Stryder (The Black Stallion Trilogy Book 2)

by Maggie Ryan

  Stryder continued to study the list as his heart suddenly fell to the soles of his feet. He had to blink several times to make sure what he was seeing on the screen was correct. Suddenly he understood why he’d gotten the impression that, while Anson was proud of what he’d accomplished, he wasn’t really pleased with the praise he’d just been given. “Fuck me…”

  Maddox’s brow furrowed. “What?”

  “That motherfucker Poplov knew it was us the entire time,” Stryder said, shaking his head in disbelief.

  “What are you talking about?” Drake asked, looking at the screen to see what Stryder was examining.

  “Look.” Stryder pointed. “Our names are on that list. Our real names.”

  All the men in the room looked at where Stryder was pointing.

  “That’s impossible,” Maddox said, though it was clear by the look on his face that he saw the same thing Stryder did.

  On the long list of attendees were also the names Stryder Steele and Anson Steele. And right under the names was the address to The Black Stallion Ranch. Seeing it was like a punch to the gut.

  “We thought we were fooling him with our aliases, but Poplov knew,” Anson said, his blond head nodding.

  “Fuck me,” Stryder repeated. “He’s one smart son of a bitch. He knew the entire time.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense,” Maddox said.

  “Why wouldn’t he just have had you boys killed?” Drake asked, rubbing his chin in contemplation.

  “He allowed us to buy and walk out the door with Zoya. The real question is why would he do that?” Anson asked, clearly having trouble wrapping his head around the idea even though he’d had a head start as the compiler of the damning list.

  Anson was by far the smartest man Stryder had ever known, and he had to hand it to Poplov that he’d managed to stump his genius brother.

  “I think it was Poplov’s way of telling us that he isn’t afraid of us,” Stryder suggested. “He stood right there, addressing us as Gardenzio and Niven. I can’t even begin to imagine how he managed not to laugh his ass off. Fuck me…”

  “Yeah, we heard you the first two times,” Maddox said, ignoring his brother’s growl. “Look, I agree with you, but he also has to know we are on to him. He knows exactly who we… all of us are, what we look like, and evidently what our plan is.”

  Drake gave a chuckle and shook his head. “This is Vasily Poplov’s ‘fuck you’ to the Steele family.”

  Another thought came to Stryder. “Anson, exactly how hard was it to compile this list? I mean, there’s a lot of names on here.”

  “Are you thinking Poplov knew we’d get a hold of this list?” Anson asked, not taking his eyes off the screen of names.

  “We have to assume so.” Stryder ran his hand through his hair. “From this point on, we have to assume he knows what our plans have been all along.”

  “Shit. Maybe it was too easy but do you really think he would give up the names and addresses of all these men so freely?” Anson asked. “These men would kill him if they knew he just willingly gave them up.”

  Stryder smirked. “Poplov doesn’t give a fuck about these men or their privacy. Why should he? He not only got his money, he is a megalomaniac. He considers himself invincible,” he said, hating that the bastard had one-upped them—but he had. Stryder would have never guessed this in a million years. He wasn’t one for being duped or outwitted.

  “We have to change up the plan,” Drake began. “Poplov was expecting that we would be at that auction. Hell, after what happened to Legeaux, I wouldn’t put it past the bastard to have been holding it especially for us.”

  “Do you think we have a mole? Maybe on Hadi’s side? Maybe my insider who got a hold of two invitations for us. Maybe Poplov was feeding us the information we thought we got on our own,” Stryder thought out loud. He couldn’t quite put his finger on how Poplov had known.

  Drake pulled out his phone and began texting. “It doesn’t matter now. Mole or not, Poplov knows. I’m texting Hadi now and filling him in, and warning him to be extra cautious.”

  “I still don’t understand why Poplov let us leave that night. He could have easily killed us. He allowed the ruse to continue the entire time. He even gave us papers to make leaving Russia easier. It doesn’t add up,” Anson said.

  “No, it doesn’t,” Maddox agreed.

  “Unless…” An idea came to Stryder that very well might be the answer to Poplov’s motives. “Unless he wanted us at that auction because he handpicked every other person who would also be there.” When Maddox was about to interrupt him, he held up his hand. “Hear me out. What if Anson and I were not his only enemies on that list? What if he had a reason to bring down every single man who was in that room that night? What if Poplov knew we would be returning to the ranch with the intent to rescue each woman and destroy the man who purchased her?”

  “So he had this all planned?” Anson was starting to see exactly what Stryder was thinking.

  “Exactly.” Stryder nodded. “He was handing us all the men he wanted out of the picture on a platter. He was using us.”

  Drake, his hand on Stryder’s shoulder, nodded. “Then each man has to either have something that Poplov wants, or runs some enterprise that is undercutting his profits.”

  Stryder instantly connected the dots his father had laid out. His eyes lifted to the list, focusing on one name. “Juan Montez… he runs the cartel in Argentina, and we aren’t talking chump change.”

  “So, by drawing us in, Poplov now feels he has free assassins to do his dirty work,” Maddox added, understanding where Stryder was coming from.

  “Gotta hand it to the man. Smart. He would just sit back and watch us make each one of those bastards at the party suffer, and he wouldn’t have to lift a finger. He’d just reap the benefits,” Stryder said, completely seeing the big picture now.

  “And now?” Anson asked. “What do we do now? We still have to save all those women. Montez has Natalia. I don’t give a shit what Poplov plans, but I plan on rescuing that poor girl with or without you guys.”

  “No need to go rogue, bro,” Maddox reassured him instantly.

  “I promised you we would rescue her. We will,” Stryder said. “That part of the plan doesn’t change at all. So what if Poplov is using us to do his dirty work? I don’t mind getting dirty.”

  “Damn straight,” Anson agreed. “We’ll get as dirty as we need to.”

  “But what Poplov doesn’t know, is that when we are done, and we are covered in the filth of fucking humanity, we won’t forget about him. He showed his hand,” Stryder said.

  “But the Steeles are damn good card players,” Drake said, with a look of determination Stryder rarely saw on his face.

  “The man’s going down.” Stryder would make damn sure of it.

  Chapter 14

  Zoya dropped the towel she’d wrapped around herself after her shower. The warmth of the water streaming over her skin had reminded her of the heat of Stryder’s body pressed against hers. Pulling on a bra and panties, she stepped into the closet. She still couldn’t believe she’d been so… so brash as to strip in front of him and yet, God, it had felt both wicked and exciting. The fact that they hadn’t even spoken, hadn’t needed to as he’d lifted her only to fill her, made it all the more delicious. Flipping absently through the hangers, she felt her face heat as she had the rather naughty thought of exactly how wonderfully he’d filled her. When she remembered how he’d stood behind her, the pressure of his cockhead against her anus, she felt a shudder run through her. Never in her life had she imagined such a thing and yet she’d never for a moment considered pulling away, denying him what he wanted. It had been painful but also incredibly pleasurable and her orgasm had been intense. The memory of his promise to “properly” fill her the next time had her nipples hardening and her panties dampening.

  “You, girl, are turning into quite the harlot,” she scolded. Smiling, she admitted the words sounded more like a compliment
than a chastisement. Shaking her head and the thoughts of the experience away, she pulled a dress from its hanger and pulled it over her head. Slipping into a pair of sandals, she returned to the bathroom and picked up a brush. Drawing it through her hair, her hand paused mid-stroke at the sight of a reddened area on the side of her neck. Goose bumps rose on her arms as she remembered the feel of Stryder’s lips pressed against her flesh, licking, kissing, nibbling and biting.

  “No ponytail for you,” she said, snapping out of the memory with the knowledge that, unless his entire family were blind, they’d know exactly how it had gotten on her skin. It took her a few more minutes to brush and dry her hair. A knock on the door had her jumping, her face heating as she quickly pulled some strands forward to hide the love-bite on her skin as she walked across the room.

  “I can’t believe you… oh, hi.”

  “Hi… um, am I interrupting—”

  “No, not at all,” Zoya said. “I just thought you were Stryder.” Realizing that might sound improper, she felt her face heat again as she added, “He tends to um… pop up… um, I mean show up…” Good God, she sounded like an idiot.

  Adira’s laugh and smile eased her embarrassment. “Hey, don’t feel you have to explain. In fact, I’m not really sure anyone could explain these men. Maddox can drive me absolutely crazy, so I’m not the least bit surprised Stryder seems to be having the same effect on you.”

  Zoya wasn’t sure why, but the words had her relaxing and then giggling. “They all are so totally different than any men I’ve ever known. Stryder most especially.”

  “I feel the same way about Maddox and believe me, I never expected to fall in love with him.” Adira smiled as she added, “But I am so very, very glad I did. I came to see if you wanted to have a bit of girl talk. Jennie just made some blackberry tea, and I thought we might sit out on the back porch.”

  It was a perfect opportunity to have some of her many questions answered, and yet Zoya knew she was expected in the operations center. “I’d love to but when we got back from our… um, run, Anson said he and the others were needed in the operations room. I was supposed to join them in case I can help.”

  “No problem,” Adira said, linking her arm with Zoya’s. “We’ll go together and talk later.”

  The two women walked through the house. “You know, this really is amazing,” Zoya said as they stepped into the tunnel. “When we were running, I tried to see if I could tell this was even part of the house and I couldn’t.”

  Adira laughed. “I did the same thing. I’ve hiked all around and couldn’t find a single clue as to the existence of these caverns. Maddox even took me up in the plane one day, and I couldn’t spot the antennas needed to run the operations center from the air. These men take not only their job seriously, they are sticklers for absolute privacy.” They’d walked several feet towards the first turn before she continued. “Has Stryder shown you all the rooms down here?”

  Zoya shook her head. “No, just the operations center, but he did mention that I could use the gym if I want.”

  “It would be nice to have another woman to work out with. There’s even a sauna and a shower to use afterwards. Oh, and did Stryder let you in on the secret?”

  “Secret? He said that it wasn’t a secret but that ignorance is bliss. What do you think he meant by that?”

  Adira laughed. “It sounds like, unlike his brother, Stryder isn’t willing to share if you ask me.”

  “Share? Share what? Oh…” Visions of the brothers surrounding this beautiful woman flooded Zoya’s face with heat.

  Adira shook her head. “No, no, it’s not what you’re thinking. I’d tell you more but I was sworn to secrecy, but I will assure you that Maddox is not into sharing me.”

  Zoya chastised herself again. Ever since she’d met Stryder, her thoughts tended to instantly turn carnal. “Well, that’s good, but that still doesn’t explain how ignorance can be bliss. In fact, ignorance of this supposedly ‘not secret’ is going to drive me nuts.”

  “Don’t fret, it’s nothing really, and I’m sure that it won’t take but one trip to the gym for you to become a member of the club.”

  More confused than ever, Zoya didn’t have time to consider what Adira meant because they had reached the door to the operations center. The tension in the room was palpable, the men all staring at one of the monitors. The two women remained silent, arms around each other’s waist as they listened. It wasn’t until she heard Stryder say that the man was going down that Zoya heard Adira give a soft moan. It was enough to have Maddox turning towards the door.

  “Adira?”

  Maddox was out of his chair and rushing towards his wife and pulling her from Zoya’s embrace. “It’s all right,” he said, holding her close as Zoya stood wondering how the woman had gone from smiling to looking as if she were going to pass out.

  “This is all my fault,” Adira said. “You are all in danger because of me.”

  “None of this is your fault,” Stryder said, moving to wrap an arm around Zoya. “It’s not your fault or Zoya’s. Poplov is to blame for everything.”

  All Zoya understood was that she wasn’t the only one to fear Vasily Poplov. From Adira’s reaction, it was clear the woman had experienced something awful at the man’s hands. Was this the secret Stryder had refused to divulge? Was Adira another woman held and sold? Before she could process anything, Adira stepped away from her husband, the color returning to her cheeks.

  “Enough. I don’t care what it takes, how much it costs, if you don’t stop him, I will!”

  Maddox pulled her back to his chest. “Settle down, babe. We are going to stop him. He’s showed his hand, and we’re going to make damn sure it’s a losing one.”

  “I don’t understand,” Zoya finally spoke. “What has happened?”

  “Come, sit with me,” Stryder said, moving back to the chair he’d leapt from. Sitting down, she allowed him to pull her onto his lap but her eyes were on the monitor. She saw a list of names. Another monitor showed photos of men and women, and she recognized these people had been at the auction. Seeing Natalia’s face, she understood that someone had taken the portraits she’d drawn and used them to find actual photographs.

  Anson pointed to the list and explained what they’d discovered. Zoya didn’t interrupt as she listened carefully. When he was done, she nodded.

  “So, it was all some sort of plan to trap you?” Her question was directed at Stryder.

  “Not just me,” he said, “all of us.”

  “He kidnapped me… all those other women, sold us for what? Revenge? What did you do to him?” She was aware that her voice had become shrill but the horror of being used as a pawn in some game she’d never planned on playing was causing every moment of the days she’d spent in that room to come back in full force. The need to flee overcame her, her hands pushing against Stryder’s chest. “Let me go!”

  “No.”

  “I can’t breathe… I can’t think…”

  “Zoya… Zoya, stop!”

  The sharp tone of his voice went unheard but the sting of his hand against her thigh had her freezing in place.

  “Zoya, breathe with me,” Stryder said, the hand he’d slapped her leg with moving to cup her cheek. His forehead touched hers, blocking everything from view except for his eyes. “Concentrate on me. Inhale.” The words were softly spoken, his finger stroking her skin as she unconsciously took a breath. “Good girl. Now exhale.” She obeyed, then obeyed again, following each order, mimicking his every breath until she felt the terror slipping away. Still he held her, his eyes locked onto hers for several more breaths. Finally, he pulled away just enough to touch his lips to hers. “Better?”

  She could only nod, not trusting herself to speak, but no longer desperate to flee. Yes, she’d been taken, her life ripped apart but in her heart, she knew that none of that was Stryder’s fault. If his family were now the target of a madman, there had to be a reason why. After a moment, she said, “I’m sorry.” />
  “No need to be sorry,” Stryder said. “Like I said before, none of this is anyone’s fault but Vasily’s.” His glance swiveled towards Adira, who was now sitting on Maddox’s lap. Zoya watched as the woman glanced up at her husband and then, as one, they gave small nods of their heads. Nodding back, Stryder then returned his attention to her.

  “Zoya, Poplov made himself an enemy of every Steele the moment he set out to destroy Adira’s entire family. He almost succeeded and yet thankfully he didn’t. Pops and Maddox managed to save Adira when her family’s yacht exploded. Do you remember me speaking of a man named Hadi?” When she nodded, he continued. “He is Adira’s grandfather and was spared because he was in Africa that night. Poplov knows this, but he evidently believes he is some sort of demigod—someone above blame or justice. What he won’t admit is that while he might have won this hand, I… we promise he will not win the game. No one messes with my family and lives to tell about it. Not ever again.”

  Zoya heard not only determination in his voice, but also saw a flash of pain in his eyes.

  “He’s right,” Maddox said. “Between the Steeles and the Nazars, Poplov’s days are numbered.”

  Drake nodded. “The son of a bitch fucked with the wrong families when he fucked with you and Adira. Oh, pardon my language. I tend to get a bit riled up when my women feel unsafe.”

  She managed a small smile as his words broke the tension. Looking around, she saw the same determination on each man’s face. As for Adira, Zoya couldn’t imagine what the woman must have gone through. Her own family had been threatened and yet from what she’d just learned, Adira’s had been decimated.

  “I’m sorry,” she said softly, “I can’t even imagine how you must feel.”

  Adira nodded and managed a small smile. “One day, I’ll tell you everything that happened to me, but for now, I have a question.”

  “What is it?” Stryder asked.

  “Poplov knew who you were but didn’t let on. He used your aliases, right?” At his nod, she looked at Zoya. “Yet, why didn’t he give Zoya an alias? It’s like he doesn’t care that these men know the women’s real identities. How can they not be worried, at least a little, that one might escape… like Zoya? She could go straight to the authorities and claim kidnapping, abuse, sex trafficking—”