Page 28 of Monstrous Grave
Viper tilts his head. “And yet, you allow a woman to take over a heist as important as this.”
There’s something about his words that doesn’t appear misogynist at all, and it fills me with a sensation I cannot quite make out.
“Don’t question me.” Mr. Valenti’s voice is deadly cold as he speaks, causing the rest of the Garcías to glance at each other.
“I’ll make it clear for you, Benjamin Valenti.” Viper’s voice carries a sharp edge. “When I ask for something, I shall receive it. I expect Arcane to meet me by the docks tonight, and then she can share the details of this hard drive with you. If she refuses or fails to comply, this information will stay buried, and we’ll have the upper hand.”
My breath hitches at the silent threat in his words. How the fuck did he come across those files?
Of course. He stole the schematics before I had the chance. Dammit! I’d been searching for those a while ago, to get my hands on their detailed plans and logistics for their delivery with the seller of the car that has the drive, but Viper had beat me to it.
The meeting soon dies out as both families turn to leave the conference with a formal goodbye. I wait for a few seconds, making sure no one is inside the room before I slip out of the locker. The cramped space has left my body aching from the uncomfortable position in which I sat.
Opening the locker, ready to get out of there and think of my plan on how to proceed next, I’m suddenly met by a hard, solid wall where I should be able to roam freely.
Shock renders me motionless as I stop in my tracks, looking up through thick eyelashes. It’s not a concrete wall; it’s a wall of muscles, defined underneath a dark shirt. My heart is a frantic bird attempting to escape my chest as I meet shadowed eyes behind the tinted helmet. Despite the obscured features, it’s as if his intense gaze pierces through.
“Tsk, tsk. Little angel, spying on a conference she wasn’t invited to,” Viper remarks with a tinge of disapproval and amusement, crossing his arms over his chest which accentuates the bulging muscles beneath. And those damned veins. The sight of his tattoos adorning his arms like sleeves is undeniably captivating, and I feel myself staring at only them for a brief moment.
He’s the same height as me, but with me crouching down, he towers above me. A swift breeze of his scent washes over my senses and trails to my nostrils, something leather-like mixed with an earthy cologne. I swallow hard, trying to fend off the effect of his closeness. Despite my efforts, his gaze feels directed at me, as if I’m the sole focus of his attention, hating every second of it.
“Get out of my way,” I say when I notice he’s blocking my escape from the locker.
I remain crouched, muscles straining from the position. All he does is look at me, amusement littering his features. It’s in the subtle tilt of his head, the way his posture exudes a relaxed confidence. He doesn’t move out of the way.
“Get the fuck out of my way,” I growl, trying to push past him. It doesn’t work at first, but then he finally lets me go, and I’m out of the locker.
Yet the moment I’m ready to get out of there, he traps me between the wall and his body, standing like a lethal force before me. His scent is more prominent now and seeks its way into my soul. How he stares at me causes flutters in my stomach, creatures with sharp wings whose sole mission is to slice me dry, leaving me to die alone in my misery without any mercy.
I’m ready for him to strike me for disobeying the rules and codex of our criminal world. Don’t ever spy on a meeting. Anyone else who’d been in my position would have been executed immediately. Doesn’t he have the stomach to do it? I’ve seen and heard how ruthlessly he kills people; he’s unforgiving in his ways.
“What are you doing here, little devil?”
I’m trapped in his presence, a spell bewitching me in place and rendering me helpless against this criminal man in front of me. Why didn’t I carry a gun when I decided to spy on this meeting? A weapon would’ve given me leverage, a means to force him out of my way.
Feeling daring, I reach out to remove his helmet, and to my surprise, he doesn’t stop me. As my fingers brush against the surface, my heart quickens its pace in anticipation. But it’s short-lived as I discover the balaclava mask underneath, concealing everything except his deep brown eyes and lips.
He smirks at me, before stroking my cheek, eyes remaining unwavering with a relentless intensity. As I move my head away, his hand follows, grazing against my skin even when I don’t want it to.
His upper body presses against mine, and I feel the brush of his leg. A moment of silence passes as his thumb delicately traces my lip as if savoring every tingling sensation. I’m locked in a trance, rendered speechless and unable to utter a word, as if I’m an outsider from another planet.
His thumb continues its gentle exploration of my lip, and before my brain can understand anything, his leg nudges my own in a subtle move.
Shock fills every feature as my eyes widen, struggling to grasp what’s going on.
“What are you doing?” I blurt out, my voice tinged with disbelief and apprehension.
He doesn’t say anything, merely continuing to graze my lips, as if his movements enthrall me. My pulse beats fiercely, the rush of blood drowning out any other sound. But amidst the pounding in my ears, I hear the change in his breath as it becomes heavier, huskier somehow.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I repeat, trying to shift away from him.
All of a sudden, his lips meet mine, and I realize it’s one meant to devour, slaughter, and annihilate, never to be tender or caring. He connects with me in a bruising kiss, his teeth grazing my lips until he sinks them down, biting. I feel the tang of metallic, knowing he bit down, drawing blood.
I’m too shocked to do anything, too captivated by the enchanting kiss to comprehend the turn of events. I barely know him, and yet I allowed him to kiss me. The realization sends a jolt of confusion and apprehension through me, but I’m powerless to resist the allure of his embrace.
The rivaling family’s second-born son.
The Viper García.