Page 64 of Poisoned Promise
My woman?
Having Dove back with me is so surreal that it takes me a second to work out that she is who Reese is talking about, and I quickly jap my elbow into his arm. “Shut up.”
That’s not a conversation we need to have because no matter how hard someone flirts with me or how beautiful they are, they won’t ever compare to her.
And she’s mine again.
Safe under lock and key in my penthouse where no one and nothing can get to her.
“I don’t think she’d appreciate you calling hermy woman,” I say to Reese, angling my body toward him and resting one elbow on the bar. “She’s a strong woman. Labels aren’t her thing.”
“But captivity is?”
My eyes narrow. “I’m keeping her safe. Whose side are you on?”
“You know she tried to kill me when she woke up. Am I supposed to just walk away from that?”
“Did your feelings get hurt?” I glance him up and down. “Or your ego?”
“It’s not like that,” Reese replies heatedly and he straightens up, but the fire of argument in his eyes fades slightly as the bartender returns with my drink.
“Here you are, darlin’,” she sing-songs.
“Thanks. Put it on my tab.”
“Tab?” She gazes at me innocently.
I pick up my drink and meet her gaze steadily. “Donizetti.”
“Doniz—!” Her eyes widen and she takes a couple of steps away from me. “Oh my— I’m so sorry!” Red spreads across her cheeks, then she immediately ducks her head and turns away, rushing away to the other end of the bar.
I watch her for a few long seconds. She must be new. No matter.
“You were saying?” I turn back to Reese.
“Look… I trust you, you know that Boss. But you killed one of our own from that woman and now she’s up in your penthouse like nothing happened. I’m not asking to know the ins and outs of all your plans, but you’re painting a huge target on your back. If Caterina finds out? You know fine well she’s tearing the city apart for that woman.”
“Only because she thinks Dove had something to do with her toyboy getting murdered.”
“Which she did,” Reese snorts. He lifts his drink and sips slowly.
“Did she?” I ask innocently.
Reese’s gaze is heavy on me as I lift my glass and drain my drink in two gulps.
“Boss,” he begins cautiously. “What did you do?”
I spent all day tracking down a small, insignificant family to pin the murder of the Rossi family on, and if everything goes to plan, the target on Dove’s back will fade within a day or two thanks to a call to an old friend. Until then, who I’ve set up will remain a secret until I’m satisfied that Caterina has moved on.
“Nothing.” Our gazes meet. “I’m just saying that the target on Dove is because Caterina is grieving and she’s interpreting things entirely wrong. When the truth comes out, everything else will slot into place.”
A look of pure disbelief crosses Reese’s face. “Why are you doing all this for some girl? Boss, she can’t be worth risking our lives or even your future. What if this gets out? All the people that sing your praises will see you turning to putty over some woman?”
If it were anyone else spouting such bullshit, I’d put them in the ground, but Reese has done enough for me that he’s earned at least one outburst without repercussions. “You weren’t with me back then so I’ll let that slide,” I say, setting my glass back down. “But Dove isn’t justsome woman.”
“Who is she then?”
My eyes close briefly as my mind drifts back to a time when everything was equally harder and easier than it is now.
