Cane

The winery was warm in the Tuscan sun. The leaves were deep green and crisp, and the purple grapes contrasted against the wooden spikes that held the vines. I left my car on the rock path and ventured up the cobblestones and into the Italian fortress where my brother housed his business.

His legal business.

I moved past the tasting room and to his office in the rear. He had a large window that overlooked the vineyards on the hillside, prime real estate for someone who was on the phone and working all the time.

I ignored his receptionist because I was a Barsetti. I didn’t have to check in with anybody.

Crow sat behind his desk with the phone pressed to his ear. He sat upright in the chair wearing a black suit. A light blue tie hung down his chest, contrasting against the vase of red flowers that sat on the corner of his mahogany desk. Crow wasn’t much of a decorator, so that must be the handiwork of his assistant or Pearl.

Since Pearl never left the fortress, I doubted it was her.

Crow looked up at me, a hard expression on his face. The last time we spoke, he threw me out of his house like I was a homeless man begging for food. It didn’t matter if we shared Barsetti blood. When it came to his woman, I was scum.

I knew I fucked up, so I couldn’t blame him too much. But he needed to get over it.

Barsettis were stubborn.

I fell into the chair facing his desk and scoured the room for a big bottle of scotch. I knew it was hiding somewhere, probably in one of the drawers of that enormous desk.

Crow finished up his conversation before he hung up. “Yes?”

“Hello. It’s great to see you too.”

Crow’s eyebrows were still furrowed with displeasure. Sometimes I wondered what Pearl saw in him. He just looked pissed all the time, if you asked me. “What is it, Cane?”

“Your wife nick your dick with her teeth this morning or something?”

Now his displeasure turned into a full-blown glare. “Don’t test me, Cane. I’m not in the mood.”

“So that’s a yes, then?”

Like a bear that had been provoked, he tensed his shoulders like he was about to attack.

“Alright, enough with the jokes. Can we bury the hatchet?”

“There’s not enough dirt in the earth to bury our hatchet, Cane. You know it. Just stay away from my wife unless I’m present. You want me to play nice? Then do as I ask.”

I rolled my eyes because I wasn’t afraid of my brother. Sure, he’d shot me once before, but I deserved it. “Fine. If that’s how it has to be, that’s how it has to be. But I think you’re being a little psycho about it. Pearl agrees with me.”

“Pearl’s opinion is irrelevant.”

I called his bluff immediately. “Bullshit. We both know it.”

He leaned back into the chair and rested his fingertips against his cheek. Despite how calm he appeared, I recognized the threat deep in his eyes. Crow was intimidating, even to me—sometimes. There was something about him that put people on edge. He was an excellent partner to have. I wouldn’t want anyone else watching my back.

I dropped the humor and turned serious, laying all my cards out on the table. “I don’t want it to be this way, brother. Pearl means a lot to me. I’d walk over fire for that woman. I’d give my life for her, and you know it.”

“I don’t doubt any of that.”

My brother knew I didn’t lie. If I said something, I meant it. I was too honest. In fact, I was honest to a fault. I offended a lot of people with the shit that flew out of my mouth. “Then let’s move on. I don’t want to spend every waking hour with Pearl, but on the rare occasions you aren’t around, I’d like to feel welcome. She’s a Barsetti—as am I.”

“No.”

Man, my brother was an asshole. “Get over it, Crow. It was a long time ago.”

“If I hadn’t walked in, she would have died.”

Yeah, probably. “Different circumstances.”

He gave a slight shake of the head. “I don’t give a shit, Cane. Pearl might sweep it under the rug, but I certainly won’t.”

The incident seemed to be more of a problem now than it was when it happened. Now that they were married, he was more ferocious, more protective. “And it’s just going to be like this for the rest of our lives?”

“Yes.” He held my look, cold and calculating.

“You’re a psychopath, Crow.”

The insult didn’t offend him in the slightest. “I’m aware.”

My brother was such a pain in the ass. “After everything the three of us have been through, this is how it’s going to be?” Pearl put her neck on the line to save me, a gesture I’d never forget. I was more loyal to her than to my own brother. Together, we managed to take out Bones and his henchmen, avenging Vanessa for what that monster had done to her. But none of that mattered to him.

“Yes.”

I wasn’t going to get anywhere with this man, so I moved on. “I’m meeting Tristan tomorrow in Marseille. He has a few contacts that require assistance.” As if the previous conversation never happened, we switched into our business affairs.

Crow retained his coldness, but he no longer seemed irritated. “When?”

“Late afternoon. I’m flying out in the morning.”

“Going to make a vacation out of it?”

“No. Just business.” With Bones out of the picture, we had more work to do. Maintaining dominance in a saturated market was tough work. People were anxious to get ahead—at any cost.

“Let me know how it goes.”

“I will. We just got a shipment from the United States. High-quality stuff.”

“I’ll come by and take a look this afternoon.”

Crow was still involved with the business but not nearly as much anymore. I suspected he would give it up entirely one day. I hoped that never happened because he was an excellent partner. People feared our family name, especially since there were two of us. It wouldn’t be the same without him. “Good to know.” I rose out of the chair since the conversation seemed to be over. We were both men of few words. “Let me know what you think.”

His only response was a nod.

* * *

“Crow is such a pain in the ass,” Pearl said over the phone. “A big drama queen.”

I loved hearing her talk about my brother like that. She wasn’t some pushover who obeyed her husband like some women I knew. She had her own mind—and very loud opinions. It wasn’t easy to put my brother in his place, but she did a great job. “You said it, sister.”

“I’ll talk to him again in a few days.”

“I believe you can do anything. But I don’t think you’re going to find any success with this.”

“Trust me,” she said. “I’ve got this. He’s just overprotective. Once he gets used to the fact that Bones is really gone, he’ll come around. Sometimes it’s even hard for me to believe he’s dead. I still have nightmares from time to time.”

I never really thought about her perspective on the whole thing. As a man, all I thought about was money, revenge, and sex. I’d never been sympathetic about anything. Even when it came to Vanessa, all I cared about was making Bones pay. I never took the time to think about her suffering or how she felt. But now that I was close to Pearl, I actually pictured myself in her shoes. How would it feel to have all my rights taken from me? To have someone use my body however they wished?

It was an unsettling thought.

My driver pulled up to the curb of the airport in Rome. The sun was peeking over the horizon, but the runway lights were still on. “I’ve gotta catch my flight. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Hope all goes well.”

I hung up and walked into the airport to check in my luggage and go through security. Crow and I had a line of private planes at this airport as well as in Tuscany, but I wasn’t a certified pilot, so it was more trouble than it was worth. Since this was a harmless business meeting, I didn’t see the need to fly private.

With my satchel over my shoulder, I grabbed a coffee then took a seat near the gate. My flight was about to board in ten minutes, so I needed to kill time. I looked through my emails and took care of those to remain productive. Announcements played over the intercom, and the sound of jets firing off as planes sped down the runway carried on in the background. I tuned most of it out.

“Stay.” A coarse voice entered my ear. It stood out because it reminded me of the raspy voice Bones once had. I kept my phone in front of me but peeked up with my eyes. In the row of black chairs a few aisles back, a woman sat in an oversized jacket. It obscured most of her body, but the slender curve of her neck and jawline hinted at the feminine curves underneath the fabric. Mocha brown eyes were etched with worry as she watched the man walk into the bathroom. Her brown hair was over one shoulder, messy like she’d just rolled out of bed to catch her flight. A distant bruise sat over her collarbone, hardly noticeable except for the contrast against her fair skin.

I couldn’t stop staring at her.

Her expression wasn’t unique because I’d seen it before. She looked worried, just the way Pearl did when she first came into our custody. The woman’s eyes surveyed the airport like she was looking for something or someone.

I lowered my phone because I was no longer interested in my emails. I was only interested in those high cheekbones and those full lips. She had a few freckles around her nose, faint enough that they could be covered with foundation if she were wearing any. The typical woman I was attracted to was done up, had beautiful hair, lots of makeup, and a skintight dress.

This woman didn’t fit any of those criteria.

She must have felt my look because her eyes traveled over to me. They landed on me, showing the same expression of fear she’d been wearing the entire time. She suddenly looked away, her eyes darting to the ground where they’d be safe from my penetrating gaze.

Her timid nature aroused me. I liked a woman who was submissive, who yielded the floor to a powerful man. I didn’t take submissives often. I just had rough sex with women I met who were vacationing in Rome.

She didn’t fit the bill.

But I was still interested.

She was in an airport, about to fly off to some other part of the world. After this exchange, I would probably never see her again. People came and went as we lived our lives, but the idea of never speaking to her troubled me.

I wanted to know her name, at least.

I hooked my satchel across my shoulders then walked toward her. Without looking at me, she was aware of my approach. Her shoulders stiffened noticeably, and her chest no longer expanded with the breaths she’d been taking just a moment ago. I took the seat beside her and tried to think of an introduction. I usually uttered a simple line or compliment, but that didn’t feel right with her. “I’m Cane.” I extended my hand to her.

She glanced down then quickly looked away like she hadn’t moved her eyes in the first place. She didn’t say anything to me, brushing me off coldly.

I’d been rejected a few times in my life—but not like that. “Nice to meet you too.”

Her eyes turned to the bathroom, where the man had just entered a moment ago.

That was my cue to get up and walk away, but I remained glued to the seat. I didn’t know what I expected to happen. I took my shot and missed. Now it was time to return to the other side of the room and look at my phone again.

But I didn’t move. “You got a name?”

Nothing. Now that I was this close to her, I noticed the small cut in the corner of her eye. It looked like the mark from a fingernail. She either scratched herself, or someone took a swipe at her.

That’s when I realized she didn’t have a bag. No purse. Nothing. Not even a pair of sunglasses. “Everything alright?”

Her throat moved when she swallowed, her eyes still on the bathroom door. “My boyfriend will be back soon. I suggest you leave.”

The guy had to be at least fifty, and she looked like she was in her twenties. He looked more like her father than her lover. “Are you sure? Because you’re way out of his league.” Maybe a compliment would loosen her up.

Her fuse was lit, and she lost her patience. “Would you just go? I’m not interested. How do I make myself more clear?”

“Maybe by talking?” I jabbed.

She finally focused her gaze on my face, looking me in the eye for the first time. When she was angry, she was still just as beautiful. Not too many women could accomplish that. “I’m sure you’re a nice guy, but he’s gonna be back, and I can’t be seen talking to you. So, please, just go.”

“Can’t be seen talking to me?” I was hitting on her, but I wasn’t being a creep about it. “Are you sure everything is okay?” Nothing about this situation felt normal. She looked like she’d had the worst day of her life, not just been on an Italian vacation for the summer. “Because it seems like—”

“Walk away, or I’ll scream.”

When I saw the stern look on her face, I knew she wasn’t bluffing. I’d been rejected enough times to know I didn’t have a chance. I was a good-looking guy with a thick wallet, but that didn’t seem to have any effect on her. “You can hold your tantrum. I just thought you were pretty.” I left the chairs and didn’t look back. I headed to my terminal just when they called the first-class passengers. I handed over my ticket and got on the plane.

* * *

I spent the evening in France, meeting up with a few friends who lived in Marseille. I wasn’t meeting Tristan until tomorrow night, so I had some time to kill. I hit a few bars and a club with my crew, but my mind kept drifting back to the woman I saw in the airport.

She didn’t even tell me her name.

She wasn’t even that pretty. With her wrinkled clothes and messy hair, she wasn’t remarkable. Her sense of style was nonexistent. Maybe I made a move because I thought she would be an easy target.

Something told me that wasn’t the reason.

She was just some stranger I had a short encounter with. She’d forgotten about me by now, only thinking of me as some annoying pervert who didn’t know how to take no for an answer. She hardly even looked at me, so she probably didn’t even know what I looked like.

Forget her.

I got back to the room late that night—alone. I had many rounds of scotch sitting in my belly, so I passed out on the comforter without even taking my shoes off. The next morning, I woke up to a migraine and a phone call from Crow.

“How’d it go?”

“I’m meeting him tonight.” I dragged my hand down my face, sleep crust thick in the crevices of my eyes. “Change of plans.”

“I took a look at the shipment. Everything looks good.”

I knew he’d say that. “Yeah. I’ll see if Tristan is interested.”

“I’m sure he will be. He’d be a fool not to.”

“Yeah.” I was still in bed, half asleep.

“Long night?”

“I went out with Ramon and a few other guys.”

“I’m guessing you woke up next to someone you don’t know, then.”

I wish. “No, unfortunately.”

Crow didn’t make a jab. “I’ll talk to you later. Give me the info when you have it. I want to talk numbers.”

Always to the point, like usual. “Bye.”

* * *

After a swift pat-down and extra security measures, I was finally allowed to enter the French estate located right next to the harbor. It was protected from unwanted eyes by the curve of the peninsula. All the resorts and ships were on the other side, where the tourists and fishermen remained.

I didn’t bring my gun because I knew it wouldn’t be allowed. But I always kept a small knife in the stitching of my jacket just in case. I was walking into a snake pit without any backup. That should make me trustworthy enough. Besides, I was a Barsetti. Unlike Bones, we actually honored our deals.

I was ushered into the large dining hall where Tristan sat at the head of the table. In a gray vest over a white collared shirt, he looked aristocratic. But nothing could change the fact that he was butt ugly. With a long, hooked nose and beady eyes, he wasn’t a pretty picture. He was thin and lanky, but tall. I was sure the only women he had in his bed were whores—not that I was so innocent.

Tristan rose when I entered the room and shook my hand. “Cane, good to see you.” He spoke in English for my benefit, but his French accent was evident. He took care of business all over the world, but France had always been his home.

“Likewise.” I took a seat to his right and watched my glass fill with scotch from the waiter.

Tristan sat down and snapped his fingers to one of his butlers. It must have meant dinner was to be served because they brought out bread, cheese, and assorted cured meats before they served the main entrees along with an expensive bottle of wine. I didn’t drink much wine. That was my brother’s forte.

We got right down to business and discussed weaponry. Tristan didn’t give me the specifics of what he needed them for, and like a smart businessman, I didn’t ask. Privacy was important to all my clients. It was something Crow and I honored—unless we knew they were enemies to our country and our allies. Most of the time, the need for protection was based on gang mentality.

Tristan snapped his fingers again, beckoning one of his butlers to draw near.

Wearing a suit and tie, the man approached the table with his hands resting behind his back. He reminded me of Lars but much younger. “Yes, sir?”

Crow never treated Lars that way, and neither did I. He was help around the house but still a human being. But it wasn’t my place to judge, especially since I’d committed a lot of crimes much worse than being rude to my employees. I nearly killed my sister-in-law once upon a time.

“Bring my dinner guest.” He snapped his fingers again.

The butler did a fantastic job hiding his disdain. I would have stabbed Tristan in the neck with a butter knife if he spoke to me like that. “Of course, sir.” He left the dining hall to retrieve the mysterious guest.

“Who’s joining us for dinner?” I asked.

“A beautiful woman I just met.”

I drank my smooth scotch and enjoyed the burn down my throat. “A pretty lady, huh? Thinking of settling down?”

“Ha.” His laugh was heavy with sarcasm. “No. She’s just a plaything. She was brought to me yesterday. I’ve had a lot of fun breaking her in.” He waggled his eyebrows before he took a drink of his wine.

I understood his meaning immediately. The significance was a little traumatizing to my stomach, like there was too much acid and my body couldn’t break it down. I’d worked with lots of men who owned slaves. It wasn’t uncommon, especially in my line of work. I never blinked an eye over it or gave a damn. But now that Pearl was family, my attitude was different. Instead of giving a response, I drank my scotch again.

One of his cronies brought the woman in. Dressed in a black bra and matching thong, she was barely covered. Her skin was bruised in places where she’d been struck with a hand as well as a whip. There were cuts along her body, as if someone had dragged a knife across her skin just to watch her bleed. The man pushed her down into the chair and walked away.

I was sitting right across from her, and I instantly recognized her face.

The woman from the airport.

She stared at the table and didn’t lift her gaze. Her brown eyes were nearly black because there wasn’t any sign of life. Her skin was pale, and I imagined it would be cold to the touch. There was a cut in the corner of her mouth that looked like it was created with a man’s knuckle.

“Hello, sweetheart.” Tristan leaned toward her and wrapped his fingers around her upper arm.

She recoiled like a snake, a hiss escaping her mouth.

He didn’t think twice before he backhanded her, slapping hard across her face and making her lurch sideways.

I kept a straight face but hated watching it.

He grabbed her by the neck and slammed her hand onto the table. “Be a good little slave, alright? Otherwise, I’ll punish you right here over dinner.” He released her and grabbed his glass of wine.

She sat up, her face still a stoic mask of despair.

“You must be hungry.” Tristan placed his leftovers in front of her, scraps from what he’d eaten. “Since you haven’t eaten in two days.”

She stared at the food but didn’t make a move.

“You’ll take my cock in your mouth and your ass, but you won’t eat my dinner?” Tristan asked in a warning tone.

Without explanation, I figured out what had happened. Her captor had snatched her from somewhere and sold her into trafficking. She didn’t say anything to me at the airport because they probably threatened to kill her.

It was a shame. I could have saved her.

“I asked you a question,” he hissed.

With a shaky hand, she grabbed the fork and stabbed it into a piece of chicken.

Tristan smiled at her cooperation and turned back to me. “Now, where were we?”

I kept my eyes on her, waiting for her to look up.

“That’s right,” Tristan said. “I haven’t introduced you. Cane, this is my plaything. Plaything, this is Cane.”

She finally looked up, the recognition clear on her face. She knew exactly who I was but quickly covered her reaction. “Hi…” Her hand shook as she grasped the fork.

“Hey.” I didn’t mention our encounter to Tristan. Didn’t see the relevance.

“She’s something,” Tristan said. “Weak but strong. I love listening to her cry when I fuck her ass.”

She faltered before she took another bite of her food. She chewed slowly, like she hated herself for obeying this ruthless barbarian.

“Her pussy is tight,” Tristan said. “Popped her cherry.”

Now that seemed even more ruthless. All I did was nod because I didn’t know what other reaction to give. I shouldn’t give a damn about this woman. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and now she was paying for her stupidity. Her life would be short-lived and painful.

“You want a round, Cane?” He grabbed the bottle of scotch and poured me another glass. “In honor of this deal, I wouldn’t mind loaning her out to you for the night.”

When my dick got hard, I felt like shit. “That’s alright. Got a lady friend at the hotel.”

“Not like this,” he said. “She’s got the nicest ass. It’s a great view from behind.”

Now my cock twitched, but my newfound conscience still prevented me from taking the offer. I would have said yes in a heartbeat if this had been a few years into the past. I didn’t consider myself to be a good man. I was motivated by sex and money, and I would never change. But something still kept me stationary. I was very attracted to this woman. The second I set eyes on her, I wanted to fuck her. Now I had my chance. If I didn’t take it, I would lose the opportunity forever. “That’s a kind offer, but let the woman eat. She looks starving.”

Instead of letting the topic die, Tristan furrowed his eyebrows in anger. “I offer you a gift, and you turn it down?”

It was like he’d gotten me a new set of knives or a pocket watch. “I didn’t realize it was a gift, just an offer.”

“Cane, I know you love women. You’ve loved all the others in the past.”

I did. I didn’t bother denying it.

“Why not her?” he demanded. “Something wrong with her?”

“Not at all.” I took another drink to keep myself calm. I didn’t want to piss off one of my biggest clients by insulting him. “She’s stunning.”

“Then what’s your problem? You don’t want to share a woman with me? Is that what this is about?”

I considered telling a lie and saying I had a serious woman in my life, but no one would believe that for a second. Also, I didn’t want to lie. It was too much work. “Not at all, Tristan.”

“Then take her away. I’m sure it’ll soften you to give me a better deal.”

It would definitely soften me in other ways.

“Go.” He clapped his hands. “The guest bedroom is right there.” He waved over one of his henchmen. “Prepare her for Cane.”

Her breathing picked up immediately, her hand dropping the fork onto the plate.

One of Tristan’s men yanked her out of the chair then escorted her out of the room by the back of her neck.

And I was so fucking hard.