BEND ME: A Dark Romance Read online

  “What is this, exactly?” Vince asked, accepting a stack of legal paperwork into his hands.

  “One of our enforcers. Last year he got pinned by a couple of cops right after making a hit, so he’s basically toast. Your dad and I picked out the best defense attorney we could find that was both willing to take the case and also unattached to the organization in any way in case the prosecutor gets suspicious.”

  Fucking Christ, Vince thought as he flipped through some of the paperwork. It wasn’t like he was at all surprised by the evidence of violence in his father’s organization, but the old man had really shared every last detail with his assistant. There was no way that Fiona could be fired now. She knew too much. She could go to the feds at any moment and spill enough information to land them all in jail. If she ever tried to quit, I’d have to kill her, Vince realized with a sobering dose of reality that made him feel like all of his bones had gone icy cold.

  Vince cleared his throat and adjusted in his seat, attempting to gather himself again so that she wouldn’t guess what he was thinking. He didn’t want her to be scared of him. But she should be scared of me, Vince thought sadly as he watched Fiona flip through another thick stack of papers. She should be very, very scared.

  “Anyway,” Fiona said, tearing Vince back away from his ever-darkening thoughts, “Cannavale’s trial should be next month, if all goes as planned. We’re hoping the defense attorney will negotiate a plea deal, and as long as we keep his family fed and protected, he won’t roll over on us. But it’s a concern, anyway, that he might spill some details we’d rather keep quiet if he doesn’t get a good deal in the court.”

  We. Vince couldn’t help but notice that she used that word, over and over again, as if she was a member of the Romano family herself. But she wasn’t, not really. She might not have been “innocent,” exactly, but she wasn’t mired in the muck of the mob the way Guido and Mama Romano were. She could easily walk away from all of this, become an FBI informant, and fuck all of them over. And if Vince kept her around just because he wanted to fuck her, it’d be his fault.

  “You okay?” Fiona asked, looking across at him with an expression of concern on her face. “You seem a little out of it.”

  Vince shook his head and forced a tight smile to reassure her. “No, no, I’m fine. Just a little shaken-up still, you know, from my dad dying so suddenly.”

  Fiona looked uncomfortable all of a sudden, biting down on her bottom lip as she nodded slowly. “Yeah. It was a shock. I’m really sorry.”

  “Don’t be,” Vince said reflexively, the words leaving his mouth before his brain had an opportunity to catch up with them. “I just mean that you were closer to him than I was. Really, I should be giving condolences to you, not the other way around.”

  Fiona didn’t answer him for a long moment, staring at him with something heavy hiding behind her eyes, something that Vince couldn’t read at all. He felt the urge to squirm around in his seat, feeling his skin burn under her piercing gaze, but he held back. He still didn’t want her to know the extent of the effect she had on him.

  Finally, Fiona dropped her gaze, nodding slowly and forcing an inauthentic smile on her face. “Shall we continue?” she asked, gesturing to the still-massive arrangement of files on the desk between them.

  Vince nodded and spent the next six or so hours as committed as possible to absorbing details from his father’s business. It all became a big blur at times, keeping the various names of different drug or gun contacts straight, but he was a little hesitant to take notes on the lesson. She could take the notes as evidence, Vince thought, a slow chill climbing up his spine. She could be gathering as much information as possible to put us all away, for revenge. She could destroy us all if she wanted to.

  He now realized he was terrified of her, or at least, of the awful potential she had to hurt his family. But…there was something enticing about that, too. Watching her sift through the papers, a few strands of hair coming loose from her tight ponytail, he remembered that soon he would get to pin her down, spank her, make her come apart underneath him. She had the potential to destroy him, and yet in the bedroom, he’d be in control. It almost made him lose his breath, just thinking about that.

  “What are you doing tonight?” Vince asked as soon as Fiona began to organize the papers back together to file them away in their appropriate locations. “I was thinking we could have another business dinner, you know, to keep this conversation going.” He hoped she would catch his drift and realize that he was talking about the playroom, but he didn’t want to specify what he meant in the office. The two worlds had to be separate or they would both dissolve.

  Fiona rolled her eyes up in the back of her head, considering his proposition for a moment. Vince noticed that her cheeks had gone slightly pink, almost as if she was blushing bashfully, just from thinking about what they were going to do together in the playroom. Vince balled his hands into fists under the desk, just to give himself a little edge of pain to balance the rush of power he felt as a result of having a physical effect on her. “Um, well, I have to go home and check on my dad. He hasn’t been feeling very well lately, and I worry about him,” she explained.

  “And after?” Vince asked, probably a little too quickly. He didn’t want to seem overeager, but fuck it.

  “After that, I could stop by your penthouse if you want to discuss things in greater depth,” she said slowly, keeping her eyes glued to the desk rather than looking at him.

  “Good,” Vince said, smiling broadly and getting up from his seat. He walked around the desk to face her, his fingers itching to reach out and touch her. God, it was overwhelming, teasing himself this way, holding himself back. He couldn’t wait till he could grab her and fuck the shit out of her.

  Fiona smiled a little shyly and looked up at him through her thick eyelashes, clasping her hands together tightly. “I’ll see you later tonight, then?”

  “Count on it,” Vince said as he exited the office, preparing to rush home to get everything ready before her arrival.

  Sooner or later, Fiona would have to be dealt with, in one way or another. That much was just becoming clearer and clearer. Either she stays with us for life, or…her life has to become a lot shorter, Vince said to himself, feeling a little cold and numb inside as the reality of the situation became clear to him.

  But at least for now, he could enjoy his time with her in the playroom. He was going to take her apart piece by piece by piece and see what she was really made of.

  Chapter Ten

  Fiona was practically trembling by the time she approached Vince’s penthouse apartment again that night, fighting off a nasty case of the hiccups. That always happened to her when she got really nervous, which was a pain in the ass. She wished she could hide all signs of weakness so that nobody in the world around her would ever realize how vulnerable she really was. For now, she just pressed herself against the wall in the hallway outside of Vince’s apartment, sucking in air and holding it for a long moment until the hiccups passed. Please God, do not let them come back while we’re…doing whatever it is Vince decides to do to me tonight, she prayed silently.

  Deep inside, she knew that it wasn’t just the playroom that was making her so anxious. They had a much more productive time at the office that day, going through all of Paulie’s old business deals to help Vince get caught up with the current state of affairs. But things had been weird between them. For one thing, she was pretty surprised that Vince never once mentioned the playroom or the contract or anything to do with their new relationship. It knocked her off-balance, making her feel like she didn’t know what to do or say, except that she wasn’t going to break the contract she’d signed the night before. But it was more than that. Vince seemed so tightly-wound, so nervous himself that it was contagious, seeping into her mood and making her feel like she didn’t know where they stood. He’s surprised I know so much about the business, Fiona thought as she reflected back on Vince’s shocked expression whenever she expl
ained the details of a drug deal or an upcoming murder case. And he’s…scared. Scared of me.

  She felt a little sick to her stomach just thinking about that. Why should he be scared of her? Fiona’s life was a mess. She couldn’t get a handle on anything, not since her dad’s last heart attack. But maybe that’s exactly why he’s so scared of me, Fiona realized, feeling tiny beads of sweat appear along her hairline as the new knowledge sunk into her brain. I have nothing to lose. I could leave this life behind in an instant, go to the cops, go to the feds, even, and get a nice, new, pretty little life in Witness Protection as payment for betraying the Romanos.

  It wasn’t like she’d never considered it before. She wasn’t stupid, after all. But the possibility of retribution by the Romanos kept her from thinking too seriously about it. She didn’t want to be killed, let alone endanger her father. I was so stupid for getting involved in this mess in the first place, Fiona thought, sighing as she leaned back against the wall. Maybe I should just leave. Tonight. Now that Paulie is gone, I have no excuse, no reason to be loyal to them. I should grab my dad and take the money I’ve saved up and just leave the country, where none of the Romanos or the feds or anyone else could get their hands on us.

  But despite how convincing that argument sounded in her head, she couldn’t seem to pry herself off the wall and walk away. Vince might have literally been considering killing her, just because of all that she knew, yet she couldn’t make the smart decision and leave. What the fuck is wrong with me? Fiona wondered, holding her head in her hands and swallowing thickly to clear her throat. I’m a smart girl. I’m independent. I’m strong, right? Why can’t I just do the right thing and leave this all behind?

  Fiona was torn out of her thoughts by some indistinct noises behind her head, from the other side of the wall. When she focused really hard, she could make out the vague clinking of glass and the heavy footfall of a man, and she felt her heart shoot up into her throat. Vince. She was probably late by now, especially since she’d spent the last five minutes in an existential tailspin. Fuck, if he comes out here and sees me, it’ll look so weird. I should run. I should just run away right now while I still have the chance. But still, she couldn’t force herself to move a single inch. It was like her body was revolting, refusing to follow the commands that her brain was screaming out futilely. Why can’t I fucking move? Why am I not running away? What the hell is wrong with me? Fiona asked herself.

  But with her head pressed against the wall, listening to the shuffling noises on the other side, the answer came to her easily. It was Vince. Vince, the man who had every reason to have her killed. Vince, the man who, for all she knew, still believed that she was fucking his father before he died. Vince, the guy she barely knew. She couldn’t leave without fucking him, at least once. She had to see this through or she knew she would regret it for the rest of her life. She had to know if it was possible for her to let someone else take control for once. She had to know if she had the capacity to let go, to feel true release. It was now or never.

  “Right,” she murmured to herself, straightening up and wiping the beads of sweat off her forehead. She reached into her purse for a compact mirror, opening it to make sure that she hadn’t sweated off all of her make-up. “I’ll do this once. At least once. Or a few times, and then I’ll run away when the time is right,” she whispered to herself as she shut the compact and shoved it back into her purse. It was time to stop punishing herself. She’d let herself into the playroom, she’d let herself let go, if only to see if she was capable of it. And then she’d worry about the consequences later. For tonight, at the very least, she’d let herself feel alive.

  She walked back up to Vince’s door and knocked gently, not wanting to appear too eager, even though she had to be several minutes late at this point. There were a few long moments of silence, during which Fiona scratched furiously at her hands just to give herself something to focus on other than the excruciating wait for Vince to arrive. Then, mercifully, the door swung open, revealing a servant dressed smartly in another dark suit. “Mistress Fiona,” the servant said, smiling warmly at her. “Can I take your coat?”

  “Uh, sure,” Fiona said, shrugging out of her jacket and handing it awkwardly to the servant. “Is, um, is Vince…”

  “Master Vince is waiting for you already,” the servant said. “You can go to the designated room, if you remember the way.”

  She definitely did. Fiona nodded and forced a smile for the servant’s benefit before inhaling deeply to steady herself and heading in the direction of the playroom. Fiona tried to mentally coach herself as she stepped into the hallway behind the dining room area, slowly walking toward the dark room where Vince was waiting for her. I can do this. I can do this. I’m a strong, powerful bitch. I got this. I fucking got this. Oh, God, I’m fucking nervous. My stomach hurts. I’m so goddamned nervous, fuck!

  Fiona finally reached the door, putting her hand on the cold handle, but before she turned it, she remembered a crucial detail of the contract. The clothes. She was supposed to be naked in the playroom at all times, with her clothing left outside of it. Jesus, she thought, feeling lightheaded as she pulled her hand away from the door. Once again, she thought of bolting, running as far as she could, to someplace where she wouldn’t have to be brave. Her heart pounded insistently in her temples, making her feel like two giant cymbals were continually being crashed over the sides of her head. But whenever her brain yelled at her legs to try to force them into motion, they stayed still, remaining in place outside of the playroom. Her body wanted this. There was no denying it.

  She exhaled deeply, letting all of the air leave her body, before she squared her shoulders and reached for the zipper of her skirt. Fiona looked around in every direction, making sure none of the servants were lurking around to watch her undress, before she yanked the zipper down, stepped out of the skirt, and carefully folded it before placing it against the wall. Next, she unbuttoned her blouse before pulling it off her body, leaving her clad only in her bra and panties. Her whole body prickled with goosebumps, chills riding up and down her spine as she heard something move from inside the playroom. Fuck, he’s waiting for me. This is really happening. This is fucking real, she thought as she wrapped her arms around her body to protect herself against the cold air around her.

  “Shit,” she muttered as she felt her heart speed up in her chest, her fingers trembling as she reached behind her body to undo the clasp of her bra. She hesitated for a long moment before letting her bra fall from her chest, her nipples immediately hardening as a result of the chilly air of the penthouse. If I’m going to do this, I might as well go all the way, Fiona thought as she stepped out of her panties, bending over to gather all of her clothes in a neat pile.

  Her whole body felt cold and hot all at once, every cell of her skin tingling with hyper-awareness. Fiona licked her lips and swallowed hard to clear her throat as much as possible before reaching down to grab the doorknob again, clenching her fist around it before turning it and giving the door a gentle push.

  She stepped inside before she could second-guess herself anymore, pulling her hair down from its ponytail at the last second, just on impulse. She shook her hair around to let it cascade down around her shoulders as she shut the door behind her. Then, finally, she turned to face the man that was standing by the desk in the center of the room, holding the contract in his hand. He did not look happy.

  “You’re late,” Vince said, his voice hard and his expression cold and unreadable. He made no move to cross the room to touch her, and Fiona suddenly felt incredibly vulnerable and exposed. She wrapped her arms around her body again, shielding her bare breasts from his view. “No, don’t do that,” Vince said, his face growing a little lighter, his eyes twinkling with something that Fiona didn’t recognize. “Let me see you.”

  Fiona briefly considered turning and running out of the room, away from him, forever. But instead, her arms gave way, doing as she was told, exposing her chest to his penetrating g
aze. Fuck, Fiona thought as she saw his eyes roam over her body, his tongue poking out to lick at his lips as he looked right at her cunt. She felt a rush to her head, like all of her blood abandoned the rest of her body all at once. But it didn’t feel bad. It was strange, feeling like she was about to pass out, but the fear from before slowly receded from her body, leaving her with an odd emptiness. But she wasn’t numb. Her whole body prickled with sensations she’d never felt before, but she was calm. Her thoughts had come to a standstill. Jesus, I don’t know if this has ever happened to me ever before, she thought.

  “Come over to me,” Vince directed her, and Fiona’s legs moved forward of their own accord, carrying her across the room but stopping a few feet away from Vince, the desk separating their two bodies. “Do you remember your safe word?”

  Fiona nodded.

  “Answer me out loud,” Vince said, leaning a little over the desk so that their faces were closer together.

  “Yes, I do,” Fiona said quickly, feeling a hot flush burn its way up her back and neck. It wasn’t uncomfortable, though. There was something overwhelming, almost ticklish, about obeying him. But it didn’t feel bad. She wasn’t sure if it felt “good,” exactly, but she wanted more of it. She wanted to roll around in that sensation, let it sink into her brain, play around in it until she decided how she really felt about it.