Admittedly, it was a hunch. But Miss Meadows has confirmed it.
“That’s a serious and unfounded accusation.” Hathaway tries to sound authoritative, and fails.
“It’s also true.”
“Tony,” I say softly to my second-in-command.
“Capo Mandamento.” He replies with my honorific rather than my name and several people shift uncomfortably. Apparently, it’s not done in London to admit you’re a mafia boss. But it is by me. My capo bastone, brought from Milan, steps forward from where he’s been standing at the back of the room.
“Tony, take Mr Hathaway to retire toNaples.” I’ve always thought it was unfair to use Naples as the code for hell. I quite like Naples and have a villa just outside the city. I’d love to take Miss Meadows there one day… Except that’s as likely as Hathaway actually going to Naples rather than being murdered by Tony.
“I can help you!” Mr Hathaway protests as Tony quietly and efficiently removes him from the room. Everyone else watches, but I can’t look away from Miss Meadows. She’s stunning. She’d look even better with my baby swelling her midriff.
The door shuts behind Hathaway, and some of the tension flows with him.
“Now, Miss Meadows.”
She pinkens, but there’s steel in that adorably short spine of hers. Her chin tilts up. “Yes, Mr Blackwood.”
I love the way she says my name. It would be even better if she said it while on my cock. I lean forwards to disguise the untimely turgidity in my trousers.
There’s a muffled sound from outside the room, followed by an audible, “No, please!”
I sigh. Tony is reliable and efficient, but sometimes he lacks finesse.
There’s a shot, and a thud.
“Oh my god,” a woman on the left whispers.
Turning, I glare at her.
“I don’t like being lied to, and I don’t like incompetence,” I say.
There’s a murmur of submissive agreement. No one wants to be the next to be removed.
To Miss Meadows, I say, “You’re the new head of finance.”
She gapes.
“You can do it, can’t you?”
Her shoulders go back, and while she’s shaking, I admire her courage. The last person in her job role was shot, and she doesn’t know that she is under my protection now. “Yes, Mr Blackwood.”
“Good. Take over the presentation, please. Since you prepared it, I’m sure you can.”
Her pretty, pale eyes go wide and there’s a moment when I think she might run away. Her gaze flicks to the rest of the people in the room, as though for approval, and her expression drops as she finds nothing there but fear.
“You’re not talking to them.” Her head snaps around. “Just talk to me, Miss Meadows.”
“Yes, of course, Mr Blackwood.”
She works for me. I’m going to exploit that shamelessly. I’ll be her work daddy. Whatever she needs. I’d also be her lover, her husband, her everything, but there’s no chance of that.
Whether she likes it or not, I’m going to nurture her. First, I’m going to find out everything about her, then, I’ll give her everything she’s ever wanted.
I thought I’d be ignoring this company? Just goes to show what an idiot I was only an hour ago. I’ll be working night and day to ensure Miss Meadows has a long, happy, fulfilling life.
There’s only one thing I want to achieve now: care for amore mio dolce. My forbidden girl.
