He could think of worse. Murder, for instance. But once Jansen had the money his sister had earned modeling and entrée into her glitzy New York social world, Jansen hadn’t needed her anymore. So he’d killed her. Carrie had married the bastard because she thought she loved him.
“She’s going to spread her legs for money,” Dominic reminded. “You know what we called that back home?”
Riley’s face flushed angrily. “Yeah, I’m sure you called those women whores. Of course I called her mom. I think I’ll go sit with Law for a while.”
Dominic’s stomach dropped.
“I wasn’t talking about your mother,” he said, trying to come back from the precipice of a really nasty fight. God, he wasn’t thinking these days.
Riley didn’t bother to turn around. “Yeah, you were. I just think you should stop for five minutes and consider that the world isn’t always fair. Some people get dealt a shitty hand.”
“You think I don’t know that?”
“Do you? The world isn’t black and white.” Riley gritted his teeth. “Good people can sometimes do bad things for the right reasons. The fact that I have to say that to you is ridiculous. We just kidnapped a woman, and you’re planning on making her life a living hell until she gives you the information you need. In light of that, ask yourself if whoring really seems that bad. I’ll see you when we touch down.”
“Riley,” he called out, but the other man ignored him and disappeared behind the cockpit door.
Kinley didn’t move, just laid there trustingly in his arms.
He heard a little whimper and looked down at the floor. Somehow Gigi had managed to work free of the endless yards of freaking fabric that made up Kinley’s skirt. And now the little thing was looking up longingly at its mistress. It whined and turned those bug eyes on him.
God, he was the wicked witch in this scenario. He was taking out Dorothy and her little dog, too.
“All right, then. Come on.”
Dominic reached down and scooped up the little dog with one hand. As soon as he set it in Kinley’s lap, it curled against its mistress and immediately went to sleep.
Which left him holding his beautiful hostage, who would likely hate him come morning, and her dog thing. It really couldn’t get worse.
He would make it up to Riley and Law. He had zero intentions of really hurting the girl in a long-term way. But in the short term, she would likely be…uncomfortable. At least she would be alive.
He wasn’t the fucking bad guy here.
“So warm.” She rubbed her head against his neck and her hand petted the dog.
He had a sudden vision of that soft hand stroking his cock. That quickly, he was the uncomfortable one.
Dominic closed his eyes and tried to not think about how close his rigid dick was to her silken pussy and her lush ass. He could withhold her orgasm until she told him exactly what he needed to know. God, that would be a sweet bit of torture.
And then he would walk away and never think about her again.
Yeah, he was a real fucking good guy.
So he wouldn’t touch the girl sexually. Good thing he had other methods to break her down.
He was just about to doze off when the dog started snoring.
It was going to be a long flight.
Chapter Four
Law looked through the windows in the great room, over the lawn—not that the wilderness around the compound could be called that. The River Run, Alaska, facility sat in the middle of endless miles of pristine beauty toward the southeastern end of the state. There was a small town a few miles away, but everyone who lived there was on the James’s payroll. They wouldn’t be calling the cops. He doubted anyone even knew they were here with the exception of the man who tended the grounds and had been dog sitting Butch while they’d been in New York. An hour before they’d arrived, they’d called to let the man know they’d care for Butch from here on out. No sense in putting Gavin’s employee in the sticky position of being an accessory to a crime.
Morning in Alaska this time of year came mighty early, but it was something to see. Fog around the mountains and brilliant colors lighting the sky.
Right now, Kinley probably didn’t really give a damn about the view.
Down the hall, the banging on the door began again. She’d been awake for half an hour, but he didn’t think she had complied with his very reasonable request.
“Have you changed your clothes yet?” he called, striding to her door.
“Go to hell. I’m not getting naked with you around, criminal!” Kinley’s voice got higher with each syllable and carried quite well. The doorknob jiggled before the banging began again. “Let me out of here!”
He leaned against the wall with a sigh. She’d been screaming since the minute she’d awakened. With the exception of a few delirious interruptions, she’d slept for almost fourteen full hours. He’d gotten worried about her and had started looking up the names of doctors in the area, but once she’d opened those pretty brown eyes, she’d started fighting. He’d left, hoping that she would comply. And calm down. No such luck.
“Baby, you can’t run around in that wedding dress. Isn’t it uncomfortable? And you can’t eat in it. You’ve got to be hungry, so why don’t you take a nice long shower and change into the jeans and shirt I left for you. Then you can eat some breakfast. I’ll fix it for you.”
He’d start out civilized, try not to scare her too much.
“I’m not doing anything you say! I’ll fight to the end. I’ll—”
“I know you’re scared, but we’re not trying to hurt you.” He closed his eyes briefly. “Think about it for just a second. I’m trying to give you a little privacy so you can change and be more comfortable. If I was a violent rapist, would I give you clothes? If I was a crazed killer, wouldn’t I have at least tied you up or something?”
That last phrase flashed lightning to his cock. When he tied her up, he wanted it to be totally consensual, with their mutual pleasure in mind.
God, he had to stop thinking that way.
“Maybe you’re trying to lull me into a false sense of security before you kill me because you like to play with your victims’ minds,” she shot back.
The only thing he wanted to play with was her boobs. Hell, that wasn’t the total truth. He wanted to play with her mouth, pussy, and ass, too. He could even think of some fun things to do with her feet. “I promise, I’m not trying to mind fuck you.”
That was Dominic’s job.
Riley joined him in the hall, a single eyebrow arched quizzically. “No luck getting Sleeping Beauty to give up the white gown?”
Since she’d awakened, only Law had dealt with her. He hoped maybe his brother could sway her with some smoother logic.
“Who is that? How many of you are there?” Kinley whispered the question through the door as though she was terrified of the answer.
“It’s just me and my brother right now, baby. Neither one of us is going to hurt you. We’re here to help you.”
Maybe it was time to let her out. She was scared. If he let her have her way this once, she might see that they could be reasonable. Hopefully, they could start building some trust so she wouldn’t be terrified out of her mind.
Trying to play Prince Charming? You kidnapped her, dumbass. She’s not going to buy that. Sometimes the voice in his head was annoyingly honest.
Dragging in a deep breath, he shoved the key in the lock and opened the door. He spilled into the bedroom as though she’d yanked it open. When she tried to run out and slam the door behind her, Riley kicked it open and blocked her path, catching her between the two of them.
Kinley stopped dead in her tracks, letting loose a breathy gasp. Law wasn’t surprised that she was star struck by his younger brother’s Hollywood good looks. It was a typical female reaction, but it hit Law squarely in the chest. Women preferred his brother, and he’d never cared much until now.
As Law leaned around her for a peek, he saw her simply stare at Rile
y. His gut clenched.
His brother frowned down at her. “Are you going to bite me again?”
She gasped a little and scrambled back—into his arms. She turned on Law. “You two! I remember. You came into my suite and pretended to deliver food. You drugged me.”
Kinley stared at him as well. She probably only saw a monster who’d kidnapped her from her wedding—a rough-and-tumble ex-soldier who was better at killing than talking. Still, he had to try to reach her. “It’s okay. Deep breath. No one is going to harm you here.”
His reassurances didn’t make her look any less terrified. “M-my fiancé is wealthy. He’ll pay you a big ransom for my return. Anything you want.”
Jansen probably would, but Law didn’t give a shit. “We’re not interested in money. Are you hungry? Do you want breakfast?”
She shook her head, her face paling beneath her smudged makeup. Her hair was a complete mess and every inch of her dress looked wrinkled and worn. And he both felt bad for Kinley and found her adorable.
“So you can poison me after you drugged me? I’ll pass. If you let me go right now, I won’t call the police. How late is it? I need to get back to the hotel. I need to get married today,” she said with a grim look of determination. There was no desperate pleading for her love, just a simple statement of duty.
In his gut, Law knew he was right about her. It made him very patient.
“It’s Sunday now, baby. You were supposed to get married Saturday afternoon, so it’s all right for you to take a shower, change your clothes, and eat some breakfast. I’ll make some eggs and toast.” It was all he could cook.
Her hands shook a little. She put one to her head as though trying to clear it. “It’s Sunday? How long was I out? Why did you bring me here? What do you want?”
Law wanted to reach out a hand to steady her so badly, but knew the tactic would be counterproductive just now. “We’ll explain everything once you’re dressed and fed.”
“No! I have to get out of here now. I have to find Greg. How am I going to explain this to him?”
Riley’s eyes narrowed, and Law knew whatever came out of his mouth was going to be nasty. He was obviously taking on the bad-cop role. Because he’d been listening to Dominic again. Because he wanted her and he didn’t know how to not imagine that she wasn’t Simone all over again. Riley hated being confused. It brought out his worst. Law sighed.
“You miss your sugar daddy?” Riley glared.
Kinley whirled back to his brother and her voice shook. “He’s my fiancé.”
It was obvious to Law that she hadn’t enjoyed the accusation.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t obvious to Riley. “Really? You had a very quick engagement. You went out with him for a month and decided you were in love?”
Her eyes slid to the floor. “It’s none of your business. I’m not talking until you tell me why I’m here. If you don’t want money…”
“You see, I think you don’t love Jansen any more than he loves you. I think he bought you.”
“That’s utterly ridiculous,” she shot back. “I don’t have to listen to this. Move out of my way. I’m leaving.”
“No, you’re not.” Riley didn’t budge, just crossed his arms over his chest and blocked the narrow hallway. Then he invaded her space, backing her up into Law. “I think Jansen wanted your social connections. They would be very helpful to a man like him.”
“A man like him?”
Riley sent her an ugly laugh. “Like you don’t know everything about Jansen. I have no doubt that you know exactly what he does for a living and you just don’t care.”
“He’s an importer,” she replied hesitantly, nervously, trying to stand her ground. “He imports merchandise, then he sells it. He also helps foreign companies make connections in the States.”
Kinley sounded like she was repeating something she’d forced herself to memorize.
“Baby, no.” Law kept his voice low because he was pretty sure she was going to be hurt by the fact that Jansen had been lying to her. “He’s a criminal.”
“You’re wrong. I’ve been to his offices. His business is legitimate. Your accusations are preposterous, and I’m not talking to you. Stop calling me baby.”
Riley pressed his advantage, towering over her, backing her up again until her ass rubbed his cock. “His business is a front. He’s in bed with more than one mafia group. He’s making a name for himself in the cleaning biz.”
Law gripped her hips to keep her from backing into his granite-stiff erection. “It’s true, swee… My brother isn’t lying.”
“Greg doesn’t own Laundromats,” she argued.
Riley’s eyes rolled. “Going to play the dumb blonde, huh? He launders money, cupcake. But I suspect you knew that. How many people died so you could have that ridiculously expensive luggage or wear that overdone bling all over the ass of your jeans? You think you’re just selling him your social connections and that pretty, tight pussy of yours, but he’s Satan and you sold him your soul.”
A loud smack cracked the air around them as Kinley slapped Riley’s cheek. She didn’t back down an inch now. She tilted her head up and glared at him. “Don’t talk to me that way! I might be here against my will, but I won’t have it. I’m still a lady.”
Riley stepped back. “Sure you are, cupcake. The sort who sells herself to gangsters.”
Law sighed. His brother was fucking this up. “Enough, bro. Let her shower and eat and take a fucking breath.”
Kinley ignored him. “I don’t know what your game is or what you want, but I don’t deserve this. If you’re some enemy of Greg’s, then take up your problems with him. Why involve me, especially by taking me from my wedding?”
Tears streaked down her face, ruining what was left of her makeup, and Law couldn’t stand it a second longer. “Kinley, we’re not going to hurt you. I promise. We really are here to help you. You don’t know Jansen or what’s going on behind the scenes. If you’ll calm down, I’ll explain it to you.”
“Go to he—”
“Did you realize that your fiancé took out a life insurance policy on you two weeks ago?” Riley butted in.
Her eyes widened. That got her attention… Then her body slumped, shoulders curling in as though she was protecting herself from a blow. “No.”
“He did,” Riley confirmed. “I have copies of the policy, Kinley. In the event of your death, he’s the sole beneficiary.”
She took a deep breath and seemed to rally. “So? Married people take out policies on one another. They protect their future, just in case. I’m sure he took one out on himself, too. He probably meant to tell me, but life has been so chaotic. All we’ve been able to talk about lately is the wedding. After the ceremony, he would have told me.”
“No, he wouldn’t. And he didn’t buy a policy that would protect you in the event of his death. He only made sure that he’d pocket money if you died.” Law hated stripping away her illusions. She might not love Greg Jansen, but she’d certainly thought well enough of him to marry him and trust her future with him. His guess? Kinley felt guilty for not loving her fiancé.
“That doesn’t prove anything. I’m sure after our honeymoon, he would have talked to me about taking out a policy on him. You’re acting like insurance is a crime. I’m sure he just…wanted to feel secure.”
“And he needed a ten-million-dollar policy to do it?”
“What?” She half gasped, half choked the question. “Ten million dollars? Why would he need that much money if I died? He’s already rich.”
Now she was finally listening. “That’s a good question, one we’ve been asking since we discovered the policy.” Law nudged Riley out of the way and led her to the great room. “I know this is a lot to think about. Sit down and I’ll get you some coffee, baby.”
She put a hand up to stop him. “No. I’m not going to sit down and have a civilized conversation with the men who drugged me and took me to…god knows where. Just because Greg did something that doe
sn’t make sense to you, you’re casting him in the worst possible light. There must be some reasonable explanation. If I asked him to explain it, I have little doubt it would be perfectly logical. Why are you even telling me this? You’re criminals, men who kidnap innocent women. And I told you to stop calling me baby.”
Riley was right back to his interrogation. “Use your head, Kinley. We know why you’re marrying Jansen, and it has absolutely nothing to do with love.”
“How would you know that?”
Riley shrugged a little as though he didn’t really give a shit. “It’s the way women like you work.”
Her perfectly plucked brows rose. “Women like me? What do you mean by that?”
“Beautiful women.”
“You think I’m beautiful?” She frowned, then shook off the question. “Never mind. It doesn’t matter.”
Riley’s stare slid off her, his fist clenching. “Yeah. Gorgeous society women like you don’t give a shit what a man is really like. You only care about how much money he has or how he can enhance your public image.”
His brother was never going to get over Simone. One lousy woman, one lame relationship, and she’d ruined Riley for all time. God, Law wished he’d never fucking met her.
“Give Kinley a break,” he told his brother.
Once again, she seemed intent on defending herself. Law was actually a little proud of her.
“You have no idea who I am,” she insisted through clenched teeth. “None. And I don’t want breakfast. I want to go back to the hotel. Greg must be waiting to hear from me and is terribly worried. You ruined my wedding, you bastards. I’m supposed to be on my honeymoon now.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Riley got right in her face. His voice was low and grave.
“Ry, tread lightly.” He felt the same way, but there was no reason to piss her off. It was obvious she didn’t understand what was going on.
Kinley didn’t even look at him, preferring to stare at Riley. Hands on her hips, she rose to her tiptoes, but she still couldn’t even reach his chin. “No. I’m not kidding, and please watch your language. You have a horrible potty mouth.”
Their Virgin Hostage, Masters of Ménage, Book 5 Page 6