St Just knew that O’Grady had bungled the moment Bianca Cruz walked into the tiny apartment with O’Grady behind her. A couple of the men were following them too, keeping a wary distance from the rabid-looking mob Boss, who looked drunk.
O’Grady had kept drinking steadily and Bianca had sat still and unmoving in her corner of the car all the way, biting her lip, holding back her tears with an effort. They had not shared a word after the way they had made violent love.
*
St Just sighed.
The f*ck was wrong with O’Grady? It had been Liam O’Grady’s idea to put a distance between them and the young girl; she did not need any further damage to her reputation, he had argued. St Just had been a little apprehensive; how would Bianca take the decision?
And when he saw her face, the swollen mouth, eyes that slid away from him, her lovely mouth turned down a the corners unhappily, he wanted to hit his brother across his face.
The Irishman had clearly made a mess.
*
Bianca walked in and stood to the side, her arms folded across her chest defensively. She barely glanced at St Just as he tugged at O’Grady’s arm and dragged him away. She moved to the window overlooking the street and stared out listlessly.
The area they had come to was a residential area. Plenty of dogwalkers and people out for an evening run. Houses on either side of the road, apartments as well. A nice looking suburb, she thought. Even as she watched, one of St Just’s men or was it O’Grady’s , drove up in a small car. She watched lethargically as he stepped out an marched ot eh entrance of the apartment block.
*
St Just’s hand on her harm made her flinch. He tipped her chin up and she tried hard to hide her anguish.
“Are you tired of me? Is that it, Master St Just?” she asked in a gay voice, attempting to be flippant and he swore.
What the f*ck had O’Grady, in his brash manner, done to this child?
Her grief tugged at his heart, something he had never experienced and with a groan, he pulled her into his arms and growled,
“Never, Pet. We would never do that to you.”
She laughed, a brittle sound, pushing away from him as she went on in a bitter tone,
“Yes, I did sign a contract for a year, right?” Her voice was high and she sounded on the edge of hysteria.
*
He swung his head to glare at his brother who ah dented the room, and stood, his shirt buttons open, to reveal his muscular chest, his face a study in anger, the black hair askew, and the hard black eyes fixed on Bianca, unwaveringly.
St Just did not release Bianca. He held her arms gently as he growled,
“O’Grady? The f*ck did you tell her?”
She turned to look at O’Grady, her anger evident in her blazing brown eyes.
That was when he saw the bite mark on her neck and became aware of the fragrance of O’Grady’s distinctive cologne that clung to Bianca’s body.
Enraged, he scowled as it dawned on St Just.
*
O’Grady had not been able to keep his hands to himself; he had taken her in the car. His body stiffened. He knew how uncontrollable O’Grady could be; had seen the violent way he took women when he was in the mood. And he must have ridden their Pet hard, for her to look so distraught.
She lifted her head proudly, her slim neck tightening as she said in a frosty voice,
‘How would you like me to service You, Master St Just?”
The man holding her tightened his fingers on her arm as he snarled, shaking her a little, as he turned to his brother,
*
Guilt and remorse flooded his being as O’Grady swore and abruptly left the room. They heard the sound of his car door slamming and Bianca watched as the large sedan swung on to the road and headed back to the main city.
Her shoulders slumped.
St Just clenched his fist.
O’Grady had dumped him with the fallout of whatever had gone on in the car. But he felt fiercely protective as he pulled Bianca onto his lap and sat down on the large, well-used couch in the room.
“Pet, we didn’t want you to get disturbed, which is why we shifted you here,” he said in a gentle, conciliatory tone, his tawny eyes darkening with sympathy as she sat rigidly on his lap.
She looked at him now.
” And of course, my opinion does not count, does it?”
She sighed.
Then, looking up, she said smoothly,
“Are you sending me away because you don’t lov…I mean, want me anymore in your bed?”
Her voice was faint and she struggled to let the words out.
*
He shook his head and said, holding her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes as he spoke,
” The people in the office will need your address; you would face a lot of trouble if they found out about our relationship.” He sighed and stroked her back, making circles as he moved his hand. It was a trick he had learnt, to calm any nervous subs and it always worked. He felt some of her tension reduce.
‘It’s no secret that we share women, f*ck, everyone knows that we keep a Pet for a while before sending her away, after paying her handsomely.’
His matter-of-fact tone made her heart go cold.
Was that all? Did they never care for the women they used? And what about the women?
Bianca felt the lump in her throat grow but she remained silent.
“We took the decision to protect you, Pet. The girl who stays here has left; she was a niece of Diana Roth, remember her?”
Bianca nodded faintly.
“This house is in an area where people mind their own business. No one will find it strange if you stay here; we own the building. And,” he went on as she raised her eyes, a question in them,
“There is adequate security for you. Our men will be occupying the apartment opposite.”
She nodded.
“So is this where you always keep the women who have become a …nuisance? The women who are on their way out?”
The cool mockery in her voice made him stop.
He suddenly saw the situation through her eyes.
None of the women they had kept had ever voiced their objections. Most had gone away, pocketing a large sum of cash. Some had clung to them, begging to continue to serve them. Bianca did not fall in any of the categories, he thought, his golden eyes gleaming thoughtfully.
Bianca Cruz was like a wake-up call, jolting him and his brother out of their little bubble of self-gratification.
And now he saw why O’Grady could not control himself around her.
She was beautiful and with brains to go with it.
And if he did not watch it, Bianca Cruz would have them at her beck and call.