“My room.” I can’t keep the smirk out of my voice.
She stiffens instantly. “Why? You’re out of your damn mind if you think I’m sleeping with you after you’ve kidnapped me!”
Her anger is fierce, but there’s a hitch in her voice.
Interesting.Is she as affected by me as I am by her?
No, don’t go there, Matthias.
I shake off the thought.
“You’re staying here where I can watch you.” My firm voice stops her in her tracks. “There will be a guard stationed outside your door. Don’t even bother trying to leave.”
She crosses her arms, glaring at me.
I continue, unfazed. “The windows are too high up. You’ll only succeed in injuring yourself if you try to escape through them. And if you do manage to get out, my men outside will shoot you.” I pause. “And don’t forget, I have Benny.”
I make myself sound threatening. It doesn’t come naturally.
My default setting with the ladies is charming. Suave.
This? This is different.
But she needs to believe it.
The truth? No one will shoot her. No one will even touch her.
She’s mine to touch.
And Benny? He’s completely safe. I don’t hurt animals. But she doesn’t need to know that.
I shut the bedroom door behind her.
Once I finish briefing my men with clear instructions, don’t touch her and don’t let her leave, I head downstairs to my office.
I need to update my brothers.
I call Dom. As the head, he needs to know.
He picks up on the second ring.
“Dom, two Bratva men attacked me in an alley downtown. I took them both out. You need to send a cleanup crew.”
“What the fuck?” Dom sounds just as confused as I am. “Why the hell would they come after you? We’ve been at peace with them for over a year.”
“I don’t know. It doesn’t make sense.”
“Give me the rundown.”
I relay the situation to him but leave out one small detail: Margot.
She wasn’t involved. She was just an innocent bystander. At least that’s what I’ve decided.
I’m leaving her out to save Dom the trouble of questioning her.
And because I don’t want her involved in the Syndicate at all.
She’s too sweet.
