Taste of revenge

13

Chapter Thirteen
Rafaelo

A s I wait for Noelle to meet me at the car, I can't help but think back to
Cisco's actions and innuendoes and suspect he might have another
plan afoot. Otherwise, why invite me to accompany his sister when I
am, for lack of a better word, a ticking bomb? With the bounty over my
head, even having the protection entourage on which he'd insisted, could
prove dangerous. Why risk the safety of his sister like that?
Although the entire thing raises some question marks, I'm not about to
pass up a great opportunity. After all, it's not that easy to find myself alone
with Noelle. Certainly, it won't be now that she knows my intentions and
considering the fear in her eyes.
Leaning against the car, I spare a glance to the other black car waiting
behind—our protection detail for the day.
I have to wonder if the news that I'm back and under DeVille protection
has reached Michele's ears. A small chuckle escapes me as I imagine just
how he'd react—breaking something, no doubt.
But my mirth is quickly dispelled as the object of my disdain makes her
appearance. She's wearing a black blouse that's fitted to her torso and a pair
of high-waisted black jeans, both of which emphasize the contours of her
curves. Catching the direction of my errant thoughts, I curse myself as I
step aside, motioning for her to get in first.
Her upper lip twitches in displeasure at the sight of me. And as she gets
inside the car, she slams the door closed after her, locking it. Catching a
glimpse of a cheeky smile, I know this journey won't be easy.

Shaking my head, I quickly round the car, snatching the other door open
before she has time to lock it too.
A scowl on her face as she sees me get in, she moves as far away from
me as possible.
Taking a deep breath, I calm myself until the car starts moving, our
entourage following close behind. When we're a safe distance away from
the house, I simply roll up the partition and mute the speakers so the driver
can't hear us.
"What... What are you doing?" She eyes me warily, crowding herself in
that one corner as she fidgets with her hands in her lap.
The tinted windows make it so that the entire interior of the car is
swathed in darkness, even though the sun is shining outside. Her face is
bathed in shadows, but even so, I can make out the chiseled contours of her
features, her small nose tipped upwards and the sharpness of her cheeks.
Her mouth, slightly parted as her labored breath makes it through her lips, is
small and dainty—like the rest of her.
She looks the epitome of innocence, all of it crowned by her eyes.
Sometimes brown, sometimes green, depending how the light hits them, her
eyes are round and big, speaking of naïveté and kindness—the exact
opposite of her personality. She is the poster child for the old adage that
appearances deceive, and my hands ball into fists the more I stare at her.
I'm mad at her for simply existing, but I'm also mad at myself. For
noticing her. For noticing more than I ever should.
"Isn't it obvious? I'm giving us some privacy," I give her a wide smile as
I settle comfortably in my seat opposite hers, raising an eyebrow as I dare
her to do something about it.
"Oh, is this the first step in your torture? What were you and my brother
calling it," she purses her lips, "total annihilation of the heart?"
"Bingo," I snap my fingers at her in a mock salute.
"Well," she forces a smile, bending forward. A beam of light hits her
face, highlighting that beauty that I'd learned to abhor. "Too bad," she
whispers in a low voice, "you chose someone who has nothing to lose, nor a
heart to annihilate," she adds confidently.
"Is that so?" I parry. There's still quite the distance between us, but I can
feel her presence filling the entire space. Her smell, in particular, floods my

nostrils the moment she shifts in her seat. A mix of magnolia and bergamot,
it leaves a sweet yet spicy taste behind as I feel her flavor on my tongue.
A sliver of annoyance spears through me, my body tense as I barely
hold myself back from causing her bodily harm.
Barely.
"Everyone has something to lose, Noelle."
I speak from personal experience. I may not value anything currently,
but my pending revenge is something I would not like to be taken away
from me—after all, it's the only thing keeping me going. "It's just a matter
of hitting the right spot," I mention and she blinks, frowning. "And you..." I
trail off, enjoying unsettling her, "you do have something to lose." I smirk.
She looks at me intently before scoffing, bringing her arms over her
chest in a way that emphasizes the swell of her breasts, beckoning my eyes
to focus there instead on the matter at hand.
I quickly catch myself, my eyes narrowing as I realize what she's trying
to do.
"Really? Let me guess. The fact that my brother thinks I may have a
thing for you?" She smiles. "Why would you even go for that? Out of ideas,
golden boy?"
I raise an eyebrow at her.
"Golden boy?" I ask, amused, before my expression turns serious.
In one second I have her by the throat as I lean into her, my voice
caressing her earlobe. "That," I start with a dry chuckle, noting the shiver
that goes down her body. She's holding herself still, but I can tell she's not
unaffected. "Is just the beginning. By the time I'm done with you, no one is
going to believe a word from your mouth."
"What..." she brings her hands up, her palms pushing at my shoulders.
"But it's not as if it wasn't true, now, was it?" I ask in an arrogant tone.
"I see how you look at me," I purr seductively.
"What are you talking about?" She tries to protest, struggling in my
hold.
Turning her head to the side, I grip her jaw as I stare into her eyes, our
faces millimeters apart. I'm so close, her scent is even stronger as it settles
on my tongue, the taste of her counterfeit sweetness nauseating.
"You like what you see, don't you? I don't disgust you now. You'd fuck
me now that I'm not a slave anymore, wouldn't you?" I ask in a sinister