Ares considers me as if he’s contemplating his options but ultimately decides against whatever went on inside that head. “He’s no one you need to worry about,” he finally opts for. “Stay here. I’ll be back to collect you from this same spot when I finish. You move from here I’ll be left with no choice but to cuff you back to my bed.”
His threat does not sound empty.
I don’t answer him. I don’t care what he says; I have my own agenda. And that’s landing in the back of whatever vehicle that man came in. I can’t think of any faster way to get back to my sister.
He raises an eyebrow like that is all it will take to scare me off my path. With the music blaring he puts his lips close to my ear. “I can see your gears turning. Don’t be foolish.” He retreats and taps the side of my head.
I throw his hand away. I can’t believe I let my stupid fantasies carry me away. I nearly slept with the enemy because of them. How stupid can I get? What the hell have I done?Pull yourself out of this daze, girl.
I stand straight and meet his stormy glare. “Whatever, Ares.” I know I’m standing on the world’s thinnest ice. I haven’t forgotten I arrived here tied up and hooded after being bought.
I’m hit with the full force of his unwavering attention and it weighs a ton. Seems he doesn’t like my answer. I push on anyway. “Look, have your party. But I don’t have time for this. You gave me your word.”
With each word I speak, his expression darkens further. He dwarfs me by a good foot which dents my ego more than I care to admit. “Your sister will be fine. Trust me on this. I know what I am doing.” A hardness steals over him; that tick in the side of his jaw does a cool twenty miles an hour. “There won’t be any movement with the merchandise—the women—for another five days. Let me deal with what just walked through my door, and then what is needed of you will come. Everything in its time.”
Ares’ next move is so fast my eyes can’t track where his hand lands until it collars my throat. His nostrils flare. Those strong fingers of his aren’t choking me but they are tight enough for me to understand his message. He’s in control whether I like it or not.
“You will not put yourself in danger nor disobey my orders. There’s nowhere for you to go. You are to stay in this spot until I collect you. I won’t be long.” I feel each of his fingers against my heated flesh and to my utter shame the clamp of control around my neck makes me wet enough to feel the moisture between my legs.
Unaware of my internal plight he lowers his mouth to within a half-inch of mine. “You are too stubborn for your good,malyshka.” If fire could shoot from eyeballs the man would be toast at my feet. Since that’s only a current fantasy of mine, I have to settle on him reading the hatred I have for him through the narrow slits of my eyes.
He chuckles.
My lungs burn for air.
All I can think of right now is to do whatever it takes to get what I want. Shift in plans. I plan on taking him down along with the trash who kidnapped me and sold me.
One by one his fingers loosen and though he takes his hand away slowly I can still feel the weight of his grip on my throat as I watch Ares walk away. Another man, I think Fergie called him Rage, steps up beside Ares. They exchange words then descend a flight of stairs.
A cold, calculating gaze finds mine one last time before he moves out of sight.
I need my head examined after I get my ass out of this situation.
The arrogant smirk he’s wearing tells me that man thinks he has full control over me. Ha! I have no idea what gave him that idea or why. Because he gave me a couple great orgasms? Foolish man. He thinks I won’t try to run with all these people here. I scoff. Nowhere for me to go? I grin.
A woman passes with a tray and I snag a plastic cup of something when Avery leaves to help a girl who’s had way too much whiskey already.
Poor Ares is about to find out just how much I don’t like to be controlled.
I turn to a random woman with too much kohl liner and not enough clothes. “Who are all these people?” The last time I stood in this spot I only saw a handful of these faces at best. I want to make sure none of them will get in my way when I head for the front door.
“Locals who like to party. People the Savages have helped, others who have helped them is my understanding. Those two over there, are prospects. You know, men working to prove themselves to the Savages before they can be patched in.”
More MC lingo. I nod and act like this is the most fascinating information I’ve ever heard.
“The one with the crew cut is Blaze. Former military. Just got out, in fact. Less than a year.”
Not that I care, but I keep up the small talk while scanning the area for exits and guards. When coming down the stairs with Ares tonight I noticed two offshoots toward the back of the mansion. One goes to the open-style kitchen which is visible from my current position. I bet near there has to be a library, home office… something with a phone and internet connection.
I can run upstairs, grab my laptop and try to connect, get a message out to a friend or call. Seems faster to call with Ares’ promise of not taking long with whoever he’s meeting with.
“The other one with the sexy tatts around his neck and down his arm is Casanova. Bear’s boy. He’s gotta dick piercing too that hit the spot if you know what I mean.”
Way too much information.
I bump her shoulder with mine. “Yep.”
Casanova is working his charm on a chick with purple hair pulled up in a high pony. She favors black lipstick and shorts that might as well be panties.