Chapter4
The girl had been busy. When I bolted from the warehouse, I saw the wreckage of the taillight on the street.
If that wasn't a sign this girl was more trouble than she was worth, I didn't know what was. But right now, I didn't have a lot going for me. I'd screwed myself over in a thousand ways, and this woman might be the only ace up my sleeve.
She stared up at me with murder in her eyes but when I flashed my knife, she had the good sense to look scared.
"That's right. Be quiet. Be good. Keep your blood inside your body. Got it?"
She blinked up at me, but her quiet was not a sign of submission. Her silky blonde hair and dark eyes might make her appear soft, but the stubborn set of her jaw and tense muscles were more indicative of a cat ready to pounce at a moment's notice.
I allowed my gaze to rake over her. It was the first chance I really had to take my little captive in. Daisy's roommate who she was so intent on protecting. I knew nothing about her--a disadvantage I wasn't used to.
Daisy was nineteen and this girl looked to be about the same age. Where Daisy was a deceptively waifish innocent, this girl looked like she was ready to take on the world.
Which was funny because I was officially the world, and I was more than happy to take her on, too. How far could I push this little kitten before she bit? When I reached forward with my knife, she kept eye contact, not even flinching as I ran the tip of the blade over her lips. The brave glint in her eyes fell away to fear. I couldn't tell which one I liked more.
"There's a fine line between bravery and stupidity, Kitten. Now we're going to go inside and pick up a few things. You're going to come with me and you're going to be a good girl. Understand?"
Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her faster breaths betraying her increasing fear. I kept my eyes on hers. She had a drool-worthy body, but that wasn't why I took the girl. Making sexual threats wasn't beneath me, but threatening an asset was an artform, and it helped to have a few cards left to play.
It didn’t stop my eyes from taking in the breasts pressing against the thin fabric of her shirt. It was loose and modest but in her tangled position, it was wrapped tightly around her body, showing off more than it was hiding. It allowed me to see the curve to her waist and the deep flair of her hips. Couldn’t get a view of her ass from here, so that would be something to look forward to. I didn’t bother to hide my wicked smirk at the thought. It had been a shitty day, and I needed the little things to keep me going. But that would have to wait.
The girl was afraid of me now. If I needed to increase the fear levels, I could bring in a sexual aspect later.
Even if my dick wanted to play now.
Priorities.
"Here are the rules, Kitten. I'm going to cut your feet loose and we're going inside that house. You will keep your mouth shut and you will keep up. If you see anyone, know they will not help you. These men work for my brother, who is just as big of a piece of shit as I am. All you will accomplish is annoying me." In a practiced move, I tossed the knife in the air. When I caught it, the blade was facing down, straight towards her throat. With the flick of my wrist, I nicked the skin.
She flinched and whimpered even as she tried to remain as still as possible, as though any movement might set me off even further.
She didn't need to be so careful, not that I'd tell her that. I wasn't some wound-up psychopath. I just needed her to understand that when I made rules, I expected them to be followed. Just because she was some sweet piece of ass didn't mean I was going to go easy on her. Now was the time for proving a point, even if that meant using the point of a blade.
A dark red rivulet of blood fell around her neck in a semi-circle contrasting against the skin that was far too pale for the Florida sun.
"Do you understand?" I asked again. "I expect a verbal response."
"Yes," she responded, half-whisper, half-croak.
"Good girl." I jerked the knife down and smirked as she flinched away. As if I didn't already know I was an asshole. I slit the tie holding her ankles and holstered the knife before yanking her out of the trunk.
She groaned before swallowing back any other moans of pain. I wasn't holding a gun or knife to her, so if she took off, I'd have to think fast, but I'd make her sorry.
To prevent this, I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her in tight, almost like we were a couple.
She stiffened but didn't try to run or fight, even though her eyes were constantly scanning the grounds for anything she could use against me.
As much as I wanted to study my little kitten as though she was my newest assignment, she wasn't the focus here.
The truth was I'd messed up, which was a position I wasn't used to being in. I trusted my instincts, and my gut told me that Daisy Stone was different. Alek's reaction to her was different.
Now that part was right. He'd lost his damn mind over that girl, and I had no idea why. I was only out of the country for a few months, and when I returned, it was like my brother had a personality transplant.
But I saw him in the warehouse at the docks, rescuing Daisy from Black Thorn. Those were the eyes of a man possessed. He would let the entire world burn if it meant saving that girl.
And as far as Daisy knew, I was enemy number one. Because as of a few hours ago, I thought Daisy had been working for Black Thorn as an informant.
It made sense. They said they had someone on the inside intimately close to my brother. Who was closer than the woman he was fucking? Fucking Sergei, that was who.
I fucked up, and now I had to find a way to cover my ass. Alek was going to want me dead, and Black Thorn would be sending soldiers after me soon enough.
I was all out of allies and had to start setting traps now, or there was no way I was getting out of this.
If I ran, they'd find me. I needed Alek to back me up. To get him on my side, I needed leverage. That is how I found myself in the most dangerous spot in Miami for me to be.
His fucking study.
As I entered the room that reeked of wood polish and cigarettes, I tossed the girl into a seat across from the desk and went over to Alek's chair.
I used to live here with Alek, but I no longer thought of it as home. Too much had happened in the last six months. I didn't even feel like the same man. Fuck, the same species.
If it hurt the girl to sit with her hands behind her back, she didn't say anything.
She was trying to remain still, but she was doing something behind her back. Had she gotten ahold of something to work at the binds of her wrists? A sick part of me wanted her to run, because then I could catch her for real this time. When I grabbed her off the street, she had been so surprised and distracted, it hardly seemed fair.
Not that it would ever really be fair between us. But it would sure as hell be more fun this way.
I’d needed to be fast and transplant her into a car. It had been a gut reaction. She had seen Daisy being taken and I’d recognized her as the roommate. I knew immediately I needed to stick with Daisy, so as soon as this one was unconscious, I’d handed her off to one of the Black Thorn with orders to keep her in the trunk for me to play with later. He thought I was just being eccentric and hadn’t questioned it, especially when I slipped him a thousand dollars.
Now it was time to see what my instincts had gotten me.
I powered up Alek's laptop, hooked up an external hard drive to it and started to transfer files over. There had to be something I could use in here.
Either way, I should start working on plans B, C, D and all the way to Z because Alek was going to be out for blood.
I looked back to Kitten, the silence finally getting to me. I'd ordered her to be quiet, but I hadn't wanted her to actually listen.
"What's your name, Kitten?"
Her eyes snapped to me, narrowing in anger. The pet name basically guaranteed she wouldn't give me the silent treatment. Even if she gave me her name, I would still call her kitten, but she didn't know that.
"Rebecca. Becks is what everyone calls me."
I raised a brow. "Everyone? Just friends or even the crazy men who play with knives?"
She took a nervous gulp, averting her gaze down, making sure my hands were still free of the blade.
I happened to know that Alek had three different guns within reach of where I sat right now. The blade was the least of her concerns, not that she would know that. Poor thing was in over her head and had no idea.
She didn't answer my question and I didn't feel the need to pressure her. There were plenty more fun things to put pressure on if I wanted. My gaze fell to her breasts, which were heaving with her deep gasps for air. Only a sharp kick to the desk broke my concentration.
"Eyes up here, asshole." She spoke with the confidence of a woman who wasn't tied and at my mercy. It made my urge to play with her that much stronger.
It was like she was wafting the catnip even closer to the cat's nose. And I was going to eat her whole.
Damn it, she was supposed to be a convenient hostage, not a fucking chew toy.
The transfer completed, so I ripped my attention away from my hostage, disconnecting the hard drive from the laptop and tucking it into my pocket.
"Time to get out of here." I stood and reached for Becks, not at all surprised when she reared away from me.
"Just let me go. I'm slowing you down. You have to know that."