by Jenika Snow
“I missed you, too, darling.”
She heard Gage’s door slam behind her and heard his even steps stop a few feet from her. She looked to the side and saw her father’s personal assistant, Charles, give her a wide grin. She stood and wrapped her arms around him, not bothering to stop the flow of tears. He was an older man and could have retired by now, but he was loyal to them and that made him a member of the family.
Behind her father's wheelchair was Theo, her father’s personal advisor. He wore an impeccable black suit, his dark hair brushed sophisticatedly over his forehead and his dark eyes looking almost haunted. Although Theo had been with their family for as long as she could remember, she had never grown close to him like she had with the other staff members.
Theo held his arms open, and she stepped into them. She knew how Theo felt about her, had known by the way he stared at her, and later when he told her how much he loved her. It wasn’t that she didn’t care for him, but he had been around for so long it was hard for her to feel any romantic interest.
“I’m so glad you’re back, Neeka. You have no idea how worried I was about you.” He pulled her slightly back and looked down at her, brushing her cheek with his finger before he pulled her into another fierce hug.
* * * *
Gage had to do everything in his power to keep his control as he watched Theo Millian touch Neeka. He had to remind himself that his job was done, that she was now where she needed to be, even if it wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted to be wrapping his arms around her. He wanted to be the one to run the pad of his thumb over her cheek. Violence and anger blossomed inside of him. Ever since he had first seen her, possessiveness had rushed through him, one that rivaled anything else he had ever known.
He ran a hand over his mouth as he watched her step out of Millian’s embrace and look over her shoulder. Their eyes locked, and once again, he felt heat course through him and a need to protect her and keep her safe. He tried to clear his erratic thoughts, knowing they would only end up causing them both a lot of grief in the end.
“Mr. Nyght. Can I speak with you privately in my study?”
Gage nodded toward Edward McCarthy. The man in the butler’s outfit who had opened the doors got behind the wheelchair and started pushing it deeper into the house. He could see the two heavily muscled bodyguards hidden in the shadows. They weren’t very good, if Gage was being honest. He had sensed them the moment the front doors had opened.
He stepped inside and followed the butler, watching as Millian steered Neeka in the other direction. He gritted his teeth as he watched his hand press against the small of her back. She looked over her shoulder, and their eyes locked for an instant before Theo turned to look at him. The smile he gave Gage was of pure male satisfaction, one that didn’t sit well with him. Gage felt intense rage roll through him, and his entire body became hot with the need to fight for what was his. He willed himself to stay steady, knowing that Neeka and he had been explosive together, but he needed to remember this was all a mission and she wasn’t his.
They rounded a corner and disappeared from his vision, and he clenched his fists. He turned his attention forward again and followed the men into a large study, the rows of books rivaling any library Gage had ever stepped into.
“I want to be alone with Mr. Nyght.” The butler and two bodyguards left, shutting the door behind them silently. “I want to thank you personally, Mr. Nyght. Although I didn’t doubt your abilities, I always had that fear inside of me that I would never see my daughter again.” He reached for his handkerchief and coughed into it before continuing. “You far exceeded my expectations. You brought my daughter back in a matter of days, and for that I can’t thank you enough.”
Gage watched as Edward McCarthy reached a skinny hand toward his desk and pulled out a thick white envelope from the drawer. He held it out, and Gage walked closer, taking the envelope and looking at its contents. Hundred dollar bills lay inside, so many that Gage didn’t doubt there were thousands upon thousands of dollars within it.
“I can’t take this, Mr. McCarthy. You’ve already paid Alpha One an exuberant amount of money.”
“That isn’t for Alpha One. It’s for you.”
Gage shook his head and laid the envelope on the desk. “I thank you, Mr. McCarthy, but no extra payment is required. It was my duty to bring your daughter back.” Alpha One already paid him a small fortune to be an assassin within their corporation.
Edward looked like he might argue, then his frail shoulders slumped and he nodded.
“Well, once again, I can’t tell you how thankful I am. I know I can speak for everyone here when I say that. I know Theo is ecstatic to have Neeka back.”
“He seemed like it.” Gage kept his voice even as he spoke about the man that had been touching Neeka. He had seen possessiveness in Theo’s eyes, and that pissed him off.
“Yes, well, Theo loves my daughter very much.”
“Does he?” Gage should have just kept his mouth shut, but when it came to Neeka with another man, he couldn’t hold back the deep rumble that spilled forth.
“Yes, well, I’m sure you are a busy man and have other things to do, but once again, I owe you my life for bringing her back.” Edward paused a moment before his face turned like stone. “I want to know who took my daughter and why so I can have them killed.”
* * * *
Gage showed himself to the front door, gripping the handle and standing there for a suspended moment. McCarthy had wanted to know everything, and Gage had obliged him. It didn’t make a difference, anyway. If Alpha One couldn’t locate Rye’s coordinates, there was no way McCarthy would. He could hear Neeka’s soft voice murmuring through the foyer, could practically smell her intoxicating scent surround him. Just as he was about to pull the door open, her voice stopped him.
“Leaving without saying goodbye?”
He turned and looked at her. “I didn’t want to interrupt you.” She smiled up at him, her luscious pink lips tilting slightly at the corners.
“I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you, Gage.” She rose on her toes and wrapped her arms around his waist, laying her head on his chest and stunning him speechless. She lifted her head and looked into his face, her big blue eyes gazing at him with such intensity it stopped his heart. “Does it have to be like this?”
He knew what she was talking about, knew she was referring to their relationship. What he really wanted to say became lodged in his throat. No, it doesn’t. Fuck Alpha One, and fuck anyone else who would get in our way. You make me feel emotions that bring me to my knees. I’ve only just met you, but I feel a connection with you. I know you feel it, too. I could tell when you screamed my name out in pleasure and looked at me with longing in your eyes.
“Yes, it has to be this way.” If I was the only one in danger I would risk it, but your life would be on the line, and that is something I just can’t allow. He let himself hold her for another minute before he sensed Theo step into the room. Gage noticed how the other man’s eyes narrowed slightly even though he appeared to have an unaffected demeanor. Gage was trained to spot the slight subtleties a person made, and Theo was definitely sending off some strong emotions. It was clear there was something going on between Neeka and Theo, and that was just another reason Gage didn’t belong with her.
Gage stepped back and looked down at her. He saw tears in her eyes but didn’t allow himself the luxury of touching her anymore. He swiftly turned and left without a backward glance, knowing that what he was doing was for the best even if it felt completely wrong.
Chapter Twelve
Neeka stared at the front door, trying to keep from crying. She sensed Theo right behind her, his hands landing on her shoulders, his fingers gently clamping down. She would never see Gage again, and that thought alone had her wanting to let her tears fall. She didn’t, though, and not because Theo was right behind her, but because she needed to be strong for her father.
She turned around, Theo’s hands falling to h
is sides as she smiled politely at him. She needed to be with her father right now, not worrying about a relationship with a man she would never have. She headed to his study and stepped into the musty old room, smiling when she saw her father looking out the window. Charles was a few feet away, along with two bodyguards she had never seen before. She wasn’t surprised to see the extra muscle around. In fact, she was glad her father had the protection his frail body needed. As if he sensed her presence, her father looked over his shoulder and smiled at her.
“Charles, can you and the others please give me and my daughter some time alone?”
The three men left, and as soon as the door shut, she let her tears fall. “Oh, Daddy.” She rushed over to him, falling to her knees and letting her happiness, fear, and sorrow out. He stroked her hair, and she looked up to see tears tracking down his weathered face.
“Mr. Nyght told me everything, sweetheart.” His voice had gone deep and hard, his emotions rising to the surface. “I feel responsible for all of this.”
“Please don’t say that. It isn’t your fault.”
“Shhh. It is my fault. I am your father and was supposed to protect you, but instead I let your kidnapper into our home.” He reached for a tissue and coughed before continuing. “I will have Rye’s head for this. He took the most precious thing I have.”
“Oh, Dad, I was so scared. When I found out it was Rye, I couldn’t believe it.” She stopped and chose her next words wisely. “Did Gage tell you everything?” She could hear him grit his teeth as he looked out the window again.
“Yes. It’s blasphemous what Rye’s doing. I may not have physical strength on my side, but I do have power and money, and I’m damn sure not going to let him get away with it.”
She moved into the chair beside him, not knowing what to say, but not wanting to leave. So she sat there, holding his hands as they looked out the window, the world on the other side seeming perfect and safe.
* * * *
A week had already passed, and her life was slowly going back to normal, or as normal as it could. She hadn’t gone back to work for the simple fact her father’s health was deteriorating and she wanted to spend as much time as she could with him.
She sat beside his bed as he slept, the soft sounds of Bach, her father’s favorite composer, playing through the air. A tray of food sat on the ground beside her, the chicken broth she prepared for him sitting cold and uneaten. He had lost more weight, if that were even possible, and his skin had taken on an ashen hue.
She held his hand, his breaths slow and uneven. She knew his time was coming to an end and that there was nothing to be done. It had been her father’s wishes to die in his bed without the help of artificial machinery to keep him alive. He didn’t even want medical personnel to assist in his care. He wanted to pass in his home peacefully, and Neeka knew he would soon. She had no more tears to cry, but her whole body ached from her sorrow. She couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep, and the fact that she kept thinking about Gage and how she wished he was there with her didn’t help matters.
She rubbed her eyes and leaned back in the recliner, never taking her hand from her father's. She felt the slightest pressure against her palm and looked over, her father’s sleepy gaze looking at her.
“Hi, sweetie.”
“Hi, Daddy.” She sat up and leaned toward him, kissing their conjoined hands as she smiled. He had been going in and out of consciousness, talking in his sleep about memories of her and her mother. Maralena McCarthy had died in childbirth with her, but her father had never stopped talking about his first love. Neeka had never known her mother, but her father had told her story after story of the Russian princess he had fallen in love with. Maralena wasn’t royalty, but in Edward McCarthy’s eyes, she was his queen.
“Save your strength, Daddy.”
“I love you so much, Neeka.”
“I love you, too, Dad.” He closed his eyes again, a smile on his chapped lips as he sighed in contentment.
She stayed hunched over his bed for the next hour, watching as his respirations slowed until he finally stopped breathing altogether. She let herself cry over his body, his hand growing cold, but she refused to let it go. It was only when Theo came into the room that he found her curled on the bed, sobbing into the sheets. He had carried her out of the room, letting her cry on his shoulder as the ambulance came and took her father away.
* * * *
Neeka sat at her desk staring at her computer. The laptop was off, the monitor black as she looked at her distorted reflection on the screen. Three weeks had passed, but it seemed like only yesterday that her father had passed away. She tried to get on with her life, was even starting to, but when she received a single white rose from Gage Nyght, she had crumbled again. She missed her father, and she missed the life she used to have, and all she thought about when not mourning her father’s death was Gage.
She wondered what he was doing, if he was near or far. She wished he was by her so he could wrap her in his arms and comfort her. Theo gave her comfort, true, but there was something off about it, like he was distant and void of the emotions rolling through the manor. He insisted that she get out of the house to restart her life. She wasn’t ready. Maybe soon, but not yet. The fact that he was always around her, hardly giving her any personal space was also not helping the situation. She would get angry at him and lash out, and then guilt would assault her for the way she acted toward someone who was just looking out for her.
“Hey.”
She looked over her shoulder to see Theo standing in the doorway. No surprise there, but her brows drew down in confusion when she noticed the tux he wore and the tulip he held.
“What’s the occasion?”
“I thought you could use a night out on the town. You need to get out of this house. It isn’t good for you to stay cooped up in here all the time.”
She wanted to snap, tell him she would stay here for however fucking long she wanted to, but she reigned in her anger, knowing he was only trying to help. “I’m not really in the mood, Theo.”
“Oh, come on, Neeka. I’ve been trying to get you out of this house for the past two weeks now. Just come with me to dinner, that’s all I’m asking.” He gave her a charming smile, but it didn’t move her.
“Maybe another night. I’m pretty tired, anyway.” She spun the chair around and smiled at him, not wanting to be rude but really in no mood to go out.
He stared at her for a second with a blank expression, and then he started to crush the flower in his hand. His face turned red, and he took a step toward her. Her heart started racing as she gripped the armrests of the chair. Never had she seen Theo lose his temper.
“You know what, Neeka? I think I’ve been pretty fucking patient with you. I’ve given you space, time, and even a shoulder to cry on. What do I get in return?” He was shouting now, stalking toward her with intent.
She stood, not about to let him intimidate her. “I think you need to leave right now, Mr. Millian.”
He smirked and tossed the broken flower to the ground. “What? We’re not on a first name basis anymore?”
She squared her shoulders, even though her body was starting to shake from fear. “Charles, could you please escort Mr. Millian out?” she shouted, hoping Charles would hear her no matter where he was at.
He laughed, but it wasn’t a sound of amusement, but crazed lunacy. “I’ve sent everyone home for the evening. I thought this would be a nice night for us to be alone and spend some quality time together, but I see I have made an error in my judgment.”
She sidestepped the chair and inched her way toward the door, knowing she needed to get to the hallway so she had a chance to escape. Theo had gone insane, his actions completely out of place and inappropriate. She tried a sweeter tactic. “Can we talk about this downstairs? Maybe over a glass of wine?” He stopped advancing on her, and she thought he would agree, but he shook his head and set his shoulders.
“You aren’t going to sweet talk your way out
of this. For years, I’ve been trying to win you over. I’ve been nothing but gentle and slow with you, and what do you do in return?” He chuckled as if what he just said was comical. “I’ll tell you. You fuck the man who was sent out to bring you home. Surprised? Give me a little credit, Neeka. I saw the way he looked at you, the same way a man looks at a woman he just screwed.” He ran a hand over his hair, mussing the perfectly slicked black strands and moving toward her again. “No, from now on, we do things my way.”
He lunged for her, and she jumped out of the way, tearing off toward the door and running down the hall. The panic button Gage had given her was in her purse, a stupid move, she now realized. She raced down the hallway, Theo’s heavy footsteps right behind her. She swallowed her scream, knowing he spoke the truth about everyone leaving. She chanced a look behind her shoulder, and her eyes grew wide at his close proximity. She reached out and pulled a stand over, the heavy antique vase atop it falling to the side and shattering to the floor.
She could hear Theo grunt and she looked over her shoulder again. He stumbled over the shards of porcelain as he tried to right himself. She took the stairs two at a time, each landing seeming miles away. When she finally reached the bottom, she raced toward the kitchen, grabbing her purse off the counter and tossing its contents out. She rifled through everything, grabbing the small metal button that glinted off the kitchen light.
“You’re being a very bad girl, Neeka.”
Her eyes shot up toward Theo, his hands cut up and bloody, the shiny red liquid smeared across his face and white shirt. She reached over and grabbed a butcher knife off the kitchen block, holding it out in front of her as she pushed the panic button over and over again.
“Stay away, Theo. I don’t want to hurt you, but I swear I will.”
He laughed at her as he reached behind his back. He pulled out a small, strange-looking gun and pointed it at her, his gaze roaming her body as he licked his lips lasciviously. “I’m going to have so much fun with you.”