chided myself; I did what I planned to do all along. Everything had gone according to my plan, even if it was a little early. I am in control.