“I’m deadly serious, my love.”
“Why not him?” My mouth is dry and my heart kick-starts, hammering a painful beat against my sternum, but I keep my expression neutral. “Don’t make a federal case out of it, David. It had to be done.”
“I don’t like it,” he snaps.
I shouldn’t provoke his temper, but nor can I allow this man to intimidate me. I give him that inch, he’ll take a mile, and I’ll lose what small ground I’ve gained over the last two years. “And I don’t appreciate your tone.”
His lips thin to an angry line. “I won’t indulge in your nostalgia.”
“For Mayhem?” I laugh dismissively. “Come on, now. You know me better than that.”
And it’s true. I don’t have a single sentimental bone in my body for Mayhem. My worst memories were created there, and although I’ve made new unpleasant ones elsewhere, nothing compares to what I suffered while living under my father’s roof.
“You could have had any of them, but you chose Atticus.”
I throw my hands in the air, affecting exasperation. “Women talk, David. You can’t blame me for wanting to finally find out, firsthand, if he’s worth the hype.”
His searching scowl unnerves me, but I don’t bristle under its weight. “And is he?”
David’s tone is laced with more than mild interest. I can’t tell if it’s because he wants to know if the rumors regarding Wraith’s sexual prowess are true, or if I, personally, enjoyed the experience.
My sly grin is practiced, and every word and gesture are an act of survival. “Yes.”
“You had them turn off the cameras.” David walks to the wall of windows and stares out over the manicured grounds.
“I won’t apologize for demanding my privacy.” I notch my chin, silently daring him to overstep his bounds. “You laid out the terms of our marriage, not me. You live your life, I live mine. Remember? Well, this is me living mine, and I didn’t want your guards jerking off to me having sex.”
The Coliseum’s cameras are always on, always recording. David can bullshit the guards into believing it’s for a client’s protection, but he can’t con me. He records visitations for blackmailing purposes.
Also, David likes to watch.
His kink and need for control are the keys to his empire’s destruction.
He has everyone from local politicians to soccer moms coming and going on those videos. They attend Fight Nights. Indulge in illegal drugs. Patronize the brothel. Rape minors. If I can get my hands on those recordings, I can not only cut off the head of the snake, I can destroy the entire body.
“Lyle said you refused to allow him to chain Atticus.” David’s tone is too casual. He turns on the heel of his polished Hermes loafer. I will not be intimidated by a bully—not even one with a torture chamber. “What would have happened if that man hityouinstead of the wall?”
Wow.
Lyle didn’t spare a single detail when he snitched. He’s such a slimy turd who’s going to get his comeuppance when David’s empire crumbles.
I arch a brow and give him my best smirk. “I suspect I’d be nursing a nasty bruise.”
Blue fire sparks in his eyes. “Do you think this is a fucking joke, Jamie?”
I pretend to not notice his rising temper and, instead, play the part of the flattered wife. My stomach turns when I place my hands on his arm and give him a plastic smile. “I love how you’re concerned for my safety, but at no point was I in danger. You know how the fighters like to make a big show of it before accepting defeat.”
He shakes off my touch and points his index finger in my face. “That injury will set me back at least a week. Aweek.”
And there it is—it’s all about the bottom line.
“Forgive me.”
The apology is acid on my tongue.
“I don’t want you seeing him.”
Panic slithers through me, but I keep a level head. David speaks only one langue. Luckily, he’s taught me fluent Asshole.
