Chapter 76: Untitled Chapter

GIANNA

Though Ruin looks charming I could sense an underlying darkness in him. Same as Dane’s only more controlled, I have no doubt he has more darkness hiding beneath his veneer of charm.

He’d been silently observing my interaction with the guys and even when the woman...Sydney kissed Dane he’d been watching me like a hawk.

“I can’t say that I feel the same,” I replied with a calm I didn’t feel.

“Good for you, I like your honesty,” his lips twitch, his eyes glinting with amusement. He was still holding my hand. I went to pull away but he didn't let go.

“I’ll apologize for what you went through, but surely the experience you got is worth all the trouble you're in,” he said with a grin that instantly had my cheeks flaming. The man had no shame.

“If kidnapping an innocent clueless woman is what you mean by worthy experience, then I’ll say no. It’s not.”

“Come now, it can't be all that bad. Jax and Dane are one of the best escorts we have here in NYME. Their lists of clientele are always piling up." His reminder of who and what Jax and Dane are did nothing but fuel my anger.

“Listen, I'm not here for this. I’m here because I thought you had some information about who signed me up,” I said coldly, holding his stare before I finally glanced away.

For some strange reason I found, I couldn’t stare into his eyes for long. And he seems to know it, if the smirk on his lips is any indication.

He took me by surprise when he lifted my hand and placed a cool kiss on the back of my palm, his eyes holding my wide eyes.

“Enough,” Jax who was suddenly glaring at him said, yanking my hand from Mr Lockhart or Ruin as he said I should call him.

The man chuckles and follows close behind as Jax guided me to where the couches were. Dane has been sitting on the couch since his sugar mama or whoever the hell she was had left the office.

The shameless jerk had his legs on the glass table in the middle as though it was his home.

“Please have a seat Miss Brooks. Can I call you Gianna?” I sat down and nodded.

“Yeah, if you want,” I replied, not caring either way what he called me.

“Good.

Jax handed me a bottle of water he’d just found on the table and opened. I’ve been parched since I woke up from the sedatives Dane had injected me with.

So I needed the liquid, I nodded my thanks to him and took the water. I wasn’t surprised when I emptied the whole bottle, I felt a bit better. Jax sat on my right while Dane was on the left on a single seater.

Damon…uh, I mean Ruin is now seated on the chair across from me. I throw one leg crossed over the other my inner boss, the armor I use in board meetings on display. I’m not going to allow this stranger to fluster me anymore.

His lips curved a little as he took in the subtle change in my demeanor. Just then Jax phone rings, he excuse himself and move closer to the door

“Gianna, would you like some tea or coffee.”

“No, thank you. I just want to get this over with,” I said, thinking of the phone calls I have to make. He nodded.

“We’ll begin when Jax is through with his phone call, so I don’t have to repeat the same information twice. I have another meeting in an hour.” I nodded.

“I understand.”

For a few seconds no one said anything except for Jax's voice talking in a low tone. Ruin glanced at Dane who pretended we weren’t there and was busy doing God knows what on his phone.

I know the instant his eyes fell on the side of Dane face where my finger print was starting to fade, his lips twitched.

“That’s a nice shade of pink Dane, I’d never known there’s a woman who is immune to your dark charms,” he taunts, winking at me and deliberately poking at Dane—who hadn’t said a single word to all of us including his boss.

“Go fuck yourself Ruin,” Dane said without lifting his eyes from his phone screen. Ruin chuckles he doesn’t act like their boss more like a close friend would.

As though he knew I was staring at him despite my best efforts not to. Dane glances up and our eyes connect for a couple of seconds.

Those dark green eyes look even more intense in the light of day.

I bite my lip, my eyes taking in what I had done, shit I got him good. I hadn’t held back. I almost feel bad, but then I saw the image of him locking lips with Sydney and I also recalled why I slapped him in the first place.

And my heart instantly hardened, I sent him the coldest look I could muster and glance at Jax who was back. He smiles at me in that way he does, melting my anger away. I was helpless against that killer smile, I found myself smiling right back at him.

“Ahh! I see,” Ruin said grinning. “Interesting.”

“What?” I said feeling myself blush from head to toe.

“Nothing. It's nothing at all,” he replied as Jax sat down on his previous seat. The tone of his voice and the look in his eyes said whatever he meant by that statement was not nothing. But I didn't care to know, I just wanted to know what he'd find out.

“Now Gianna, what would you like to know?”