Chapter Nineteen

Amon

This was unacceptable! There had to be a way to get closer to the estate. I glared at Bernard. "You have failed me!"

Arnie stepped forward. "Sir, I went with him. He's right. There's no way to get close to the house. They've got guards all around the perimeter. They've more than doubled their security, and there are cameras everywhere. They would have taken us out or as prisoners if we'd stepped one foot on the property. We even went around to the backside. It was the same there. Armed men and cameras everywhere. Even the mercenaries you hired wouldn't be able to get through."

It didn't fucking matter. I couldn't stop the fury from flowing through me. It was all I could do to control my temper. I made my way to the window, leaning heavily on my cane. I wasn't looking at the beautiful landscaping. My vision was clouded by my need to punish Larissa and the Morelli brothers.

She was probably still alive. My anger knew no bounds. I bet they were undoing everything I worked so hard on. Dammit, I trained the bitch! They would have everything, and I would still have nothing. Unacceptable!

"The maid still goes to the coffee shop every morning before she goes to work," Bernard commented casually.

I jerked around to face him and lost my balance. I grabbed the table's edge beside the window to keep from falling. Pain shot up my leg with the sudden movement. Oh, they would've enjoyed seeing me fall flat on my face. I knew exactly what the staff thought of me. Everyone hated me. I didn't fucking care!

"What the fuck does their maid have to do with anything?" I asked Bernard. The man was a fucking moron.

"I thought she might take a message to the brothers. I've been striking up a conversation with her the last few days. She trusts me. She's definitely interested. Tomorrow, I'll casually mention that my car is in the shop, and I have to walk to work. If I ask nice enough, I'm certain she'll give me a ride. She might even offer to take me without me asking."

He paused, and I blew out a frustrated breath. Where the hell was he going with this? "And?"

"I can rough her up a little and send her with a note from you. Of course, I would never take it upon myself to do something like that."

I studied Bernard for a moment. I knew his reputation with women. Hell, I'd seen the way he worked with Larissa. He wanted to fuck her.

Hell, all the men in my employment wanted to fuck her. Not that I blamed them. I wanted to fuck her, too. Sometimes, I was generous and let them cop a feel. I knew she hated them touching her, but it was necessary to establish I would be the one who protected her.

Bernard wanted more, though. If I hadn't pulled him back when I pitted him and Larissa together to hone her fighting skills, he would've killed her. That's why I hired him in the first place. He was a cruel son of a bitch. And right now, his eyes were practically glazed over with the thought that he'd get to hurt someone, especially a female.

He'd been the same way with Larissa. He loved beating her. I always had to monitor him, though. He had a tendency to go too far. I always did a background check on my employees. Bernard had been abused by his mother, who'd been a prostitute. She even sold him to some of her clients. She ended up dead when he turned fifteen. They said it was suicide, but I had my suspicions he had something to do with her death. Not that I cared.

Bernard's idea about sending a note with the girl did have merit. A warning of sorts that I would take them all out. My eyes narrowed. Yes, I liked the idea that they would fear me.

"I don't want you to kill her," I warned. "It's better if she can tell them everything you did. I'll give you a note to give her, so make sure she's not unconscious when you finish. I want the brothers to see what I'm capable of."

Bernard smiled. "I'll take care of it for you. You don't need to worry."

I studied him for a moment. "I know I don't. You know how I know?" Before he could answer, I continued. "Because you understand that it'll be worse for you if she ends up dying. You might be a mean bastard, but you don't even compare to what I'm capable of doing."

Bernard looked a little shaken by my words. Good, so he should. I was the only one who pulled the strings. I would take his suggestion, but I was still the boss.

I looked at Arnie. "Follow behind them and make sure everything is done right. Leave the woman her car. You can bring Bernard back here when it's over."

They both nodded.

"Wait," I stopped them at the last minute. "What's her name?"

"Gina," Bernard told me.

"Don't move too fast. Wait a few days before you mention your car is in the shop. You need to gain her trust completely. A few more days won't hurt."

Then I would have at least some satisfaction. I smiled to myself. Their servants would be scared to even step foot off the estate. It would be funny if they all quit. I wanted to let the Morelli brothers know that I was still out here, waiting for them to make one wrong move. And they would. I had no doubt about it.