by Goode, Ella
“You sick?”
“No. Why?”
“You look...off,” I say for lack of a better description. If it were Cora, maybe I’d say she was turned on, but this is Kailler, my right hand. She’s killed more than she’s flirted—if she’s ever flirted.
Kailler shoves her phone into her pocket and glares. “I’m fine, sir.”
“Okay, but if you’re sick you should go lie down.”
“I’m not sick,” she snaps. “And if I was, I wouldn’t risk your life or any of the other members of the crew by spreading my germs here.”
“Great. I’m glad we’re on the same page.” Maybe Kailler’s being weird because of Cora, but I’m reluctant to ask. A mean Kailler is not someone I’m in the mood to deal with. “Back to the Cloister address. The Vieth orphans have to be pulling in seven figures to be shacking up in that high rise. Even the one-bedrooms start at a million, and hers is on the seventh floor.”
“Do the boys know the identity of the owner?”
“No. They say it looks abandoned. The refrigerator has milk over three weeks old, and the fruit is decayed. There are plenty of pictures there, though.”
“Of her?”
“Could be. None of Poppy though.” I get to my feet and grab the jacket off the back of my chair. “Have the car brought to the basement elevators. I’ll be coming down with Cora.”
“Cora? Wh—” she stops. “Oh, she could identify people in the photos.”
“That she could. In fact, she’s in one of them.”
“At least we know she is a Vieth,” Kailler muses.
“Not Karin’s daughter biologically, but maybe Karin views herself as the mother of all the girls under her wing.”
“Or the girls view Karin as a mother figure.”
“Correct. In the end, it doesn’t matter. Blood related or not, Karin’s going to be treating all these girls the same.”
“So if we harm this one…”
“Then Karin will use it as an excuse to take another one of mine, which I can’t tolerate. The Vieth organization is a good one, but it’s no match for ours.”
“He just wants us to go to war with Vieth so that he can swoop in and eat off the remains of the loser like the vulture he is.”
I pause at the door as a thought hits me. “Or maybe he’s arranged this whole thing to get Vieth and me at each other’s throats. He knew that Cora was Karin’s daughter.”
Kailler’s eyes grows wide. “Shit.”
“Let’s take Cora over to the apartment and see what shakes out. Afterwards, we’ll come back here, put all the pieces we have on the table, and see what kind of picture it forms—whether it’s Vieth or Ashford. And tell everyone else to be extra careful.”
* * *
Upstairs, I find Cora lying on the sofa reading. She doesn’t notice me at first. Her eyes are glued to the screen in front of her. Like Kailler, her skin looks flushed and her lips are glossy as if she’s licked them a few times.
“You sick?” I bark out, my own arousal making my voice harsher than it should be.
She lets out a little scream, and the Kindle goes flying, landing halfway between me and the sofa. I reach for it, but Cora flies off the cushions like she’s been ejected from her seat and beats me to the device.
“W-what are you doing here?” she stammers out. A lock of hair falls over her eyes, and she has to blow it away from her face.
“I own this building,” I say. My mild tone belies my curiosity. What was she reading that would make her look like she had just been kissed? I hold out my hand. “I’ve been wanting a new book. Let me see what you were reading.”
She cants her body away from me, holding the device protectively against her chest. “Is that an order?”
I hesitate because now I’m burning with questions, but for some reason forcing this information out of her doesn’t sit right with me. “Not at this moment.”
“What’s that mean?” She eyes me with suspicion.
I find myself irritated that she doesn’t trust me and that I’m mad she doesn’t trust me. She’s my hostage for fuck’s sake. Why should I care how she looks at me? I tamp down the desire to rip the Kindle out of her hands and throw her down on the sofa. “Come.” I snap my fingers.
She tosses her head. “I’m not a dog.”
“I know you aren’t. My dogs are obedient,” I say testily. I spin on my heel and head for the door before I give in to the urge to show her exactly what I think of her.
“I’m your hostage,” she tells after me. “I’m not supposed to be obedient!”
I yank a coat from the front closet and jerk my head. “As much as I would like to teach you a lesson, it’s time to do some work. Come with me.”
“Wait. You’re letting me go?”
Is that hurt in her voice? No, don’t be dumb. This is all part of her ploy. She’s trained to read a man’s mood and to play with their affections. Once a Vieth has a man in her grip, she squeezes him until his wallet is empty and his body is a husk. That might be an end some men walk willingly into, but I’m the head of this organization, and all the people who work with me depend on my leadership.
“We are going to see someone, and this time you will answer every question.”
“Or what?”
I swing and spear her with as dark a look as I’ve ever given anyone. “You don’t want to know.”
Chapter 10
Cora
I sit in the back of the SUV between Aidon and Kailler. My arms are folded over my chest. I don’t want Aidon to know he hurt my feelings, so I’m focusing on my irritation.
How could he be so cold after what happened between us? It’s a bitter reminder that Aidon and I are enemies. And that I can’t let my mind get that twisted. While he might be attracted to me, I have to continue to remind myself that means nothing to him at the end of the day.
He is a man. If presented with an opportunity, he’ll take it. I bite the inside of my cheek wondering what he’ll do to me if I don’t answer his questions. The look he gave me felt like a small stab to my chest.
I should be thankful for the reminder. I’d found myself substituting the hero’s name in the book with Aidon’s name while I was reading. I’m a silly stupid girl that should know better. I might not have a lot of hands-on experience with men, but I’ve heard thousands of stories about how they can be. He is no different.
Except for the fact that he yields much more power than any of the men I’ve heard stories about. A power he’s clearly more than willing to use on me. I somehow thought he was different, but the way he treated me before we left lets me know that’s not the case. I won’t make that mistake again.
Kailler keeps glancing over at me. I think it’s because I’m pressing myself into her side trying to get as much distance from Aidon as I can. As hurt as I am, I find myself still getting turned on by the way his thigh is pressing against mine. The same thigh that had turned my world upside down. Now Aidon went and flipped me right side up.
“What’s wrong?” Kailler asks me to my surprise.
“Nothing.” I shift more in my seat, giving Aidon part of my back.
“Sit back. Your seatbelt doesn't work properly if you’re sitting that way.” Now he’s being the silly one. Why does he care? Plus, I’m sick of him pretending to be concerned about me or my well-being. It confuses me.
“He’s worse than Lawson,” I say. Kailler snorts a laugh. Her eyes go wide. The mask that had dropped for a fraction of a second rights itself immediately. She’s been reading the book I gave her. Excitement bubbles up inside me, but Aidon is quick to tamper it down.
“Who is Lawson?” His hand comes down on my shoulder, and he presses me back into the seat to sit correctly.
“See?” I point my thumb at Aidon. “So Lawson.” Kailler’s lips thin and I know she is trying not to laugh.
“Who the fuck is Lawson?”
“It’s girl stuff,” I huff, trying to get under his skin the same as he’s done mine. Lawson is the villain
from the book we are reading. He is always bossing people around and expects everyone to jump at his commands. In short, he’s a jerk.
“We’ll talk about this later,” he grits out as the SUV comes to a stop outside of a building. He opens the door, slipping out and offering me his hand. I ignore it, instead getting out without his help. Of course when I try to head toward the building, my sandal snags on a crack, and I almost fall. Aidon’s arm wraps around me, and he catches me before I hit the concrete sidewalk.
He lets out a few curses under his breath, dropping his arm from around me once I have my footing. Then his giant hand wraps around my wrist in an unbreakable hold. Goosebumps break out over my skin at his touch, my body being the traitor it always is whenever he’s involved.
“Why not get a collar? I hear some men are into that.” That’s what I’ve heard, but in the stories some of the girls have told me, the roles are reversed actually. One of the girls has a client that likes her to put a collar on him. She walks him around her place. He also cleans her whole house from top to bottom. He pays exorbitant amounts of money to do this.
“Maybe I should get you a gag?” he tosses back at me. Ouch. I stop walking for a second, but Aidon has me by the wrist. We all step onto the elevator. Aidon hits the button for the seventh floor. This place is super nice. I’m not sure what he thinks I’m going to know about it. I’ve never been here before.
I stare down at my feet as we ride the elevator in silence. When we step off and out into the hallway, there are two men standing guard at the door. Kailler walks ahead of us to talk to the men. Once she seems satisfied, she signals for Aidon to approach. She has that serious look back on her face, and I know it’s because she’s on high alert. Protecting Aidon is her top priority.
We step into the apartment, and I smell Sara’s perfume. Guilt hits me. I’d told Aidon her name. It was a stupid slip. One I won't be making again. Kailler starts looking around the place. I stand in the living room, not sure what to do. Aidon watches me.
“Have you been here before?” I shake my head no. “But you know who lives here?”
I turn away from him, walking over to an end table and picking up a picture frame. I smile remembering this day. It was my birthday. Everyone is smiling in it.
“Cora.” I hear the warning in his tone. I set the frame back down on the table.
“What?” I turn to him and ask.
“I asked you a question.” He takes two steps toward me. I take two steps back, bumping into a wall with nowhere to go.
“I guess we're going to find out what you’re going to do to me then.” I raise my chin in a challenge, calling his bluff.
Chapter 11
Aidon
As Cora circles the apartment, looking at photos, straightening pillows, and dusting her fingers across the top of the table, I pull Kailler aside. “Who the hell is Lawson?”
“It’s no one to worry about.”
“No one to worry about? This man who uses collars and Cora knows him?” I’m stymied by Kailler’s reticence. “The Vieth organization is known to be all women.”
“It’s really nothing.” Kailler waves her hand, and the small smile she was trying to hide before in the car is back. When she realizes I’m not letting this go, the smile fades. “It really isn’t anyone important. Don’t you trust me?” she adds in a small voice.
Kailler and I have known each other for a decade. I was there when she held her brother while he took his last breath. She was there when Chu handed me control over the organization. If I can’t trust her then I might as well run out into the middle of Main and let the cars run me over. Yet...when it comes to Cora, I don’t trust anyone—not even myself.
“You’re not giving me much reason to.”
Kailler’s jaw tightens, but she doesn’t give me what I want to know. Instead, she averts her eyes, staring past me. In a short amount of time, Cora has won over the number two person in my crew. My gaze slides to the beauty standing in front of a large abstract painting. She’s small and far too pretty for my mental health, but inside of her lurks something powerful enough to tear my world apart. I knew this the moment she walked into my office and I forgot that the body of Poppy was draped across my desk. All I wanted to do was take her. The heat of her pussy still burns on my thigh. The bite mark on my neck is turning purple and black. I want to place a similar mark on her. I wouldn’t need a collar then. Everyone would know she belonged to me.
Beside me, Kailler clears her throat, bringing me back from the edge of the cliff I was about to throw myself into. I inhale a frustrated sigh and stalk over to Cora.
“Let’s start easy. Is Sara alive or dead?”
“Why would she be dead?” Cora jerks away from the painting to stare at me in shock. Suddenly, she slaps a hand over her mouth as if she’s said too much. At this point I don’t know if she’s pretending to give something away or whether she’s revealed something that should’ve stayed hidden.
“Have our men seen her outside the Vieth compound?” I ask without taking my eyes off Cora’s face.
“No,” Kailler answers immediately. Whatever hurt she’s harboring over my lack of trust has been put aside. “We’ve no visuals, but they have underground parking, so it’s possible she entered or exited in the back of one of the cars or vans. Three vehicles have left today and two have returned. We’ve taken photos of everyone who has exited the car.” Kailler approaches and hands me a tablet with the photos loaded. I show the screen to Cora.
“Let’s start naming names, shall we?”
Cora’s brows come together. “You’re staking out the parking garage? Mom’s not going to like that.”
The “Mom” rolls off her tongue so naturally I wonder if all the Vieth orphans call Karin some kind of maternal nickname.
“We aren’t going to rely on your mother to tell us the truth.”
“Why? Has she ever lied to you?”
My initial instinct is to say yes, but then I hesitate. Has Vieth ever been untruthful with me in the past? I can’t recall. We haven’t dealt a lot together because our business interests have been different, but the few times our paths have crossed, she’s been upfront.
“Right. I didn’t think so.” Cora crosses her arms. “I wonder why Sara bought this painting. She’s not really a modernist type of girl. She’s more country cottage.”
Cora’s right. The room is soft and comfortable with knitted throws and slouchy furniture instead of the stark minimalism that you usually see in these high-rise apartments. I pull the painting off the wall, but there’s nothing behind it. I hand it over to Kailler. “Find out when this was sold, who bought it, and who the artist is.”
She heads for the doorway to pass on the orders. While she’s doing that, I hold the tablet up. “Tell me to stop when you see someone you know.”
Cora’s lips flatten out as if she’s mentally gluing her lips shut. As I shuffle through the photos, I watch her face for signs of recognition, affection, or even distaste. In the eighth photo, she sucks in a small breath. I page through four more photos and receive no response. At the end, I turn the tablet off.
“Is Sara back at the Vieth compound?”
“I don’t really know. She wasn’t when I left, but I’m not really informed on all that’s going on.”
“Not a full soldier yet?” I arch a brow. “Am I your graduation project?”
“Maybe so.” She puts on her seductive smile, and it works way too well. Her ability to switch between vulnerability and innocence to siren is scary effective. My fingers curve around the tablet hard enough to feel the metal edges bite into my skin. I tell myself I can’t touch her, but that doesn’t stop me from leaning forward. Cora’s eyes widen, and her lips part. Her small tongue darts out to wet the full bottom flesh. A groan escapes.
“Kailler,” I shout, feeling desperate and edgy.
She comes running. “Aidon?” Her gun is out. I shut my eyes and take in a calming breath. I can do this. I count to ten and then tur
n the tablet on.
“Go pick this one up.”
Cora jumps forward. “Why?”
“Because you recognized her.”
“I never said a word.”
“You didn’t have to.” I nod to Kailler. “Go.”
“What are you going to do with her?” Cora cries.
“We’re bringing her in and torturing her until you give me all the answers I want. Go!” I bark at Kailler, who hasn’t moved.
“Wait!” shouts Cora. Kailler halts halfway to the door. “I thought we were book buddies.”
Kailler’s chin falls to her chest. “Sorry,” she mumbles and then slips out the door.
Book buddies?
Cora turns to me in desperation. “I didn’t think you were that type of man.”
“They don’t call my territory hell for nothing.” I grab Cora’s wrist. “Let’s go.”
Chapter 12
Cora
Aidon starts to pull me from the condo by my wrist. Panic begins to rise up inside of me. What is he going to do to Roxy? I have to warn her. This is all my fault. I thought I could do this, but I’ve already failed. Mom always said I show all my emotions on my face. I never worried too much about it because there wasn’t a reason to. But now I may have killed Roxy because I couldn’t hide them.
A knot forms in my throat, and tears burn at the back of my eyes. I’m going to cry. Why can’t I be like some of the other girls who are always so calm and cool? With every step closer we get to the door, I know I’m sealing Roxy’s fate. Do something! My mind screams at me.
“You’re hurting me.” I yank hard, trying to free my arm. To my surprise, Aidon actually releases me. With everything I have in me, I reach out and shove him as hard as I can. He rocks back a few steps and it’s enough for me to get away from him.
I slam the front door in his face and flick all the locks closed. He bangs on it hard as I put the chain on it as an extra measure. Not sure how much it will do, but I’ll take anything at this point. I only need a few minutes to do what I need to.