Page 58 of Hostile Vows
Our gazes linger. He inhales slowly, his wicked ebony lashes blinking at me. To date, I’ve known André to be a merciless god of power and a hot-blooded devil, but the harrowing expression on his handsome face confuses me. Those dark eyes of his are no longer roguish; they’re moonless pits where lost souls never return. I stare back at him, fully aware of the debilitating lure of his supremacy and how he’s the sexiest man I’ve ever been this close to in my whole life.
His jaw works as his teeth grind. “Come here, Sinéad.”
He holds out his hand, his inked throat corded with muscle and his command completely unyielding. My knees weaken, authority emanating from him in the form of an intoxicating aura, erotic and powerful. Our tense standoff doesn't last long, not even a heartbeat of hesitancy when he grabs my arm and yanks me into his solid chest.
“I don’t need a maniac following me around and threatening to kill everyone. I’ve dealt with drunken assholes countless times in the past,” I whisper.
“His hands were onmywife. Onyou. There’s no room for negotiation in those circumstances.” He would kill me too, if he was bored of our arrangement already. “As for the maniac following you around, I’myourfucking maniac, Sin. Get used to it.”
The way in which he gradually glides his free hand to my throat and the other, still gripping his revolver, moves to the base of my spine is chilling. He doesn’t speak again, breathing with intentional control, the hard wisp of each exhale settling on my face to create unbearable anticipation.
Without a care for the avid spectators around us, he covers my lips with his, hard and furious. He glues me to his torso using his strength and bends in to deepen the forceful attack. The kiss isn’t tender or loving; it's carnal and ferocious. An overprotective man staking his claim at the same time as he announces my role to everyone in attendance. They all know who I am now. There’s no questioning it.
The boss' wife.
The cartel.
His.
André’s lips are so smooth and yet harsh in their pursuit of ownership. He bites my lip. Our tongues joust in a war that gets more potent with each passing moment. As much as I’m drowning in this controlling battle of ours, I’m furious. He didn't tell me Sky Hotel belonged to him or that there were undercover bodyguards watching me like a flightless bird. I’d foolishly trusted this farce of a job as a compromise, thinking he was giving me something of my own. A degree of freedom within a life sentence.
Sensing my growing displeasure, he grips my throat tighter to drive his point home, then rips his mouth away and presses a chaste, reverent kiss to my forehead. His lungs expand and contract while I dab my swollen lips, wondering what fate holds for us.
“Get those fuckers out of here,” he growls, his eyes never leaving mine, not even when his men move to act on the sharp command.
My gaze flits behind him where the two men are hauled toward the exit. As they’re dragged out of the bar, the armed men fall back to create a protective horseshoe shape around us. No one can see us now—except for David and Lennon, who stand behind the bar, dumbstruck. A weight sinks in my stomach and embarrassment fuels my temper.
“Why didn’t you tell me this was your hotel? How the hell am I supposed to work here now?” I hiss, low enough not to cause a scene.
“You wanted bar work, didn’t you?” There’s a noticeable change in the way he speaks; the calculating demon inside of him has seemingly chilled. “What does it matter if it's a Souza-owned hotel or a shack on the beach? I gave you what you wanted, Sin. Just because you own it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy pulling pints or mixing cocktails.”
“Idon’town this hotel, Dré—you do!”
“Baby, you own it all.” He winks at me. “This is your life now. Wealth and bodyguards included.”
I shake my head and sigh. He just doesn't get it. Or maybe I’ll never accept losing myself in this marriage. The metallic taste in my mouth needs to be rinsed out and my frustration time to cool.
“I need to use the washroom.”
“Take your time. I’ll smooth things over here.” His head angles sideways where he expects to find his friend and locates him. “Reno, walk with Sin and wait for her. We’re going home after I spin some shit for the media.”
“We’re going home together?” I chide. “Don’t let me get in your way. I’m sure you have plenty of things to do that don’t involve me. Isn’t there another all-night party for you to attend or another woman to fuck and ignore afterward?”
“You’ve missed me.” He thumbs his lower lip and stares at me under his lashes. “The jealousy in your pretty eyes is getting me hard, Wifey. I guess absence really does make the heart grow fonder.”
“My heart has nothing to do with it.”
“Oh, so it’s your wet little cunt that misses me?”
“I hate you, Dré.”
“When I get you home, you can hate fuck me until you pass out. I’ll teach you how to squeeze my dick with all that pent-up sexual tension that’s drenching your panties,” he whispers close to my ear. “You can fuckmeuntil it hurts this time.”
“Mr. Souza. What happened here?” Janel appears at the periphery of the soldiers. “Is anyone hurt?” Her brow scrunches when she catches sight of bloodied knives.
André chuckles darkly. “A few minor injuries. Nothing life-threatening.”
I glance over at David, who’s dragging a clump of paper towels through a pool of blood, his gaze purposefully lowered. Lennon briefly catches my eye and offers a slight smile, as if he knows this will be the last time I see him. Then he looks away to make sure he’s not caught staring at the mad boss’ wife.
