Page 12 of His Playmate
Tensing, Diego pulled his thigh away. Wolf wasn’t going to go easy on him. There was no point in fighting back now that he had already lost this round. He wasn’t going to win or get his way at this point, but that didn’t mean he would give up in the long run.
“What difference does it make? You’re going to hit me again when you feel like it.”
“I will not hit you for no reason. I’ll only punish you when it’s necessary. You struck me, so I put you back in your place,” Wolf said, pulling the riding crop away. “If you’re good, I’ll reward you.”
Diego felt himself perk at the mention of a reward. What type of reward would Wolf give him? If he complied with Wolf’s demands, then he might see.
“Are you hungry?” Wolf asked.
Diego was starving. But why was Wolf being nice enough to offer him food? It seemed like Wolf wanted to fulfill Diego’s needs, but that didn’t mean Diego should drop his guard. “Are you serious, Wolf? You cane me and then ask if I’m hungry. I don’t get you.”
Wolf was quiet for a moment. Then his hand was on Diego’s thigh. Only a few hours ago, Wolf had been brutal with him. Now the yakuza boss touched him with affection. It felt like Wolf was apologizing with a soft caress for hurting Diego. He didn’t want Wolf to comfort him. But Wolf’s touch was soothing, and Diego wanted to lean into it. He wanted more of it. Instead, Diego stayed still. That cane must have done something to his head.
“Dinner is ready. If you’re going to be good, I’ll let you eat at the table with me. Can you do that, pet?”
Diego glowered.I’m not your damn pet. “Fine,” he said, avoiding Wolf’s gaze. “I’ll be good.”
“Bathe first,” Wolf said as he unclasped Diego’s wrist from the handcuff.
Diego yanked his hand away. He didn’t want to argue because he was too sore, hungry, and tired. But he wasn’t going to play nice because Wolf had shown him a little bit of mercy. Diego’s ass and legs ached as he got off the bed, sparing Wolf a look before he limped and groaned his way to the bathroom.
After showering, Diego spotted a baggy sweater and new pair of briefs laid out on the bed. This time, he was alone. Diego pulled the towel away from his hips, hissing when the fabric rubbed against the cuts in his skin.
Once he got dressed, Diego walked down the narrow hallway and stepped downstairs. He found the dining room; Wolf was already seated at one end of the table, waiting. Their dinner was laid out on the wooden surface. Italian was one of Diego’s favorite cuisines.
Without a word, Diego sat in a chair at the other end. He dropped his guard and ate the pasta. Wolf was watching him, but he didn’t care. There was no point in trying to escape or attack Wolf now. Diego had to play this another way.
“I know what you’re trying to do. First you break me down, then you take care of my needs to get me to give in. But it won’t work,” Diego said. He relaxed in his seat and sipped from his wineglass, watching Wolf.
“You wouldn’t be in this situation in the first place if you had left my son alone. You know this,” Wolf said.
Diego believed Wolf was a man of his word. Giving Levi back, even if Diego didn’t get anything out of it, would be an easy way for him to get away from Wolf. Diego’s gang needed him. He could call Ander and tell him to let Levi go. That would grant Diego freedom, but he was reluctant to do that. He wanted the payout first.
Placing the glass on the table, Diego asked, “You’ll let me go if I give him back, right?”
At first Wolf didn’t say anything. He was silent and looked to be thinking before he said, “Yes, I will. But it seems like you want something out of it. So tell me what that is.”
“Why is that important?” Diego asked.
“Because whether you like it or not, your flawed plan involves me. And you dragged my son into this instead of dealing with me only. You’ve taken the most important person from me.”
“I don’t care.”
Wolf narrowed his eyes and placed his knife and fork down. “You don’t care, but I do. My ex-wife separated Levi from me for the first five years of his life. She wouldn’t let me see him and was negligent with him. I had to fight for the right to be in my son’s life. I already have a rocky relationship with Levi. This is going to make it worse.”
“So you’re blaming me for your kid’s problems?” Diego asked.
“No. I’m telling you: I want to be a better father to Levi. I want to protect him, but that’s not easy to do now that he’s older. My men have searched almost every corner of LA, and they still can’t find him. It’s been three days, Diego. He’s still a child.”
Diego stared at Wolf. He wanted to see Wolf as an enemy and nothing more. But Wolf was opening up to him. Wolf was sharing parts of his personal life that Diego suspected nobody else knew. Diego almost felt bad for taking Levi. He never had a good relationship with his own late father, but he respected Wolf for trying to be a good father to Levi.
“My men are good at hiding him,” Diego said.
“Even when you’re not with them, your leadership is impressive. I’m surprised your gang hasn’t fallen apart yet. But I can’t trust them not to kill Levi.”
“He’s the heir. I bet he’ll be as powerful as his dad one day. All your enemies have their eyes on him. He’s so valuable that I don’t want to kill him. I only wanted to use him to get what I wanted.”
Wolf watched him for a moment, his eyes inquisitive. “What did you need the money for?” he asked.
