“Carver, what’s this we hear about you keeping some curvy beauty at your place?” Sal asked, lighting a smoke.
At least Sal didn’t make the error of calling her a bitch, or other worse names. He intended to let everyone know, starting right now, just how important Yasmin was to him. If anyone dared touch her, or so much as looked at her wrong, they were dead. Carver didn’t care how possessive that made him appear, but when it came to her, nothing was off the table.
“I heard you went a little nuts around Anatoli,” Rio pointed out.
“Anatoli has a big fucking mouth,” he said calmly.
Rio scratched his head. “It’s just, nothing like this ever happened before, you know?”
“Yasmin is special to me, because she’s my woman, and she’s going to continue my legacy by carrying my children.”
Sal coughed and nearly choked on his smoke. “Fuck, you’re serious, aren’t you?”
“Completely. So, if I find out someone in my inner circle’s disrespecting her, or giving her a hard time, I’ll skin them personally and stuff their balls down their throat.”
“Jesus Christ, Carver. When you talk like that—hell. You’re serious about this chick, aren’t you?”
Carver cracked his knuckles. “Now that that meeting’s over, get back to work. I’m taking the day off.”
If his announcement about Yasmin didn’t shock them, this one did.
“You’ve never done that either,” Sal mumbled. “But don’t worry, we’ll spread the word. We want what’s best for you, too, and if this woman could do that, then good.”
Chapter Eight
Yasmin reached for the doorknob to Carver’s apartment, but Jake beat her to the punch. Given he didn’t listen when she repeatedly insisted she could open doors herself, she let him do it.
“Thanks,” she told Jake, who gave her a nod before closing the door.
Carver’s apartment. She still couldn’t bring herself to call it theirs yet. Carver had insisted numerous times that she could do whatever she wanted with it, redecorate the whole place if she chose. Yasmin had been looking at some colorful furniture online to spruce it up. In the bedroom, she discovered a white box and a note attached to it with her name scribbled on top. She recognized Carver’s messy handwriting.
Curiosity made her flip it open. Its contents spilled out, taking her breath away. Why would Carver buy her a dress? She took it out, laid it across the bed, and sighed. Yasmin had never owned anything so fancy. She didn’t even attend her own prom, because she had to pick Larry up from the bar that night.
The dress would bare her shoulders and had a plunging neckline. She’d look like she was dipped in red ink. Yasmin didn’t doubt Carver had all her measurements down, that she’d look amazing in that dress. She always felt self-conscious about her body as an awkward teenager and even as an adult. Lately, that started to change the more time she spent with Carver in the bedroom. He couldn’t seem to get enough of her, teaching her that he loved her body just fine. Thinking of him made her curve her lips to a smile.
Who was she kidding? This past week with him had been wonderful, and the passion between them only continued to be explosive. Sex didn’t define their growing relationship. Yasmin also loved the quiet moments, like how they spent evenings on the couch, binge-watching TV shows, or an afternoon at the park.
Large hands squeezed her shoulders from behind, and she immediately knew who it was. She leaned against him, loving the possessive way he automatically tugged her close. Their bodies always seemed to be a perfect fit. He bit her earlobe and pressed a kiss to her quickening pulse.
“What do you think?” he whispered in her ear, his breath warm.
“I’ve never worn anything like this. Are we going somewhere?” she asked.
“There’s a charity gala hosted by the governor tonight.”
She opened her mouth and closed it. “Carver, I’ve never been to one of those either.”
Carver turned her gently by the shoulder so they now looked at each other. “Angel, I don’t want you to be a secret. I want the entire world to see you on my arm and know you’re my woman.”
She shivered at those words and bit her bottom lip. Yasmin had never really done well in social situations. Carver started rubbing her back, his touch calming, addictive. “What if I end up disappointing you? Important people will be there, right?”
“That will never happen. Most of them are too scared of me.”
It took her a second to realize he made a joke. With a huff, she gave his shoulder a punch. “Don’t tease. I’m serious. I always screw things up in social situations.”
Not that she’d had any semblance of a social life before she started living with the kingpin.
He kissed the top of her head, then her nose. She lifted her head to receive his next one on her mouth. Yasmin shut her eyes, letting herself be swept away as she forgot where she was. He took her lips, all bite and heat, and she wanted to rake her hands down his expensive tailored suit and hear all the buttons pop. Carver had unearthed this wild and secret side of her she never knew about, but Yasmin kind of liked this new her.
“You’ll do fine. I need you there, as support, or I’ll end up tearing someone to shreds.”
It struck her that was the first time he said he needed her. Yasmin looked at the gorgeous dress on the bed, imagining herself wearing it and on the arm of her sexy kingpin.
“We’ll make an appearance, then make an excuse to leave so I can fuck you in the car with that dress on,” he said.
“Oh, now that’s definitely incentive,” she said. Then she nodded. “I’ll do my best.”
****
The moment Jake opened the doors for them, cameras starting going off like mad. She squinted against the bright flashing lights, relieved when Carver offered her a hand and helped her out of the car. The silken red fabric pooled to her ankles, and she self-consciously closed her legs. When Carver planted a proprietary hand around her waist, she became even more aware of the fact she had no underwear on, because he demanded it. The thrill of discovery sent a shudder down her spine although she knew he’d never let anything happen to her.
“Smile, angel,” he whispered in her ear, sliding a hand over her bare shoulders.
Feeling the heat of his solid body eased the tension in hers as she smiled for the photographers.
“Carver, who’s the sweet lady on your arm?” one of the paparazzi yelled out.
“Is she anyone famous?” another called out.
More questions were hurled at them, but Carver ignored them, wolfish smile still plastered on his face. She recognized that look. He was getting impatient. Mercifully, Jake and two other guards carved a path for them.
Carver spirited her away from the red carpet and into the doors of the art museum. She barely recognized some of the people in the room and felt a little out of place. Some of the politicians, actors and actresses, she knew from the TV or from the magazines she read. There were murmurs at their arrival, and she didn’t miss the curious gazes on them, on her.
A waiter offered them champagne, and she took one to calm her nerves. On second thought, getting hammered might not be such a good idea. Yasmin seldom drank alcohol, so her tolerance was low. She set the glass down on the nearest table, her fingers trembling. Shit.
Oh, she was aware she and Carver came from two very different worlds, but standing here made her more aware of it. Her heart beat against her chest, and she had a little trouble breathing. Sweat rolled down her back. She felt like a fraud, wearing this expensive dress and the diamond necklace and earrings Carver gave to her before they got into the car. What if she had some kind of panic attack here?
A squeeze on the back of her neck made her look at her man. He leaned in close to her ear.
“Breathe in and out, angel. I’m here.”
His firm voice soothed her, and for a second, she forgot about everything else—the servers, the men and women in suits and gowns that probably cost more than her o
ld monthly rent. Carver seemed confident she wouldn’t screw this up. She relaxed a little, her anxiety fading bit by bit as she reached for his hand. He curled his big, inked ones over hers and gave her a reassuring squeeze. Yasmin felt better already.
She smiled at the right moments, made polite conversations as Carver talked to a few individuals. He always made the introductions, never making her feel left out, even once.
“Just endure this a little more, and we’ll head back to our place,” Carver whispered to her ear after they said goodbye to the governor and his wife.
Our place. That really did have a good ring to it. Navigating the waters of his world might be occasionally daunting, but she’d held her own pretty well tonight.
“Fuck you, Carver,” a man yelled, shattering the mood.
The entire hall fell silent, and she searched for the source of the disturbance. A huge man with a shaved head and old scars across his face, dressed in a black suit, shoved his way past a couple and put his hand into the pocket of his suit. Carver automatically planted himself in front of her. Everything happened far too fast for her to process. Gunshots rang out, followed by screams as people started for the nearest exits.
“Carver,” she whispered, fearing for her man. Carver let out a grunt, then yelled, “Jake, get her out of here.”
“Wait,” she blurted, feeling Jake close his hand over his wrist and begin pulling her to the doors. “Damn it, Jake. What about Carver? God. I think he’s been shot.”
“The boss will be fine. We have our guys on it,” he said cryptically. She sucked in a breath, noticing he pulled his revolver out and kept looking at his surroundings. Finally, they emerged into the cool night. Plenty of people started rushing for their cars. It was a complete panic but nothing compared to her thumping heart. Fear sank its claws into her, and she had trouble breathing. Her dress felt plastered to her skin, and her feet started hurting in her heels.
“Stop dragging me, I can walk,” she said.
Jake paused and loosened his grip on her. She took off her heels and grabbed them. The concrete felt cool under her. A black Jaguar stopped in front of them and Jake opened the door.
“Please.” She grabbed his arm. “I want to wait for Carver.”
Jake shook his head. “The boss ordered me to take you to a safe location in case of an emergency.”
“Who is that guy? You’re not lying to make me feel better right? He’s fine?”
“He is. Carver’s wearing a bulletproof vest underneath. Please, get in the car and let Mario take you back to the apartment so I can see to him.”
Realizing she could do nothing, she got inside the car. The entire time her hands shook, and she kept looking at her phone.
Please, God, I hope he isn’t badly hurt, because I’m really falling fast and hard for my man.
Chapter Nine
“What a fucking night,” Carver muttered in annoyance, tugging off his bowtie. He watched two of his guys zip up the shooter in a body-bag. Good thing the entire museum had emptied out by now. He had the local cops in his pocket, so he had a few more minutes to get his business done before they swarmed the place. He added, “Johnson, Maddock, take it via the back door. Coppers will be here soon.”
“Sure thing, boss. We’ll make sure no one finds it.”
Carver turned to Jake and clenched his jaw. He reeled in his temper though, but he couldn’t wipe away Yasmin’s frightened expression as Jake convinced her to exit the museum. Introducing her to the world was one thing, but this? If he could turn back time, he’d make sure she’d never experience something like this again.
“Mario just updated me. She’s back in the apartment, safe, and he has an entire team watching the building,” Jake said just as Sal joined them.
“I’ve had a conversation with one of the security guys posted here. Seems like Holcomb bribed one of them to enter thorough the kitchens,” Sal said.
Holcomb used to work for him and had been in charge of weapons shipments until Sal found out he’d been skimming from the top. Not only that, but Holcomb had a violent reputation and threw the family name around, thinking it would protect him. Carver had seen only red when the fucker drew his gun, pointing it right at Yasmin. He didn’t regret dealing with the scum personally.
“This is going to be a mess, isn’t it?” Sal asked as Jake left to talk with some of the men.
“Not anything we haven’t dealt with before,” he muttered. Fuck. This kind of thing was unavoidable in his line of work, but it was Yasmin’s reaction he worried about. She finally saw the dark side of his world. How would she react? Any normal person in her situation would change their minds and try for the nearest exit.
“You’re thinking about her, aren’t you?” Sal added.
He cracked his knuckles and gritted his teeth. “She shouldn’t have been involved in this.”
“Carver, from what I’ve seen, your woman’s tough. She ain’t going to faint after seeing this.”
Sal had a point, but she might change her mind about staying with him after witnessing tonight’s events.
“I’m heading back home. Update me if Holcomb worked alone or if he had any other associates,” he said.
“Will do, boss.”
****
Carver returned to the apartment at two in the morning, nodding to Ernest, who stood watch outside.
“It’s been quiet inside, so she might have fallen asleep,” Ernest reported. “Good to see you’re unharmed, boss.”
He opened the door, expecting to be greeted by silence, but he spotted Yasmin looking out the windows by the living room, dressed in nothing but one of his big shirts. Possessiveness ran through his veins. To think if he reacted any slower, she might have been seriously hurt. Carver clenched his jaw. Maybe Holcomb died too soon, but it had been the right decision.
Carver couldn’t afford to be messy, because it happened in a public space and plenty of people had seen them. Yasmin turned. Seeing him, tears filled her eyes and she ran towards him. He easily caught her, closing his arms around her waist. Her kissable bottom lip trembled. She was genuinely worried for him, he thought, startled. Carver didn’t think he’d ever experienced that before. Everyone else in the organization either looked up to him or feared him. They expected him to make all the hard decisions without flinching, to be a monster incapable of emotions all the time.
Concern was new, and maybe he’d live the rest of his life knowing his angel was too good for him.
“I was so scared,” she whispered.
“I’m fine, see?”
He let her touch the bullet hole on the left of his shirt. Yasmin fingered the torn fabric, then the bulletproof vest underneath. She let out a sigh of relief. Carver tipped her chin and kissed her slowly, taking all the time in the world. She gripped his shoulders, rubbing those tempting, generously-sized tits against him. Yasmin automatically parted her lips, and he thrust his tongue down her throat, tasting her. Heaven.
Carver pulled away, smiling as she panted. He offered her a hand, and she took it, a silent question in her eyes. Carver led her past the living room and back to their bedroom. He watched her slip into their bed, before tugging off his jacket, then the vest and his shirt. Yasmin said nothing as he stripped down to his boxers and joined her in bed.
She snuggled against him, a little ball of warmth as he circled his arms around her waist and pressed his chest to her back. Carver nosed his way to the nape of her neck, planting a tender kiss there.
“I never thought I’d ever be in that kind of situation,” she said with a shiver.
He lifted the comforter over them, understanding she’d truly been spooked.
“Incidents like that, they’re unavoidable in my line of work.”
She breathed. “I know that, it’s just, it feels like I’ve been living in some of fairy tale these past few days. Tonight was an eye-opener.”
He rested his hand on the curve of her waist. Tempting and easy as it was to slip his dick into her pussy, he knew
she needed him to listen. She took her hand and twirled her fingers with his. Why did it feel like she was about to ask him for something he wouldn’t like?
“Carver, I need…” She paused, as if considering her next words carefully.
“What is it, angel?”
“Time alone. Tomorrow, I’m going out.”
His automatic response was refusal. After tonight, he didn’t want her wandering around the city alone. Jake or one of his guys would tail her, but the thought of her exposed left him shaking with fury, all the muscles in his body tensing up. She turned in his arms and took his hands, kissing them.
“Don’t assume I’m leaving you, I just need time for myself.”
“Tonight, you could’ve died.” His voice came out harsher than he intended.
The old him, the monster that everyone thought he was, would’ve made sure she wouldn’t be able to leave the apartment. He’d chain her to the bedpost, to make sure no one harmed a single hair on her beautiful head. Being with her the past few days however, gave him new perspective. Restraining her would only make her resent him, and hate never led to anything good or pleasant.
Keeping her as his prisoner wasn’t his intention at all. How could he, when she held his heart captive? Slowly but surely, she was changing him, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
“I understand the danger—”
“No, you don’t,” he interrupted, gritting his teeth. “I’ll always have a target on my back.”
“I—this, it’s not just me and you. You’re the kingpin and I get that, but it’s still a lot to process. I don’t want to fight, Carver. Please, give me this.”
He buried his face into her hair, fighting the urge to deny her wish. Carver could easily do it, had all the resources and power at his disposal. If she ran, it wouldn’t take him long to track her down.
“This is hard,” he managed to grit out, gripping her shoulders. The way he held her, he might leave bruises in the morning, but she didn’t complain.
Taken by the Kingpin Page 5