Hunting Her Box Set

I don’t want her to wilt. Not for anyone.

“Mr. Torian,” Amar greets me with a grin. “Did you enjoy your visit?”

“Unfortunately, there were complications.” I glare, making it clear I’m in no mood to talk. “Just hurry up and get us back to the island.”

“Of course.” He nods and returns his attention to the wheel to start reversing the boat from the jetty.

I make a show of dragging Anissa to the bench seat and sit her down beside Luca. Once seated, she doesn’t raise her focus above waist height. She places her hands in her lap and plays with the quicks on her nails, rubbing them back, over and over.

I stand before her, my feet between hers, our legs brushing. It’s strange how much I need the contact. Even the slightest co

She sits a little straighter with each passing minute. Her expression grows fierce. She becomes emboldened before my eyes, her lips setting in a thin line, her forehead creasing. And those hands stop fidgeting and turn into clenched fists.

She’s gains strength with the isolation, her focus raising to meet mine. “Have you changed your mind?”

“Soon.” I curb the need to soothe the growing bruise on her cheek with a delicate brush of my hand. “It won’t be long now.”

I kid myself into thinking she’s growing disappointed with my delay. That she’s ditched the cloak of integrity and wants to dabble in the ways of my world.

But my mind isn’t creative enough to imagine her as anything less than entirely ethical. She’s too virtuous. I doubt she’ll ever change, no matter how much I want her to.

“Stay with her.” I glance at Luca. “Make sure she’s all right.”

He nods. “What’s the plan?”

I shrug, despite already knowing my actions are going to be mild. I can’t stand the thought of her having more confirmation of my satanic status. She despises who I am enough without more evidence to fuel her judgment. “Just watch her, okay?”

“I will.”

I step away, her heat vanishing in an instant as I make my way to the helm and mimic Amar’s stare across the open expanse of deep blue water. “Do me a favor and kill the engine.”

There’s a beat of silence. A tense pause.

“Excuse me, Mr. Tor—”

“Kill the fucking engine.”

He stiffens, his knuckles turning white with his tightened grip against the wheel. “Sure. No problem.” He eases back on the throttle, slowing our movement, then turns off the ignition. “Is something wrong?”

“That’s exactly what I hope to find out.” I turn to face him, leaning my hip against the cockpit as we bob in open waters. “Is it true you returned to my island this morning and assisted in robbing me?”

He has a “holy shit” moment. One of those brief eye-widening, lip-parting shows of shock which is quickly hidden behind fake confidence.

“No. I drive the boat. Nothing else. I don’t steal from you.”

“You escorted a thief to and from the island where he committed the crime, making you an accomplice.”

“No. I did not know.” He holds up his hands. “I thought you sent him. I thought he work for you, Mr. Torian.”

I raise a brow. “Really?”

“Yes. Yes.” He nods rapidly. “That man, he works for your family. Your father. I thought you send him.”

“You thought I sent one of my father’s men to retrieve something I could’ve easily brought on my own? Is that the lie you’re going with?”

His eyes bug. “It’s no lie. I promise you. No lie at all.”

“Do you know what I do to liars?”

“I’m no liar. I swear to you. I would never—”

“How was the woman taken from the island, Amar? Did she willingly walk onto the boat? Was she forced? Was she hurt?”

Panic starts to set in. His hands fidget. His gaze darts to Luca who stares with intent, appraising the situation from his position beside Nissa.

“Answer me,” I growl. “Tell me what happened.”

“She was sleeping. The man carried her.”

“Sleeping?” I chuckle through the rage. “In broad daylight? You must have thought she was a heavy sleeper.”

He doesn’t respond, not apart from the agitated twitch of his fingers at his sides.

“And what about the other day? What excuse do you have for threatening my property by holding a gun to the woman’s head?”

I realize the mistake of my question as soon as the words are out. I’ve encouraged his attention to stray to Nissa, his gaze narrowing on her.

“Eyes on me.” I lash out, grabbing him by the throat, my fingers squeezing tight. “Don’t even fucking breathe in her direction if you want to live to see another day.”

Her gasp brushes my ears in yet another sign of our differences. Her disgust must be building, yet I revel in the retaliation. The frantic beat of his pulse beneath my fingers is cathartic. Fucking thrilling.

“I mean no disrespect.” He clasps his hands in prayer. “Please. I made a mistake.”

“You made many.” I dig my fingers deeper. “You threatened something of mine. Held a gun to her head. Then you had the audacity to return and help someone steal her from me.”

“I was only—”

“Stealing from me,” I snarl.

He shakes his head. “No. No, sir. I would never—”

“But you did. You drove a thief to my island and stood by, watching him commit the crime. Then you gave him safe passage to Naxos.” I inch closer and breathe in the fear ebbing off him. “Do you know what he did to her? Did you know he hit her? Hurt her? Choked her? Now she’s damaged goods, Amar.”

“I did not know.” He bobs those praying hands between us. “I swear I did not know.”

I release his throat and watch him stumble backward. “You’re not a stupid man. You knew exactly what you were participating in.”

He returns his attention to Anissa, his deeply ta

“I said, don’t fucking look at her.” I snatch my gun from the holster and shove it against his forehead.

I itch to pull the trigger. I fucking throb with the need to end his life.

The only thing stopping me is her.

Fucking Anissa and her goddamn morality that hovers over me like a toxic cloud.

“Please.” Amar lowers to his knees before me, his head bowed. “I have children. Grandchildren. They rely on me.”

I keep the barrel aimed on his skull and my mind set on revenge.

I can’t let him walk away. He doesn’t get to hurt her and then escape unscathed.

“I understand.” I suck in a calming breath. “I have people who rely on me, too. Their income is dependent on my success, and that success is dependent on my power. My entire empire would crumple, affecting all those in my employ, if people thought they could get away with disrespecting me.”

“I beg of you, have mercy.” His eyes glaze, the hint of tears almost sickening me. “I have a daughter. She has three sons. Growing boys. I help them every day. I give them—”

“Enough.” I can’t deal with his sob story. The pathetic weakness only increases my loathing. “You can relax, old man. I’m not going to kill you. You’re only going for a swim.”

“A swim?”

“That’s right.” I holster my gun and wave a hand for him to stand. “You steal from me. I steal from you. And this boat seems like the perfect payment.”

“Oh, no.” He begins to sob. “Please, no.”

“Hurry up, Amar.” Luca walks toward us. “We don’t have time for your crocodile tears.”

“No, I won’t go. I’ll drown. This is murder.”

I reclaim my gun, my patience entirely lost, and place the barrel on his temple. “No, this will be murder.”