He jerks his head at one of his staff, shooting off something in rapid-fire French. “Franz will take you up via the staff entrance. No one will see you, I promise it.”
I give him my most genuine smile, because it’s hard to resist a man who smells like molasses. “You are the answer to my prayers, Chef.”
“Please, call me Matteo.” He clicks his fingers and one of his staff brings forward a menu. “I have created a dessert in your honor. See? The Sweet Rowan. It’s a berry and chocolate mousse tart and is praised for melting in your mouth.”
Under normal circumstances, I’d probably burst out laughing, but he’s so eager to please, I don’t have the heart. “Thank you, Matteo. I’m so touched. Will you send a dozen up to the governor’s room?”
“Of course.” He beams at me, then clicks his fingers again, and another kitchenhand brings forward a pen as the chef whips off his hat. “Please, will you sign this for me?”
“I have a better idea,” I tell him, sticking my finger in a pot of molten chocolate and liberally coating my lips. Bending down -with just the right amount of ass wiggle for the rest of the room - I smack a chocolatey kiss on the front of his hat. “With love, from Rowan Vale,” I coo, swiping my tongue over my lips in my signature move.
The little show earns me a hearty round of applause, the head chef clutching his burly chest as he gives me a crisp bow. “The governor is a very lucky man. Mr. Vale.”
That’s definitely harder to smile through, but Kennedy is quick to step forward and hustle me away. Franz leads us to the elevators, his eyes so adoring I can’t resist kissing his cheek as he swipes us through to the club rooms.
He stares after me with a slack mouth, but I don’t need any further help to crash the governor’s breakfast. I’m still licking chocolate off my lips as I approach the lone man sitting at a table big enough for a football team. He has a few breakfast plates in front of him, but the majority of the mahogany table is taken up with paperwork. There’s an intimidating scowl on his face as he studies a document, his pen poised like he’s either going to sign the thing or stab it.
“Morning, Governor.”
His head snaps up, deep blue eyes darting from me to Kennedy, and then over to his bodyguards at the door. “This is a private area…”
“Don’t make a fuss,” I tell him as I slide into a spare chair and hook one of his breakfast plates in my direction. It’s definitely not a Sweet Rowan, and I pout at the remains of his egg white omelet. “I’m not here to assassinate you, or anything.”
He jerks away from me, and Kennedy shakes her head at the two bodyguards. I’m pretty sure she’s armed under her jacket, but at the very least, she probably has her pissy face on. “What do you want, Mr. Vale?”
“Glad you recognize me,” I lie, picking up his coffee and taking a sip.Ugh.It’s as bitter and boring as he is. “That will cut down on pointless chitchat.”
He studies me for a moment, his gaze raking over my red velvet suit before he sits back in his chair, his expensive pen rolling between his fingers. “Glad you’re self-aware enough to know you’re wasting my time.”
I wave a dismissive hand at him. “I’m just here to deliver a message. Well, it’s really a message for you to pass along to your goon friends.” I lean closer, narrowing my eyes at his stupidly handsome face. I’m pretty, but this guy looks like a cross between a Greek statue and a mafia prince.Which reminds me…“The Carrillos need to stay the fuck away from Diana, or I will tell the whole world that you’re their little bitch.”
Watching a powerful alpha swell with fury is quite fascinating, especially when they smell like firecrackers and five-hundred-dollar whiskey. His scent envelopes me like a crushing hug, and I’m surprised that actual blue fire doesn’t spit from his pretty eyes. “What the fuck did you say?”
“You’re in cahoots with the Carrillos and their sick shithole of a slick factory.” I take Diana’s crumpled jumpsuit from a sealed bag and toss it on the table in front of him. I was pissed when Kennedy told me she’d dug it out of the trash can in my bathroom, but I figure it works pretty well as ‘Exhibit A’. I tap a finger on The Serenity Center logo on the breast pocket. “This is proof that your buddies have been holding omegas as slaves and milking them for their slick.”
He lifts a hand like he’s about to snatch up the jumpsuit, but freezes, his nostrils flaring. “Why does this smell like Lily?”
“As if you don’t know,” I sneer. “Butweknow, and if you don’t do what I say, I’ll go straight to the press with every last sordid detail.”
“You little shit,” one of the bodyguard mutters behind me, but the governor swipes his hand in his direction, cutting him off. He reaches forward to touch the jumpsuit, but I jerk it back, rolling it into a tight ball in my lap. “No touching, asshole. In fact, you and Luscious will never touch Diana again, got it?”
I rise to my feet, but the governor moves so fast I’m pinned to the chair before I can blink. There’s some kind of scuffle behind me, but I can’t look away from the alpha looming over me. He has one hand on the chair-back and the other on the table, so he’s nottechnicallytouching me, but the weight of his dominance is terrifying. He must see the fear in my face, because he jerks back a few inches and nods towards my chair. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Mr. Vale, but if you sit down, I’ll fix it.”
“By pushing another omega around?” I sneer, shoving hard against his chest. “You and Luscious fucking deserve each other!”
His brow crinkles in a good imitation of confusion, but my heart is beating so hard my head is spinning. I shoot a glance over my shoulder, relieved to see one of the bodyguards out cold, and the other down on his knees with my sister’s gun against his head. “Alright, Ro?” she asks, her teeth clenched tight.
“Fine,” I mutter, smoothing down the lapel of my jacket. I shove my shades back on my face, and tucking Diana’s jumpsuit under my arm, retreat to my sister’s side. We’re almost at the door when I remember the other part of the message. “The same applies to your feral pet Kane. If he tries to track Diana down, Kennedy will shoot him, and then I’ll release every sordid detail to the press.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“I’m sorry, boss…”
I shake my head at Watts, who is checking over Peterson, only to find he’s still out cold on the floor. My remaining conscious bodyguard is now looking at me like a whipped dog, and I feel a familiar stir of frustration.Kane would never have let them ambush me in my own fucking hotel room.
Swallowing a growl, I wave a hand at Watts. “Just make sure my car is ready downstairs.” I adjust my suit jacket, because while I know it’s as neat as usual, it doesn’tfeelneat. Not after the way I nearly grabbed that omega by the neck and shook him until his teeth rattled.
Watts’ eyes dart around, taking in the sea of unfinished paperwork spread across the table. The guy is pretty inflexible for personal security, and I can see the annoyance brewing in his face. “You’re heading out?”
