“Here’s the deal,” I didn’t have time to schmooze, “I’ve come into a situation where I need services.”
Dex pressed his lips together and dropped his head, then peered up at me through humorous eyes. “Just like your brother, Oliver.” He gripped my shoulder, led me to a stool, and shoed the rest of his men away as Travis stayed quiet at my side.
“I’m taking the job for Travis. Show my commitment. But I need some things in return.”
Dex grinned. “We don’t pay in favors, little O.”
“I don’t need the money. I need services. One, Travis is off the hook infinitely. He’s no longer doing the Links bidding. Free and clear, he’s out.”
“You’re going to have to put more on the table if you’re asking for two things and only completing one job.”
“No, you’re missing the point. Travis isn’t working with the Links any longer, period. This job I’m doing is to show you my commitment. The deal is, you find me someone, and if you do, I can get you something you’ve always wanted.” Making a deal with Dex Sullivan was a huge risk. If there were one person equally dirty and hungry for money as Oscar, it would be Dex, who happened to have the connections I needed. And, it seemed as if the dicey and cunning cards rose from Hell and fell at my feet. Perfect timing.
Dex tilted his head. “And what do I want?”
“White Fox.”
“Nice try, baby O. We both know there is no more White Fox.” Dex shook his head with the drink pulled to his mouth. His eyes slid over to his mates, who both stood in the corner of the pub watching us.
I took a step closer and cut off his line of vision to his entourage. My confession had to stay discreet, for Dex’s ears only considering I had what he wanted, and the very thing he wouldn’t want to share with anyone else, especially his boss. Greed and power and all. “I am White Fox.”
My comment captured his attention as I knew it would.
Dex lowered his drink, his brows pinching together. “I don’t understand.”
“You knew my brother. He was a bloody idiot, all jump first, ask questions later. He didn’t try and force me all these years because we shared the same blood. No,” I shook my head and leaned closer, “he wanted me because I didn’t operate like everyone else. I think outside the box. I see lines before they’re drawn. I feel intentions before they’re stated. I’m always ten steps ahead.”
“You are White Fox.”
I held my arms out to the sides. “In the flesh.”
Mia was acting strange.
Not your typical girl who’d been taken and held against her will. Although Miss Jett was anything but ordinary, so I wasn’t sure what to expect with her. First, she’d been hell bound on killing me, which was expected. Now, it was as if she couldn’t recite the alphabet.
She was confusing the hell out of me.
Our stay at the cabin lasted longer than I’d originally wanted. Mia, again, disrupted my plan, and I had to figure this shit out. For almost two years, the plan had been in motion. The cabin held all my resources before taking off to another country. By the time my mates from the academy put the pieces together at Dolor—if they ever put the pieces together—I would be long gone without a trace, living somewhere on some yacht, over some ocean, sipping on some drink in some warmer weather.
But what the fuck was I going to do with Mia? Not only did she corrupt my plans, but she cracked my common sense too. And she was right. I wouldn’t lay a hand on her. Mia was the first girl I’d cared about since Livy died. It also didn’t mean I was just going to let her walk out of here. Perhaps she could learn to spend the next sixty years or so running away with me. Maybe she could learn a thing or two about life on the water. Anchor a ship, sail through a storm, and learn to gut a fish—maybe even learn to love me.
Surprisingly, no one was looking for her anyway.
Dean Avery kept me updated. I’d met the twenty-something-year-old gypsy two years ago after a trip to Nova Scotia during a bidding war in Halifax on the Carmen Olivia. It seemed, no matter the cost, we’d both stopped at nothing to win the beautiful boat with the fated name of my sister. After a long day back and forth, both of us had been out fucking bidden and exchanged sob stories over aged whiskey at Durty Nelly’s. Dean had been running away from something too. We’d connected. He’d disapproved of my plans to murder. But he’d understood my reasons and my fight for family, for justice. He’d gone on about being able to do things most couldn’t and get me the documents I needed to help carry out my revenge.
It was then, two strangers in an Irish pub both far away from home, when justice became more than a dream. It became real—tangible. By the time we’d parted ways, it was as if we were two brothers from another lifetime. I’d never seen him again after that. Dean changed his number every month, along with his location. He’d call once a week, same time, and kept his promise on getting the documents and information I needed.
No one reported Mia as missing yet.
I only needed her to trust me enough to get her quietly on a plane out of the UK. Her passport and birth certificate were easy to retrieve, thanks to Dean. I’d left a few details out, the biggest one being I’d taken Mia against her will. Dean was under the impression she was my girl. He’d never go for kidnapping, especially if he knew she was in love with someone else. Dean could look past a lot, even me murdering killers, but not separating love. Hopefully, I could break the fucking umbilical cord tying Mia to Masters soon and get her on team Ethan before we had to board a plane.
Staying here another day wasn’t an option.
We had to leave tomorrow.
“What’s taking so long?” I asked after knocking a knuckle over the bathroom door. She’d been in there too long. Mia didn’t answer. “I’m coming in.” The bathroom door creaked open, and Mia had submerged herself in the tub with her head peeking above the waterline. “What are you doing?”
She looked straight ahead at the water dripping from the faucet.
“Mia?”
Drip.
Drip.
“Come on, let’s get out of here, yeah?” I took a seat over the toilet and looked down at her. “You’re going to freeze to death.”
Mia didn’t move. Mia didn’t blink. I’d seen her naked too many times to count, but each time still sent a buzz to my cock. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been buried inside a female, using all my nights caring for the tease instead. Not like she owed me anything for it.
But there she was, ivory skin, perfectly proportioned tits, pink hardened nipples, and a soft velvety pussy. My fingers and tongue had been inside her. I’d tasted her. I’d pushed my dick through her slit, feeling her warmth, and she still wouldn’t let me in. It was no secret, the girl got an A for pissing me off, but I fed off the challenge. Masters’ hold had been stronger than I thought, but it wouldn’t be much longer until I’d have her completely. Over the last few days, she’d turned into this emotionless puppet. I pulled every string, and she submitted.
I yanked the plug from the tub and gripped her arm and forced her out. Mia stood before me naked and wet as I took a seat over the toilet. She didn’t even shiver. Just fucking stood there and stared ahead, her olive skin asking to be touched despite her refusal to talk to me. It creeped me out how out of touch she was with reality.
My palms wrapped around her sides, and I dragged my hands up until they rested below her breasts. Mia’s muscles relaxed in my hands, and I brushed over her nipples with the pads of my fingers. She took a step forward between my opened thighs, and my gaze flicked up from her breasts to her face. Her expression was stone cold. Was she testing me?
“Jett, you’re being ridiculous. You can’t act like this forever,” I sighed, dropped my hands, and stood, towering over her to yank the towel from the hook.
Mia didn’t move.
I dried her off and slipped one of my shirts over her head. My puppet. Mia’s hair was still wet. I rang it out into the towel. Utterly immobile, Mia allowed me to care fo
r her. It made her easy at first. The past three days, she’d been out of the zip ties. And maybe she trusted I wasn’t going to hurt her. Perhaps she finally fucking realized I cared. I had only been doing what was best. But I missed her storm. I missed the bite in her words and the fury in her eyes. I missed the fucking challenge.
She followed my lead willingly down the stairs and stood beside the mattress—waiting for my next command. “Get some sleep. We’re leaving in the morning. Somewhere warm.” Like she fucking cared. Mia’s eyes never left the window as she sprawled out over her side of the mattress. I shook my head and flipped the lights off, trusting she’d be in the same position when I’d get back like she was the night before.
I took two steps at a time up the stairs when my mobile rang.
“Something came up. We’re already three hundred miles out,” a reluctant voice pulsed through the phone.
Dean.
“Were you found?” The Avery’s stayed low-key, survived off the minimum, and never lived in one place too long. He’d told me some story about their history, but at the time, I had to be either too drunk or exhausted to take it seriously.
“They killed him.”
“Who? One of your brothers?” I fell back into the couch. He had two brothers, Luke and Ash, and talked about them often. The three of them were close, and I envied their brotherly bond. If anything happened to one of his brothers there was no telling what Dean would do. Apart from murder. The Avery’s didn’t kill. He’d reminded me too many times to count.
“Our pops. Long fucking story. But I can’t help anymore. There’s shit I have to take care of. Luke’s on a mission of his own. Everything’s set up for you. Keys are in the office. Ask for Mandy. I left her with the bag.”
Fuck. Their dad. I leaned my elbows over my knees and brought my hand to my forehead to squeeze my temples. “I’m so sorry, mate.” I’d never met Dean’s dad, mum, or brothers, only him. But Dean and I were close. Friends were hard to come by for the two of us. He’d spent his life on the run with his family for reasons I couldn’t comprehend. Now his dad was dead, which only meant one thing. The other three were completely dependent on Dean’s direction. He had to step up for his family.
I waited until he was able to fight out more words. His silence screamed emotion. “Thanks, E.”
“Is there something I can do?”
“Nah, man. This is something you don’t want to get involved with. You can’t get involved with. You wouldn’t understand. But I appreciate it. I do.”
“There may come a time when you need someone to do your dirty work. Just ring, and I’ll be there.” I would. Just because they didn’t believe in taking matters into their own hands—just because they couldn’t kill for whatever reason—didn’t mean I couldn’t. I’d do it for him and for everything he’d done for me these last few years.
Dean chuckled through the phone, but it was empty and forced. “I’ll keep that in mind. Listen. Stay safe, E. I’ll give you a call when I can.”
“You too.” The call disconnected, and I spent the next few hours packing the car and scrubbing the house of evidence—of any indication Mia was here. Nothing to trace her back to me. By three in the morning, I slipped downstairs to find Mia exactly where I left her.
Her brown eyes were still open and gazing through the window into the night. I’d already tried talking to her. I’d tried to explain myself. She wouldn’t listen. I wanted to scream no one cared about her. I was the only fucking one. Everyone, her entire life, had done nothing but lie to her and toss her as if she was rubbish.
My clothes smelled of bleach. I stripped down to my boxers and laid in my spot beside her. She had to have been cold. The heater didn’t work down here. Whether she liked it or not, I pulled her on top of me inside my arms. She didn’t say anything or fight me on it. She obeyed like a puppet. My puppet. Which only made it harder not to please her the way I wanted to. A constant war against my head and my … well … head.
I could fuck her so easily and sleep even easier.
But I wouldn’t do that, not unless she wanted me to.
Swallowing the temptation, I kept my dick in my boxers and let my hands stray over her cold skin to warm her, up her thighs, over her arse, across her back. She’d never flinched, and each night I took it further, testing her, breaking her. One day she’d realize Masters had never cared about her, and until then, I’d remind her how much I did. I could make her feel good, ease her mind, and bring back the spark within her.
The struggle to breathe woke me as I fought for air. A cloud of smoke tumbled down the stairs and seeped into the room. My eyes burned. “Mia!” She wasn’t at my side. My pulse hammered in my chest. Coughing, I sat up to bright fiery lights bouncing against the walls from the top of the stairs. The smell of burning. Panic. “Mia!” I couldn’t get my pants on fast enough. No time for a shirt or shoes, but the heat from the fire was too much. I ran back for my shirt to cover my head and ran back up the stairs. There wasn’t time to think—to plan. The fire roared in the kitchen. Orange, red, and yellow flames danced over the stove and crawled up the wall, the curtain’s being eaten away by the rage of the heat. It was spreading fast. My burning eyes darted around the thick smoke. Mia was laying over the couch, bright white tee against the black fog with her eyes closed. An angel wrapped in hell. Had she lost her bloody mind?
The car keys were laying on top of the fridge. There was no way I could get to them. Thank God for a spare inside the car. It was all I needed.
I scooped up Mia and flung her over my shoulder.
“Stop it!” she screamed against the sound of the cabin burning down. “Let me go!” I hadn’t heard her voice in so long. In that moment, she had more fire in those five words than my childhood cabin. Her screams had the power to slice through the smoke as she fought against my tight grip. Each cry stole another breath I couldn’t afford. Another punch to the gut.
My knees hit the floor, and she fell from my arms.
Flames and smoke surrounded us, and I couldn’t see anymore.
Her cries turned into coughs, and both of us gasped for air, crawling across the wooden floors, searching for clean oxygen like deprived junkies.
Mia wanted to die—to burn both of us alive.
We were going to die.
“Shhh …” Ashlyn giggles. “My dad will hear us.”
“I want to see you again.” I’ve never been this real with anyone, this raw. Ashlyn has the power to make me say things I would typically never say out loud. She’s some sort of enchantress. “I like you. Like a lot. Already. Have I gone mad?”
It’s dark, and the single light buzzing above reveals the blush crawling up her neck. “Tomorrow,” she whispers, answering my first question. Her blush answered the second.
“Okay. Tomorrow.” We have tomorrow. We have this entire holiday.
“Goodnight, Ethan.” Ashlyn steps forward. It’s small but enough. She wants me to kiss her again. I smile because I can’t help it. Our first time was messy. I didn’t know what I was doing before. But this is my chance to make it right. I close the distance between us and pull the glove from my hand. My touch is warm against her cold cheek.
I don’t hesitate and lower my head and kiss her. The force causes her to take a step back, and I sneak my arm around her waist and pull her against me. Chest to chest. Heart to heart.
And this time, it’s perfect.
I wasn’t perfect.
I’d never claimed to be better than the next person. I’d made mistakes, continually throwing my own spanner in the works to save my arse when the time came. This was that time.
And suddenly, I was thankful for my grudge against Oscar.
Once Oscar had pinned the attempted murder of Brad on me, I’d stolen White Fox out from under him. The money, assets, accounts, I’d drained and hidden the cash in a secure location no one would be able to find or trace back to me—cash I had fully intended to give to Brad’s wife and two kids. Though their dad had a taste for pr
ostitutes, preferably Mum, his family was innocent.
After they’d confirmed me as a suspect, I had tattooed a hint of the location beside the scissors on my arm before turning myself in. It had been a daily reminder, my strength to make it through my false punishment so one day I could, at the very least, give back a morsel of what had been taken from the family, though it would never be enough.
I’d become White Fox, and my brother had been chasing me ever since.
Oscar should’ve known never to trust a fox.
Dex wasn’t any better of a man than Oscar, but Dex had resources. And desperation called for making deals with the devil and bathing in sin. But the devil would be foolish to underestimate a broken man with nothing left to lose.
It made me nervous to mention Mia’s name to Dex, so I gave Scott’s name instead, sure wherever Scott was, so was Mia. The last thing I needed was for Dex to find out about Mia, for him to use her as a pawn and hang her life over my head as some sort of sick threat in the future.
It had been two days since the meeting with Dex. Travis and I were back in Surrey, sitting at a bar in the village and waiting on orders for my first assignment from the Links, and for Laurie, my agent, to meet us.
The Green Lion’s atmosphere was very different from Jack’s. On the outside, the building had welcoming white brick, green trim, and brown shingles, straight out of a fairy tale. The inside was warm and inviting, with a fire going in the curved-brick indoor fireplace.
“I don’t like it.” Travis groaned beside me with a shake of his head.
Now Open Your Eyes (Stay With Me series Book 3) Page 6