by Sophia Peony
Mia visualized him, imagined it was him on her bed. Imagined it was his cock she was stroking. She could do this. Mia kept Logan in her mind as she complied to Joel’s command to suck his dick. Pictured him when Joel pushed her on to her back, got on top of her, and thrust in with no regards to her arousal. In her mind, it was Logan that was sliding in and out of her.
Joel finished faster than she expected. He grunted his release in the most unattractive way, and was falling down to lie on his back. In seconds, he was snoring, spread naked on her bed in mere minutes. It wasn’t until she got up to wash him away from her that she remembered why she’d done it to begin with.
The triangle pendant that held the key was in plain view, resting on his chest.
She tested him by poking him several times to make sure he was really asleep. When he released a particularly loud snore, she was sure he was asleep. She pulled the card reader Logan had given her from between her mattress on the side of the bed. Watching him intently, she carefully separated the pendant and the key. The key card looked like a guitar pick. She inserted it into the card reader where Logan showed her and waited for the light to go on. The red light was bright, and as she waited for the blinking red light to turn green, her heart pounded loudly in her ears. If he caught her holding the key, he’d kill her. It seemed like minutes as she waited for the light to turn; the slow agonizing thirty seconds had her breaking out in sweats.
Mia felt like she hadn’t let out a breath until she had put the key back on the pendent and slipped the device back between the mattress. She tried to calm down as she lay next to him, afraid he’d been faking his sleep. When nothing happened after several minutes, she let her muscles relax. She could almost taste her freedom.
Her hope was that he’d sleep through the night, so she wouldn’t have to touch him again, but she didn’t really give him a large dose of the sleeping pill; it was more to help him fall asleep faster but wasn’t intended to keep him asleep. When he wakes up, he’d want to do it again, and then, she’d have to figure out how to keep him from coming back for more until Logan could take him down.
Glancing at the man next to her, Mia knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep. It was nearly three in the morning. She wanted to wash him off her body. The bathroom, which was only accessible through the bedroom, had just been thoroughly cleaned by her as she stressed out about what she had to do in the last couple of days. It wasn’t as bad as she had expected, and a lot of it had to do with Logan.
Just one kiss from Logan and she lost her head. The difference between Logan and Joel? Her gut trusted Logan. A hard childhood had taught her to trust her gut. The one time she hadn’t, she’d been desperate and had fallen for Joel’s promises. Look how that ended up.
But Logan was different. He had to be. He promised freedom. Joel had promised shelter before he locked her in and made her his prisoner.
Mia scrubbed her skin until it was red, trying to wash Joel off her. She didn’t know how long she stood under the shower, but the cold water finally pulled her out of her head. She reached for the towel and wrapped it around her. She was stepping out of the shower, hair dripping wet, when the sight of Joel leaning against the doorway scared a gasp out of her. She hadn’t expected him to wake up so soon. Did she fuck up? Had he faked his sleep?
He watched her intently. Once she’d gotten some control over her reaction, she tried to seem nonchalant. He couldn’t have faked his sleep. She was sure he was sleeping.
“You’re up already.” It wasn’t a question. The fact that he was partially dressed, his pants on button undone, made her think he’d just gotten up. She tried to walk by him, and she thought he’d let her, but the feel of his hand on her arm when she was halfway passed him stopped her. He guided her back against his body, hugging her from behind. If he could feel her heartbeat, he’d be suspicious of her, if he wasn’t already.
“Got a call,” he told her as he burrowed his face in the crook of her neck, nipping at her skin. He slurred a little, sounding very tired. His body relaxed against hers; it gave her hope that he didn’t know what she’d done.
Knowing it would be suspicious, she wiggled herself free of him.
“Always such a bitch,” he spat out. Then he made a long, suffering sigh. He brushed by her, picking up his shirt off the floor and putting it on.
She kept her distance from him, watching him get dressed. She’d have to pass him to get to her own clothes, and she wanted to stay out of his reach. She almost got through it, when he went back to her, backing her against the wall.
“Too bad I don’t have time,” he told her as his hand crudely reached inside her towel to finger her. She hadn’t been expecting it and tried to clamp her thighs on his hand to prevent him, but it was no use. He shoved two fingers in her, making her flinch. “You’re acting like you hadn’t just been riding my cock, Mia,” he complained as he pulled away from her.
“I got shit to do,” he told her in parting, as he walked out of the bedroom.
She didn’t dare follow him, afraid he was tricking her. She didn’t release the breath she’d been holding until she heard the front door slam. Leaning against the wall, she stared at the bed—a reminder of what she’d done.
Changing the sheets would help her forget. Mia pulled the sheets off the bed, including the pillowcases with the intention of replacing them, when she remembered she needed to lock the door. She headed out of the room, still in her towel, to secure the bolt and chain.
Mia had the second shock of the night when she entered the room and found Logan leaning against the wall where she’d seen him last time. She felt a little weak in the knee from the scare and at the sight of the man. Tall, muscular, handsome, and sexy as fuck, wearing a black tee-shirt and jeans.
“How did you get in?” The only light illuminating the room was from the bathroom. It was enough to make her mouth water. Logan looked good without trying.
“Window lock is useless,” he answered as he strolled to her. He took her hand and pulled her against him. “Did you enjoy that as much as you looked like you did?”
“What?” Did he watch them? Does he have a camera in her home?
“I told you, your window is useless.”
“You’re crazy, and you said it was the window lock,” she whispered against his lips since he was toying with her.
“That too.” He kissed her. The kiss made her realize that she hadn’t kissed Joel. Never had, except when he’d forced her. Logan’s hands found her ass, as hers went around his neck. He trailed kisses on her lips, down to her jaws, to the side of her neck. When it was Joel, she felt repulsed, but with Logan, she wanted more.
“Did you watch?” she asked.
He sucked on her neck and her hand delved into his hair to keep him there. His lips on her skin felt so damn good.
“I did,” he answered as he moved to her collar bone. She leaned back to give him better access to her skin, his arms supporting her from behind. Luther Slade had been a frequent visitor at The Hex in Old Ridge, a voyeurism club near the Santini territory. Apparently it’s another sick and twisted skeleton in the Slade family’s Closet of Fuck Ups, because Logan had been enthralled watching Mia fuck Joel. It wasn’t the fact that he was watching her have sex with Joel like it’s some kind of porn to jack off to. It was Mia who’d mesmerized him. The smooth glow of her skin, her tits swaying with every movement, and a body tight with feminine muscles that made her look strong yet so damn delicate.
“Pervert.” She breathed as he lifted her up higher to nip at the top of her breasts. Logan carried her to the bed and laid her on the bare mattress, reminding her she hadn’t replaced the sheets.
“I wanted to see what he couldn’t have.” He pulled his shirt off. His chest was muscled. Her hands reached to touch his abs on instinct.
“But he did have me.” Her hands did a slow run through the ridges of his muscles. She wanted to lick him. Logan is perfect.
“He fucked you, but he didn’t have you. Tell me. Who
were you thinking about? You looked like you actually enjoyed that.” He took a hold of both of her hands and held them with one hand over her head. His other hand spread her legs wider as he settled between them, and then pushed her towel aside. “You’re so fucking beautiful.” He leaned down, taking a nipple into his mouth.
He nipped her skin before soothing it with his tongue. She reached for his pants, and he helped her take them off. Unlike Joel, Logan took his time. A woman like Mia was meant to be loved. Woman who looked, felt, and tasted like her, deserved to be savored, not rushed.
And savor, he did.
He worked her up until she was on the edge, not once thinking about his needs.
Trailing kisses down her beautiful body to her pussy, he wasn’t shy about what he wanted. The way she reacted to the kisses he placed on her pelvis told him no one had ever gone down on her. He could see it. Joel’s a selfish prick. He would never think about pleasuring her. It occurred to Logan that he’s probably the only man she’d ever been with besides Joel.
She’s soft all over. Beautiful, writhing from his tongue on her labia. He swirled around her clit with his tongue before flicking it while his fingers sank inside her. She’s hot, wet, and fucking sweet.
“Come for me, baby.”
He coaxed her first orgasm out of her with his tongue, fingers, and words. She watched him in wonder, her orgasm taking the breath out of her. Joel had never really bothered with foreplay, except the first time when he took her virginity. Logan, on the other hand, made sure she got hers before taking his own release. A stark difference between him and Joel.
“Do…do you want me to—” He didn’t let her finish asking if he wanted her to blow him.
“Not tonight,” he told her as he stroked his cock. “I’m already close.” She spread her legs wider as he guided his cock to her entrance. Everything about him was better than Joel. His face, his body, his dick…he’s bigger, and better at just about everything. She moaned as he entered her in a slow but steady thrust, forcing her sensitive body to accept all of him. She wanted more of him, more of this.
Sliding into her broke his control. Logan didn’t have the right to own this woman, but his body demanded it. He ground against her, thrusting deep and hard, taking everything she hadn’t given that bastard. Her body belonged to him—her cries, her pleasure, her wants, all belong to him.
“That was reckless,” she said as her finger absently drew on his chest. Logan looked perfect, he fucked perfect. He’d given her two orgasms before he had his. One night with him made up for all the nights with Joel. She couldn’t help but compare them. They were the only men she’d ever had. “He could have come back and found you. Then we would have both been dead.”
“He’s busy with a burning warehouse.”
“What?” Mia looked up at Logan. Joel hadn’t been into cuddling, and she hadn’t thought she was either, but Logan proved that wrong too.
“You need to keep out of his sight.” He looked down at her, his fingers drawing circles on her back.
“How long is it going to take?”
“A couple of weeks. I’m going to fuck with him. He messed with my business. I don’t just hit back, I end it.”
“I can’t just disappear. I don’t have anywhere to go to begin with.”
“I could hide you.”
“Then he’d know that it was me.”
“So, what? He’s dead anyway.”
“And if it doesn’t work out? If you don’t get him? If he gets you instead? Then my daughter and I would be stuck. He’d hurt Paige, knowing it would kill me more than anything else.”
“No faith in me?”
“Depending on men has been my problem from the very beginning.” She pulled away from him. She got up, not bothering with the towel. Logan had seen, touched, and tasted every part of her to be shy now. She walked to her dresser to pull clothes out, underwear, and a cami. She was getting angrier just thinking about it. Joel had promised to take care of everything too and that had gotten her nowhere. Logan was on the same path, and she was afraid she’d fall into the same cycle. She didn’t think Logan was like that, but she didn’t know him. Her gut could be shot and was falling for the next available savior.
Even mad, she was glorious. She was dressed, but barely. He could still see the shape of her braless tits straining against the barely-there top. Her panties weren’t any better. She faced him, hands on her waist, glaring. Pointing out that she’d already depended on him by trusting him would just piss her off more. He wanted to see it, but he didn’t want to do that to her. Mia had enough shit to deal with for him to play with her to entertain himself.
Later he will. Because there will be a later. For now, he’ll control his own temper and pride. He never let pride get in the way of what he wanted. That’s how you win in this kind of life.
“Do what you have to. I’m about to turn his world upside down. Just be ready for it. If you change your mind, I’ll get you out.”
“I need a promise from you.”
“Okay,” he replied without hesitation.
“Paige.”
“Yes.”
“She comes first. No matter what, and then end Joel.” She didn’t have the rights to demand it of him, but she was making it.
“I’ve got her.”
Chapter Eight
Logan had been staying at his most visible location. All bad guys—thug, mobster, or a mercenary— had a place that everyone knew about. The place they went to when expecting company. He was surprised it took this long for Joel to send his goons out. He could have taken them on his own but Frank wouldn’t let him.
Their military training gave them the advantage. They didn’t need cameras and an alarm system to know when the intruders came. The problem with street thugs was they didn’t know how to be quiet. The stupid fucks made enough noise just closing their stupid car doors several houses down. He made less noise getting out of bed and pulling his weapon out of the drawer next to it, than the men trying to sneak into the townhouse.
He didn’t hear Frank make his way down the hall, but he was there. They had done this enough times that words weren’t necessary. A few signals were enough to communicate.
Frank took the back and Logan headed to the front. They quietly made their ways into defensive positions, silencers already on their weapons – no point waking the neighbors – and waited for their targets. The strategically placed outside lighting created shadows of the hitmen, giving their locations away. Communicating their estimated target to each other with fingers, they prepared for Joel’s men.
Logan tried not to roll his eyes at the rattling door lock they tried to pick. No wonder Logan was beating out Joel so easily. The only excuse he could give Joel was that he’d gotten too comfortable in his position and hired the wrong men to do the job. The turning of the lock made enough noise to echo around the unusually quiet house. Logan’s team, like a predator lying in wait for the perfect time to attack their target, held their ground: three in the front and two in the back.
Frank moved in the dark, blending in with the shadows of the house and taking position in the dark corner of the living room, where he prepared our signal. The sound of a gargled cry turned all three men entering the front toward the back of the house where Frank probably stabbed a man in the throat. With their attention focused in one direction, Logan fired three quick shots, all to the head. Killing blows.
The thud of their bodies hitting the ground was loud. That was too easy. He checked out the window to make sure there were no stragglers left before he made his way to the door. He shoved one of the bodies aside as he quietly closed the door to prevent any witness. It didn’t take long for Frank to join him.
“Fucker ruined my favorite shirt,” Frank complained.
“That’s your fault.”
“Fuck you.”
“You’re not my type.”
“Yeah, we all know your type is baby mamas of your enemies.”
Logan didn’t take
offense, because fuck yeah, his type was Mia right now.
“I’ll call it in so you can wash your favorite shirt,” Logan teased.
Frank shot him the middle finger before leaving Logan alone to deal with the bodies. These men had been so confident they’d win they didn’t even wear masks. He recognized three of them from the club. He listened to Frank bitch about his favorite shirt that had gotten blood on it while he waited for the men to collect the bodies and clean the house. Frank’s favorite shirt and everything Logan was wearing now would be going with the clean-up crew to be burned at the crematory. No evidence. It wouldn’t be long before Joel tried a more confrontational approach.
Chapter Nine
The building looked like any other unassuming house. There wasn’t litter that would attract attention but it wasn’t too spotless that people would wonder about it. It was just normal. A brick house, a little old, with plenty of land around it. It sat at the edge of town, backyard leading to a wooded area. It was very ordinary, nothing to make a person driving by stop or even take a second look at it. It was designed that way. You wouldn’t go to the house unless you meant to go to it. Cars come in and out unnoticed due to its location. Neighbors weren’t close. It was the perfect brothel.
The information they got off of the key didn’t say who was taken where but it had every location, ports, and buyers for trafficked women. Logan hoped. He hoped Makayla was here so he could get her home, at the same time he hoped she wasn’t being used like the women here. Had it been his sister being raped and used daily, he’d lose his mind.
There were no guards at the gate because that would bring unwanted attention. Their military comes in handy on jobs like this. They entered through the wooded area, a long journey, but sneaking into the house without alerting the guards inside mandated it. The dark protected them, and just like any raid they would have done during deployment, they entered the house systematically.
It was easy to separate who were customers and who were workers, not that there were many. Only four guards, two in the front and two in the back of the house, were present. They kept the women from running and took the money from the clients.