Chapter 3 Ms. Carter's first day

Zane.

I took a long sip of the black coffee, swallowing it in one gulp then I let down the mug to the saucer with a loud bang. The sound rattled the stuff on my desk. "Dammit" I yelled, leaning forward, I grabbed a crystal ball, rolling it between my fingers. I felt the warm sensation of the coffee as it flowed through my body. Who was I fooling, it wasn't the coffee, it was my desires. The bump poking at my zipper between my thighs was evident I was doing a bad job of controlling the intense desire coursing through my loins. The moment the twenty-five-year-old brown-haired, round face, curvy lady walked into my office, I knew I had made a miscalculation. And in all the years of strategically deciding things in Atlas, that was one grave mistake. I realized as her sharp, witty tongue spoke during the interview how I had miscalculated my move. The mistake wasn't in inviting her to be hired for the role; that decision was deliberate. It was a necessary move in a much larger game. The mistake was in underestimating the sexuality of her presence. I didn't realize how much power having her around me would set off passionate flames I had believed to have control over. Everything in my thirty-year-old life was meticulously calculated. The streams of businesses I owned, the investments I made, and the enemies I crushed before they even thought of betraying me. Even the ladies I had had flings with, all were never done without careful consideration. That was why when Sienna Carter walked into my office. I knew she was going to be more of a problem than a means to a solution I had wanted. "Goddaamit" I cuss, crossing my thighs as I shut off the lustful thoughts trying to invade my head. I needed to focus on work, draft a careful plan of the strategies I needed to draw out the enemies now that I have a lethal weapon in my care. Sienna was supposed to be just another assistant. Another nameless employee who would handle my paperwork and follow orders. If only Madison Gaye hadn't quit on short notice to pursue her supposedly happily ever after with a clown she met days ago on the job. The bimbo, who I had only tolerated because she gets things done a quarter of the time, better than the other ten I had worked with in years. But the moment I saw Sienna with those chestnut-brown long waves, her golden-hazel eyes that burned with something defiant, the fierceness I would have a sweet time bending to my will and a mouth that looked like it had never once bitten back a retort. And those gorgeous long legs that filled out the pants in the right ways, they would be perfect, wrapped around my neck as I plunged into her, while she grabbed onto the sheet, begging for more. And her perfect dentition that had come from years of sticking to her dental routines when she spoke, it would be awesome watching them open wide without care while she screamed her release. I shrug off the thought recalling how she had looked at me like she wasn't afraid of Zane Calloway of the Atlas Group, how dare she. Not acting like she feared me may have felt like a good step in her books but in mine, that was her first mistake. Her second mistake was lying to me. I knew exactly who she was and the other identities she had used in the past. I had seen her face before in a classified report about a cartel that was taken out a few years ago. A clean-out operation that should have left no survivors. And yet, here she was, looking vibrant and untouched. A goddamn walking question mark. And a very sexy looking one at that. I didn't believe in coincidence. I believed in leverage. So, I let her think she had a job and let her believe she was just another assistant working under my name because I wanted to know why a ghost from a supposedly dead cartel is in my office. Yet the feistiness about her unnerves me. Unlike every other lady who had worked with me, she didn't shrink under the weight of my gaze. She didn't fidget and stumble over her words like people do in my presence. She met my stare head-on and was too damn challenging for my liking. Most people broke under my scrutiny. Sienna held her ground. And that was going to be a problem. Or not... considering what I was planning to do to her, it wouldn't take me more than a few days to break her. Not mentally but in every sexual way possible, and from the satisfied cries from my ladies, she would want it very much. None had ever refused my experienced touch and Sienna wasn't about to be the first. Focus I sighed, feeling the bump between my legs slowly disappearing as I grind my teeth against each other, gaining back control. In seconds, it had leveled down. The bright sun streamed through the glass windows of the office and I let my gaze wander to Sienna sitting at the desk outside my office. I almost regrated it because that triggered a reaction between my legs, I hastily covered it with both legs to stop the swelling. The glass walls gave me the luxury of watching her work. Not out of curiosity but necessity knowing she was a wild card. One, I had no choice but to keep close. The one question I needed to answer was to know if she was aware of her situation too. Her body language was too careful, shoulders squared, spine straight, and every movement was deliberate. She typed with precision, her fingers flying over the keys, posture flawless. But there was something in the way her hand tightened on the mouse, the slight stiffness in her shoulders when she sensed me watching. She was trying to hide something. And I was going to figure out what it was. I stepped out of my office, my presence enough to send a ripple through the space. People tend to move differently around me, quieter, sharper, and more aware of every breath they take. Yet Sienna didn't flinch. She didn't even look up. We will correct that soon enough. By the time I was done with her, my presence would have her jumping for attention. "Do you always type that fast, or are you trying to impress me?" My voice was quiet but loud enough to reach her. She didn't pause. "If I wanted to impress you, Mr. Calloway, you would know." My lips curled slightly. Sharp tongue. I should have expected as much. Leaning against the edge of her desk, I folded my arms. "You're new here so I will give you some advice." "Is this the part where you tell me to be respectful?" I cocked a brow. "No. It's the part where I tell you that working for me means absolute control over every detail. I do not tolerate mistakes and will not take any excuses." She finally looked up, meeting my gaze with those infuriatingly unreadable eyes. "And if I don't like being controlled?" So they always say at first, soon I liked challenges, the type she was throwing at me at that moment. "Then you're in the wrong office." For the first time, I saw a flicker of something behind her masked face. Momentary irritation. She exhaled slowly, then turned back to her screen. "Duly noted, sir." Sir The way she said that word made me realize I was not going to have a hard time making her bend to my rules. It felt just right. I should have left then, but instead, I let the silence stretch until she finally glanced up at me, her golden-hazel eyes flickering with something unreadable before she straightened. "Is there something else you need, Mr. Calloway?" Oh yes Sienna, I want to bend you over this desk and show you different ways on how to be a perfect assistant. I want to make you cry with passion through this wing. Oh I have so much I want to do to you. Instead of voicing these thoughts out loud, I stepped closer, watching the way her posture stiffened as I rounded her desk. "I want the rest of my appointment for the day canceled," I said surprising myself. She tilted her head. "Why? You're still here," she said. The defiance in her eyes teased me. If only she knew how much I was fighting the urge to grab her at that moment. "I own the damn company." I grumbled She shrugged. "I see. And since I work for the man who owns the damn company. I will do as asked, sir." She was good. She knew exactly how to play this game never outright defiant, never overtly dismissive. Just enough pushback to let me know she wasn't afraid of me. She should be. And yet, when I placed my hands flat on the desk beside hers, she didn't pull away nor even blink. "Is that how you see this?" I murmured. "A job?" Her breath hitched. Just slightly. If I hadn't been so close, I might not have caught it. But I did. And for some fucking reason, I liked it. Her chin lifted. "Isn't it?" Without another word or a glance at her, I walked out of the room to the elevator. It wasn't until the doors were shut behind me that I was able to feel the bulge between my legs reduce to bubbles in seconds. Oh Sienna Carter, you have no idea the things I have planned for you! *** The exclusive lounge hummed with low conversations, the kind that only happened in places where men like us gathered. Powerfully dangerous men. Light smoke curled in the air from Damien's cigar mixed with the satisfying scent of expensive whiskey. The lighting was dim, just as we preferred. A low hum of jazz played from the speakers, but the sound barely cut through the murmured conversations and the occasional clink of crystal against marble tabletops. This was our usual hangout spot, an off-the-books lounge hidden away in the heart of Los Angeles. The kind of place where men like us didn't have to look over our shoulders because we own the damn building. No one walked through these doors without our permission. Yet, my mind wasn't in the room nor was the conversation going on around me. It was on Sienna and the shades of dirty things I wanted to do to her. I swirled the whiskey in my glass absentmindedly, watching the amber liquid catch the glow of the chandelier above my couch. She had no idea how deep she had fallen into my domineering world and clearly had no idea that her presence in my life was deliberate. A necessity. She was my bait, whether she realized it or not. A bait I would want a taste of before the actual game began. Across the table, Damien exhaled a long stream of smoke, his sharp gaze narrowing on Noah. "You look like you're about to kill someone." Ethan smirked, sipping his drink. "Which isn't unusual, but tonight it feels... different." Liam, who had a brunette sitting on his lap, leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. He had that look, the smirk expression that said he was enjoying the coziness between him and the lady caressing his body. Noah, who had barely said a word since we got there, had his eyes fixed on me, like he was having me studied. He reached for his glass of rum before speaking. "Go on, Damien, out with it." Damien leaned back, stretching his legs across the floor like he had all the time in the world. "You should've seen the guy's face when I told him who I was," he said, smirking. "He went pale, stammered like a kid caught stealing candy." Noah snorted. "And yet you still let him walk away?" "I'm trying to be merciful." Ethan chuckled, nursing his drink. "That's not what I heard. Word on the street is you let him crawl out of the alley, half-conscious and in enough blood to swim in." Damien shrugged, grinning. "Same thing." The table erupted into laughter, but I barely heard them. My glass sat untouched in my hand. The conversation faded into background noise, my thoughts consumed by one person. Sienna. She was supposed to be bait. A way to draw out the last remnants of the cartel men who destroyed my life years ago. They had vanished into thin air and hidden in the shadows. But now, they had resurfaced, and in an odd way, their focus was set on her, too. It is why I wanted her by my side. Why Sienna and what does the Cartel want with her? That was the question that kept me awake at night since her resume popped up on my screen. She was the least qualified for the job, with a career gap and deliberate missing information, yet I had asked HR to invite her over. She had no idea the kind of danger she was in. perhaps not even the slightest idea that her presence in my world wasn't a coincidence. I needed to keep her close in order to use her to lure them out. But every time I looked at her, the cold logic of my plan wavered replaced with a crazy burning lust for her gorgeously sculpted body. Liam must have noticed my silence because he nudged his drink toward me. "Are you going to keep brooding all night, or are you actually going to drink that?" I exhaled sharply, rubbing a hand across my jaw. "Just thinking." Liam raised a brow. "About?" I didn't answer. Not right away. I glanced around the lounge, taking in the familiar faces and the safety of our territory. It wasn't often I let my guard down, but with these men, I didn't have to pretend. The other three were busy jesting and had no interest in our side talk. So, I said, "Excuse the brunette" "You heard the man, baby. Let's continue this later," Liam said, kissing the brunette on the lips. I watch, wondering how he keeps up with the number of ladies at his beck and call. Different ones every time we hung out. I prefer mine in a certain way that doesn't come in handy. The brunette cuddled him for a few seconds, whispering words I didn't bother to listen to before she got off his lap, wiggling her ass at him seductively before finally walking away. I sighed, shaking my head. Liam shrugged at me, "Come on, man, don't judge a brother for obliging the ladies. They love me, man" "Whatever. I have got a more pressing issue," I said, glancing over at the other guys. They were still engrossed in the bloody tales Damien was feeding them with. "What is it, Zane? I haven't seen you brood this much in years," Liam said. "Sienna Carter." Liam didn't react at first. He just took a slow sip of his whiskey, letting my words settle. Then, he leaned in slightly. "What about your new Personal Assistant? That's her name, right?" I let out a slow breath. "The cartel. I believe they are after her." He frowned. "You're sure about this?" I nodded. "Crystal. Same men. The ones we didn't finish." His jaw tightened. He didn't need me to explain further. He knew exactly who I was talking about. The shadows of our past. "What does she have in common? What do you want us to do?" he asked, taking another sip of his drink. I should have said what I needed to say, that we simply put security on her, keep her at a reachable distance, and let my men track every step she takes until we find the bastards hunting her. That's what I should have done. Instead, I said, "I'm keeping her close." Liam's eyes sharpened. "How close?" "She stays as my P.A." His expression darkened. "That's a bad idea, you know this." I knew it was. But I didn't care. "She's safer with me," I said. Liam studied me for a long moment. "This isn't just about keeping her safe." I clenched my jaw, looking away. "It doesn't matter what it is." He sighed, shaking his head. "You're playing a game I do not approve of." I didn't argue because, deep down, I knew he was right. Silence stretched between us, the weight of the past pressing down. We had spent years wiping out the men who had taken everything from us. The men who had left scars, some visible, some buried so deep they still bled when touched. All of them had been eliminated. Except the ones who had vanished. Until now Liam studied me for a long moment, his gaze piercing. "And that's all this is?" I didn't answer. Because I wasn't sure I had one. "Keeping her close is the only way to control the situation." "Damn," Liam said shaking his head. "We're really doing this?" "We don't have a choice," I said. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Then we do it right. We keep eyes on her." Liam nodded. "Agreed. If she's staying with you, we need backup plans in place. This isn't just about her safety, Zane. If they're making moves, this could be blown up into something bigger than we planned." I exhaled slowly, my grip tightening around my glass. I knew what he was saying. This wasn't just about Sienna. This was about finishing what we started. And I would burn the city down before I let those motherfucking assholes from the Cartel take control of the seat I had to crawl to hell to keep.