As she stood up, holding her smarting ass, it finally dawned on her what had happened. She did remember telling him that even if he wanted her, she wouldn't be on her back. He had just wanted to prove to her that she would be on her back, and she proved him right. "Cunny bastard," she fumed. She would have loved to challenge him in this game of his, but she didn't have time for that. He was dangerous as long as he was the boss. She should just find Emma while he was probably having a meeting with that Valentino.
She turned and bumped into a maid, again. The place seemed to be teeming with them. She looked up at the tall maid who gave her a smile that seemed scary.
"Are you looking for something, miss?" she asked in a polite voice, totally different from the expression on her face.
"Yeah, if you would just show me the restroom," Verena replied innocently.
"Of course, miss," the maid nodded, her smile genuine this time. "Just down the corridor, last door on your left. You'll find it."
As Verena advanced a few steps past the maid, a sharp blow to her neck sent her spiraling into unconsciousness.
She groaned as she blinked awake, this time staring into the eyes of the maid who had made her unconscious. She looked around and saw she was in a huge bed with black covers, and pretty much everything else in the room was painted black, except for the huge painting of a naked goddess staring right back at her. Was he a creep? She really should stop this habit of waking up in strange rooms. She turned back to the maid with a deathly glare on her face.
"Way to support the sisterhood, sister," she quipped, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she fixed a steely gaze on the maid, who was as stiff as a board even as she tied Verena's wrists to the headboard.
"There is no sisterhood here, only obedience to the boss," the maid replied coolly.
"So he told you to tie me here?"
"For caution purposes," the maid replied automatically.
Verena let out a string of colorful curses that brought a small smile to the maid's lips.
The door creaked open, and the maid stood ramrod straight.
She bowed as he walked up to them. He waved his hand, and she left the room, leaving her with the devil.
"Can you just untie me? These ropes are digging into my skin," she asked, not wanting to look at him.
"And leave you wreaking havoc in my house? No. What are you wearing?" he inquired, his voice low as he stood over her.
She glanced down and realized she was practically naked in the black lacy lingerie she had on. "How would I know? I woke like this. Your maid must have dressed me up in this. She probably thought you wanted me after that kissing show you and I gave them," she retorted.
He ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm just going to go straight to the point."
"Were you trying to prove the point that I would be on my back if you wanted me?"
He moved away from her to the table in the room and opened the bottle of whiskey on it. After pouring a small amount into a glass, he turned back to her.
"I am going to make a deal with you," he finally said, ignoring her question. "You are going to get Dominic for me in exchange for Emma."
"Are you insane? You want me to go against my former boss? I am not a fool, Mr. Salvatore," she stated. "I don't play games with death."
"You don't have a choice, Eden," he said, coming to stand over her, his eyes darkening as they roamed her body.
She struggled with the ropes that tied her hands. "My eyes are up here," she announced.
"You are the best option for this. From your background check, you were one of his best soldiers. And what better way is there to punish a man than to set his dog upon him?"
"I am going to forget the fact that you just called me a dog, and my answer is no. I am not interested," she declared.
He drew near, his breath teasing her lips with a tantalizing heat. The air crackled with electricity as their closeness ignited a primal urge within her. With every inch of space between them, her pulse quickened, her senses aflame the same way they had when he had kissed her earlier. She struggled against the intoxicating pull of his presence, the subtle dance of anticipation sending shivers cascading down her spine.
"I am going to keep that bastard out of my territory by any means possible, so you are going to take down Dominic. You should be grateful I am sparing you after you tried to kill me."
"A fact that has been replaced with that other situation where I didn't actually kill you. A don never forgets a favor."
"And a soldier never forgets a command. You are mine now, Eden. I have the only thing you care about."
He took out his phone from his pocket and moved it close to her face. Her eyes widened and fear thrummed through her as she watched a video of Emma crying in a room filled with men who she knew had guns, while a woman was trying to calm her down.
"How can you use a child to threaten me?"
"Looks like you weren't shown the other side of Dominic's operations," he stated coldly.
"You have an hour to decide if both of you die or Dominic dies."
"You are going to pay for this. And for killing Ava, you devil," she said calmly.
"Eden," he said, leaning to stroke her cheek, "the devil never pays for his sins."
He straightened and started to leave. When he got to the door, he paused. "And I didn't kill Ava. I never leave my jobs half done," he said, before leaving the room.
She wanted to scream out, but she couldn't because it was a show of weakness. A maid entered the room, different from the one who had tied her to the bed. She was holding a tray and set it down on the table by the bedside. Verena's stomach rumbled as she just remembered that she hadn't eaten for over twenty-four hours. The maid untied her hands and placed the tray in front of Verena. Seeing the table knife on the tray, Verena's mind raced with possibilities.
"You won't escape," the maid said, staring pointedly at her hand that was curled around the knife. "There are guards outside this room, and Don Salvatore does not like repeating acts of mercy."
Verena glared at the maid in silence as she stabbed her steak. She ate the food like it was her last meal as she was ravenous. The woman waited until she was done with her food and then packed away the empty plates.
Now with her belly full, Verena stared into the empty space in thought.
Her childhood memories were vague, but she remembered the day she was in the street running away from a man after she had stolen his wallet from his pocket. She had turned a corner and crashed into him, the man who became her father for the next eight years.
How could she betray the only man that had ever shown her kindness? And what did Vincent mean when he said he didn't kill Ava? If he didn't, then who did?
She was going to trick him into believing that she was on his side and get to the bottom of Ava's death. She had to be careful because she could not only lose her life but Emma's too.
She watched the clock on the wall and wondered if the way she was feeling was the way Atlas felt when he carried the world on his back. Emma's life was too dear to her to lose, but she loved Dominic too. Immediately, as the minute hand struck twelve, he opened the door. He stepped into his room, unbuttoning his shirt as he approached her. He raised an eyebrow as he saw what she was wearing. She had gone through the wardrobe and found one of his shirts. Its length stopped on her mid-thighs. She shrugged when she saw his quizzical look.
"I am not going to just let myself be dressed like a sacrifice for you. I have finally decided to accept the deal."
He chuckled. "Sacrifice implies choice, Eden. You're in deeper than you realize. And remember, playing with fire can be dangerous."
She chuckled along with him, moving closer to him as she did so.
He stared at her, every step mesmerizing with the gentle sway of her hips, as she closed the distance between them.
"Do you dare dance with fire?" she breathed softly, rising on her toes, her lips hovering near his, a sultry invitation.
"Because I am that fire. And I burn," she finished.