The knock on his office door came earlier than Vin expected. The heavy wooden door opened and Callie walked in barefoot. She was still wearing Vin’s shirt that Ella had found in his closet the night before. She was a petite thing with innocent and delicate facial features. Soren told him she was twenty-four, but Vin would believe it if she said she was eighteen. Vin’s shirt looked big on her, but she carried it well and the shirt couldn’t conceal the curves of that delectable body underneath. “Come closer,” said Vin as he watched Callie awkwardly take in his extremely minimalist office. There was almost nothing in there apart from his mahogany office table and chair combo and some bookshelves. “Look at me.” Careful brown eyes met his blue ones, and something about Callie’s vulnerability and innocence made Vin’s dick twitch in his pants. And she was beautiful, no question about that. Not even the pinkish swell of her cheek could mar her beauty. “Callie Moore.” It was the name Vin sa
In the end, it was Vin who chose Callie’s outfit after she appeared in dark jeans, cropped tee, and a dark denim jacket. Vin shook his head in disappointment before he dragged her back into her room to change into a sleek black mini dress. He was careful to choose a dress that covered her injured arms, but the dip on the front hung low, exposing the tops of her ample breasts. And with the dress reaching only the tops of her thighs, Callie had to pull on the hem every now and then. Soren met them at the front of a club called, “The Tomb?” asked Callie, curious about the bright neon sign. A flash of annoyance crossed Vin’s features, before he replied defensively, “I didn’t name it. People started calling it that and it stuck.” Soren sidled up to Callie when Vin walked ahead to talk to one of the bouncers. “It’s called The Tomb because people have been buried here,” explained Soren in a low voice, careful not to be heard by the mafia boss. “Both figuratively and literally, I might ad
WTF. WTF. WTF. What the fuck just happened?Callie’s heart pounded in her chest, her mind running a mile a minute.Someone died in front of her— No. Someone was murdered. That was murder, right? What the fuck had she gotten herself into?She wove through the bodies blindly until she found a little corner near the back, a small hallway that led to what she assumed is the toilet all the while holding in nausea. She barely made it past the hallway and into the toilet before she was emptying her meal into the bowl, earning pitiful glances from the other women inside.Callie took deep calming breaths as she cleaned herself up, the memory of vomit making her stomach churn again. She dreaded going back out there, but running wasn’t an option. So, Callie picked herself up and slowly stepped out on shaky legs.Vin knew even before the medics made the call that his man was dead. Rage stirred in his chest as he looked on, helpless as they bagged the body and wheeled it out. Vin always paid his d
As the fighters prepared, several men had come and gone to talk to Vin. Callie couldn’t understand most of them as they spoke so low, but she could tell it was all serious business. Why else would they be so secretive about it?When all the men have left, Vin relaxed into his seat, snaking an arm behind Callie to wrap his arm around her waist. The action surprised her, stiffening in his hold.“What did you find out?” Vin asked Soren. “Did he have a family?”Soren shook his head, “No, but he did have a girlfriend.Vin closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, trying to keep himself grounded, he squeezed Callie’s waist slightly. “You know what to do,” he added through a clenched jaw.“I’ll have the money and supplies ready in two days.”“Good.”Callie understood then, from that short exchange that Vin cared about his men. He cared enough to want to avenge their death and provide for the family they’ve left behind. Callie latched onto that. Maybe this man wasn’t the monster he wanted her to b
Vin was still reeling with pride for Raleigh as their little group left the underground gambling den. He stole a quick look at Callie and frowned at her expression. She looked terrified. But wasn’t that the reason Vin brought her here? To scare her, and let her know about the atrocities he was involved in? Vin was not a good man, and Callie needed to learn that sooner rather than later. They were almost out of the main entrance when someone bumped into Vin, the ash from his lit cigarette leaving a nasty mark against the crime lord’s shirt. “So, s-sorry, boss man.” The man was clearly drunk, with the way his words strung together. He was laughing too, something that one shouldn’t be doing in the presence of the Dragon, especially not after you’ve soiled his clothing. Before anyone could blink, Vin had the man’s jaw in his tight grip and had pried one of the man’s eyes open. “Bloodshot eyes, dilated pupils… a little watery too,” said Vin in a hushed voice, and each time he listed of
Callie couldn’t for the life of her, control her breathing. Panic attacks weren’t new to her, but panic attacks induced by nightmares were usually the worst. She thought she had outgrown the nightmares, but being involved with the mafia had opened fresh ones.She heard the click of her door and then the quiet padding of feet on the soft carpeted floor. And through the tears and scratching pain in her throat, Callie latched onto the sound to ground herself.“Breathe.” The voice was soft and low, urging Callie to breathe through her fear. “That’s it, deep breaths in… and out… Good girl.”It took a few minutes, and Callie could be mistaken, but she could have sworn Vin had reached over to brush her hair away from her face. When most of her panic had passed, Callie watched Vin rise from her bedside to stride toward the window.“Vin? Uhm… I—” She cleared her throat, wincing at how scratchy it felt. “W-Why are you here?”Thanks to the moon illuminating the dark room, Callie saw with clarity
Vin didn’t return to her room after that incident. In fact, she didn’t catch a glimpse of Vin the following day, save for when he caught her sipping tea in the kitchen in the middle of the night after she woke up from another nightmare. She flushed pink at the thought of Vin hearing her cry again. Guilt and embarrassment settled badly in her stomach. Callie had made a habit of singing herself to sleep after her bouts with her repeating nightmares. Every night she cries and sings, cries and sings. Tonight, she cried about her broken dreams. Callie had abandoned her phone and laptop, the devices lay dead somewhere inside her backpack. Why bother? She couldn’t go to school anyway. She wouldn’t be able to graduate. Unless… “Silver lining, Callie,” she muttered to herself as she marched into the kitchen. “Find your silver lining.” “Would you care for some breakfast?” Now, those were words Vin hadn’t heard in a long time. He had been living alone for fifteen years, and he usually grabb
Vin gave Callie enough time to get changed and finish her waffles before two men enter the dining area. Callie recognized the taller one, Raleigh, from the arena. Without the tapes around his arms and anger marring his features, he looked young—almost too young to be associated with the mafia. His face was bruised, but he held his head high with pride. “Boss, I thought we had a talk about not killing our clients?” the stranger said, his tone was patronizing, but he had a smile on his face. “Seriously, man. It’s bad for business.” The stranger must be ranked up higher on the ladder because Vin merely shrugged and gestured for them to take a seat. His skin was a deep tan, and his smile was friendly and welcoming, but there was something in his eyes that made Callie feel uneasy. “There’s plenty of food. Help yourselves,” said Callie, who was starting to feel awkward. She ignored Vin’s sideways glance at her and smiled pleasantly at the newcomers. “And who might this be?” “Callie Moor