Page 17 of Serena
“Of course not,” she replies as if I just accused her of murder. I can’t deal with her.
“Listen, I have to go. I have a work trip that I leave for tomorrow.” I don’t wait for her response and hang up.
Today has been a shit show. My mother's indifference, my panic attack, Byran’s conversation, and Ian's visit from his “not fiancée.” The fiancée shouldn’t bother me, but it does. I’m not jealous, I just hate him for taking up mental space.
One minute, the bottle of wine is sitting on my counter, and the next, it’s being thrown at my mounted television, breaking both. Shattered glass flies in all directions in my living room. Red staining the carpet. Wine on my light-blue couch. I tighten my hold on the wine glass bowl and watch as it breaks, causing a shard of sharp glass to get stuck in my hand. I try to scream, but there’s a lump in my throat. I struggle to stand. I lean on the refrigerator and slide down to the floor, my panic setting in. I try to breathe again but feel like I’m drowning.Respira, Serena,Respira. I grab my phone and pull up the name of one of the few people whom I can count on. Pressing the dial button, I hope I don’t pass out before he gets here.
After I left Serena’s a couple of days ago, I needed to blow off some steam. Not only because I was ready and very willing to fuck her against the front door of her apartment, but because she pissed me off with that smart mouth of hers. So I called Caleb and asked if he needed my services while he was away. There’s always something to be taken care of when it comes to his business.
Felix, his right-hand man, and I are at one of the underground bunkers my cousin uses when he wants to indulge in serving his own form of justice or just good ole torture. I became a part of my cousin's world at a young age. I’m his executioner.
So here I am. I don’t know what this man did to Caleb, and I don’t care. What I do know is that he won’t be leaving here alive. It’s why I don’t bother hiding my face. I get to work. Every punch that lands on the nameless man's face brings me some relief. I imagine it being someone who’s touched her. Every time a bonecracks, I imagine it’s someone who’s heard her laugh, seen her smile. No one deserves them. Hell,Imay not deserve them, but I’ll still take them.
After a while, Felix steps in and stops me before I break any bones in my hands. I take a step back and admire my work. I casually pick up an unmarked gun that's lying on the sterilized table and put a bullet between the nameless man's eyes.
I fought with myself the entire weekend. I needed to see her, to feel her close to me. Remembering her body's reaction to my caress with the knife. I know if I slid my hand down to her pussy, she would’ve been soaked. Giving her the small weapon was a last-minute decision. After she shared how lethal she is, I thought,Why not add another weapon to her repertoire?It’s also one of my favorite knives.
The way she looked up at me with her big brown eyes. How her breathing became erratic at my closeness. Her scent that now follows me everywhere I go. Even when I didn’t touch her, I could see the want in her eyes. I was hard all weekend, but my wanting her isn’t new. I’ve wanted her for so long. Stroking my dick to thoughts of her has become a ritual. Thoughts of what I’m going to do to her consume me.She consumes me.
I didn’t expect a wrench in my week, that wrench’s name being Mila. I expected her to show up at my penthouse, which would have been preferable, so my security could have detained her. But no, she showed up at my office, of all places. Where the fuck was security?
I didn’t expect Serena to witness Mila's outburst, calling me her fiancé. I wanted to tell her that it wasn’t true, but first I needed to defuse the situation before it got out of control. I know Mila is conniving and manipulative, so I dragged her into my office.
“What the hell are you doing here, Mila?”
“Darling, I came to see you.” She attempts to wrap her arms around my waist, but I pull away.
“You need to leave right now, or I’ll have security walk you out of the building. You wouldn’t want that attention, would you, Mila?” She walks toward my desk, placing her purse on the chair.
“Darling, I came to work things out.” She bends over my desk. “Come on, I’ll let you fuck me right here, right now. Remember how much you loved it.”
The reminder makes me want to throw up. Fucking Mila is one of my biggest regrets. I was in college, and she followed me around. So I figured, why not? Now, she won’t let it go. It’s been years.
“Go to hell, Mila. There is nothing to work out. You have one minute to leave, or I’ll call security.
“Darling, we can be great together. Our families would be so happy.”
“You’re delusional. Oh, and Mila, stay the hell away from my mother, or you’ll regret it.”
She stands up and grabs her purse. “You’re going to pay for this, Ian. I promise you.” Then she leaves. FUCK!
I don’t want Serena to hate me because hating the person you’re going to spend the rest of your life with is not ideal. I know she has a temper. So I gave her space, but when she stormed into my office looking royally pissed, I couldn’t stop myself, so I provoked her.
Then she ran; she always runs. So I went after her, not giving a damn if anyone saw or heard us. I needed her close. My hands instinctively grabbed her waist, and I pulled her to me. For a moment, I wondered if she was going to kick or punch me, but when she tried to push me away, I didn't falter. With her, I feel whole. She’s the missing piece of the puzzle.
She thinks I’m playing a game, and her bringing up other women is an excuse to push me away. If she still tries to run, then I’ll tie her to my bed, better yet, I’ll tie her to me. Taking advantage of the closeness she’s allowing me, I memorize her body's reaction to mine. The way her breasts move when she’s trying to control her breathing. The way her hands feel on my chest, searing into my skin. Her big brown eyes, staring into my soul. She fits perfectly in my arms.
The moment is interrupted by Miles’s call. I was pissed, but I knew it was important; otherwise, he would have texted. As soon as I answered, he let me know it was my sister, Veronica. It physically hurt to pull away and leave Serena, but my sister needed me. As soon as I walked away, I called Caleb, who answered after one ring.
“Miles let me know. The plane is being prepped. See you in fifteen.”
I’m close with my sister, so when she needs help, I’m the big brother she comes to for it. She’s also the sibling who creates the most chaos for our family. A perfect example is the current situation she put herself in, being blackmailed with nude photos of her. The media is always sniffing for anything related to our family, so this isn’t ideal. She is reckless and self-destructive.
“Is this going to be a warning or a disappearing act?” my cousin asks from his seat. I don’t bother to answer that; my look says it all. “I’ll have a clean-up crew waiting.” Caleb makes a couple of calls and then confirms everything is in place.
I called Miles for an update. I instruct him to wipe anyone associated with the blackmailer from Vee's social media. Yes, we know who they are because these are little fish playing in an ocean full of sharks.
“Done,” Miles confirms.
