“Toy.”
“Excuse me?”
“She’s my toy, not my wife.”
My blood boils at his words but I force myself to swallow down the rage and say, “Of course, signore.”
“Look, I’ll even offer more money,” my uncle goes on, as if the entire conversation is boring him now. “Just break her in as fast as possible and bring her to me. Got it?”
“We’ll do our best, signore. Speak to you soon.”
I cut the call, knowing he’ll want to keep going otherwise. Leaning against the desk, I exhale, realizing just how close I was to blowing my cover.
Fuck. If Xavier finds out who I am, it’ll be game over. Under no circumstance can I allow him to find out I know who Rain is, or who I really am.
Determined, I walk back to Rain’s bedroom with my heart pounding in anticipation.
I find her just the way I hoped I would - exposed in a compromising position, naked and terrified.
What I hadn’t expected was the guard kneeling next to her bed, talking to her while he admires her slender body.
“What the fuck are you doing?”
I reach him just as he picks himself up, shoving him against the wall. Rain shrieks as I pull my gun out of its holster and aim it at the prick’s mouth.
“What the fuck are you doing with my woman, you piece of shit?” I snarl at the guy. “You think you have the right to fucking touch her? Look at her?”
“I’m sorry!” he cries out, but I only use the moment to shove the barrel deeper into his throat.
He chokes on it, tears escaping his eyes as he raises his hands.
“Don’t shoot,” he begs pathetically.
“Get the fuck out of my sight,” I hiss. “Be lucky I haven’t killed you. And you’re fucking fired. You speak of this to anyone, I’ll blow your brains out.”
He scrambles past me, but I change my mind at the last minute. I step out into the hallway, shooting at his feet. He screams, narrowly escaping the bullet.
“Never come back here,” I snarl in his wake before retreating into Rain’s bedroom and locking the door behind me.
I don’t even want to check if I shot him. All I want is to get back to the blonde beauty in my bed. But now, the thought of facing her again is fucking painful.
I just allowed some piece of shit to see her naked. She must feel so used, betrayed.
I turn to face her, and yet the only thing I see in her eyes is pure desire.
“I couldn’t stop him,” she whispers, breaking me with the words. “You tied me up, bastard.”
“He did nothing?”
“He would have if you didn’t walk in,” she hisses.
“Relax, Sunshine, you’re fine.”
“Not when you look at me like that, I’m not.”
I watch her swallow with an amused expression before asking, “Scared, are you?”
“I’m not scared of you. I’m not afraid of anything, remember?”
I remember. In those sunny wheat fields, she muttered the same words to me. How much has changed since then? Everything.
“That was your husband on the phone.”
I shock myself by changing the topic so suddenly.
“Xavier?”
Her bottom lip trembles in fear, and for some fucked up reason, it makes me jealous.
“That’s the man. Now I have a dilemma here, Rain.”
“What kind of dilemma?”
“He’s offering more money for me to train you,” I mutter. “So I could keep you and keep working on breaking you... or I could send you back to him. But he said if I can’t break you... he’s going to kill you.”
“What?”
Rain’s eyes widen in fear and I know right away she’s fallen for my lie.
I knew she would. With how fucked up Xavier is, it’s easy to believe what I’ve said.
“Don’t send me back.”
Her pleading eyes meet mine, and I smirk at how quickly her tune has changed.
“I won’t, Rain,” I mutter. “But then you have to hold up your end of the bargain.”
“Which is?”
“Let me break you.”
“No,” she hisses right away. “Not happening.”
“Why? I know you secretly want it. And if I do, it’ll be so much easier to let Xavier do the same.”
“I will not let any man control me,” she hisses. “Not you nor your uncle. Now untie me.”
“Oh, that’s right,” I smile. “I almost forgot you were in a bit of predicament.”
I allow my gaze to wander over her exposed body, watching as her nipples harden under my scrutiny.
“Look at you. You’re so fucking ready for this. You want it, don’t you?”
“No,” she mutters helplessly.
“Come on, Rain. You don’t even believe yourself, do you?”
“Stop it, I-“
“You what? You’re going to stop me yourself?”
I laugh, taking a step closer and allowing my cool fingertips to wander over her naked skin. The sound of her gasps are like music to my ears.
“I don’t think you’re in any position to do that, Rain. Now stop being so stubborn. Let me enjoy this for a while. And don’t you dare come.”