“And that’s all you want it to be.”
“I didn’t say that.” She shook her head. “Don’t put words in my mouth.”
“Then let us help you.” Ben. “Let us see what we can find out about these guys. If we can’t, you can always get someone else involved later.”
Ian bit his tongue to make sure he didn’t say anything else. Ben could smooth things over as long as she agreed to let him and Ben handle this.
Just thinking about who she was going to ask for help made him mental and that was dangerous. For so many more reasons than it should.
After a few silent seconds, she finally nodded.
And Ian wanted to crush her against him and promise her no one would ever attempt to hurt her again. Because if anyone fucking touched her, Ian would kill them.
Ben reached for her hand and wrapped his fingers around hers, drawing her gaze. And when Ben smiled at her, she smiled back, although Ian could see it was a little shaky. Which just pissed him off again. But he managed to keep that out of his expression.
“All right.” Ian sat on the chair across from the couch, where she and Ben sat. “Walk me through it. What do you remember?”
After a deep breath, she stared across the room, her gaze laser-focused on a point across the room. “Okay. We walked out of the building, headed toward Ben’s car. He’d parked a few yards up the block. I’m not sure I noticed the van right away but I remember hearing the sliding door open and I think I looked up then. I saw two men headed toward us. I think Ben had already figured out what they meant to do because he punched one of them almost immediately.”
Ben shrugged. “Spidey senses tingled.”
She smiled, exactly as Ben had planned, and Ian had to bite back a surge of jealousy. That wouldn’t do anyone any good right now.
“The other guy grabbed me by the arm and started dragging me toward the van. I think I broke his nose.” She lifted her hand and stared at it for a second before shaking her head and looked back at Ian. “Still kinda hurts. Blank would be proud of me. His training paid off.
“Then the one Ben hit got up and tried to help the other guy, who still had my arm. But Ben smashed one of them in the nose I’d hit and made the other nearly pass out when he kicked him in the balls. Then he got me in the car and we drove here.”
“Do you think you’d recognize them if you saw them again?’
Now she grimaced. “They were wearing those black masks that cover your whole face except for the eyes and mouth.”
Ben nodded. “Gloves. Long sleeves and pants. All black. They never spoke. One was taller than the other. The taller one might be a smoker. The shorter one was heavier, built like a fucking brick wall.”
Professionals. Shit.
He turned back to Dorrie. “Do you know anyone who’d want to snatch you? Any reason at all?”
Her gaze dropped away as she shook her head. “I’m not sure.”
And that was about the last straw on Ian’s back. “How about the fact that you work for Karel Antonoff? You think that might have something to do with it?”
Her mouth dropped open and her eyes widened in shock. Her expression would’ve made him laugh if he wasn’t so fucking keyed up.
“What… How…”
“Ian.”
Ben didn’t raise his voice but his tone cut like a knife. Ian ignored him.
“You know who he is and what he does. Is there any possibility someone knows you work for Antonoff and wants to use you against him?”
She swallowed hard but instead of lying flat out, she fell silent, her gaze unfocused.
“Think, Dorrie,” Ian prodded. “This is your life. Anything you can tell us will be helpful.”
After a few seconds, her head rose, her expression somewhere between stubborn and vulnerable. “If you know I work for Antonoff, then you also know I don’t need your protection. One phone call and I’ll have five guys at my door.”
Yeah, he knew that. He also knew she hadn’t kicked them out yet. “But you haven’t made that call. Are you going to?”
Her gaze slipped away again and, after a few silent seconds, she shook her head. “Not yet, no.”
Ian’s jaw locked against the urge to demand she didn’t call at all, but he managed not to make that stupid mistake.
“Then let us make sure you’re safe. Come back to the house with us.”
“No. Why?” Her forehead wrinkled. “There’s no need for that.”
Ben shook his head. “I have to agree with Ian. You can have my bed. I’ll sleep on the sofa. Tomorrow’s Sunday. Ian and I can do some detective work and you can chill.”
“I have plans tomorrow.”
“What plans?”
“I have to check on Blank in the morning then I have a game in the afternoon.”
“Game?” Ian frowned.
“Soccer. At Fairmount Park.”
“Cancel.”
Her brows raised in challenge. “No. There’s no need for that. Whoever those men were, they tried to grab me at night. They’re not going to try during broad daylight. And I’m still not convinced they were after me specifically. How would they know I would be at the office that late? I was…with you then we went to my office. I didn’t tell anyone. No one knew I was at the office.”
“Except building security.”
She immediately shook her head. “No. Those men have been vetted extensively.”
Until Ian checked those men out himself, he wasn’t taking anyone’s word. But he made sure he didn’t say that out loud either. He’d just add background checks to the list he’d started in his head.
He and Ben exchanged a look, definitely on the same page about this. “Did you tell any friends where you’d be tonight?”
Her teeth lodged in her bottom lip. “No. I only told one person I had a date with Ben but I didn’t tell her where we were going because I didn’t know.”
“What’s her name?”
“I’m not telling you that.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m not having you drag anyone else into this. If you want to interrogate me, I’m willing to put up with it for now. I’m not willing to offer up my friends. Besides, there’s no way my…friend would’ve said anything to anyone.”
“Not even if—”
“I trust her with my life.”
The problem, Ian realized, was that he didn’t trust anyone but himself or Ben with her life.
Shit.
When the hell had he decided her life was his to keep safe?
Fuck it, he’d think about that later. Or never.
Right now, he wanted her back at their home where he knew the security system inside and out and where he had access to the rest of his weapons. The Ruger in his back holster gave him some comfort but, at this moment, it wasn’t enough.
“Okay, no problem.” Ben spoke up. “How about you pack a bag, bring your gear for the game, and we go back to our place now. Everyone’s tired and I think we’ll all sleep better if we’re under one roof.”
Ian could tell she wanted to argue with Ben but surprisingly, she didn’t say anything else. Instead, she shocked the hell out of him by nodding.
“Let me get my stuff together. I’ll be back in a minute.”
Then she disappeared up the stairs at the rear of the apartment.
And he turned on Ben.
“What the hell’s going on?”
Ben shook his head. “I honestly don’t have a clue but they were there for her. No doubt in my mind.”
“So it probably has something to do with Antonoff.”
Ben’s steady gaze made Ian want to punch him. “Don’t let your history cloud your judgment. You could be right and it’s related to Antonoff. Or it could be something totally not related and that’s dangerous because we could focus on the wrong angle and miss something important.”
Ian bit back the urge to say he knew that but Ben wasn’t wrong. Ian’s blind spot when it came to Antonoff was a huge fucking black ho
le. It’s why he’d broken all ties with her after he’d found out who she worked for. Her connection to the man responsible for his father’s death had made him want to punch a wall.
So what’s changed?
Ian looked at Ben and knew exactly what had changed.
“I won’t.”
After a second, Ben nodded. “Okay. I’m gonna scope out the street. Make sure those jackasses aren’t waiting for us. We’ll figure the rest of the shit out when we get home.”
Ben waited for Ian to nod before he left, leaving Ian alone to wait for Dorrie.
Hoping like hell she came under her own steam.
And if she didn’t… Well, she’d go over his shoulder.
*
“I can’t believe I let them talk me into this.”
Dorrie threw a pair of jeans and a t-shirt in an overnight bag, along with another bra and panties. Her soccer bag had already been packed and ready to go.
Her sister would’ve laughed and shook her head at her, remarking on how she was over prepared. In this case, it worked against her because it meant she was finished packing that much sooner and ready to leave.
But she had to admit she was rattled. When she looked down at her hands, they still shook.
Damn it, had those men been after her specifically or had it been a random kidnapping?
She sighed. “You’re not that stupid. Of course, it wasn’t random.”
She needed to warn Risa. If someone had targeted Dorrie because of their father, maybe they’d go after Risa next. But she’d left her phone in the other room.
With Ian and Ben.
She hadn’t given herself a lot of time to think about what had happened earlier. About the time she’d spent in bed with Ian and Ben.
Frankly, she didn’t want to think about it because if she did, she’d start to hyperventilate. So far, she’d managed to keep herself under control by not dwelling on the fact that she’d had sex with two men at the same time.
Every now and then she shivered with remembered pleasure, but she quickly squelched the feeling and tried to think about something else. Anything else.
Since she couldn’t think rationally about them, she tried not to think about them at all.
Eventually, she knew she’d have to think about them, have to consider the ramifications of what she’d done. But for right now… Hell, right now, she simply wanted to enjoy the fact that she’d done it.
And now she was on her way back to their place. Which might bring on another panic attack.
Why had someone tried to snatch her? It made no damn sense at all.
Unless someone had found out about her relationship with the Russian mob boss of Philadelphia.
And what happens if Ian and Ben find out you’re not just working for that man, you’re his daughter?
She tried not to let that fuck with her head too much, but the truth was, it already did.
A lie of omission is still a lie.
She’d heard the phrase in middle school right about the time she’d found out what her dad did for a living and that she could never tell anyone who her father was.
She’d been old enough to understand…and young enough and idealistic enough to challenge her dad about it.
But she’d quickly learned how much better off she’d been than Risa. The taunting and the teasing and the outright threats. If Dorrie had a backbone of steel, Risa had a backbone of titanium. Her sister had learned to deal with everything with a haughty stare and a sharp tongue.
Dorrie had dealt by putting up a wall between herself and the outside world.
You really need to call your dad. Tell him what happened.
And she would. Tomorrow morning. Tonight, she’d let these two men make her feel safe.
After getting the rest of her stuff together, she grabbed her bags and headed back to the living room where Ian and Ben were talking low enough that she couldn’t hear them. Ben realized almost immediately that she’d returned and flashed Ian a look. Ian turned and they both moved toward her.
Without a word, they took the bags from her.
“You ready?”
Ian sounded calm but it felt forced and it rubbed her the wrong way. She had to bite her tongue not to goad him into his usual, tightly strung self.
Was it weird that that was one of the things she liked about him?
Probably.
Definitely.
Nodding, she looked at Ben, who flashed her a smile. “Then let’s go. It’s late and we could all use some sleep.”
He turned and headed for the door, and when she glanced at Ian again, he nodded, indicating she follow Ben. Leaving Ian to watch her back.
She felt safe. Taken care of. And she was headed back to their home.
Which you ran from earlier tonight.
Yeah, probably best not to think about that now or that panic attack she’d managed to stave off earlier would make a return.
Ben and Ian hustled her through the lobby, to the raised eyebrows of the night guard. She didn’t care what he thought of her, didn’t care if he judged her. But she did worry that he might call her father.
So she made sure to smile as she passed and made sure her smile included him in her sly secret.
Ian walked with them to Ben’s car and made sure Ben had started the car and pulled away from the curb before he moved toward his.
Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, hoping she wasn’t making a horrible mistake.
Chapter Seven
Ben was beginning to believe this was the worst mistake he’d ever made.
What had made him think that bringing her back to their place was a good idea?
And even if it was, what the fuck were they going to do with her now?
Of course, his dick wanted her back in bed. Either his or Ian’s, didn’t matter.
His head… Well, he’d started to think maybe pushing Ian into bed with Dorrie hadn’t been one of his better ideas.
Then again…he couldn’t wait to get her back in bed. Which probably wouldn’t happen tonight. This morning. Whatever.
They could all do with a few hours of sleep to clear their heads.
But, damn. He couldn’t help but think about how much better he’d sleep if he was wrapped around her.
Dorrie spent most of the drive back to their place staring out the side window, her face scrunched in a frown. After he parked in the garage, he hustled her back into the house, hearing Ian’s garage door open just as they reached the house.
“You want something to drink?”
She shook her head. “I think…I’m really tired. I think I’d just like to get some sleep.”
“No problem. Come on, I’ll show you.”
“I hate kicking you out of your bed.”
Then don’t almost slipped out of his mouth but he managed to rein it in. “It’s not a problem.”
“What’s not a problem?”
Ian strode through the door, his attention immediately zoning in on Dorrie.
“I told her I’ll take her up to my bed.”
Ian looked like he wanted to argue but his jaw clenched and he nodded. “It’s been a long day. We can all do with some downtime.”
Since Ben was watching her so closely, he thought for sure he saw disappointment flash across her face. Which made him have to force back a grin.
Apparently she didn’t want to sleep alone. Nice to know. But he wouldn’t push her. Not tonight. Especially not with the fatigue he saw in her eyes.
So he took her back upstairs, past Ian’s room, and up the second flight to his floor.
His suite was completely open except for the bathroom at the back. Everyone had their own demons. Ben’s happened to be walls, something only Ian knew and understood.
“If you need anything, you know where to find Ian, and I’ll be in the living room.”
Ben put her bags on the floor by his bed then waited for her to nod before he turned and headed for the stairs.
“Ben.”
&nb
sp; He turned at her voice.
“Thank you.”
Before he could say anything, she leaned in and kissed him. No tongue but enough heat to sear his guts. When she pulled back seconds later, he had to rein in his response to grab her, lay her out on his bed, and crawl on top of her.
So he smiled and backed toward the door. “No problem.”
He left before he decided to stay.
“She okay?”
Ian’s gruff voice came from the office so Ben adjusted course and headed for the room off the kitchen they’d designated for work.
Ian sat at his desk, sprawled back in his chair, one hand in his hair.
His cousin looked beat. Ben knew Ian wouldn’t be able to sleep unless Ben agreed to keep watch. And since he’d just had a huge jolt of adrenaline…
“She’s fine. You look like shit. Why don’t you go get some sleep? I’ll take the first shift. Give me some time to do some research.”
Ian nodded, amazingly not giving Ben a hassle. Which meant he must have been exhausted.
“They were definitely after her, weren’t they?”
Ben sank into his office chair across from Ian. “Yeah, no doubt in my mind.”
“It’s gotta have something to do with Antonoff.”
Ian sounded disgusted and resigned. A dangerous combination. But he wasn’t wrong.
“And if we start poking around that bear, this is gonna get scary fast.”
Ian’s gaze turned hard and bitter. “I’m not afraid of Antonoff.”
Ben refrained from rolling his eyes. “That’s not what I’m saying and you know it. But think about it. We start nosing around in his business, we’re gonna be the ones in need of protection. And Dorrie’s going to be caught in the middle.”
And not in a good way, Ben wanted to add. But he wasn’t stupid enough to say it out loud.
“So what do you suggest?” Ian shook his head. “Because, yeah, I’m probably not the best one to make decisions about this.”
Well, damn. Look at that. Ian being rational about anything to do with Antonoff. Amazing.
“I suggest we talk to Blank, fill him in on what’s going on.”
“And have him run back to Antonoff?”
“We can’t control what he does but he is her personal bodyguard. He’s gonna be pissed off if we don’t fill him in.”
An Indecent Longing Page 15