Page 4 of Hostile Secret
“I’ve killed many men.” His sonorous voice lowers. A rumble of fire and smoke that sizzles through me.
He stands poker straight while his arms fold across his broad chest.
“You know who I’m talking about.” I prance closer, my gel polished toenails brushing his designer sneakers. “You dealt with Acer, the banker who blew up my brother.”
Even now when I talk about it, my throat tightens, making it hard to swallow.
Giovanni drags his sunglasses down the bridge of his nose, quietly regarding me with those remarkable eyes of his. The pale green color is unreal—supernatural.
A healing gash on his defined cheekbone gives him a certain edge that André doesn’t have. He plays the role of a villainous hero perfectly, and I’m eternally grateful for this particular act of vengeance.
“I can neither confirm nor deny your allegation. However, the mission I completed in New York was a success,” he states cryptically, unfolding his arms to check his wristwatch. “Reno can rest in peace. That’s four minutes left to grab your stuff.”
A chill scurries over my scalp as a wave of emotion bubbles up from inside of me. Gratitude propels me forward. To reach his neck, I have to lift onto the balls of my bare feet and stretch. When my chest bumps into his, I swear I hear the air leave his lungs in a gust.
“Thank you, Gio. Thank you so much,” I mumble into a solid wall of muscle.
He freezes, notably not moving his hands to touch me in any way. I’m hanging from his neck like a pendant, and he refuses to reciprocate the embrace.
Unexpectedly being this close, with so much of my exposed skin pressed against him, something absurd and delicious sparks in my core.
I can't explain it, nor do I have time to process the tingles when he reaches behind his neck, roughly cuffs my forearms, and peels me off and away from his personal space.
When my hands drop to my sides, so does his gaze. It dallies from my shoulders to the ill-fitting bikini barely containing my breasts and trails to the knotted strings at my hips. I’m more or less naked, except for the layer of goosebumps his silent observation conjures.
That lingering sweep of his unreadable eyes ignites a blooming warmth between my legs. A forbidden heat that spreads like wildfire.
The fabric of his long-sleeved t-shirt tightens wickedly over flexed shoulders, and for some unforgivable reason, I shiver even under the hot sun.
As we stand in silence, André’s twin doesn’t stare at me with brotherly adoration. It’s something dark, dirty, and dangerous.
When his jaw ticks, I get the impression he’s straining to keep himself in check. Behind those glass-like irises lives a puzzling obscurity. I can’t quite figure out if he’s aware of this strange charge of electricity. Or if he’s capable of feeling anything.
I take a sip of oxygen as he towers over me. Suddenly, his brows snap together and he mutters under his breath in Spanish, “No necesito esta mierda.”
I’ve lived in the United States all of my life, however, being around a Colombian drug lord from the age of nine means I’m quite adept at understanding his native tongue.
“Well, I don’t need this shit either.” I step back, stung by his admission.
Those inky pupils of his flare. Everything about him emits authority and darkness.
“I’m mature enough to live on my own. The apartment in Miami is mine and Reno stashed emergency funds in the safe.”
His mouth quirks. “This has nothing to do with your age or the amount of money you have.You,India Hardy, belong to the Souza cartel. My brother considers youfamilia.Which means you’re one of us. And the only way out is a bullet. Reno understood the reality of it, and I’m surprised you haven’t figured it out for yourself. Not every kid gets to stay on a private island with us. Did you really think we’d let you walk off on your own?”
The air thickens under his assessment of my skimpy bikini. I’ve never experienced such a powerful response from a man's inspection before. I’ve got flutters in places that shouldn’t flutter.
His silent stare dares me to step out of line just so he can force me back in my place.
What’s more disconcerting about this god-like man is how his cavalier gaze sets my veins pulsating. The unreadable wisp of secrecy darkening his green eyes vibrates through my body like an electromagnetic wave.
It’s a foolish hook of temptation that pierces my common sense and somehow anchors me to him. Thinking such a bat shit crazy notion makes my cheeks burn.
I shouldn’t enjoy the buzz when his handsome features resemble my brother's best friend.
Daenis nudges my thigh with her wet nose when I grind my teeth together, unsure why my emotions are all over the place.
I set my hand on her soft head, widen my stance, and pull back my shoulders. The gesture is meant to project confidence in the presence of such an insensitive man. Despite that, it only serves to highlight my breasts under his scrutiny.
