Quintessentially Q (Monsters in the Dark #2)(36)

My hands fisted, and I shot forward into his personal space. “She’s not my f*cking slave. Her name is Tess and she’s a part of my life now. You’ll never discuss how she came to be that way. Am I understood?”

Frederick nodded, non-repulsed by my temper. He had the disposition of an unflappable pilot. Always smooth, forever calm. I wished I could steal some of his serenity; maybe then I could stop the swirling mess of feelings inside me.

“You have my word. But can I ask one question? You made it your life’s work to save so many women from situations that you put Tess into. Why did you string her up to be eye-f*cked if you hate it?”

Trust Frederick to see through the ruse. Yes, that night had been fifty percent selfish. I wanted to do something as horrid as my father. I couldn’t help it. Just once I gave into the beast and did something I deplored. I got hard watching Tess struggle and put her in a situation that f*cked with her mind. But I also knew the Red Wolverine wasn’t happy with me.

Too many times I accepted his bribery—agreed to an underhanded real estate permit, or provided my name as collateral against a mob enterprise—all to get my hands on the women he traded.

My reputation was sick and tarnished in the underworld—exactly the way I wanted it. They didn’t know I used black money to fight filth; every penny went into saving slaves. But Tess. Shit, I wanted to f*ck her so badly that night. I wanted to cut off the dress and take her so many f*cking ways.

And with the darkness running thick in my veins, I knew it would be a good opportunity to show the minion of the Red Wolverine that I did enjoy my bribes.

Whispers had begun. Foul gossip that I released the bribes I accepted. That I turned them loose and never touched them. Something had to be done.

I couldn’t let that information leak. It would mean all the girls I’d saved would be rounded up, tracked like vermin, and sold once again into nightmares. So, I gave them a show. I put Tess on stage and f*cking forgot it was all a pantomime to calm the gossip and halt one of the largest mafias involved in trafficking from suspecting me. I let myself get achingly hard, entertained visions of f*cking Tess like the slave she was, and allowed other men to drool over what was mine.

She was too perfect. So amazingly sexy hanging from the ceiling, tempting me like the apple tempted f*cking Eve.

The entire dinner I couldn’t concentrate as Tess hung like a gold-imprisoned doll, completely helpless, completely defenceless, completely at my mercy.

Frederick slapped my shoulder. “Stop gouging the table, Q. Your temper is getting out of control.”

Fuck. I placed my hands into my lap, cricking my neck from the overwhelming tension in my back.

“I did it to protect other women. I sacrificed Tess’s dignity and f*cked with her mind in order to put on a show for the cocksuckers we do business with.” I glared at him. “Happy?”

He nodded as if it made perfect sense. “I thought as much. If you weren’t emotionally invested, you wouldn’t have ruined the show by shooting the same cocksucker you were trying to impress in the f*cking leg.”

I snorted, remembering how satisfying it’d been to pull the trigger and cause bodily harm. He dared put his hands on Tess—hurt her, torture her. I would kill him next time I saw him.

Then my heart died with black repulsion remembering how Tess fainted from pain and shock. That night would go down as one of the best and worst of my life.

Shaking away the memories, I asked, “Have you heard anything? Did you rush through that bastard’s paperwork?” I wanted to confirm the building permits he requested as soon as possible. After all, the approval of his application represented Tess’s freedom. Her life for a piece of concrete and glass in the heart of Moscow. A front for laundered money, weapons, and women.

“Yes. The permits have been approved thanks to some carefully greased palms. But I don’t think that’s the end of it. The guy you shot wasn’t just his minion. It was the Wolverine’s son.”

My eyes popped wide, and I choked on my own spit.“Merde.” Just my f*cking luck. I put Tess in harm’s way to protect the truth, and I go and shoot the f*cking mafia’s golden child.

The blond idiot in his ridiculous white jumpsuit sprang to mind. I’d thrilled with pleasure when his blood seeped through his pants. He’d been taught a lesson, and Franco gave him an extra little something to remember us by when he kicked his ass out of my home.

What the hell did it mean? Would the Red Wolverine come after me for hurting his only offspring? I needed to pre-empt him before he got any wild ideas about retribution.

Frederick interrupted my plotting. “I want to meet her, Mercer.”

My eyes shot to his. “You think I want you talking to her? Telling her to run as far as she can away from me?” He never would, I knew that, but my chuckle held too much pain and stark truth to be ignored.

Je suis un faible idiot. I’m such a weak idiot.

Frederick laughed, dispelling the awkwardness. “I won’t divulge your secrets. But I do want to talk to her. I want to make sure she’s worthy of my friend.”

I rolled my eyes, ignoring his sappy comment. Damn idiot.

The door swung open and in siphoned the managers we’d been waiting on.

Frederick shifted from happy-go-lucky-friend to strict-second-in-command, facing his underlings with an iron grip. The hierarchy in the room included me as the big motherf*cker and Frederick as my right-hand man. He was the link between my orders and making sure that the thousand plus staff did as they were told.