21. WYNTER

21

WYNTER

I ’m nervous as we ride the elevator up in Bones’ office building. It’s hotter than hell in this small box and my black cashmere sweater feels uncomfortable against my skin. I’m just glad I went with this gray plaid mini skirt so I'm not also sweating my ass off.

Everyone here seems to know him and the attention since we stepped through the doors has been more than awkward. I knew he was rich, but I didn’t realize quite how big his company is. Turns out they’re one of the most successful hoteliers in the country. Or they were. Bones told me that his father is struggling to keep the business afloat and has accepted an anonymous investor. But that’s it. No matter how much I ask he won’t tell me anything else.

“You can wait in my office. I still don’t know why you wanted to come,” Bones says casually as the last person gets off, leaving us alone. He leans back against the wall in his suit. It’s such a plain outfit compared to his usual style, but he still manages to make it look ridiculously sexy.

“Because I want to see what you’re so passionate about.” I wrap my arms around one of his. When he’s not working on tracking down the men for me to kill he’s been working his ass off in his office at home or here.

“Will I get a chance to meet your father?”

Bones gets a nervous flush on his face and I chuckle.

“I didn’t consider that,” he says. “I’ve never had a girlfriend before.”

“Girlfriend?”

“Would you rather I call you my wife? That’s what I’d rather you were.”

I roll my eyes at him. “Girlfriend’s fine.”

When we step out of the elevator the floor is quiet, the only person around is an older woman with pink hair tapping away on her computer keyboard. She looks up at us then does a double take and stares at where our arms are joined.

“Noah!” she scolds him as she gets up and walks up to us. Her entire outfit is pastel, matching her hair. She’s like a sentient ice cream sundae. “You are not about to tell me you’ve met someone by bringing her here like this.”

“Afternoon, darling. This is Wynter. Wynter, this is Janine, my father’s assistant.” Bones gestures between the pair of us.

“I’m more than his assistant,” she scoffs. “That man would forget to wipe his ass if he didn’t have me.”

My eyebrows shoot up and I bite my lip so I don’t laugh.

“And I’m very grateful for everything you do for us. I’m just going to show Wynter to my office then I’ll head into the meeting.”

“Nope!” Janine takes hold of my arm and leads me towards her desk. “She’s not sitting around like a piece of furniture waiting for you. She can sit with me.”

Bones stands there speechless as Janine manhandles me into the seat in front of her desk. I shrug and let her fuss over me.

“Tea or coffee?” she asks me.

“Umm, coffee.”

“Lovely. Noah, get us two cappuccinos from the break room.”

“Me?”

“Yes. I have to work and you can’t expect Wynter to know where everything is.”

Bones shakes his head and mumbles something under his breath as he heads down the corridor. He gives me a look over his shoulder before he enters the break room and I grin at him.

“Won’t he be late?”

“No, I always mark his meetings as starting earlier than they do. I know what he’s like for being forgetful. He can’t help it, but I don’t want him to lose everything because of it.”

"What do you mean?"

She gives me a sympathetic look. "He's always been terrible at opening up to people. I'm talking about his ADHD. I'd hate to see him miss out on running this place because Gregory didn't get him the proper help he needed when he was younger."

Gregory ? That must be Bones' father.

I had no idea about his ADHD, but it makes sense now. He should have told me so I could have understood him a bit better.

Bones comes back with our coffees and kisses the top of my head before heading into his meeting. Janine is grinning from ear to ear at me and my cheeks turn as pink as her hair.

“I always hoped to see Noah settle down with someone, but didn’t think it would happen anytime soon. How did you meet?”

I tell her a vague story of seeing him at a club and how we got to know each other over drinks. She seems to believe it.

“He’s never wanted to help himself before. You must be the reason for it.”

How can she think that after knowing me for such a short amount of time?

“He’s helped me a lot,” I say honestly. “I’m trying to do the same for him, but it’s hard to get into that head of his.” I look towards the closed doors of the meeting room and wonder what’s happening in there.

“You’ll get there. After all, you're already in his heart.” My head snaps back to Janine and she laughs. “You can’t see it? He’s very much in love. I’ve known him almost his entire life and not once has he looked at anyone the way he does you.”

I can feel the blush creeping back onto my cheeks. I had wondered if it was all an illusion, a fantasy that he created. But with each day I spend with him more of my heart is left in his hands. It seems I already hold all the pieces of his.

“What’s his father like? Noah doesn’t talk about his family much.”

She sighs and takes a sip of her coffee. “Gregory has his own troubles just like Noah. He’s a good man, but he’s taken on too much alone. Rather than lean on each other they drifted further apart after losing Chiyo and Kimmy.”

My heart jumps into my throat. I’d never heard their names before. I feel guilty hearing this from anyone other than Bones, but I can’t stop myself from asking, “What happened to them?”

Janine’s eyes get watery and with a shaky hand she sets her mug down. “I don’t like to talk about it. Chiyo was a good friend. She and that little girl didn’t deserve anything that happened to them.” She opens up a drawer and pulls out a photo frame. My heart speeds up. "This is them."

It's a photo of Bones, when he must have been around ten, posing with his family in front of the house. His father has similar facial features as Bones does now, but he gets his hair from his mother. She's beautifully elegant, tall with long pitch black hair. His little sister, Kimmy, looks to be around four or five. She also shares their same hair and has the cutest smile. They all look so blissfully happy.

My heart splits in two for Bones. Whatever happened to them must have been something awful for it to affect Bones so deeply.

“I understand. I lost my parents a few years ago.”

“Then you’ll know to give him time to open up to you. He has his demons, but that boy is nothing but good.” If she knew half the things he’s done she wouldn’t be saying that. But I know that everything he does comes from the right place.

Someone lightly clearing their throat behind me interrupts our conversation. An elegant-looking woman in a dark purple pants suit smiles at Janine as she approaches. Her silver hair is piled high on her head and pearls are draped around her slender neck. She looks around the same age as Janine, maybe older. There’s something familiar about her.

“Daniella,” Janine smiles. “You’re early I’m afraid. Gregory is still in another meeting.”

“Oh, not again. This is the third appointment this week that I’ve got the time wrong. I’m sorry. My head’s all over the place. And I’m interrupting you! How awful of me.” She smiles softly down at me and something in the back of my mind throbs impatiently.

“No, please, let me show you into Gregory’s office. He won’t mind you waiting in there.”

“If that’s not any trouble for you? Again I’m so sorry for interrupting.”

Janine opens up the office door behind her and before Daniella steps through I stand up. “Do I know you?”

Daniella smiles back at me as she looks me up and down. Then she shakes her head. “I'm afraid I can’t answer that one. I don’t recognize you sorry, sweetheart.”

She heads into the office and Janine closes the door behind her before grabbing our mugs and heading off to the break room. I follow after her. “Who was that?”

“An old friend of the family’s. They hadn’t spoken for a long time, but after Daniella’s husband passed they reconnected. It’s only through business, but it’s still nice to see. Gregory’s been organizing this year's charity fundraiser in honor of her husband Tommaso.”

“Tommaso?” It can’t be. “Tommaso Abato?”

Janine nods and sighs. “Another tragedy to befall a good family in this city.”

I stumble back and catch myself on the counter. Janine asks me if I’m okay, but I barely hear her over the ringing in my ears. She sits me down on a chair and the room starts spinning.

“All this talk of death isn’t good for anyone. Take deep breaths and you'll be okay in a few minutes. My sister used to get panic attacks. The only thing that would help her was a weighted blanket, but I don’t have one of those lying around.” She keeps talking and all I want is for her to leave me alone.

There’s only one thing I know that’ll help me. “Noah,” I manage to say through my panicked breaths. I need him before they come for me again. The light flickers above my head and suddenly I’m in the basement. “Noah.”

Noah. Noah. Noah.

Not again, please. I thought I was getting past this.

I hear footsteps. Another man coming to hurt me. Fingers pry my jaw open, and then something hot and soft is sliding along my tongue.

“Open your eyes for me, my love.” A silky voice beckons me out of the darkness.

The thing in my mouth prevents me from doing anything other than mumble my response. I end up sucking on it and it gets firmer, filling my mouth more. The taste of metal is there amongst the musky, salty flavor. Finally, my eyes flutter open. Bones stands above me with a concerned look on his face as he caresses my head. His cock deep in my mouth. He starts to pull back, but I grab his hips, urging him to stay where he is.

With his thumb he wipes the tears from my cheeks as he holds himself in my mouth, letting me use him however I need. When I finally calm down enough to think straight I pull back.

I look around the room and it’s just the two of us.

“No one’s going to walk in. I locked it. Janine said you were having a panic attack. What happened?” he asks me gently.

“She’s here. His wife.”

Bones frowns as he tries to catch up.

“Daniella Abato knows your father. She’s in his office right now.”

He looks just as shocked as me.

“Did she see you?”

I nod. “She didn’t have a clue who I was. I thought she must have known what happened in her own house, but seems Tommaso kept his secrets—kept me —well hidden.”

My panic has faded, but now I’m left with this festering anger that won’t go away. I need someone to blame for all of this.

We’ve been getting rid of everyone that hurt me. Tommaso is already dead. With Daniella not being involved that only leaves the men that grabbed me.

“We have to find the man that started all of this. Dmitri Volkov. That’s who Jackson said took me right? If we get rid of him then this will finally be over.”

“It’s not that simple.”

“Surely you have connections that can help find him. We have to do something. He’s got to be the one that took Summer.” I can feel myself getting worked up again. When I try to stand up, Bones holds me down. “Please.”

With my mouth open he pushes his cock back inside. I glare up at him and try to push him off, but he’s still stronger than me. After a few moments, my jaw starts to ache and my body gets that light floaty feeling. I let out a long breath through my nose and manage to calm down again.

“Listen to me. You’ll get everything you need, Wynter. I promise you. It’s just going to take a little longer. But you can be my patient good girl, can’t you?”

I scowl at him again and he rocks his hips just enough to make me gag. My mind goes blank for a few seconds and all I can think of is his cock.

When I’m regulated again, I take him from my mouth and say, “Your father’s helping organize a fundraiser in honor of Tommaso. Maybe we could use that somehow to lure Dmitri out.”

I see him thinking it over, coming up with a plan as he wipes away the spit from my chin.

“Let’s go give our condolences to poor Mrs. Abato,” he says with a smirk.

When we go to Gregory’s office, Bones doesn’t knock. He swings the door open like he owns the place.

“Noah,” the man I recognise as Bones' father from the photo says with surprise. “I’m clearly busy. You’ll have to see me another time.”

“You’re always too busy to talk to your own son, but a pretty lady comes into your office and you suddenly have all the time in the world.”

Daniella looks between us with a smile on her face. So out of place compared to Gregory’s frown. Even more out of place considering she recently became a widow.

She stands up and I take a step back as she stops in front of us. It feels wrong being this close to her. I was in her house for months as her husband raped me. Did he take her to bed after using me?

“It’s been too long, Noah. You were tiny the last time I saw you up close.”

“Right,” he says slowly. Janine said that Daniella knew the family, but does he not remember her?

“I heard about what happened to your husband. Do they know who did it?” Bones asks bluntly and his father shoots him a death glare as he gets up from behind his desk.

“It was a home invasion. I’d rather not talk about it. I want to remember the happy times with him. You two actually remind me of us when we were your age. Young and in love, before we got all gray,” Daniella chuckles. “You’re a beautiful couple. How long have you been together?”

“Not long, but it feels like we’ve known each other forever,” Bones says, bringing me close so he can kiss my cheek.

“How romantic.” Daniella laughs, her eyes crinkling as she smiles. “Is marriage on the cards for you yet?”

“Definitely. The amount I’ve been filling her up, I wouldn’t be surprised if she had my kid on the way already. It would be rude not to put a ring on it.”

I stamp my heel down on Bones’ foot and Daniella laughs again, clearly delighted by the whole spectacle Bones is putting on. Whereas I am absolutely mortified.

“Oh, I knew it!” Her eyes light up with warmth. “You take good care of them both. You never know how long you have left together. Tommaso and I tried for a long time, but we weren’t fortunate in that department in the end."

Oh, I'm painfully aware of that fact. I hide my grimace as I stare at her, hoping that if I look long enough I can see the truth inside.

Gregory stands there, staring at me with his own odd look. It's striking how much Bones resembles him. The only differences between them are the wrinkles and hair. Gregory's is a salt and pepper colouring and a lot shorter than Bones'.

“I had no idea you’d met anyone,” he says, sounding almost betrayed.

Did Bones really have to make my first-ever meeting with his father so awkward? Who am I kidding? It’s Bones, of course he did.

It’s embarrassing enough being in the same room as the man when I just had his son’s cock in my mouth a few minutes ago, but it would be even weirder if I didn’t introduce myself. “Hi, I’m Wynter,” I say awkwardly. Gregory tips his chin up the slightest fraction and that’s all the acknowledgment I’m given.

“My future wife,” Bones adds and his father frowns at him peculiarly. “Speaking of babies we were actually thinking of getting a puppy so the baby can grow up with it. Let it sleep at the foot of our bed, on a chain of course. And if it needs punishing we could have a cage in the basement for it.”

All the air rushes out of the room and I’m left suspended in time for the briefest of moments. If it weren’t for Bones’ hand on my lower back I’d be lost.

Daniella looks taken aback. “Oh. That sounds a little extreme.” I watch her face carefully and either she’s a brilliant liar or she really is clueless about the dark side of her husband’s life.

“Did you and Tommaso have any pets?” Bones adds.

“No. We never had time for any. It wouldn't have been fair to leave them locked up in the house all alone while we were out working.”

“I’d hardly call schmoozing with other socialites working .”

“Noah!” Gregory snaps and Bones smirks. “We were in a meeting before you rudely barged in here and made a show of yourself. So I’d appreciate it if you left.”

“We’re leaving. I’m sorry we interrupted,” I say and Gregory’s frown softens ever so slightly. As far as first impressions go I’ve made a terrible one. Taking hold of Noah’s hand I pull him away.

“It was lovely seeing you both,” Daniella calls out as we leave.

Bones slams the door behind us and Janine jumps up from her desk. “Is everything alright?”

“Oh, just peachy, darling.” Bones hammers away at the elevator button and I give her a small wave goodbye as we step inside.

“You want to tell me what that was all about? I'm getting tired of you dragging me into things without telling me anything.”

“We had to make it believable if we were going to catch her out.”

I suppose he’s right. “She looked so confused when you mentioned the cage,” I laugh. “What happens next? We know for certain she wasn’t involved and I’m not killing her because of her husband's crimes. You say we can’t get to Dmitri yet. So what are we supposed to do?”

“Seems my little viper’s blood lust knows no bounds.” Bones hits the emergency button and the elevator comes to a stop. I eye the camera on the ceiling as he corners me. The cuts on my thigh start to throb along with my pussy as the thought of some random security guard watching Bones take me fills me with more twisted desire.

“I have an idea. Someone new for you to kill.” He’s so close now, his lips millimeters from mine. “Who else do you remember being in that house?”

My mind is so foggy with lust that I can’t picture the place.

“The doctor,” he answers for me as he draws back. I grab his shirt, bringing him against me so his cock is pressed against my stomach.

“We don’t know his name or anything about him.”

He buries his face in the crook of my neck and drags his tongue over the bite mark there. “If anyone’s going to know a psycho doctor in this city it’ll be our own resident Jekyll-Hyde.”

“Luka? The asshole you had put the tracker in me?”

“It was worth it in the end wasn’t it?” He rocks his hips and my lashes flutter as I start to lose my mind again.

I don’t answer him. He doesn’t need his ego boosted by me admitting he’s right.

“What do we need to do?” My question comes out in one needy breath.

Bones’ fingers glide up my thigh and over the bandage covering my cuts. “Leave it all to me, my love. After all, I always make sure you get what you need, don't I?”

I nod and he plunges his fingers inside me, making me scream. My mind breaks once more, leaving me as nothing but an empty shell for him to fill up with his own sick desires.