He regarded me with a serious look. “I’ve seen enough.”

I didn’t have a response, and so I shook hands with him and parted ways. Diana was standing by, chattering on her phone. I walked up to her and snatched her phone away. The last thing I needed was her leading a bunch of unknowns to my place. I didn’t know her, and I didn’t trust her. I considered trashing the phone but thought better of it. Maybe there was something useful in it. There were still a lot of unanswered questions, and Mario was the culprit.

“Hey! Excuse you!”

“You’re fucking excused. Before you get any ideas of how this is going to go, let’s get something clear. I don’t care about you. You aren’t my priority. I’m doing this as a favor, and while I’m at it, I’m going to pump you for information. You do what I say, or I kick you out, and I won’t look back. Is that clear enough for you? I won’t repeat myself again.”

She peered up at me, and rather than appearing afraid, she looked curious if not amused. “Are you sure you’re eighteen?”

“My age is none of your business, but what I can and will do to you is. Are. We. Clear?” I held her gaze while counting down the seconds in my head before I risked it all and left her standing on the pavement alone.

“Understood.” She nodded once and then grinned up at me while extending her hand. I ignored it and made my way to my side of the car, sliding in without acknowledging her further. She finally took the hint and hopped in the car when I was less than a second away from pulling off.

“So who is she?”

“She?” I pulled out onto the main road and headed in the direction of my house. She had arrived sooner than expected, so I still hadn’t run it by my uncle yet. I decided to cross that bridge when I got there.

“Yes. The ‘she’ who has you overly guarded around me. Is she your girlfriend?”

“I don’t do girlfriends,” I answered without sparing her a glance even though I could feel her eyes boring into me.

“So there is a she?”

“Even if there was, I wouldn’t fuck you, so I guess it doesn’t matter if there’s a she, does it?”

“Who says I’m looking to get fucked? Maybe I want to do the fucking.”

“You don’t know me from Adam, girl.”

“Oh, but I know your type. You like to be in control when you take her, don’t you? You like to handle her, test her limits… maybe even make her beg a little?”

I gripped the steering wheel tighter out of aggravation. Even if what she said was true, I didn’t like to be read. Especially by a stranger. “No.”

“No?” I could hear the disbelief in her tone.

“I like to do much more than make her beg.” I briefly glanced at her in the passenger seat and caught her leaning forward with anticipation. “I like to make her cry so I can lick her fucking tears. I like to make her hurt so I can hear her scream. And most importantly, I like to make her want more.”

The lust building in Diana’s eyes was unmistakable.

“Something tells me she’s inside your head just as much as you are in hers. I’d like to meet this girl.”

“She’s not in my head and that’s not going to happen.”

“Yes, it most certainly is. Before you started speaking about her, there wasn’t as much as a flicker…” she used her fingers to emphasize… “of life in your eyes. I think I might be jealous.”

“Brunettes aren’t my type anymore.”

“It’s quite all right. Maybe I’ll dye my hair and figure out another way to get in your head as well. This could be fun.”

“You wouldn’t do well as a blonde.”

“Oh, so she’s blonde?”

I spit out a curse and scowled at her. “You’re annoying me, Diana.”

“It’s just Di, so call me that. I hate Diana.” The conviction in her voice made me pause.

“Your father calls you Diana.”

“My father doesn’t listen to much if it doesn’t have to do with money.”

My attention zeroed in the comment about her father, but I didn’t let on that I was interested. “Why would you say that?”

“Sorry, super spy. That conversation is more suited for a fifth date, and I just met you.”

“Yet you were salivating over my dick moments ago.”

“So what do you say we trade? A fuck for an answer?”

“What makes you think I’m that interested?”

“Oh, you are. Something tells me you and my father didn’t meet over coffee. So are you in business with him? You’re kind of young.”

“How old are you?” I asked, dodging her question.

“I’ll be twenty-one in a few months.”

“Where is your mother?”

“Strung out somewhere… I haven’t seen her since I was eleven.”

“So what really happened to make your father feel the need to relocate you?”

“What makes you think something happened? My father has always been cautious.”

I pulled into my driveway and put the car in park before turning my full attention on her.

“Don’t insult my fucking intelligence. What. Happened?”

“Are you this bossy with everyone?”

“I’m less than three seconds from sending your head through the windshield.”

She studied me for a few moments, gauging my sincerity before releasing a long breath and running her fingers through her hair. “One of my father’s men tried to kill me. I don’t know why, but he almost succeeded.”

“What did your father do?”

“What do you think he did? He killed him.”

“And you’re okay with that?” I lifted my brow at the nonchalant way she admitted her father had committed murder. How close did he raise her to his business?

“He tried to kill me. I’m not exactly expected to cry over his casket. It’s just crazy, you know? He’s worked for my father for years. It doesn’t make sense, but I’m guessing it was over money.”

“That would be the easy explanation.” I sent her a look to let her know I wasn’t buying. I already figured her father warned her to watch what she said. Mario trusted me as little as I trusted him.

“It’s a valid explanation. The men who work for my father are always harping about more money. He pays them less than the price of shit.”

“How would you know that?”

“I’m under close guard every day of my life. The men talk.” I let my hard gaze bore into hers until she shifted and looked around. Her gaze focused on my house and she said, “You have a nice home.”

“It’s a house, not a home.”

“People do say there’s a difference, don’t they?”

I shrugged and exited the car. She silently followed after me to the house, but when we reached the door, I stopped and turned to face her. “I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that if you try anything, I will not hesitate to cut your throat open.” She didn’t as much as blink at my threat, and again, I wondered how close her father kept her to his business. I still had yet to figure out what it was about her.

“Wow. Are all teenage boys as intimidating and violent as you?”

“I’m not a boy, and there is no one like me.

“Cocky much?”

I didn’t try to stop the smirk that appeared on my face. “It comes with the territory.”

“I’d like to tread in that territory.” She slid her hands slowly up my chest as she leaned into me with a secretive grin and a gleam in her eye meant to seduce. I placed my hands firmly on her hips and flashed a panty-dropping smile. I would have liked nothing more than to see her on her back in the bushes than in my bed. My chance to humor myself was lost when an irritated growl interrupted.

“Oh, for fuck sake. It’s Anya reincarnated.”

Our heads snapped simultaneously to Sheldon and Dash standing in my driveway with astonished expressions… well… Sheldon looked more pissed as she glared at Diana.

“Trust me, sweetheart—that’s one line you don’t want to cross for numerous reasons. And those reasons are way too fucked up to talk about even over a bottle of whiskey.” She switched her glare to me and bared her teeth. “Isn’t that right, Keiran?”

I didn’t bother to answer her question or acknowledge Dash’s inquisitive stare. What is he doing bringing her over here anyway? I didn’t give a shit about being caught in a compromising position. I had no intention of ever touching Diana and even less intention of explaining myself. I unlocked the door and entered, leaving the door open because what else would they all do but follow?