"Levi?" Her voice trembled. Tessa swallowed, trying to steady her voice. "What am I doing here?"
"Oh, you're being sold into the sex trade industry."
Tessa gasped, her eyes widening. She started to wildly pull on her limbs before Levi stopped her with his loud laugh. She slowed her movements, frowning up at him in confusion.
"Love, I'm joking." He pulled his hands out of his pockets and ran one through his hair. "No, this is far less dramatic. Your dad owes my boss a shitload of money. You're just here to ensure the transaction goes as planned."
"My dad?" Tessa narrowed her eyes on Levi, trying to tell if he was lying.
He didn't appear to be. Tessa looked down at her legs, thinking. Could that be true? She had never known her dad to be involved with shady characters, but then again, he was a secretive man. Plus, it had been years since she'd seen or talked to him. Her parents were divorced, and it had been a messy one. Tessa's father had made no effort to see his children afterwards. That had been almost seven years ago.
Her father owned a small vacuum business. It was entirely possible that the business could be failing, and he'd seek out a loan. There wasn't much need for vacuum salesmen nowadays.
She looked up at Levi. "Are you sure it's me?"
He smiled down at her. "It's you, love."
Tessa tilted her head, looking up at her captor, who was already starting to feel less like an enemy. Was that just because he was so fucking hot, or was it his boyish charm? His sense of humor or those friendly eyes?
"Can I ask you another question?" She was a bit more nervous to ask this one. Would he be offended?
"Why not? We aren't going anywhere for a while."
Levi sat down on the edge of the bed, his leg touching hers. Anxiety flared in her gut, but it was only partly from being held prisoner. Some of it was for the man next to her and the body heat that was starting to seep into her.
Tessa was worried about the fact that she felt comfortable talking with him already.
"Don't take this the wrong way, but … why are you doing this?"
"I told you, love. Your dad owes money." He leaned forward, pressing more of his body against her.
"No, I mean why are you doing this? This … crime." Her voice cracked on the last word.
Tessa's whole body tensed, waiting for his anger or annoyance. It didn't come, though. She even thought she might see sorrow, but no. His eyes were still bright, and his smirk grew more crooked. He looked stunning in a sinful sort of way.
"Let's just say it's my hobby."
"Hobby?"
Levi nodded. His smile began to fade but not in an angry way. Tessa could see what she thought was lust starting to play on his face. His green eyes narrowed on her as his jaw tightened. His stare was captivating. She should have felt fearful or maybe disgusted. She didn't. Levi lifted a hand, and Tessa flinched.
"Love, do you really think I'd hurt you?" He cocked his head, his eyes dancing with sin.
"I don't know."
Levi reached out farther, and this time she stayed still. He ran the back of his hand down her cheek, causing her legs to tremble some. Tessa held her breath for a few seconds until his hand stilled on her neck.
"Well, I guess I'll just have to prove it to you."
He leaned in toward her, and Tessa had the strange urge to kiss him. More panic flared in her chest at her own reactions, and she swiftly turned her body to the side, as far as the ropes would let her.
"How … how did you know I'd be walking alone?" Her breathing was ragged now.
Levi gave her a knowing grin as he slowly sat back. He shook his head before answering. "We were following you and your boyfriend, and—"
"He's not my boyfriend. Well, not anymore." Tessa felt embarrassed at how suddenly she'd thrown that out there.
Levi's smile grew more lopsided. "All right." His eyes were so alive and bright. "We followed you two and were just planning on taking you when your date was over, but it seems fate wanted to make it easier on us."
For a reason she couldn't see, fear suddenly gripped her. Why the fuck am I here making small talk with a man who has kidnapped me? He could be planning on raping me or killing me? Maybe he's going to let his partner do the same. Shit! I'm an idiot.
Tessa violently leaned away from him and started to thrash on the bed.
"Tessa." He leaned back from her, his gorgeous smile gone. "What's wrong?"
"Let me go! Seriously!"
"Love, quiet down, or I'll really have to gag you." He stood up from the bed, genuinely looking confused.
She slowed her movements, narrowing her eyes on him. "Don't call me that!"
Chapter Five
Levi watched more anger color her cheeks. Well, that was unexpected. At least she'd stopped thrashing around. Tessa was breathing heavily, and his body took notice. Levi's dick hardened slightly in his pants as she pulled slowly on the ropes holding her wrists.
"Calm down, Tessa. You'll be held here for a day, and then go on your way. I promise."
She opened her mouth to speak but was stopped when the hotel door flung open, grabbing both of their attention. Sam stood there for a second before sauntering inside in an annoying way. Levi narrowed his eyes on the man and growled in the back of his throat.
"What's going on here?" Sam stuffed a French fry in his mouth.
Tessa started to nervously twist on the bed. It was as if the atmosphere in the small room had just shifted and not in a positive way. Levi leaned down and grabbed the bottom of her dress. She inhaled sharply and pulled herself away from him.
Levi pulled her dress down so it reached her knees, and Tessa relaxed her body, obviously realizing that he was helping her. Her eyes were tearing up as she stared up at him. He could read her stress on her face. Sam made a disgusting burping sound, and Tessa looked over at him.
Fuck.
Levi had never really cared before that he didn't work alone, but he did now. He wanted Tessa to himself and not just for his sake. For hers, too.
Levi took a step back from the bed. "Where's her water?"
"What?" Sam shoved another fry into his mouth.
"Her water." Levi clenched his hands into fists.
"Oh, shit. In the van. Go get it."
Levi tensed his jaw muscles as he watched the overweight man wander farther into the room, leaving the door open. He exhaled a deep breath. Sam moved over to a chair and took a seat, slurping on his drink.
"Fine. Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone." Levi stepped around the end of the bed.
Tessa made a soft squeaking sound, and he paused to look at her. A tear slid down her cheek, and Levi tensed his arms. Damn it! This job was becoming very personal very quickly. He wasn't entirely sure why, though. She wasn't the first cute thing he'd kidnapped, but there was something special about her. Her stress was affecting him in surprising ways. All he wanted to do was comfort her.
"Tessa, hang tight. I'll only be a minute."
Sam snorted in an ugly fashion. "Yeah, sweetheart, your favorite bad guy will return soon with your precious water." He chuckled before slurping his drink again.
Levi was tempted to tell Sam that he could just go home, and he'd finish the job alone. Levi would even give him his share of the money if he'd just leave quietly. He knew, however, that would be a red flag, and Sam would most likely go straight to their boss.
He couldn't risk it, yet. But if the other man got any more irritating, he would. Or I could beat him unconscious and leave him in the tub. Levi ran his hand through his hair and then continued to the hotel door. Just before he exited, he looked back at Tessa. She was slowly twisting against her restraints.
Levi's stress spiked, but so did his arousal. Damn it. He felt completely out of sorts. He exhaled again and stepped outside, closing the door behind himself. He hurried down the stairs toward the van. When he opened the van door, he was pleasantly surprised to see a new bottle of water sitting in one of the cup holders.
He picked
it up, and it was even cold. "Well, at least Sam's good for a few things."
Levi shut the door and turned back toward the stairs. His feet slowed as his phone vibrated in his pocket.
"What the hell now?" He took out the phone and recognized his boss's number. "Fuck."
He pressed the answer icon, and his boss was already talking. "Levi, I need you to pop into room two-oh-three. There's a problem that could use your expertise."
This hotel was owned by a small group of sinners and criminals. It wasn't unusual for several rooms to be in use on any given night. In fact, it was all this place was used for. There were no "regular" guests here.
"Listen, man. Normally, I would, but this—"
"Levi, I'm not asking. Get in there. Shit is hitting the fan in that room."
Levi growled, holding the phone away from his face for a second before speaking again. "Look, I can't. I need to get back to my room."
"I just texted Sam. He says your job is going fine. Come on, Levi. This will only take you ten minutes. There's another thousand in it for you."
"Shit." He tensed his arms. "Fine. Ten minutes. No more."
"That's why you're my favorite employee."
"Fuck off." Levi clicked off his phone.
Chapter Six
Levi shook his head with irritation as he stood in front of the door for room two hundred three. Why the fuck did other people's stupidity make him have to suffer?
And Tessa.
He brought up his fist and hastily rapped on the door with his knuckles. He heard someone unlocking the door, and then it swung open. A stressed-out man stood before him, sweating profusely.
"Thank God." He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. "It's about time."
Levi shoved past the man. "Shut the fuck up. I'm doing you a favor by helping your ass."
The man shut the door and then stepped around Levi. "All right. Calm down. He's in the bathroom."
Levi looked at the inept criminal. He had the sudden urge to punch him in the face, but he knew he'd get the chance to punch someone in just a minute.
"What's the deal?"
The other man bent down, retrieving a pair of black leather gloves from the bed. He handed them to Levi.
"Well, this asshole won't comply, and the boss thinks that if he sees that we'll just keep bringing in fresh fists, that he'll crack."
Levi set down Tessa's water on the dresser. He slipped on the leather gloves as he spoke. "So you need me to go in there and slap him around, so that he'll know we're serious?"
"Yep. If he doesn't give in after you leave, the boss will just keep calling in different people until this guy talks or dies. I'm rooting for the latter."
Levi stretched the gloves by flexing his fingers a few times then making fists. "Whatever. I need to hurry this up. I have my own job to worry about." He stepped past the bed and headed toward the bathroom.
"Yeah, I heard. You got lucky with that job. Pretty young girl."
Levi swiftly whipped around, pointing a finger in the other man's face. "Shut up."
The man took a step back, lifting his hands. "Geez, calm down!"
Levi's breathing was becoming more erratic. His levels of stress and irritation were bad news for the victim in the next room. He quickly turned around and went straight for the bathroom door. He flung it open and stepped inside.
There, in the middle of the small room, sat a man with his head hanging down. He was tied to a wooden chair. Levi turned his head to speak over his shoulder.
"Why the hell is he in here?"
"Less noise."
Levi shook his head. This guy was an amateur, but he had no intension of giving him pointers tonight. He'd give him a quick lesson in causing pain, and then he'd get the hell out of there, back to Tessa.
The tied-up businessman looked up at Levi. His button-up dress shirt was ripped open, and Levi saw that there was dried blood under his nose and a small bruise under his left eye. Levi cracked his knuckles.
"Give me a quick overview of why he's here."
The other criminal crowded behind Levi. "Oh, he stole a bunch of money from a company that’s paying our boss to find out where he stashed it. It's not a simple 'I hid it under my mattress' thing. This smart, computer savvy dude wrote a program to skim money off the top of this major financial firm. He's hiding it in an offshore account or so they think. And—"
"All right." Levi held up his hand. "I said a short overview."
Levi stepped closer to the man, now speaking to him. "Listen. You'll talk or you'll die. Either way, I'm here to help make your decision easier."
His words were harsher than reality. No one had ever died on a job Levi was a part of. He knew that this man would talk eventually. If he wanted to go through some pain beforehand, then so be it.
The man huffed out a defiant breath with a snort. Levi smiled at him. This might be fun after all. He gave the other criminal a look that said "back up". The man flicked his stare from the tied-up man to Levi before taking a step back. He stood in the doorway, watching.
Levi turned back around and gave the man no more warnings. He swiftly lifted his fist and landed a strong right hook to the man's chin. The man groaned loudly, leaning forward in the chair. Levi didn't wait to land another punch to the other side of the man's face.
He moaned before letting out a pained yell. Levi stepped back, shaking his hands. He doubted the man would need much more encouragement to end this. The man screamed out as a bit of fresh blood ran from the corner of his mouth. Levi wiped his own chin with the back of his gloved hand. He then lifted his fist, ready to deliver another punch, but the man swiftly stopped him.
"Fuck! All right! I'll fucking tell you assholes!" The man squirmed against the ropes keeping him in the chair.
"You'll tell this asshole." Levi pointed at the other employee. "I'm out."
Chapter Seven
"That was pretty funny watching you and your boyfriend fight." Sam stood over Tessa holding his fast food bag.
He was talking through chewed food, and his lips were making a disgusting smacking sound. Tessa cringed and pulled on her legs, which were still tightly tied to the bed. She wished that Levi would have at least untied them before he went. That way she would have a little bit of defense from this guy if he got weird.
Where is he anyway? Levi had been gone for almost fifteen minutes, and Tessa was really starting to get worried. Even more worried than when she had first been abducted. She felt a strange connection to Levi. There was an odd comfort from being with him. It felt like she was meant to meet this man.
"I mean it was great timing for us." Sam snorted. "Your boyfriend seems like a dick, though."
Tessa was getting increasingly annoyed with this guy. He took a step closer to the bed, putting another fry in his mouth. He gave her an odd smirk before wiping his greasy hands on his shirt.
Tessa stopped herself from rolling her eyes. "I'm super glad my life and problems can be so entertaining for you. I knew I had a purpose on this earth." She narrowed her eyes, pulling on her arms.
Sam cocked his head to the side. His posture made her uneasy. He stepped closer to her, reaching into the brown paper bag.
"Hungry?"
"No." She shook her head.
"Oh, come on. I thought you were going to be a good girl." Sam bent forward, closer to her face.
Tessa leaned as far away from him as the ropes would allow, which wasn't far. "I said no."
Sam pulled his hand out of the bag, holding a few French fries. "Eat."
He smiled at her, showing off his crooked teeth. Sam then shoved his hand toward her face.
Tessa gasped, turning her head away from him. "Stop it!"
Sam put his knee on the bed, next to her side, and pushed the fries against her face, smearing the cold grease across her cheek.
"Eat." He chuckled as he pressed the fries harder against her face.
Tessa turned her head from side to side, trying to get him to stop. It only made
him laugh louder. She let out a scared grunt and pulled on all her limbs even harder. Bits of the food broke off and fell on her chest.
"You're making a mess, girl." Sam dropped the rest of the food, and it also landed on her chest.
"Seriously, stop!" Tessa's eyes teared up again. Was she really in this mess because her dad had made poor money choices?
Sam looked into her eyes before looking down at her cleavage. His smirk grew more wicked as he reached down, grabbing a large piece of French fry from her. His fingers lingered on the top of her breast before he ran the food over her skin. Tessa closed her eyes, tears falling from them.
Just then, the hotel door slowly creaked open. Tessa opened her eyes and turned her head to find Levi standing in the doorway, holding her water. He hastily dropped it onto a nearby chair and stepped into the room. Relief filled her chest and maybe a bit of affiliation, too.
"Get the hell away from her!" Levi kicked the door shut and took large steps around the end of the bed.
Sam slowly stood from the bed, letting his fingers trail off her a little too gradually. "What the fuck is your problem? I haven't even done anything, yet."
Levi stepped to him and slapped his hand, causing Sam to lose hold of the brown bag. It went flying, smashing against the wall before falling to the floor.
"Stay away from her." Levi stood over Sam, the difference in the men all too evident.
Levi's arms were flexed and his muscles were bulging, making his tattoos look even more impressive. His green eyes flashed as he clenched his jaw, his nostrils flaring.
Sam took a step back, wiping his hands on his shirt again. "Dude! You know the boss doesn't care if we fuck with them as long as we don't hurt them."
"Not her. Don't make me fucking repeat myself, Sam." Levi stared at him for several seconds before cracking his neck.
Finally, Levi turned and looked down on Tessa. Her breath caught in her throat just taking in this man and the atmosphere he created around himself. He was confident and commanding. This might not have been the best timing or situation, but Tessa's body was taking notice of him and his.
The Criminal's Captive (Unpunished Book 1) Page 2