Page 55 of Dangerous Deception

“Glad to hear it,” Vito replies, evidently traveling somewhere by the subtle rock and sway on the screen. “Not to burst your bubble, but I have some concerning news.”

All softness from Adelina’s gentle touches fades. “Tell me.”

“I’ve been tailing Pascal as you asked, but there’s been nothing suspicious so far. In my downtime, I’ve been digging deeper into the two men who kidnapped Adelina and her friend.”

“And?”

“They’re not the dumb grunts we thought they were. In fact, they were both highly trained assassins with quite a reputation and an impressive kill list. Another life, we might even have hired them.”

“What the fuck?” What the hell were trained assassins doing drugging and kidnapping people for a black market skin scheme? “That makes no sense.”

“That’s what I thought. On one hand, maybe that’s how Pascal’s money ended up in their accounts. Maybe he hired them for a different job and the sex slave trade was just a side gig?”

“Maybe. That’s one hell of a hobby job, though.” Something dark curls at the back of my mind. It constantly feels like there’s something else just out of sight, something I’m not even close to realizing. “See if you can find out their client list. If he did hire them for a job, I want to know all the details.”

“Understood.”

“Details of what?” Adelina appears in the doorway with her beautiful red hair in a fluffy ponytail and a dash of sparkling makeup on her eyes and lips.

“Details on how to expand some of the winery sails,” I lie smoothly. “Drugs are one thing, but the elite aresnobswhen it comes to wine.”

“I’m not surprised,” Adelina replies. “Hi, Vito.”

“Hey, you look good. You two are off?”

“Something like that.” I end the call and hold my hand out to Adelina. “Ready?”

She beams at me. “Sure!”

The walkaround the local town is disturbed by only one thing. I can’t take my eyes off Adelina. She looks bright and happy. Her hair swings as she walks, she greets everyone who smiles at her, and there’s a bounce in each step. She’s so different from the woman who left New York and it’s only been a few days. I remain hyper-aware that this could all be an act and she’s about to crumble, but until that moment, I will support her happiness.

We visit a few smaller, family-owned stores then have a light lunch at a tucked-away restaurant near the sea. Adelina talks vibrantly with the staff and even tells me a few stories about her holidays as a child. We resume our walking through the town, visiting boutiques where I treat her to clothing and jewelry that will all be delivered to the vineyard, then I end the trip by taking her to the original destination I had in mind.

“A sex shop?” Adelina hisses, clutching at my arm as we step inside. “This town looked far too tranquil to have one of these.”

“Believe it or not,” I murmur back in a low voice, “people aren’t prudes here.”

She rolls her eyes with a smile, then a dusting of pink flushes over her cheeks as she takes in the store. The lights are down low and the clerk pays us no mind as we walk past displays of sexy costumes and BDSM gear. I guide her toward the toy section, keeping her hand in mine.

“You remember I said I wanted to learn everything about you?”

“Mmhmm.” Adelina doesn’t even look at me. Her attention is on the wall displays and glass cases housing the more interesting toys.

“I want you to choose anything here that you think might interest you.”

She stops in her tracks. “What if I don’t know what it does?”

My eyes meet hers. “I’ll explain anything you don’t understand, and you can decide whether you want to try it. Or we can leave.”

I watch the decision debate behind her eyes as she glances around, then she looks back at me and nods. “Okay.”

We start simple with bondage. Adelina immediately turns away from the rope and the ribbon but expresses interest in handcuffs, especially when I demonstrate how easy it is to break out of them. They’re mostly for a show of obedience rather than actual restraint. We explore the range of dildos, and her eyes light up at a few of the ones designed to look like monster tongues and cocks, expressing awe at what they must even feel like.

She amuses me when she finds the sounding rods and immediately turns those down, but she’s interested in the G-Spot stimulator, feathers, clitoral massagers, temperature toys, and a ring gag.

“This?” The ring gag dangles from my curled finger. “Would you wear this for me?”

Her cheeks darken. “It would stop me from closing my mouth, right?”

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