Chapter 62: Lukiyan
It didn’t work.
I didn’t get Persephone Vittorio out of my system.
She’s still in there screwing with my mind in the most decadent of ways, and I’m still fucked.
What I should have done is fucked her.
Fuck her one last time and satisfy the craving she’s given me.
I could have, but I didn’t because I knew she’d ruin me.
She’d push me over that line to obsession, and I’d want her more than I already do.
Last night I knew I shouldn’t have allowed desire to get the better of me, and I should have left well enough alone. But I also know I would do the same thing all over again if given the choice.
Now I have to live with the consequences of my actions.
It’s a new day with a new set of challenges.
I arrived at the Grand Vittorio at eight a.m. sharp to start my first official day on the job. This is the flagship hotel in Emilio’s empire.
Two bulky-looking guards who look like they served in the Marines searched me on entry. Daily searches are standard protocol even though I’m part of the crew.
Smart move. Protocols like that keep people on edge and alert.
I’ve been standing in the lobby between the restaurant and the casino for the last four hours watching the place.
It’s been years since I had a job where I practically do nothing but observe.
I’m treating it like my stakeout sessions where I’m tracking my next kill.
So far the only activity has been the people leaving the restaurant and the excitement in the casino.
There’s already been a fight where two drunks battling it out over a woman had to be escorted off the premises.
What it’s been is normal, which feels abnormal for me.
Watching regular people walk into a place that is owned by darkness is strange.
I have a change of scenery in a few minutes when I’ll head up to the tenth floor, then a break after, which I’m going to use to get some air.
The parts of this mission that require my patience are driving me more insane than I already am.
When I’m left to my thoughts like this, Persephone enters my mind. She’s complicated things for me. Having her stuck in my head has jarred my brain and my body.
The look on her face as I ran my finger over her scar stayed with me too, and I want to know what caused it. There are only a few things that can cause a scar like that—the ones that never truly fade, even when they become invisible to the eye.
As if on cue, she materializes in front of me.
She walks into the lobby with Raven. They are followed by her aunt—Raven’s mother, and her stepmother who are practically walking arm in arm as they talk excitedly. Antonio is behind them.
I didn’t know Persephone was going to be here today, and she clearly didn’t know I was either.
Her autumn-colored eyes round when they see me, filling with fear, arousal and curiosity.
Raven looks at me too, but it’s the way most women do—like they want to fuck me.
Persephone’s aunt and stepmother don’t even acknowledge my existence.
Antonio, on the other hand, does, and he’s definitely pissed that his fiancée is looking at me the way she is.
He ushers the women into the restaurant and doubles back, heading my way.
As he approaches, I remember what Persephone said—that she didn’t love him.
Hearing it was nice, even though it was something I’d already figured out.
I knew their marriage was arranged before Emilio told me Persephone was promised to Antonio.
“Lukiyan Romanechka.” Antonio beams, stopping a few paces away.
“That is me.” I keep my tone even.
He straightens and squares his shoulders. We’re the same height but not the same build, so when I set my shoulders back, they look wider than his.
He thinks I’m a simple bodyguard—a minion, a runt, a new guy he can push around. Little does he know I could kill him with my bare hands before he takes his next breath. I’m sure he could give me a good fight. He has the muscle, but I’d win.
“We didn’t get a chance to talk properly yesterday,” he begins. “Since I’m going to be away for a few days, I thought I’d take the chance to have a word.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Yes. I like to know who’s who and what everyone is doing. Especially now that I’ll be in charge of the security team when I marry Persephone.”
This fool must like the sound of his own voice.
I know why he wants to talk to me, and it’s not to tell me about his upcoming endeavors or chat like we’re pals.
“What do you want to know about me?” I would so love to give him a firsthand experience of who I really am.
“It’s more like I wanted to tell you something.”
“What?”
His eyes squint, and there’s a tick in his jaw giving his calm away. “Keep your eyes off my woman.”
There it is.
I can’t help but smile. “Keep my eyes off your woman? What, are we in high school?”
“You heard me.” Antonio gives me a holier-than-thou smirk. “Try to remember she’s mine. Got it?”
My blood simmers like a pressure cooker waiting to explode as he steps into my personal space. I nearly lose my shit when he reaches out and brushes invisible lint off my jacket. His fake smile widens, and I want to pull my knife and cut it off his face. The last guy who made the mistake of touching me like this is now six feet under. I sliced him up six ways to Sunday.
I want to do that now.
But I can’t.
I shouldn’t.
Mustn’t.
I have to play the game. For Melissa. Only for Melissa.
“I got it,” I grate out.
“Good.”
He shoves me hard in my chest and grins. At the same time, the doors open, and Frankie and Emilio walk in.
“Hey, cut it out,” Frankie states with furrowed brows.
Emilio doesn’t comment. All he does is eye me with caution. Both he and Frankie would have seen what Antonio did, and they probably guessed his reasons too, although I’ve barely had any interaction with Persephone to get them worked up.
If they’d seen the way she sucked my cock last night and watched me eat out her pussy, I could understand.
The three continue into the restaurant, and I watch them sit at the long table.
Persephone is already looking at me when I switch my focus to her.
Antonio thinks she belongs to him.
She doesn’t.
How can she when she feels like mine?
I can’t stop wanting her, and it doesn’t look like the princess wants me to stop either.