Chapter 48: : Chapter 48

I already knew she was a badass, but watching her effortlessly kill on my behalf has my cock twitching to life. I’ve never seen anything more beautiful. I didn’t actually think I would be attracted to someone who could so easily kill me. But it turns out it really does it for me. Who knew? It was all meant to be a business deal. But as the date of our wedding approaches, I feel like it’s more likely she’s going to run, and I’m more desperate to keep her.

I’m not sure how or when it happened, but it definitely did. I’ve fallen for my fake fiancée. Maybe it’s because of the way she whimpers with need when I’m inside her. Fuck, I’m getting hard just thinking about it.

She yawns in the seat next to me, her baggy clothes now covered in blood. She turns slightly, and I watch as her eyes grow heavy, and she falls asleep. I don’t want to wake her, so I just keep driving. I’d gotten my fill the moment we got in the car, and she straddled me, riding the wave of sweet adrenaline and pleasure.

Now she’s wiped. There’s only one more stop I have to make, and that’s to prove my father wrong.

When I arrive at my parents’ mansion, she’s still passed out. I graze my knuckle along her cheek. I’d lost it tonight. Absolutely fucking lost it. And I know the reason why. It has everything to do with this woman sleeping so peacefully in my passenger seat. This woman who, without realizing it, settles my spiraling beast. When I see red, it’s very rare I’ll come out of it quickly or easily.

I leave the engine running so Jewel doesn’t get cold, and then I exit the car and walk up the stairs to my parent’s home. Before I knock, one of the security guards opens the door.

“Mr. Monti,” he says respectfully. “What brings you here so late in the evening?”

“Eli, is everything okay?” my mother asks, wrapping her silk robe around herself. It’s only midnight, so I know for a fact they’re still awake. Even if they weren’t, I don’t give a shit. “Why are you bleeding?” Her voice is laced with concern. Before she can step forward, my father peeks out from behind her with a gun in his hand.

“Son?” He puts the gun away.

“Where is Jewel?” she questions worriedly, glancing behind me. With the car’s tinted windows, she can’t see that Jewel is in there sleeping, but she’s probably guessed that’s where Jewel is because I’ve left the car running.

I look at my father then, still outraged about how he came into my home and threatened her earlier. “You ever come into my house and threaten me like that again⁠—”

“You what?!” my mother screeches, whipping her head around toward my father. He looks away, cursing under his breath. “You better not have threatened our son,” she warns. “So help me God.”

“I didn’t threaten Eli. I threatened to kill Jewel,” he clarifies. My mother smacks his shoulder.

“How dare you?” She turns back to me. “He won’t do that again because if he does… I’ll leave him.”

My father’s eyes widen in shock. “You would do no such thing. Don’t joke about that.”

“Why would you go to their home and threaten her? I like her.” Then, to me, she repeats, “I like her.” My mother doesn’t like many people. She likes to read them and assess them. I guess that’s part of being a criminal lawyer.

“I heard there was a hit on our son, and it might involve the woman he’s marrying,” Father explains.

“There’s a hit on you?” she asks worriedly.

“It’s been dealt with.” I grind my teeth. It’s not entirely true, but I have video footage with me right now to at least get my father to think of Jewel as my partner instead of my enemy. If they, for one second, are doubting Jewel’s position as my fiancée, I have evidence that should suffice. Not that I have to prove anything to them. But it’s a reminder to my dad that the woman I’ve chosen is equally as lethal as me. And if he targets her, there will be hell to pay.

I’ve fallen for my own lies and plan. It’s all gone to shit as I realize I’ll do everything in my power to make my temporary fiancée my permanent wife.

“Are you marrying her simply to take over?” my mother asks suspiciously. She speaks of grand love and unity. Months ago, I thought she was a liar. Now, I’m not so sure she was as delusional as I thought. She wants me to find love, and deep down, I’m certain my father wants the same, but it was the pressure of time being against me to take over and find someone quickly that strangled me. That and my aversion to marriage in its entirety. Until I met her.

“Even if I were, it shouldn’t matter since my father was trying to set me up in arranged marriages anyway.”

“I only suggested that with women I thought you might genuinely build a connection with,” my father grits out, and it’s strange to hear him say something so… emotionally involved? But I wonder if he’s just saying that because he’s in major shit with my mother now.

“I have something to show you.” I go to push past them, but then I hear the car door open behind me.

Jewel lazily rubs her eyes before realizing we’re not at my house.

“Why do you both have blood on you?” My mother asks expectantly. “Both of you come in and clean up. Have the bodies been taken care of?” She’s immediately in damage control mode, and I try not to laugh at her, the famed criminal lawyer, who immediately assumes her son has gone on a killing spree. But she’s not entirely wrong.

I offer my hand to Jewel, and she looks torn as to whether she should close the door, as if she never woke, or whether to silently obey. She chooses the latter. When she’s beside me, I clasp her hand with mine and pull her into the house.

“I have something to show you,” I announce, leading everyone into the living room. The fireplace is crackling, and both of their laptops are open on the coffee table. I assume they were both working. Semi-retired my ass. They just can’t help themselves.

“Hi, sweetie.” My mother pulls Jewel in for an awkwardly received hug. “I apologize for my husband and any unruly situation my son got you into tonight.”

“Unruly?” I ask, my eyebrows shooting up.

“Yes. Not everyone is used to this lifestyle,” she chastises. If only she knew about my fiancée’s line of work. Then again, I’m certain she’s about to see how much my wife isn’t to be trifled with. “Albert, bring out two sweaters for them, please. Both of you at least remove your shirts so we can burn them.”

“We were just about to go to bed,” my father grumbles in complaint.

I type a few things into my phone and set up the widescreen TV just as Albert brings in the sweaters. I slip my shirt off, used to this treatment; however, Jewel seems hesitant. And I know she has nothing under the loose sweatshirt. I stand in front of her, backing her into a corner so I can block her enough so she can change. She’s quick to do so. I’m positive my mother does this mostly because she doesn’t want blood on the furniture.

My father is leaning against the wall with a glass of whiskey. Jewel moves to sit on the sofa beside my mother, but I pull her onto my lap, where I sit in an armchair, and hit play on my phone. The footage was recorded from my car’s front camera, giving the perfect angle for the business I dealt with.

“You threatened the legitimacy of my fiancée. I’ve come to show you that no one else is so perfectly matched for me. That, and she’s a good shot, so the next time you feel the need to come over and threaten her, I’ve given her permission to deal with it accordingly,” I say to my father.

Jewel’s eyes go wide as the footage begins to play. It starts with the casual chatter, and then all hell breaks loose, me laughing as I’m being dragged off by two men.

My mother is worriedly glancing over at me. Most likely because of the way I like to, as my father says, “play games.” He’s lectured me about this a time or two. I’d become better at refraining from instigating them, but tonight, I needed to torment my prey a little.

I stroke my thumb over Jewel’s leg as she stares at the screen, and she looks a shade paler. I wonder if she’s ever seen herself in action. The reality of how gruesome it is to take a life. Or to the lengths she would go to protect me. More importantly, how well we work as a team.

Just as I give her the signal, she smiles and then pulls out her gun. This is who she is, just as much as I am.

A hunter.

A killer.

Beautiful.

“Oh, you are good with guns,” Mother says, mesmerized. That’s when Jewel looks at my parents. Where she might’ve thought there would be judgment, all she sees is approval. Not that anyone could ever tell by my father’s expression, but there’s definitely a hint of respect there.

“Do you think you should threaten the same woman who chooses to use her gun to save me rather than take an easy shot to take me out? Does that disprove your previous thoughts?” I direct the questions to my father.

Jewel tenses up, and I weave my fingers between hers, knowing why because I’m burying us deeper into our lie.

But a fabricated truth is what will get her down the aisle, and from there, I’ll figure out a way to make her stay. The last thing I need is my father looking into my affairs and doubting my abilities right before he hands me the last of the business.

“Apologize right now, Crue,” my mother demands.

No one can make my father apologize but my mother. And he usually won’t unless it’s to her.

The hint of a smirk touches his lips. “She’s a very good shot. But you’re as reckless as ever. What happened to Hawke and Ford following you everywhere?”

“Crue!” My mother jumps to her feet, furious.

He raises his hand, signaling her to let him continue. “I’ll apologize for threatening you, Jewel,” he says sincerely. “But you, my son, need to stop being so reckless and going into these situations on your own. It only takes one time to have yourself killed.”

“I’m not a child,” I snap. “How many times have you ‘dealt’ with things on your own? How many times did you return bleeding and have Mom worried? I don’t need this lecture from you! And besides, I wasn’t alone; Jewel was with me.”

My father’s jaw goes tight. “I will always protect this family and our name, but I won’t do anything crazy just to make a point.”

That’s a fucking lie. I’ve heard stories of how he used to act in the early days after taking over New York. I’m certain he and I probably aren’t so different in our way of thinking. But he’s pushing me, and I don’t fucking like it.

I stand and bring Jewel with me, our hands joined. “In less than two weeks, you will be signing everything over to me, as we discussed and agreed upon. I’m sorry if you don’t like my methods, but they’re turning in plenty of profit. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have a wedding to plan.”

“Wait, Eli!” my mother calls out after us. She follows us to the door. “I know your father doesn’t always express himself well, but he only wants the best for you. For both of you.” I can sense Jewel locking up again. “But I agree with him. Just please be a little more careful. No matter how invincible you think you are, it only takes one bullet to finish it. We love you.”

A tiny sliver of guilt pricks me, and I take her hand and squeeze it gently. “I know, Mom.”

I shove down the guilt because it has no place here or in my plans for the future. I might be lying to them about Jewel’s background, but I’m not lying about how I have every intention of making her my wife and taking over the business entirely. That is the complete truth.

When we return to the car, Jewel is biting the skin around her nails. I don’t ask her about it because I know exactly why she’s uncomfortable. I’m weaving her tighter into my family affairs. As close as I pull her, I still have the sense that she’s going to run. And that fucking terrifies me.