“I sent them a message before coming back into the room,” Alex replied, then turned back to the security guard. “Took you damn long enough.”
Miya put her hand on Alex’s upper arm, trying to calm him down. The lead security guard narrowed his eyes at Alex. “It took us a few seconds to get up here.”
Alex pointed to the man on the floor. “He was stalking Miya.”
“We need a medical kit,” Miya ordered. “Alex is hurt.”
“Miya, I’m fine,” Alex said softly.
“Shut up, Alex.”
Alex turned a cold, hard stare toward her. “Excuse me?”
Miya swallowed but turned away, ignoring his anger. Wow. Was that what a pissed Dom looked like? And what would he have done to her if the security team wasn’t there?
She ignored him and spoke to the guard. “We also need the police. I want to press charges.”
One man nodded as he handed Miya a small med kit.
ALEX FROWNED AS Miya shoved him onto a chair and began to wipe away the blood on the back of his head. Had she really just told him to shut up? And was he actually going to let her get away with it?
Behind his eyes throbbed. Damn, he’d come close to blacking out. He wasn’t sure what he’d been hit with, but whatever it was, it hurt like hell.
She pressed a little too hard, and he winced.
“Sorry,” she murmured.
“For pressing too hard or telling me to shut up?”
“Both, I guess,” she said softly.
Hearing the sadness in her voice, Alex decided to let it go. She wasn’t his sub. She wasn’t his anything. And she never would be. Miya would never agree to the kind of relationship he wanted. He didn’t want a Master-slave relationship. He didn’t want her to cater to his every whim 24-7, but he would require obedience in the bedroom, and he doubted Miya would want to give up even that small amount of control.
She already hated the control her father and brothers had over her. He would just be one more person telling her what to do. She would hate him, and that would tear him up more than letting her go now would.
The police came in and took statements, then cleared out the unconscious attendant who still lay sprawled on the floor. They said they would search the young man’s apartment and get back to Alex on anything they found.
Once everyone was gone, Alex sighed and stood. “I guess I better let your dad know it’s over.”
He couldn’t bring himself to look at her and see the hurt he knew would be in her eyes. Hell, it was his own damn fault. He should’ve never kissed her.
“You’re leaving?” she asked.
“Yeah,” he said as he walked over and grabbed his bag. “The guy’s been caught. You don’t need me here now.”
“So that’s just…what about…”
Alex looked across the room to see her glaring at him in anger. He deserved her anger. He’d led her on, and now he was walking out like a fucking coward.
“Damn you, Alex.”
“Miya—”
“Uh-uh,” she growled, but her voice quivered when she spoke as though she fought tears. It took everything he had not to go to her. “I don’t want to hear it. You’re not any different from the rest of them, are you?”
“This isn’t about being afraid of your father, Miya.”
“Then what is it?”
“It’s about you being afraid of me.”
Miya shook her head. “I’m not afraid of you.”
Alex’s eyes narrowed. “You should be.”
“Oh, Alex, give me a break! I’m not some innocent virgin who doesn’t know about the world. I know what you do. I know what you like. That doesn’t scare me.”
“Miya—”
“No! This isn’t about me being afraid. It’s about the fact I don’t fit into your little box of a perfect sub.”
“Exactly!” Alex snapped. “I’m a Dom, and you are most definitely not a sub.”
“Does it matter?” she yelled. “Is it that important to you I obey everything? All the time?”
“Not all the time, Miya. But I know you. You don’t want to give up even the tiniest bit of control. And I would demand it of you. I can’t change who I am. After a while, you would hate my dominant side, just like you hate how your brothers try to control you.”
MIYA BELIEVED DEEP in her heart he was wrong. She tried not to cry, but she couldn’t stop the tear that slipped from the corner of her eye. Was he right? Would she end up hating him? No. She didn’t believe that.
He walked toward her door, leaving her, killing her hopes he wanted her as much as she wanted him. Could she be a sub? Could she give him absolute control of her body? Did she trust him enough?
Yes, she did. But Alex made it obvious he would never give her the chance to prove that. He didn’t even want to try for fear it would put a wedge between him and her brother. This was all so screwed up.
He put his hand on the doorknob, and Miya said, “If you walk out that door, Alex, don’t you dare come back.”
Alex left without a word, and Miya’s heart shattered into a million pieces. She sank to the floor and sobbed.
* * * *
Alex tried to wait patiently for Christian to finish his call before he told him about Miya. Christian would be relieved to know they’d caught the guy. The police had called Alex earlier this morning and told him the attendant had a small shrine to Miya in his apartment. Alex cringed, wondering what exactly this guy would’ve done to her if he hadn’t been able to stop him.
His chest still ached at the hurt in Miya’s eyes when he’d left last night. He hadn’t wanted to. He’d wanted to stay more than anything, but she would never give him full control of her, and that would never work in a Dom-sub relationship.
He should’ve never kissed her. He knew that, and he wasn’t sure if getting one taste of her would last him a lifetime or haunt him forever.
After talking with the police, he’d called Marcone and told him the news. His friend and security confidant had apparently noticed the tension in his voice and had asked about it, but how could Alex explain this? How did he tell Marcone he wanted to sexually dominate his daughter?
In the background, the news played through the large screen on the far wall. For the most part, Alex tuned it out until they mentioned Miya’s name.
He glanced up at the screen and watched in horror at a video of him and Miya kissing at the club. They’d been spotted, which was, of course, what he’d wanted. He just never expected the media to be inside the club as well. Someone must’ve followed them. The media was all abuzz about a union between the Dorn and Marcone families—uniting Bellara and Tilarus. What the hell?
Son of a bitch.
Alex sighed and closed his eyes briefly. That little stunt just blew up in his face royally.
“Let me call you back,” Christian said before hanging up his communicator and cutting his call short.
Alex opened his eyes to see Christian and Sharna staring at him—Sharna in shock; Christian in anger.
Ah, hell.
“I can explain that,” Alex said.
“I recommend you do,” Christian snarled.
Sharna slapped Chris on the stomach with the back of her hand before turning to fully face Alex.
“You were supposed to be keeping an eye on her, Alex. Eyes, not your mouth,” Christian snapped.
“Fuck you, Chris,” Alex snarled. “If you’ll shut up for a second, I’ll tell you what happened.”
“By all means,” Christian said sarcastically.
Alex sighed and walked over to the kitchen. He grabbed a cup and poured himself coffee while Christian and Sharna moved to sit at the island stools. He needed a few seconds to think.
“You knew that the letters had escalated in tone,” Alex began.
“Yeah. What’s that got to do with kissing her?”
Alex sent Christian an annoyed glare before continuing. “While you were gone, it escalated further. One of her costumes was tampered with.
It cut her back up pretty bad.”
“What!” Christian bellowed.
“Relax, she’s fine. We did that at the club to see if we could get the guy’s attention.” Yeah, okay. That was a lie. He was only supposed to be seen holding her hand, walking into the club with her. Not kissing her. How the hell had the media gotten into the damn club in the first place? He thought the media was banned from the interior of all clubs. “The last time she was in public with a man, it made her stalker angry. We hoped that, after seeing us kiss, he would kick his efforts up again.”
Nice fast thinking, Alex.
“Did it work?” Sharna asked.
Alex nodded. “Yeah. We caught him. It turned out to be the elevator attendant in her building.”
Alex lifted his cup, taking a sip of coffee as he waited for Christian to say something. All Christian knew about was the kiss at the club. Christian didn’t need to know about the other, about the fact he’d broken his sister’s heart and left Miya crying in her apartment.
I’m such a damn jerk.
“That’s a good thing, right, Chris?” Sharna said as she tried to get Christian to stop glaring at Alex.
“Damn it, Chris! Stop looking at me like that. I kissed Miya. I didn’t fuck her.”
“I don’t even like you using the words ‘fuck’ and ‘Miya’ in the same damn sentence!”
Now Alex’s anger was rising. He’d had enough of this crap. He set his cup down and leaned on the counter, glaring angrily at his friend. Although, if Chris kept this up, they couldn’t be friends much longer.
“Chris, you have to get to that meeting,” Sharna said. When Christian didn’t move, she slapped him on the shoulder to get his attention. “Now.”
Growling, Christian stood and walked to the door. “We’re not done with this discussion.”
“Yes, we are,” Alex snarled.
The door slammed shut. Alex sighed and dropped his head. “Just perfect.”
“So,” Sharna began. Alex cringed before peeking at her through his lashes.
“So…what?” he asked. “Spit it out, Shar.”
“Did you decide to use the kiss as a way to bait the guy before or after you kissed her?”
Scowling at her little self-satisfied grin, he grabbed his cup and placed it in the sink, putting his back to Sharna.
“Alex,” Sharna sang.
“Nope,” Alex replied, refusing to answer her question.
Sharna stood and walked around the island. “Alex—”
He spun to face her, giving her his best I’m-the-Dom-don’t-talk-to-me look.
She crossed her arms over her chest and glared right back. “Don’t even go there with me. I don’t do the sub thing.”
Alex snorted. “Then you better rethink your attraction to Chris.”
She waved her hand. “That’s entirely different. Him, I would play the sub with. If I could just get him to,” she grumbled, making Alex grin.
“Then perhaps you should take matters into your own hands.”
“Maybe, but that’s another discussion.” She rested one hand on the counter; the other she placed at her hip. “Look. You know Chris loves you.”
“Where are you going with this, Sharna?” Alex asked tiredly.
“He’s seen you with women at the club. I think it just freaks him out maybe thinking about you doing those things to Miya.”
“I haven’t done any of those things to Miya.”
“But you want to.”
He frowned. “Have you been talking to Cara?”
“No. Should I?”
“No,” he said firmly, then shook his head. “What is it with you women thinking you see me in love with Miya?”
Sharna’s eyes widened. “I never said anything about you being in love with Miya. And what do you mean women? Who else has been talking to you about this?”
He glanced at her, at first a little startled. Had he just said that? “Let it go.”
“Alex, forget for a minute all the news about uniting planets and pissing off Chris. It’s just you and Miya. Do you have feelings for her?”
He rolled his eyes. So much for letting it go. But her question had merit. Did he have feelings for her? Beyond lust? Yes, he did, but it was just too complicated. It just wouldn’t work.
Shaking his head, Alex started for the living room. “We can’t talk about this, Shar.”
“Why?” she asked, following.
He had a sinking feeling Sharna wasn’t going to give up until he finally admitted something.
“Because you’ll tell Chris.”
“I will not,” she exclaimed.
He started to say something, but Cara walking through Christian’s apartment door stopped him. She glanced around quickly. “Is Chris here?”
“He just left,” Sharna said.
Cara walked in the rest of the way and slammed the door shut. “Alex! Are you insane? Why did you kiss her in public? You know how the media follows her around.”
“Oh, for the love of God, not you too,” he growled. “Should you even be yelling at me in your condition?”
Cara grinned and put her hand on her growing stomach. “I’m pregnant, smart-ass. I do not have a condition. Besides, I’m sure your little niece or nephew is used to your blustering by now.”
Alex scrunched his nose. “Funny. Did Hayden see it?”
“Oh, yeah,” Cara said with a nod and look of sympathy. “He’s out for blood.”
“Great.” Alex sighed and rubbed his forehead. That’s all he needed. Both Miya’s brothers out to kill him.
“Where is he?” Alex asked.
“On his way to see Miya. I thought I’d track you down and run interference.”
“Wonderful,” Alex grumbled. “At least Miya will tell him what happened and calm him down. There was a reason for that kiss.”
Or at least he hoped she did. Or would she get even by telling Hayden everything?
“Uh-huh,” Cara drawled. “You mean besides the obvious?”
He shot Cara an angry look that did little to curb her amusement. Sharna snickered. She and Cara shared a grin. Alex groaned in aggravation. Anyone else he could scare into leaving him alone. Not these two.
At least he’d gotten his stuff out of Miya’s. The last thing he needed was Hayden seeing any of his clothes there. “I don’t need this right now from either of you,” he growled. “I don’t know why the media is making such a big deal about a family union anyway. There’s already a union between Bellara and Tilarus in Hayden and Cara.”
“Yeah, but Cara’s just a senator,” Sharna explained. ”You’re the chancellor of Bellara. The leader. It’s a bit different. And the Marcones…well, to put it bluntly, they’re more powerful than the senate regent. In the media’s mind, Marcone and Dorn would make a pretty bad-ass union.”
Alex winced.
“Cara, do you know if her father’s gotten wind of this yet?” Alex asked tiredly.
“He doesn’t pay any attention to the media, so it’s doubtful, but I’m sure someone will say something to him,” Cara replied.
“Would you mind calling him and explaining what happened, Shar?”
“Sure,” she said with a nod. “What are you going to do?”
“Get out of here for a while and give the brothers time to cool off.”
SHARNA WATCHED ALEX leave as sadness filled her heart. She truly believed he cared for Miya, but because Christian had to be such an ass about the whole thing, Alex refused to do anything about it. She looked at Cara, who appeared to be just as worried about Alex as she was.
“Alex is in love with Miya,” Cara said sadly. “I think he has been for a long time.”
“Where do you think he’ll go?” Sharna asked.
“Probably the club. He was planning on going there later this week anyway to check on things.”
Sharna nodded, then grinned. “Let me call Sidious; then I’m thinking you and I should pay a visit to Miya.”
Cara grinned in return. “Agr
eed.”
Chapter Eleven
Lord Sidious Marcone closed down the computer screen and reached for the remote to turn on the television. As the picture came in, he sat back and frowned. There it was. Chancellor Dorn kissing his daughter.
He didn’t give a rat’s ass what Alex said. That was not a kiss for show. He wasn’t quite sure how he felt about that either. He liked Alex. He was a good man. He was a good leader. And he was a damn good negotiator. But what he apparently wasn’t good at was lying.
Alex was a Dom, and Miya a headstrong, stubborn young woman. That did not make for a good combination, which was probably why he’d gotten that call the other night about their little argument.
Sidious’s lips twitched. He remembered a similar argument with his wife that happened when they’d first met. He scowled and turned off the television. Alex’s argument with his daughter better not have ended the way his had with his wife.
He’d hate to have to kill the boy.
His wife, Mikayla, strolled into his office and held out a warm cup of korniga.
“Hey, baby,” he said with a smile as he took the cup from her hand. “You read my mind.”
“You okay?” Mikayla turned and sat on his desk. “You looked as though you were pissed about something when I came in.”
Sidious reached out and rubbed his hand up and down his wife’s calf. “Not mad, really. Just concerned.” He stared up at her. She looked just as beautiful today as she had the day he met her. And Miya looked so much like her. “What do you think of Dorn?”
“Alex?” She frowned. “He seems nice. Reminds me of a younger you.”
Sidious twisted his lips and snarled softly in annoyance. “Yeah, my brother said the same thing.”
“Why do you ask?”
“I was just curious.” He frowned down at her leg as he continued to absently rub the back of her calf. “I have a feeling we’re going to be seeing a lot more of him.”
“Does this have anything to do with Miya?” Mikayla asked.
He glanced back up at his wife in surprise.
“I saw the way he watched her at Hayden and Cara’s party. The man is smitten.”
Sidious frowned as he remembered the way Alex watched her when he thought no one was paying attention. “Yeah, I noticed that too. That’s not the only party I’ve seen him watching her either. But he’s a Dom.”
Entwined Fates: Dominating Miya Page 7