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Wickedly Twisted 30
AllisonI have no choice but to pound the treadmill for an hour.Escape isn't a real option. I might be able to send Orin out on some wild-goose chase errand to keep him busy, but the moment I step out of the house, I'll be swarmed by one of the dozen men Gregory has guarding the place.I can see his goons lingering on the sidewalk outside.People give our house a wide berth.They're even in the back yard, keeping an eye on the garden.If I slip out a window, or sneak through a door, those goons will drag me back inside before I can get more than a few feet.Although I can make a lot of noise. We're in a popular, crowded city area, which means a screaming girl's going to draw a ton of attention.Gregory definitely doesn't want that.But it's not like I know where Gregory's at. I could call him, but that's not enough. I could ask Orin, but I'm kind of sick of Orin right now, and anyway, I'm not sure he'd tell me. Gregory's mysterious office is somewhere in downtown Portland, but beyond
Wickedly Twisted 31
GregoryI step out of my empty bedroom wearing my normal business suit. It's barely past five in the morning. Allison tends to sleep past eight. I move downstairs quietly and head toward the kitchen. Orin will have some coffee and toast ready for me, then I'll take my car to the office—"Good morning, husband. What time do you usually head out?"I stop in the kitchen door and stare.Allison's sitting at the island. She's in a black pantsuit and black heels, her legs crossed, coffee and cereal in front of her. A paper's open and halfway folded to the business section.I look over at Orin, who shrugs helplessly."I'm leaving shortly." I walk to the island and accept my breakfast. Usually, I'd eat in the car. Instead, I stare at my wife.She puts down the paper. "Good. I'm ready when you are.""I think you might be confused. Did our conversation last night give you the impression that you'd be joining me today?""No," she says, snapping the paper. "But I decided that you need my help."I
Wickedly Twisted 32
AllisonGregory makes me do paperwork.We reach his office that morning, and the place is crawling with thugs. Guys in dark suits roam the halls, not even pretending to be anything other than armed guards. They treat me very respectfully as Gregory dumps me in an office next to the conference room where he works, but I can tell they're keeping a close eye on me."Permits," Gregory says about ten minutes after we arrive. "Make sure they're correct.""Permits for what?""New locations. We're expanding." He turns to leave."Hold on." I jump to my feet, gesturing at the pathetic room. "There's barely any furniture in here.""This is the only office with a desk." His jawline twitches. It's obvious he's annoyed."How in the world are you running a business from here?""It isn't difficult."I roll my eyes, making an annoyed gesture around me. "Gregory. This office looks like a freaking hostage situation.""And?" He cocks his head as if he doesn't understand."Businesses are about perception.
Wickedly Twisted 33
Allison"Are you still happy you came to work for me?"I pant into his mouth as his fingers do their filthy work. "Yes. Totally. Ecstatic.""That's nice to hear." He pulls his hand back and I let out an annoyed groan, but before I can complain, he forces me forward onto my elbows."Gregory—" I start because I know what's coming next, but it's too late.His palm whacks against my ass so hard I suck in a breath."There you are," he murmurs, rubbing my stinging skin. "You know you start moaning the moment I spank you, don't you?""No," I groan, trying to turn around to glare at him, but he's got me by the hair. "I do not—"Another whack on the ass. I grunt, biting my lip to keep from doing exactly what he says I will.The filthy bastard knows I like this. I wiggle my hips, pressing back against his firm grip. He spanks me again, and again, and soon the pain's beginning to overwhelm my brain when he finally cups my pussy with his palm, holding me steady, before sinking his fingers deep in
Wickedly Twisted 34
AllisonIt takes a few back-and-forth phone calls, but Jonny Jeffers finally agrees to meet in person. We set a date for the following day, and when the time arrives, Gregory's on edge."I don't like this situation," he says, glaring out the car window. We're being driven by his second-in-command, Sean, and another of their trusted enforcers while two more cars, one in front and one behind, are packed to the brim with armed men. I can't imagine how we could get any safer short of hiding away in a nuclear bunker."I told you, Jonny's an old hippie," I say, trying to put him at ease. "It's not really all that surprising.""This should've been straightforward, and we should be meeting at our office. Instead, we're doing... this." He scowls, shaking his head.Jonny had been cagey about where he wanted to meet. Gregory felt he was being suspicious, while I only assumed he was acting like his normal goofy self. Eventually, we landed on an old vegan place that isn't even listed online anymor
Wickedly Twisted 35
AllisonI slam down against the window. My shoulder's pinned, painfully digging into broken glass. My face is pressed against something cold and hard—the door, concrete, I can't really tell—and Gregory's still on top of me, still covering my body with his own. He weighs a thousand pounds. I'm dizzy and can't tell which way is up.I hear my name. "Allison. Hey, Allison, look at me." Gregory's dragging me up, shaking me slightly. Everything's ringing and whining, and the light's far too bright."Gregory," I mumble. "I'm okay. I'm okay." But am I okay? I don't know what happened, why the whole car seems like it exploded, or why Gregory sounds angry."Hold on." His arms wrap around me and he's lifting me up, up, across the car—how are we moving up through the car?—until Sean's pulling me from the opposite window.Loud explosions break out all around us. Sean curses, and he drags me over the side of the car, landing in a heap on the parking lot.It takes a beat to understand that the SUV i
Wickedly Twisted 36
GregoryThe pungent scent of burning marijuana fills the air.It's nearly choking. Thick plumes gust into the sky with each breeze. I can barely see the stars, and the full moon's a black circle. I stand well back from the flames with Sean at my elbow. Orange and red flames lick along perfect rows of plants, catching and spreading in the direction of the wind. Nearby, my men run around, throwing more Molotov cocktails into the field, starting more blazes.Soon, the entire farm will burn to ashes.And ten others just like it in northern Oregon will burn as well. Multiple farms hit, all in one coordinated attack on Paul's suppliers. These are Paul's closest business associates, and nobody will be confused about why they were attacked.I tried to avoid this, but it's time."What are you thinking?" Sean asks as I walk away from the scene back to where we parked the cars a mile off the main road."Nobody's going to mistake this little revenge," I say, putting the stench of burning weed beh
Wickedly Twisted 37
AllisonI wake to find Gregory in bed with me. I blink against the bright morning sunlight, trying to decide if my husband is a mirage or not. I shift closer and touch his chest, making his eyelids flutter open. The man's cut from marble, and the still-sleeping look in his eyes only makes him that much more beautiful. I'm struck by this man, by how handsome he is, by how effortlessly he navigates the world. It's like I'm seeing him for the first time."Good morning," I say softly. "You smell like smoke.""Good morning." He rolls onto his back and sighs. "I showered. Twice.""What did you do last night?""Started my revenge." He shifts back to face me. "How are you feeling?""Tired," I say, yawning."The baby? Any symptoms? The doctor said—""I'm fine." I touch his chest again, not thinking about how intimate the gesture is. I can't seem to keep my hands away from him. "Seriously. I feel totally fine. A little bit sore, but better than yesterday."He looks visibly relieved. "I had trou
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Wickedly Twisted Epilogue
ScarI sit at the bar in the Oak Club and sip a fine whiskey. It's peaty, warm, almost sweet. I hold it up to the light and watch the gold glow."You guys ever think we'd end up like this?" I ask, not looking at my brothers, but knowing they're beside me.Eros says, "Not once. But here we are.""I kind of figured I'd get hitched," Ford admits. "But I never thought I'd actually like her.""Same," Carmine says and laughs. "I figured I'd get stuck with some mafia princess brat.""Strange, how it goes," I say, grinning at them. "Here's to family.""Here's to that," Eros echoes.We toast each other. Four of the five men in the Atlas Organization. "I wish Lanzo were here," Ford says with a sigh."He'll be back," Eros says, then hesitates and shrugs. "Or maybe not. You never know with that guy.""He's going to be really surprised to hear that all four of his friends are married." I turn to look at the nearby table where are wives are sitting. Kat and Brice. Cara and Rita. All four of them be
Wickedly Twisted 57
ScarOrin Callahan does not sound happy.I'm back in my Dallas office. The new secretary is outside my door—a young man named Brian. Janine said he came highly recommended. We'll see about that."I'll be straight with you, Scarfoni," he says, and I note that I'm not Scar anymore. "I thought we had an understanding. You come to Boston, you work for my family, you get access to power you never dreamed about before. Do I really have to spell it out?""No, sir, you don't," I say, looking at the window. Thinking about my wife at her office right now. My real wife. "Unfortunately, Rita got a job here in Dallas, a job that I can't ask her to leave. I either stay here with her, or we do the long-distance thing, like I mentioned. I decided long distance won't work. I won't be leaving Dallas after all."Orin grunts, his annoyance obvious. "That's not acceptable.""It's the way things are. I wish it worked out differently.""You're making a mistake, Scarfoni. I'll give you another chance—""With
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RitaI'm exhausted when I get back to the apartment.I was right, the first day wasn't too hard. A girl named Easter ("Mom was a hippie, Dad was a Catholic, they compromised.") showed me around, introduced me to the team, and started with my training once I filled out a ton of paperwork for HR. She's small and extremely sweet, but talked really fast, and I found myself struggling to keep up as she threw a ton of information at me all at once.Now I'm feeling like I ran a marathon. I toss my bag down near the door, kick my beautiful shoes off near the entryway, ignore the fact that they gave me blisters, and hurry into the main room.It smells incredible. "What is that?" I ask as Scar welcomes me from the kitchen."Dinner," he says, holding up a bottle. "And champagne." He pops off the cork.I laugh as he pours two glasses. "What's all this for?""A celebration. To your first day.""Oh, yeah? You cooked and cracked open a bottle of bubbly for me?""I didn't cook, I bought some good Ita
Wickedly Twisted 55
RitaMonday morning. I'm awake way earlier than I need to be—four on the dot—but I can't get back to sleep.It's the first day of a new job.I'm nervous. I'd be crazy if I weren't at least a little bit nervous. The first day should be the easiest though—they won't expect me to do anything serious, not until I'm acclimated with the office, with the basic stuff like email and logging into the computer and all that crap.I'll meet my coworkers, my bosses. I'll smile, make small talk, try to fit in.And for some reason, I'm terrified.I take a shower to calm my nerves. I get out and spend the next half hour second-guessing my outfit choice, parading one work-appropriate blouse around toward different work-appropriate slacks and skirts, trying to get just the right shoes. After a solid hour, I'm too tired to keep messing around and end up on a simple navy-and-gray ensemble. I'll get a feel for what the rest of the office wears and match a little bit better next time, but this should be fin
Wickedly Twisted 54
ScarGregory Callahan sits across from me in a barbecue restaurant he picked out. The place is almost garish, a gaudy mix of cowboy clichés: big hats, boots, spurs, ropes, steer, bison, more than one stuffed head, a bunch of bleached antlers, and a ton of rustic-looking wood completes the hideous decor."Never been here before," I say, glancing around, trying my best not to make a face."I hear the food's good," Gregory says without smiling. I genuinely can't tell if he's kidding or not. "But we're not here to eat.""We could order something," I say, craning my neck, looking for a waitress, suddenly curious."No, thank you." Gregory sits back in his booth. "This place is neutral ground. Somewhere you or your friends would never visit. It's also ugly enough that I want to spend as little time here as possible. So why don't we get to business?"I sit up straight, holding his gaze. "Whatever you want," I say, gesturing at him. "You called this meeting, Gregory. Why don't you tell me what
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ScarI can't stay in that apartment.Not after trying to kiss her like a fucking idiot.I knew it was wrong—and I tried to do it anyway.I'm glad she pushed me away, even if I wanted to keep going.Even if I wouldn't have stopped.I fly out of Dallas the following morning, early. I leave her a note: Heading to Chicago on business. Sorry about yesterday. Scar. Hopefully she doesn't hold my stupid decisions against me, but then again, what does it matter?I'm leaving. She's staying. It's over—whatever it was."I didn't push her into the job to get rid of her," I say, sitting at a fancy bar. The soft murmur of conversation swirls around us. The lighting's muted, sultry, lots of reds and leather. The sort of place where I'm comfortable.Eros Khazan, another one of my best friends, leans back in his seat, studying me. The big Greek man narrows his eyes, considering. He's massive—easily the biggest guy in the place, maybe the biggest guy in the whole city—and he wears his size like a shield
Wickedly Twisted 52
RitaThat stupid asshole kisses me.We were having fun. A little harmless flirting, nothing more.But he takes it too far and kisses me.I can't believe it. He says the exact wrong thing, and he still has the nerve to kiss me. I put both hands on his chest and shove him back as hard as I can. I'm small, he's big, but I have the element of surprise—and a little leverage from the counter behind me.He takes a couple steps back, eyes wide."You idiot," I say, shaking my head. All the playfulness is gone now. "There's only right now? Are you insane?"His jaw works. "What do you want from me, Rita? I'm moving to Boston. You're staying here. What else can I do?""I don't know," I say, frustrating finally hitting its peak. I throw up my hands in disgust."You're the one flirting with me, you know.""I'm aware of that. It's frustrating, okay? I like flirting with you. It feels good."God, I'm so beyond confused.Because I want him to kiss me. I want him to want me. I love flirting with him, I
Wickedly Twisted 51
ScarI spend a few days in Boston getting a feel for the city. I meet with all the brothers except for Gregory—no shock there—and have dinner with Orin on the last night. He seems as stressed as he was back in the office, only drunker."Don't ever forget, they're out for blood," he says on the sidewalk outside of the expensive restaurant. He grabs my shoulder, stares into my eye. "They're all out for blood, Scar."I have no clue who he means, but I can imagine it's everyone. In his business, in his position, real paranoia must be the norm, and a shiver runs down my spine trying to picture myself working for this man.I can't stop thinking about the difference between Beach Orin and Office Orin on the flight back to Dallas. I keep seeing him standing there behind the desk surrounded by all the trappings of power—huge windows overlooking the city, oil paintings on the walls, expensive wooden furniture, priceless books and artifacts on the shelves—but looking absolutely diminished.Small
Wickedly Twisted 50
RitaI'm lonely without Scar.It's pathetic. I know it's pathetic. I drift around the apartment, killing time until I start work. He left me a credit card, said I could get myself an entire professional wardrobe, so obviously I take him up on it.Shopping only numbs my feelings for a little while.Then I'm back home with half a dozen bags filled to the brim with designer outfits, empty all over again. I pop a bottle of champagne, pour a glass, and start at the window.Somewhere, hundreds of miles away, Scar's visiting the city we were both supposed to move to. I hope he's having a good time with the Callahan boys. I hope he's keeping out of trouble.A stab of jealousy pierces through me, and I have to shove it away.This isn't me. Moping around, feeling sorry for myself. Well, okay, it's a little me, but still, I don't let myself get all soppy and sad over some guy.Scar made his choice. I made mine.So why am I still feeling this way?As I pour myself a second glass, the doorbell rin
