Page 14 of Bound By Her

Adria stepped out of the Uber, her heels clicking against the cold concrete. The building in front of her loomed like a castle—sharp lines, all polished glass and steel. Everything about this city grated on her nerves. Charlotte had stone, history, a soul. This place? Metal and opulence, all designed to show how much money could buy.

Callen, for all his wealth, had nothing but showmanship. In an eighty-floor building, his office was on the eighth. She had no illusions about how far he’d gotten.

Behind her, Eric walked quietly, a hired security guard in tow. She smoothed down her skirt absently. She wasn’t one to enjoy meetings like these, but she would play the game. For now, anyway.

Stepping out of the elevator onto Callen’s floor, she plastered a pleasant smile on her face and ran her fingers along her well-manicured bun before entering the room.

The room smelled of charcuterie and fine cheese. The glass walls of the office seemed to trap the sunlight, casting long, sharp shadows across the floor. She could feel the coldness of the room pressing against her, but sherefused to let it show. Instead, dawning the mask she had built over a lifetime.

Power was interesting in that it could be used for good or for evil. A fascinating force, that some wielded with the precision of a surgeon’s scalpel, while others stomped around with it like a stampeding elephant.

Callen was the latter. He ran the Romanian family empire with a ruthlessness second only to her father. His son, Bryson, was equally despicable, if not worse. Having a reputation within the Nine for being brash and arrogant.

Callen stood respectfully as she entered the room, but Bryson lounged to the far right, his left boot on the table. A fur coat fell off his shoulder, exposing the top of a lynx tattoo. He wore an abundance of jewelry. Several gold earrings in his right ear, a gold hoop pierced through his septum, and a single long chain dangled from the left ear. Rings covered each of his hands. The overall demeanor screamed,I don’t care if you look at me, but I obviously want you to.

Adria didn’t let her gaze linger too long. She wasn’t in the habit of giving men what they wanted.

“Callen,” she said, turning her attention to the family head.

Her skin crawled as she embraced the man, kissing him on both cheeks. “It has been too long.”

Callen’s moist lips kissed her father’s ring. He wore a white shirt under a black blazer. A faded tattoo snaked up his neck and connected with, what she was sure he would be angry to know, a poorly dyed black beard.

“Princess, it’s a pleasure, as always.”

Adria swallowed the bile that rose in her throat when he used her father’s affectionate nickname.

She and X had plans. Plans that would increase her power in the Nine and bring her mother back. But there were active pieces currently in play, and the plan wasn’tready. She couldn’t afford an inter-family dispute or a turf war. Which meant she needed to play nice at today’s meeting.

Callen clapped his hands and, immediately, people carrying an assortment of delicacies filled the room, stuffing the table to the brim with a large arrangement of food. The spread could have easily fed fifty.

“What a wonderful surprise, Callen. You never disappoint.”

She despised him.

“May I suggest the oysters?” He handed her a small plate.

“I had them flown in specially from Maine. They are to die for.”

She grabbed the gold-lined plate with red and white trim, Romanian family colors.

“If you have issues swallowing, these can cure you of that.” He winked.

She grabbed one, bringing it to her lips.

“I’ll have to try feeding them to one of my pets. Some of them have the hardest time learning to swallow.”

At his surprised look, she downed the oyster.

“What about you, Bryson?” she asked, eyebrows raised.

He looked up as she was dabbing her mouth with a napkin. “Have an easy time swallowing your father’s oysters?”

Anger flashed in his eyes, but after a quick glance to his father, he composed himself, choosing to ignore her remark.

So, hecanbe taught manners.

Callen continued to eat, prattling on about the comings and goings of the Winters empire, not stopping even to chew his food properly. Adria allowed this until it was clear that Callen had no plans to share the meeting’s purpose.

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