Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

N ico

I should have gone back to the house when I’d known she was safe.

I should have ignored the burning anger inside of me that I hadn’t been able to stop.

I should have done nothing more than capture her, treating her like the child she’d behaved like.

But I’d chosen not to. It was ridiculous, my behavior more egregious than hers.

I shouldn’t have spanked her in the middle of the outdoors, even if it was dark.

And I definitely shouldn’t have allowed myself to touch her intimately.

But I’d failed her and myself.

I’d been able to tell no man had pleasured her the way I had. In my mind, I could see two young students who’d just wanted to get their rocks off. That was typical for a younger guy just trying to put notches on his belt.

Alexandra was a real woman with real needs and I’d satisfied some of them. Meanwhile, my cock continued to ache even more than before.

At least she didn’t fight me as I led her back to the car in the dark. She didn’t say anything at first, but I could tell it was on the tip of her tongue. “Did I do something wrong?”

“Other than infuriating me?” I asked, trying to keep my tone in check for now.

“Just like you did me. You have a short fuse.”

“Yeah, I guess I do.”

“Who the hell do you think you are?” Her defiance returned and I had a feeling it had more to do with the abrupt ending to our passion. I certainly could never label myself as romantic.

“That’s a loaded question, Alexandra. My guess is you really don’t want to know.”

“Maybe not, but I’m the curious type. I have the glossy brochure version of you with the stunning estate and I bet your wines are exquisite. But there’s an underlying evil deep in your soul that will eventually eat your alive.”

“Here’s the problem with your summation. I don’t have a soul.” That wasn’t a lie. In fact, no one could if they’d done all the things I’d done in my life. Horrible things. Violent things. Had that been more about the past? Yes, but karma never forgot.

“That I can see. Did you do normal things as a kid?”

We were already closing in on the estate. “Like what?”

“I don’t know. Play basketball or enjoy going to the movies with your buddies. When you were older, going to the prom with the right girl and pretending you and your friends were king of the world.”

It was tough for me to hear her questions. Honestly, no one had asked me anything of that nature in a long time. No one cared. “My family is close, but I had few friends.”

“Mmm… No wonder.”

“No wonder?” I asked as I pulled around to the front of the garage.

“Yes,” she said softly. I could tell she was looking at me. “No wonder you have no social graces. You don’t know how to. That is very sad. My aunt was difficult and very formal, but she taught me right from wrong and how to handle myself in public and when confronted by people who didn’t like me very much or tried to use me. For that, I am grateful.”

Her scent and that of her sweet pussy juice lingered, including on my lips and tongue. I would have more difficulty wiping the incident from my mind than any before, but it was necessary. I wasn’t prepared to tell her that, but she was a smart girl. She already knew it.

The awkwardness wasn’t anything I’d planned. Although we were nothing alike. I’d simply planned on providing her protection and nothing more, not assaulting her sweet pussy in the middle of a dark forest.

But she’d run.

I’d chased.

And that had made it okay?

After I pulled in and stopped the car, she didn’t waste any time jumping out. “I suppose this is the part where you tell me you have business and I should fend for dinner on my own. Right?”

Alexandra had a way of making everything I did seem childish.

“I’m establishing additional security in and outside the house. I have details to handle prior to my technician coming tomorrow. Plus, we are putting into place an ability to watch the Greeks. That takes time.”

I wasn’t entirely certain why I was attempting to justify no longer being able to be close to her. It sounded to me like I was rambling. That never happened. I was strong in my conviction, always authoritative when I spoke to anyone, friend or foe.

This moment and this woman had crawled so far under my skin it felt lumpy. I couldn’t believe I was using ridiculous analogies now.

“Of course you are. Don’t you have the most secure place in the entire hemisphere? Men are crawling the estate. I know they’re carrying big guns. That’s what brutal soldiers do. Right?”

“You’ve been watching too many movies.”

“Nah. I don’t think so. Since there’s a television set in my room, I might go for an all-nighter if I can find a hot mob movie. Maybe watching it will do me some good.”

She glared at me in the limited light of the garage, both her hands on her hips. As usual, she was daring me to say something. Anything.

“Ms. Carter got back to me. She is happily going to allow you to take the finals on the internet. You should have a link in a day or so.”

With my goddaughter, I couldn’t tell if her smirk meant she could see right through me or if she was grateful for my interference.

“Let me guess. You promised them millions in the way of donations if they would just allow one prized student to take exams online. Right?”

She had me there. What was I supposed to say to her?

Sighing, I walked closer and she took a step backward. I had to tell her about her aunt and the condo building or she’d never forgive me. There was no easy way, nothing that would soothe a woman who’d just been pushed away after almost being killed. The situation was getting out of hand.

“I have some other business we need to discuss.”

“Like how you stole my phone?” she challenged.

“Phones can be tracked. I will purchase another phone for you.”

“Good, because I need to talk to my aunt. What else?”

No one had ever been this defiant, her behavior bordering on disrespectful. “I’m having the monies in your bank accounts moved to more secure sites. Of course you’ll have access. It’s your money. I don’t want someone attempting to steal it.”

That seemed to hit her hard. Maybe she was beginning to see just how serious this situation was. “Okay.”

“One more thing. Alexandra, and this is serious. You may think my extra precautions are ridiculous, but I made the decision after receiving some information from America.”

“What? The Greeks killing each other?”

She just wasn’t going to let it go. “As you likely ascertained, they are violent and unpredictable. The entire building where you lived was burned to the ground.”

“What?” The shock was real.

“Yes, but so far, there is no conclusive evidence the fire was purposely set.”

“But you know it was.” She was shaking from anger. “The bastard. It wasn’t good enough to ruin my life? He had to do so for others?”

“I suspect you are correct and Adonis doesn’t care about anyone else.”

“Was anyone killed? The building had at least eight tenants.”

“One body was found.” I didn’t need to see her eyes more than I did to know tears had sprung in them.

“I’m so angry. I would love to kill that bastard myself. Maybe I will.”

Admirable but stupid, something said out of fear and defeat. “Along with that, someone came close to getting into your aunt’s house.”

“No. No!” She flew at me with all the rage I’d seen before. She slammed her fists against my chest, her eyes searching mine. “You told me you’d protect her and my cousin. You promised me!”

I gripped her arms. Being this close to her all over again was dangerous, but there was nothing I could do about it. “She’s being moved to a safehouse with additional security, more details placed on the hospital. It will be much easier to keep her safe.”

“You can’t promise me they won’t get to her. Can you? Can you?”

“Nothing with regard to the mafia is ever predictable. But I trust the people guarding her and they will kill anyone who attempts to get to her.”

“And that’s supposed to make me feel more comfortable?” She jerked away as she’d done before, her hatred stronger.

“If needed, I’ll have both brought here.”

“The big, bad protective wings of an equally dangerous man. I guess that’s supposed to make me sleep easier tonight. Well, it won’t. And she’ll fight you to keep from coming here. Remember what she thinks about you.” She walked away, her body language highlighting just how defeated she appeared.

Her defiance was such that I wasn’t certain I could keep away from her. There was no use in telling her that what we’d shared could never happen again. She’d simply have a nasty comeback and I honestly couldn’t blame her.

Not addressing it at all would likely come back to haunt me, but at that moment, I wasn’t in the mood to explain anything.

Including my jealousy.

We would proceed as if nothing had occurred. It was best that way.

Yet she was so beautiful.

So breathtaking.

So intelligent.

I knew it was going to be one of the most difficult things I’d done in my entire life. But the ugly truth was right there in front of my face.

If the Greeks saw her as a weakness, all hell would break loose.