Sweet Captivity

by Julia Sykes

  I was in full-on hero mode, and it felt damn good. I was armed with a weapon and my wits, more powerful than I’d been in weeks. Possibly ever. Now, I just needed to get back to Andrés, log on to his laptop, and proceed to destroy his sadistic brother for good.

  “Sam. Come back. Please.”

  “I really do hope I’ll see you online,” I said, softening. “Don’t shut me out. You’re my best friend.”

  “I’ll see you in person,” he said firmly.

  “Webcams have been around for like, a quarter of a century, Dex. And I’m going to have a really great internet connection, so you’ll be able to see me crystal-clear. Tell Chloe she’d better take good care of you. I’ll be checking in.”

  I ended the call and dumped the phone out the car window so Dex couldn’t use it to track me. I’d leave his car in the garage for Andrés’ building. By the time he traced it there on traffic cams, we’d be long gone.

  It took me precisely twelve minutes to get to Andrés’ building. I relished knowing exactly how long it had taken me down to the minute. I really had missed everyday conveniences like digital clocks. Wherever Andrés and I ended up, we would have one in every room. I’d insist.

  I diverted myself from my little fantasy of our home together and pulled into the garage. Well, I tried to pull in. The barrier didn’t open for me.

  Fuck.

  I put the car in park and hurried out of it, grabbing up Dex’s SIG on my way. I’d have to go in through the front. Which was a shitty non-plan, but I couldn’t linger here, either. If someone noticed Dex’s unauthorized sedan blocking the entrance to the garage, I’d be a sitting duck.

  I needed to get up to the penthouse, get Andrés and his laptop, and get out.

  Mustering up all the new-found confidence as I possessed, I strode through the glass front doors. The atrium was surprisingly bland, like any nondescript office building. But I supposed it wasn’t in Andrés’ best interests to be ostentatious about where he lived.

  A man in a security uniform looked up from a row of computer screens as soon as I stepped through the door. He stood quickly, pushing out of his chair where he’d been lounging behind the front desk.

  I pointed my weapon at him and shook my head before he could reach for his own gun.

  “Don’t even think about it,” I warned. “I’m taking the elevator up to the penthouse. Do you have access?”

  “No,” he said quickly, shaking his head and holding his hands up high to prove he wasn’t a threat.

  “Okay, then. I’m going to the third floor. Is there another elevator?”

  “Yeah. That way.” He pointed toward a darkened corner, and I saw little glowing circles that indicated call buttons for a set of elevators.

  “You’re coming with me,” I told him, gesturing for him to come out from behind the desk. “Keep your hands where I can see them.”

  He moved where I’d instructed, and I closed the distance between us to take his gun from its holster.

  “Let’s go.” I ordered, and he began walking toward the elevators, his hands still held high.

  I just needed to get to the third floor and find Lauren. She had access to the penthouse. Well, she did as of yesterday. I hoped Andrés hadn’t had time to revoke her clearance.

  I shook my mounting worry from my mind. If she couldn’t take me upstairs, she’d know how to contact Andrés. I’d never seen him with a phone, but he must have one he used when he left his suite. I considered asking the guard if he was able to call Andrés, but I had to guarantee that he’d bring his laptop down with him. His most likely reaction to finding out I’d returned to his building would be to storm downstairs and try to make me leave. He’d be too enraged to think to bring his laptop, even if I asked.

  No, I needed to personally get up there and get both my man and the computer. The guard and I were only three yards away from the elevators when something sharp pierced my lower back. Pain lanced through me as electricity jolted my system. I lost control of my limbs, and I dropped to the hard marble floor, my guns slipping from my hands as I went down.

  Fuck!

  I knew what a Taser felt like. I also knew I wouldn’t be able to move for another minute or so.

  The guard I’d taken as my hostage bent down and scooped up my weapons, training one on my heart.

  “Wait,” a new, unfamiliar voice said. “We need to call this in and see what the boss wants us to do with her.”

  A second man appeared over me, holding the Taser that had taken me down.

  Yes, I wanted to say. Call Andrés.

  The words were an unintelligible groan.

  “Took you long enough to get here,” the guard complained. “She could have fucking shot me.”

  “You’re lucky I came back from my break early, then,” the second man said coolly. “Cuff her,” he advised.

  The guard nodded and grabbed the handcuffs attached to his belt. He quickly secured my wrists at the small of my back while the second man pulled out his phone and placed a call. He spoke into the receiver in rapid-fire Spanish that I couldn’t follow.

  I’d been disarmed and restrained in a matter of seconds.

  I really sucked at being a field agent. As soon as Andrés got me out of this mess, I promised myself I’d never fight crime in person again. I could work far more effectively from the comfort of my ergonomic chair behind my computer screen.

  “Moreno wants to see her,” the second man said, ending his call. “Get her downstairs.”

  Downstairs? Not up?

  The two men gripped my upper arms and wrenched me to my feet. I couldn’t support my own weight, so they started dragging me the short distance to the elevators. Once we were inside and the guard had pressed the button for the basement, I started to regain some control over my muscles.

  I’d only just managed to get my legs to support me when the doors slid open, and my knees gave out.

  Andrés wasn’t waiting for me. Cristian was.

  Chapter 25

  “Samantha,” his accented voice caressed my name. “I thought you were gone.” His sharp smile flashed in the dim light of the spare bulb overhead. I recognized this as the same room where he’d brought me when he’d initially captured me. The day he’d given me to Andrés.

  I didn’t respond. What was I going to say? The phantom chill of his knife on my skin made me tremble as fear pulsed inside me.

  Andrés will come, I told myself. He’ll find me. He always did. He’d come charging in and kill everyone who threatened me.

  Wouldn’t he?

  Did that vicious protective streak extend to his brother? I wasn’t certain Andrés would be able to challenge him.

  He will. For me, he will.

  I hoped I wasn’t lying to myself. My own fear of Cristian was enough to blow all the wits right out of my mind. I couldn’t imagine the clawing, instinctive panic Andrés must lock inside every time he faced his brother.

  The men holding me upright dragged me forward. I tried to dig in my heels, but my feet stumbled uselessly as they closed the distance between me and Cristian. His black eyes—so like Andrés’—studied my face, searching.

  “You came back,” he said, his head canting to the side as his eyes narrowed at me. “Why? My men say you were armed. Were you going to kill Andrés?”

  “No!” The word popped out before I could hold it back.

  “Then why return, when my brother set you free?”

  “I…” I swallowed hard and braced myself for the lie, drawing on a defiant mask. “I came to kill you. I was trying to find you. I was going to deal with him after.” I couldn’t tell him about my feelings for Andrés. If I did, he might hurt him again.

  Andrés had warned me about Cristian, even in our early days together. The sadistic bastard liked to force you to watch while he hurt the person you loved most. When Andrés had first told me about his brother’s sick proclivities, I’d feared for Dex’s safety. Now, I feared for Andrés. I had to make Cristian believe I saw And
rés as my cruel captor, and that I was coming for revenge on the Moreno brothers.

  Cristian laughed, the sound rich with genuine delight. “You do want to kill him? He’ll be so devastated. He does tend to get a soft spot for his pets. You, especially. I thought he was actually going to try to attack me when I told him I’d ordered Lauren to dose you with Bliss. He didn’t like the idea of other men fucking you.”

  I remained silent, willing my brain to start figuring a way out of this.

  “How about we make a deal?” Cristian continued before I could gather my thoughts. “I can’t let you kill Andrés. He’s the only family I have left, and he’s very good at running my business. But I’ll let you cut him up a little. I was about to do the same, myself. He really shouldn’t have let you go back to the feds. That puts my entire organization at risk.”

  My stomach turned. I couldn’t hurt Andrés. But if Cristian was offering to hand me a knife…

  No. That would be suicidal. There were still two armed guards in the room with us. If I tried to stab their boss, they’d shoot me.

  “Take off the cuffs,” he ordered his men, but he didn’t take his eyes off me. “I’m going to need to make this look right to keep Andrés in line. I’m sure you understand.”

  The handcuffs fell from my wrists, but I didn’t have a chance to think about defending myself. Cristian’s fist slammed into my jaw. Pain cracked through my skull, and I tasted blood in my mouth as my cheek cut against my teeth. The basement flickered out of existence.

  When I started to come back around, I became aware of the familiar feel of leather cuffs around my wrists. My arms were being pulled above my head, and my weight started to fall on my wrists. I scrambled to get my feet under me, but the tension on my arms increased, forcing me up onto my toes.

  I blinked hard, fear helping clear away the throbbing pain in my skull. It receded to a dull ache as adrenaline kicked in.

  Cristian came into focus, his handsome face filling my vision. He touched his long fingers to my injured jaw, and I hissed as pain spiked.

  “This will do,” he said, studying me as though I were an object instead of a person. Worse than that: a tool he was going to use to hurt Andrés. “I had this set up for my little brother,” he explained, gesturing at the restraints that stretched my body taut. “He screamed so much the last time I did this to him. I didn’t think he’d ever want to repeat the experience, but then he let you go. Imagine how upset he’ll be when he sees you here instead, after he tried to save you from me.” He grinned. “He’ll be absolutely destroyed once you start to work on him. Don’t worry. I’ll let you down so you can get your revenge, once I have him where I want him. Then, the offer to work for me still stands.” He gabbed my jaw hard, making me cry out. “If you refuse, I’ll find another use for you. Did you enjoy your time in my brothel?”

  “I’ll work for you,” I forced out, struggling to speak when pain lanced through my jaw. I’d say anything to buy some time.

  I’ll get us out of this, I promised myself. I will.

  “Good.” He released my jaw, and I sagged forward, my weight falling onto my wrists before I caught myself on my tiptoes. “My brother might be obsessed with you, but you’re too skinny to earn me much as a whore. No matter how pretty your skin is. I knew Andrés would enjoy marking it up.”

  He reached around me, and his fingertips trailed over my bare thigh, tracing the line of one of the faint bruises Andrés’ crop had left when he was punishing me for trying to escape. I gasped and tried to move away from his hand, but there was nowhere for me to go. His touch on my exposed skin made me look down to assess my body. I’d been stripped again. But in this horrible place, it didn’t feel normal to be completely bare. Cold air teased across my skin, making me very aware of how vulnerable I was.

  “Mí hermanito is on his way down,” he told me. “Should we put on a little show for him?”

  He reached for his belt, where he kept the wicked hunting knife close to his side.

  “Don’t,” I begged, remembering the grating agony of the blade scraping across my collarbone.

  “I need to make a point,” he told me, waving off my plea as though it was nothing to be concerned about.

  He stepped behind me and touched the knife to my throat, the cold steel barely kissing my skin. My breath stuttered. I knew how easily it could part my skin, carving me up the way he’d tortured Andrés.

  The soft thump of the elevator arriving sounded just before the doors slid open. I had a moment to register Andrés’ face fixed in a carefully blank mask before his features twisted with rage.

  “Samantha,” he snarled out my name and launched himself out of the elevator.

  “Stay right there,” Cristian commanded.

  The knife sliced a stinging line into my throat, and Andrés stopped in his tracks, his entire body vibrating with barely-suppressed violence.

  “Be a good boy and have a seat, or I’ll cut her open right now. Do you want your pet returned to you scarred or dead?”

  “Let her go,” Andrés ground out. “I know I’m the one you want to punish. Just let her go.”

  “And send her back to the feds, like you did? I don’t think so. Samantha has agreed to work for me, once we’re finished here. Sit down, hermanito. Or I’ll slit her open and let you watch her pretty insides spill all over the floor.”

  I gagged, my body’s nauseated reaction to the horrific mental image.

  Andrés’ dark eyes were drawn tight with anguish, his scar twisting deep into his cheek. A growl slipped between his clenched teeth, but he began to move stiffly toward the spare metal chair that had been positioned a few feet in front of me. The two guards flanked him, pushing his shoulders down so he dropped onto the chair before securing his wrists behind him with a length of rope. Once his arms were bound, they trained their guns on the back of his skull.

  “That’s better,” Cristian said with satisfaction.

  The knife left my throat, and I heaved in a gasping breath.

  “How should we punish my little brother for his transgressions?” he mused, as though he didn’t already have his twisted plan in place. He suddenly cupped my breast with his free hand, squeezing hard. I bit back a whimper, but my eyes began to burn. He tutted at me and twisted my nipple. I cried out at the bite of pain, and wetness slipped down my cheeks.

  Andrés’ nostrils flared, his eyes blazing. He tried to push up onto his feet, but the guards held him down with a firm grip on his shoulders.

  “He doesn’t like that,” Cristian observed. “I thought you enjoyed when she cried, Andrés. Or are you the only one who’s allowed to enjoy her tears?” He leaned around me, so his chest pressed against my back as he brought his face close to mine. His hot tongue touched my face, tasting my tears.

  I shuddered and flinched away.

  “I should fuck her raw while you watch,” he continued, his tone conversational.

  “You said…” I gasped for breath, desperate to get away, to save Andrés before Cristian could use me to destroy him. “You said this was for show,” I managed on a ragged whisper. “You promised I could hurt him if I worked for you.”

  I had to get down and get my hands on that knife. It no longer mattered to me if I got shot. It was the only opening I’d get, and I had to take the risk.

  Cristian laughed, running his hand along the curve of my hip.

  “She’s a vicious little thing,” he said. “No wonder you couldn’t manage to break her. Is that why you’re so obsessed with her? All of your other pets were very obedient by the time you handed them over to me.”

  My gut churned at this horrible revelation. Andrés had trained other women before me. Of course he had. I’d always known, even if I didn’t want to dwell on it. Why else would he have kinky toys stashed all over his penthouse, with a built-in playroom?

  But the knowledge that Cristian had taken them for himself once they were trained made nausea creep up my throat. No wonder Andrés had been so possessive of me
from the very beginning. I remembered Cristian promising that he’d be allowed to keep me. I was the only woman his brother had ever allowed him to keep, and now, he was trying to take me away from Andrés, too.

  I wouldn’t allow him to take anything else from Andrés. He’d taken his family, his innocence, his pride. He’d stripped him of everything and everyone he cared about, leaving him scarred and cold.

  “Let me down,” I demanded with as much vindictive fervor as I could manage. I drew on my hatred of Cristian to channel righteous rage into my features. He had to believe I’d hurt Andrés for him. “Give me what I want, and I’ll give you what you want.”

  “Savage,” Cristian remarked with approval. “Your little pet is going to cut you up for me,” he told Andrés. “You risked your life to set her free, and she came back here to kill you. But don’t worry. I won’t let her take things that far. You’ll survive this, and I’ll patch you up again after. I’ll always take care of my baby brother.”

  Andrés had gone pale, and his body shook with something other than rage. He stared at me, his eyes wide with disbelief. Then his jaw firmed, and he nodded.

  More tears flowed down my cheeks. I wasn’t sure if he thought he deserved for me to hurt him, or if he was trying to tell me it was okay to do what I had to in order to survive. Either way, his response was unacceptable. I wanted to scream at him that I loved him and I’d never hurt him.

  But I had to get the knife first.

  Cristian reached up and finally unbuckled the cuffs around my wrists. My body dropped, and I barely caught my hands on the concrete floor before my face smashed into it.

  “Get up,” Cristian said coldly. “You have work to do.”

  I pushed up onto my feet and turned to face him. He held out the knife, offering it to me hilt-first.

  I drew a deep breath and then sprang into action. I grabbed the knife at the same time as I jammed my forefingers into his throat. He clutched at his neck, dropping to his knees. Gunshots rang out. Pain seared through my right hip, but adrenaline coursed through me, keeping my body going. I ducked behind Cristian for cover and pressed the knife to his carotid artery while my other hand fisted in his thick hair, yanking his head back to expose his throat.