“What did you say?”
His laughter filled the cavernous tunnel. “That’s right, cunt. You’re my half-sister. Daddy-o had a little flingy with my mom and voila. Here’s Danny! And there you were, all proud with your stupid books, never giving a damn about me. While I was the afterthought. The big fuck-up. The one who never should’ve been.”
“But …” Gabby stared at him open-mouthed. He was off balance and she knew she had to stay calm.
She inhaled and said, “Danny, I didn’t ignore you. And I never knew. He never told me. I was young and oblivious to everything. Not only you. I didn’t notice if it was raining or snowing outside.” The gun, still pointed at Danny, wavered in her hands.
“I blackmailed him, you know. Told him if he did anything about you and me, I’d let everyone know, including your mom, that he was my pop.” He laughed again, though Gabby could only stare at him. He looked at the gun and said, “You don’t have the guts to shoot me, you little cunt. But you know something? You’d better take your best shot because I’ll never leave you alone.”
They heard footsteps and then, “Gabby, don’t do it.” It was Case.
Kolson yelled, “Gabriella, please. Stop.”
Danny’s eyes widened. Gabby’s hands shook even harder.
“No! He has to die. It’s the only way,” she cried in protest.
Kolson was behind Danny, moving toward Gabby now. “I agree, kea, he does. But not by your beautiful hands. Let someone else do it. You’d have to live with that for the rest of your sweet life and I don’t want that mess on your hands. Please, listen to me.”
“He’s right, Gabs. Listen to him,” Case advised. “Put the gun down.”
“He ruined my life. He’ll do it again. He’s never going to let it go. He just told me. He’ll get out of prison and start again.”
“Kea, we’re going to make it so he doesn’t get out. Please. Let Case and the police handle this. Give me the gun.”
“But I want him to die!”
“So do I. But let it happen the way it should. The right way.”
Her hand faltered, and Danny struck. He slammed her hands down and pushed her back. The gun flew out of her grip and slid across the damp concrete. Kolson dove for Gabby while Case went for Danny. But Case was too late.
Since he’d been living underground for the last few weeks, Danny had become accustomed to these tunnels. He disappeared. Cops swarmed the tunnels, searching, but without luck.
“How did you find me?” Gabby wanted to know.
“Your phone. The GPS. I’ve had you tracked daily in case anything happened. I wasn’t going to take a chance. My men were tailing you shortly after you left the building.” His tone was icy, telling her not to ask anything else. “Let’s get out of here.”
The police finished questioning her for the time being and escorted them back up through the maze of tunnels.
Chapter 25
On the way home, Kolson was unapproachable in the car. Gabby snuck glances at him and his eyes resembled cold agate marbles, the kind she used to collect when she was a kid. No warmth emanated from them, only anger. She was hurt by his reaction. What she really needed right now were his arms around her, and his strength to calm her.
The elevator doors whooshed open and he stomped off and headed straight to the bar, stopping to pour himself a healthy dose of whiskey. He downed it, slammed the glass against the granite, and poured himself another. Not facing her, he said in a clipped tone, “I have a mind to bind your wrists and ankles and paddle the ever-loving shit out of your ass. What the fuck were you thinking? And don’t bother to answer that question. You’re way too smart for any kind of justification for your actions. Yes, I know you’re tired of living caged like an animal. My God, if you only knew. Get in the bedroom now.”
“What …?”
“Did I say you could speak?”
“No, but …”
“Now, Gabriella. The fucking bedroom. I’m so pissed off at you. He could have fucking killed you. Do you even understand, have any idea what you did? Go. Now.”
“I don’t …”
Kolson moved like a panther stalking prey and was on her so swiftly, her mouth opened in surprise. Her blouse ripped like tissue paper, buttons flying in the air and clinking to the floor around them. He snapped her bra off with one hand and lowered his mouth to her exposed nipple. He didn’t kiss it. He didn’t lick it. He didn’t even suck it. He bit one and pinched the other. She cried out as a powerful current of heat unfurled in her sex. She tried to clench her legs together but he shoved his knee between them, forcing them apart. Putting his hands on the waistband of her pants, he wrenched the damn thing in two and tugged them off. He tore his mouth away from her breasts and said, “When I tell you to get in the bedroom, I mean get. In. The. Fucking. Bedroom.” Then he twisted the sides of her panties until they popped.
She stood in her shoes, surrounded by a puddle of torn clothing. Oxygen was a valued commodity as it couldn’t get past the grip that had bound her throat. Her diaphragm was equally as useless. She moved to raise her hands to touch him and he stopped her. “You don’t have my permission to do a thing, Gabriella, except stand there.” Her arms fell back to her sides as her chest heaved.
Fingers invaded her pussy, and one circled her clitoris. “Drenched. All for me. Suck this.” He held up the fingers that were just inside of her and stuck them in her mouth. “Oh, come on now. You can do better than that.” She sucked them in earnest, using her tongue as if she were sucking his cock. He inhaled, long and slowly through his teeth, and said in a low voice as he slowly withdrew them, “Much better. Now walk.” He prodded her with his hand. She kicked her way through her ruined clothing and as she moved, one of his hands ventured along the curve of her behind. She moaned.
“Quiet. Not one word.”
Holy fuck. What the hell is going on?
When he got her to the bedroom, he said, “You’re going to watch yourself get thoroughly fucked. How does that sound?”
“I want …”
“That question wasn’t meant to be answered.”
He went to his closet and retrieved a long silk cloth. “On the bed and kneel and hold out your wrists.” Using one end, he bound them together, tight enough so she couldn’t move. Then he took the other end of the cloth and draped it over the bed frame above the bed, tying it. His bed was a huge four-poster canopy covered in creamy sheer fabric. Because of that, she’d never given thought to the fact that there was a frame over the bed. Now her arms extended above her head as she knelt and faced the mirror behind the headboard.
He got off the bed and undressed. Then he stared at her.
“I rather like you this way. Maybe if I would’ve done this earlier, you wouldn’t have run off like you did.”
“Kolson, I …”
“Hush! I didn’t give you permission to speak. Now, Gabriella, are you ever going to do anything like that again? Anything so dangerous you could get killed? Yes or no.”
Does he want me to answer him?
She kept silent.
“I asked you a question. Are you ever going to do anything like that again? Answer me.”
“I don’t …”
“Yes or no, Gabriella.” He flicked the flogger he held and she felt the sting of the leather strands as they flayed her ass cheeks. She hissed.
“I said, yes or no.”
He hit her again. And again.
“No!”
She moaned as the pressure in her belly intensified and sent it straight down between her legs. Each time the leather strands came in contact with her skin, currents raced through her body, centering on her sex. She wanted to squeeze her thighs together to ease the burgeoning ache but knew it was impossible. She writhed and moaned again.
“Quiet.”
Gabby clamped her mouth shut. It was with extreme difficulty that she stemmed her moans as he continued to flog her. He ran the end of it around her breasts and swatted her nipples with it. Gab
by hoped he didn’t mind if she came because an orgasm was fast approaching.
“As punishment, I’m not going to allow you to come.”
He whisked the strips across her ribs and beneath her arms. And then he took the handle of the flogger and ran it along her slit. Gabby came. Hard.
“Ahhh,” she cried out.
“Oh, now you’ve done it.” He clicked his tongue and she knew she was in for it.
He left the room. When he returned, he massaged her behind with something thick and oily. She knew where this was going.
“No.”
“No to this?” he said as he slid his thumb in her. She moaned. His other hand splayed across her hips while his pinky reached down to tease her clit. Then his cock entered her. She was stretched so full, and wide, she wanted to scream.
“I love having my thumb in your ass, Gabriella. I can feel my cock moving inside you.”
He thrust against her and she backed into the motion. Their rhythm synchronized, she arched into him as he rocked into her. It was exquisite.
“Tell me you’ll never leave me like that again. Ever,” he growled into her ear.
“No, never,” she whimpered.
“Ah, Gabriella. Tell me who this pussy belongs to.”
“You. It belongs to you,” she eked out the words.
“And who owns this ass?”
“You do,” she moaned.
“Don’t you ever think about putting this in danger again. Understand?”
“Uh, ah …”
“Look at me, Gabriella.”
Their eyes met in the mirror and all action ceased. Time stood still as unspoken words passed between them. He suddenly untied her and spun her around in his arms.
Gripping her by the shoulders, his voice hoarse with emotion, he said, “Goddammit, don’t you ever do anything like that again. Do you hear me?”
“Yes!”
“Swear to me!”
“I swear, Kolson.”
“You could have fucking died today. Christ, do you have any idea how much danger you were in? Do you even know the risks you took? Jesus, you scared the life out of me, kea.”
Then his lips crushed hers, and he brutally kissed her, crushing her body to his, bruising her. But she wanted him. She needed him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, digging her hands into his hair. He reached between them and slid his cock back into her, their mouths still latched. They fell on to the bed and he sank into her, burying himself. It was as if neither of them could get enough, as though they had to prove to each other they were safe and sound.
Sweat clung to Kolson’s forehead, their bodies slick with it, but they didn’t notice. They were lost in their passion. He found that spot, the one that made her scream, and he used his fingers on her clit until all her muscles, inside and out, clenched and squeezed his own orgasm out of him.
When they were finished, he rested his head where her neck met her shoulder, catching his breath. Then he nipped her with his teeth. “Look at how beautiful you are, all stretched out for me. So responsive, so fucking passionate. I’ll never get enough of you, kea. Never. You’re all mine. This is mine.” His hand covered her sex. “No one else will ever have this.” He rotated his hips into her again and her breath left her body. Hands slid under and cupped the cheeks of her ass. “This is all mine too.” Everything in Gabby’s body sizzled with heat. Her heart pounded harder with his every word and her blood flamed with every touch.
“I love you. Everything about you, Kolson. But sometimes you’re freaky.”
“I’ve been telling you that for a while now. If there’s any doubt in your mind about how I feel toward you, I hope I’ve cleared it up. You are my world, Gabriella. Keeping you safe is paramount. Remember that.”
They held each other for a while longer. “Kiss me. Long and hard. Like you mean it. Like you’ll never walk out that door and do what you did to me today ever again. I never want to get another one of those phone calls, because my heart wouldn’t survive it.”
Crawling on top of him, she started out slow, exploring every bit of his beautiful mouth, inside and out. It was a kiss that was meant to be savored, a kiss meant to convey what was in her heart.
“I didn’t do it to scare you. I did it to protect you. Because each and every day I worry that he’ll not only hurt me, but you too. And if that were to happen, I know I wouldn’t make it. I’ve persevered through a lot, but that would be my undoing. Kolson Hart, I love every single inch of you, even the parts that ripped my favorite pants to shreds and that tied me to your bed just now. I don’t ever want to leave you or be away from you.”
And for the first time since she was fifteen years old, Dr. Gabriella Martinelli broke down and cried.
Chapter 26
Kolson wasn’t quite sure what to do. Gabby’s tears kept flowing. That proverbial dam had ruptured and the force of the water behind it was unprecedented. To make matters worse, he was inexperienced at comforting people. He’d gotten so little of it in his formative years that he wasn’t sure what words to use or how best to soothe her.
So he did the only thing he knew and held her close, murmuring a whole lot of nothing because he doubted she was processing anything anyway.
The tears continued for hours, soaking the skin of his chest, running down his sides and on to the bed sheets. He never knew human beings could produce that much fluid from their eyes. When her sobs began to ebb, he reached over to the nightstand and grabbed tissues for her. She blew her nose and shuddered.
“Can I get you anything? Water?” he asked.
“No. I … I haven’t cried …”
“I know, kea. You never cry. But you needed to. And I’m glad you did with me. This is about healing. And maybe you’re finally shaking free of the hold he had on you.”
Her hands balled up and she rubbed her eyes with them. “I feel so yucky.”
“You look beautiful. You always look beautiful.”
“You’re just saying that.” She sniffed; he handed her more tissues.
“No, I’m not.” He brushed her tangled hair away from her face. “Did I hurt you? When we had sex?”
“No.”
“I want to make sure it wasn’t my actions that brought this on.”
She didn’t say anything.
“Your silence is making me uncomfortable.”
“It wasn’t what you did in the bedroom. It’s how you acted when we got home that upset me. You were scary, Kolson.”
“Gabriella, I …”
“Let me finish, please.”
He nodded.
“I was shaken. Maybe my plan wasn’t so good, but this has to end. Some way, Kolson. I decided that I could flush him out. And either I would have to kill him or he would kill me.”
Kolson squeezed his eyes shut. The muscles in his jaw twitched.
“One way or another, I decided it was going to end. He’s controlled my life for too long and I’ve allowed it. And then there was your safety I was worried about. So that’s how I ended up meeting him. And when I didn’t shoot him, it crushed me. I wanted so badly to kill him, I could taste the victory. Do you understand me? You said I would have to live with the guilt. There would’ve been none. The things he’s done to me, and how long he’s played me, it would’ve been nothing for me to pull that trigger. Danny said I didn’t have the nerve. He was wrong. The reason I didn’t pull the trigger was because of what it would’ve done to you and what you would’ve thought about me afterward. I was afraid of what I would see in your eyes every time you looked at me.
“Then when we got back here, you were so livid and all I wanted was for you to …” She tried to force back the tears but couldn’t. “All I wanted was to feel your arms around me, comforting me. But instead I got the brunt of your anger.”
His arms tightened and he showered her hair with kisses. In a husky voice, he said, “I should apologize, but I can’t. I was angry because I almost lost you. I didn’t give a shit about Danny. If
you had shot and killed him, I wouldn’t love you any less. I was terrified that you would end up in prison, but I would still love you with everything I have. You need to understand something. I don’t only love you for the good. I love you for the bad, the beautiful, the ugly, but most of all, I love you for the in-between. Because that’s where most of our lives will be spent. Not all our times together are going to be stunning or monumental or magnificent. Most of our days will be just so-so, and in those times I will still love every bit of you.”
She grinned at him, then sighed.
“And that smile was worth a whole helluva a lot to me, Dr. Martinelli.”
“I love every bit of you too, Kolson Hart.” Then she made a screwed up face. “Try not to get freaky on me, please.”
“I’m sorry my behavior upset you. I’ll do my best to rein in my temper on occasions such as those.”
“I hope we don’t have any more like today.”
His expression turned grim. “Same.”
* * *
That evening, Kolson called Case.
“Do you know anyone who’s good enough to track Danny Martinelli?”
“Yeah. One guy. Name’s Drexel Wolfe. He’s pricey, though,” Case said.
“Tell me more.”
“He’s a PI, but the rumor is he used to be Special Forces. Some even say he ran Black Ops missions. He’s good. The FBI uses him. Rumors also say he’s connected to the CIA.”
“How hard is he to get?”
Case laughed. “Depends on how much money you have.”
“Come on, Case. This isn’t a laughing matter. Gabriella is walking on shattered glass right now.”
“I didn’t mean to make light of this, Kolson. What I meant was Drex Wolfe can be had for the right dollar at any time. He’s in your class. Look him up. Company name is DWI Inc.”
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