Page 50 of Manic

I smirked as her eyes widened, a mix of fear and sadness within them. It spread to her features, and her body sagged against mine. If I knew what sadness felt like, I might have empathized with her. Or I might have dwelled on how secure she felt in my arms, even with my tight grip in her hair.

“Come on, Sutton. Cry for me,” I demanded. “Daddy needs to see you in pain. We can’t have you going in there acting like you own the place. It would be bad for both of us.”

She pushed against me with a ragged breath. “You’re going to have to⁠—”

I tightened my grip. “Pull harder?”

“Yes,” she bit out, eyes welling.

A single tear cascaded all the way to her chin, smudging that mascara. Just what I wanted.

“So fucking pretty,” I whispered. “I hate to ruin that makeup of yours, but you never needed it anyway.”

“That would mean you have feelings.”

The corner of her mouth turned up, and I chuckled.

She blinked two more tears, leaving streaks of black to slip down her perfectly rosy cheeks. Time slowed, and everything around me faded as she parted her lips and pressed closer. Close enough to feel her chest brush against mine, almost as if she enjoyed the tight, unforgiving grip I had on her.

Unable to help myself, I pulled her hair, eager to see if she would press into me again. Instead, a soft moan crawled up her throat, and my cock fucking jerked at the sound.

The need to have her right here lit up my veins, but now wasn’t the time, so I forced her down the hallway by a fistful of her hair. Sutton whimpered, tripping over her feet until the poker room came into view.

The air was cold and thick, punctuated by the tension among the group. Luka wore a black suit and sat at the end of the poker table, his hands balled into fists. With Grave and two others at his back, Luka stared at my father standing across from him. Five more Crowe members stood behind my father, expressions slack, with guns at their hips. Cards were splayed, and poker chips were strung across the red felt as if they’d interrupted a game for this meeting.

Sutton sobbed when she saw Luka, and I walked her toward the back wall. His furious eyes raked over her, and I slid my hand around her waist as she stood in front of me. She shivered.

Luka tensed his jaw, but fear settled behind his eyes. Even if Sutton were to fight and scream, I knew he wouldn’t move. Not unless he wanted a bullet in his forehead.

“Now that everyone has arrived,” Father said casually, “we can begin to discuss terms. You’ve wasted too much time, and look where it got you.”

Terms. Like Luka had a choice.

“There will be no terms,” Luka snapped, wringing his hands together as he scanned the area. He deliberately avoided Sutton. “I already told you that feds are crawling through my casinos. They’ll request more audits—I can’t do it again. Do what you have to do without me.”

“Even with your daughter in our grasp?” Father asked.

Luka said nothing.

Father hummed and adjusted his cuff links with a calmness that pricked my skin. Sutton inhaled, quiet yet sharp, as if hearing Luka’s words, or lack thereof, came as a shock.

“I know who enters your casinos, Luka. The feds haven’t had interest in you in a very long time. You cannot use that excuse anymore. Your time is up. I want four million in the next three months. And your ports will be opening to the cartel and the Russians.”

“Four million?” Luka sputtered, eyes wide. “That’s impossible. I can’t just⁠—”

“You have no choice,” Father interrupted, then nodded toward Sutton. “Or your daughter here will become something more than just our captive. Is that what you want? Do as I say, and she’ll be free. Simple, yes?”

Sutton trembled but remained quiet, shifting on her feet. She pressed further into my chest, as if she could disappear from the room altogether. I firmed my grip on her waist, and the scent of her shampoo beneath my chin drowned out the thick cloud of cigar smoke.

Luka parted his lips, sputtering. “I⁠—”

“Because it looks to me like she’s already had her run around with Manic.” Father smiled tightly, looking over his shoulder at us before facing Luka again. “She already knows everything. Perhaps we could… keep her indefinitely. Keep her as your replacement. Or maybe we could use her in… other ways. I can assure that you won’t like the repercussions should you deny us further.”

“She is quite pretty,” Grave added. “I wonder how she’d handle a few Crowes. Or the Russians.”

Despite my blood simmering at their insinuation, I laughed softly and pressed my cheek against Sutton’s. My hand drifted down her waist. I teased the hem of her skirt, grazing the skin at her thigh, and she let out a soft whimper. I gripped her throat until my thumb rested on her erratic pulse, blood rushing straight to my cock.

“Dad,” she choked out, squirming. “Just do as he says—please. I want to come home.”