CREWE'S POV
The Russians had wiped out my family, and that English bitch had destroyed my name. Now, I wanted revenge on both fronts, and I would achieve it one way or another. I would never let anyone walk all over me again. I would never let anyone into my heart again. I would marry out of convenience, choosing a woman who could give me children and carry on my legacy.
But that was all.
"Yeah."
I hid my discomfort by taking a sip of scotch. I had worked with Crow for years, but I wouldn't call us friends. Good acquaintances, perhaps. Men like us didn't really have friends.
"She came a few weeks ago. She said she had made a mistake and wanted a second chance."
"She's got some nerve…"
I wasn't going to take her back. I had turned the page on Josephine the second she betrayed me. All my feelings disappeared instantly. My heart had become hardened and black, and I had lost every ability to feel any kind of happiness.
Now, all I wanted was blood.
"I'm glad she's miserable."
They were harsh words, but I didn't care.
"Then we're two of a kind."
He raised his glass toward mine.
"Your new toy looks nice. I heard one of your clients pissed you off…"
Good news traveled fast.
"Yeah. I took his sister as payment."
Crow smiled.
"You should teach her a good lesson. But I have to say…"
He looked over his shoulder and glanced at London.
"She doesn't really look like a prisoner."
"What do you mean?"
Did he mean she was beautiful? That she was the sexiest woman I had ever slept with?
"If I were a prisoner, I wouldn't be smiling. I wouldn't be drinking scotch in a room full of men and enjoying myself. She doesn't look like she's being held against her will. It's almost as if she actually likes you."
He crossed his legs and leaned back against the couch.
I looked at London by the window, admiring the beauty of her curves. She had an hourglass figure, something I had always had a weakness for. I turned back toward Crow.
"I threatened to kill her brother if she disobeyed me. I implanted a chip in her skull. If she crosses me, I press the button and he dies of a stroke."
Crow nodded, visibly impressed.
"You thought of everything."
"Let that be a lesson to you. Don't ever try to screw me over."
He laughed.
"I wasn't planning to."
He glanced at London.
"Can we have some fun with her?"
It wasn't unusual for business partners to share women. It had happened to me before. Since I had made it perfectly clear that she meant nothing to me, his question wasn't out of line. But I didn't want to lend her out. She was my toy, my prisoner. I didn't want to share her with another man.
"No."
Crow accepted my decision without arguing.
"Don't be offended if Cane asks you the same thing."
"No. I'm surprised he hasn't asked already."
He laughed.
"You know my brother as well as I do. So why did you bring her here?"
"She wanted to come."
"To find a way to escape, perhaps?"
The more I thought about it, the less likely it seemed.
"No. She knows I'm not bluffing about her brother."
"Maybe she just wanted to get out of the house, then."
"She doesn't like my men. She says she doesn't trust them."
"And she trusts you?" he asked with interest.
I shrugged, not knowing exactly what she felt. She had wanted me to protect her from my employees, and for some inexplicable reason, that had turned me on. Then she had shoved her tongue into my mouth, and every logical thought had disappeared.
There was something almost magical about her.
"I think she trusts me with certain things."
"Well, being by your side is probably the safest place for her, so to speak. She'll never go hungry, she'll never be poor, and she'll never be in danger. But you're not going to keep her forever, are you?"
"I don't know yet."
"You're going to kill her once you've had enough fun?"
That was what I should do. Eventually, she would bore me. I would meet another woman, perhaps my future wife, and London would become nothing more than dead weight. And I couldn't let her go free. She knew too much.
He was right.
I should kill her.
"I suppose so."
---
LONDON'S POV
We returned to his estate, thirty minutes away by car. Crewe drove with one hand resting on the steering wheel and his eyes fixed straight ahead, while his other hand rested on his thigh. Twilight was settling over Tuscany.
It was beautiful here. I loved the warmth of the sun, the green vineyards, and the dusty earth rising beneath our tires as we traveled along the roads. In some ways, it reminded me of home. But in other ways, I had never seen anything like it in my entire life.
Crewe didn't try to make conversation. He seemed to be in a foul mood, although I had no idea why. I had been obedient and rarely spoke unless someone spoke to me first. I could have argued with him on several occasions, but I didn't. I was simply grateful to be with him instead of being at home with his psychotic associate and her violent henchman.
I wasn't trying to escape.
If I did, he would kill Joey. There was nothing else I could do except try to make the best of my situation. I didn't know how much longer I would be there. Maybe I would spend the rest of my life there. If I could make him fall in love with me, perhaps he would eventually leave Joey alone and set me free.
But the more I got to know him, the less plausible that seemed.
Crewe had no heart.
He had lost his family, and I knew something terrible had happened between him and Josephine. He carried too many scars and too much hatred in his heart. But at the same time, he had moments of tenderness. He had told me I was beautiful and ordered Dunbar not to touch me. If he truly didn't care about me, he wouldn't have intervened.
And I suspected he had changed his mind about Bones for another reason.
But I would never know the truth about that.
"Why do I get the feeling you're angry?"
He didn't take his eyes off the road.
"Because I am."
I should have been more specific.
"Why do I get the feeling you're angry with me?"
"I'm not angry with you. I'm angry with myself for letting you come with me."
"Why? I didn't do anything wrong."
"Crow asked if he could fuck you."
Crewe tightened his grip on the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white.
"Cane did too."
I was grateful he hadn't shared me. Crow and Cane were handsome men, but I didn't want to be offered to strangers. Sleeping with Crewe had been difficult enough at first. But now, it had become so natural that I barely thought about it anymore.
"You don't act like you care about me…"
Crewe clenched his jaw.
"And you don't care about me, so why do you care?"
"I care. That's all. I shouldn't have let you come. It was stupid."
"That's not fair. I didn't do anything wrong. It's not my fault they're perverts."
"They're not perverts. They're men. When a man sees a beautiful woman, he wants to fuck her. That's pretty natural, damn it."
He spoke through clenched teeth.
"Then you shouldn't be angry."
He turned his head toward me, anger blazing in his eyes.
That wasn't the smartest thing I could have said.
"Crewe, if you intend to keep me around for a long time, make use of me. Let me help you with your business. Give me something to do. I don't want to be at the mercy of your employees every time you're not around."
"I don't give a damn what you want, London. Sorry if that wasn't obvious."
I crossed my arms and looked out the window.
"Why don't you kill me?"
I had been hopeful before this, hoping that something good might happen. But now, my optimism was fading.
He turned toward me again.
"You just have to kill me. You'll get your revenge through Joey. He'll be absolutely miserable. It's a win-win."
"Why would I do that when I love being between your thighs so much?"
My pulse quickened at his words, but I wasn't entirely sure why. Was that simple declaration exciting me? Was it his possessiveness? Or was it nothing in particular, just a natural reaction?
I deliberately kept looking out the window, not wanting to see his reaction. I refused to respond to his flirting.
His hand grabbed my elbow, then he released my arm and took my hand instead. He placed it on my thigh before running his thumb over my knuckles. Just like on the plane, he showed me a surprising tenderness. It was soft and gentle, a sharp contrast to everything else about him.
My pulse slowed again, and for a moment, I felt at peace. I felt safe, as though nothing could hurt me while he was comforting me. I liked this version of Crewe, the one who showed me compassion out of nowhere.
"I'm not going to kill you, sweetheart. That's the last thing I want to do."
"Then what are you going to do with me?"
I didn't pull my hand away because it felt good. I wanted him to touch me. His touch made me feel alive, not dead and desperate.
"For now, this."
He lifted my hand to his lips and pressed a kiss against it.
"That's all."
It wasn't an answer, but at least it wasn't a death threat. As long as I remained useful to him, he would keep me. If he cared about me enough to kiss my hand, perhaps I had a chance after all.
But I still doubted it.
When we entered the bedroom, night had fallen. The stars illuminated the sky, and I stared at the view through the open window. I hoped Crewe had nothing planned for tonight. There was a lock on the door, and I doubted Dunbar would deliberately make my life difficult, but I preferred it when Crewe was around.
In his presence, everyone straightened up.
He dropped his jacket on the floor and removed his watch, taking his time as he undressed in front of the wardrobe. Then he removed his tie and began unbuttoning his shirt.
I tried not to stare.
I had never seen a physique like his. I had never seen a man so hard and strong. He was lean, tall, and muscular, with biceps that led into equally firm triceps. His pecs were sculpted to perfection, almost as though they weren't real. There was a tan line around his neck where his shirt ended, but it was so faint that it was barely noticeable. His shoulders were toned, just like the rest of his body, firm and muscular without being excessive. The only time I had ever seen a man that gorgeous was in a porn video, and even then, the man had been enhanced by the angles and lighting.
Crewe looked like that naturally.
I swallowed when I realized my mouth had gone dry. I was a prisoner of a criminal with royal blood, and I shouldn't have felt anything other than fear and disgust, yet instead I was experiencing a whirlwind of contradictory emotions that made absolutely no sense.
He then removed his pants and shoes, leaving him wearing nothing but black boxers.
I finally looked away, not wanting him to catch me checking him out.
"I know you like what you see."
📌📌 Will Crewe really kill London one day… or is he incapable of doing it?