Because You're Mine

by Nikita Slater

  The plane had landed on a private runway in the mountains. Jay took her good arm in a firm grip and helped her from the plane. Weariness settled over Allie as warm afternoon sun shone down on her dark head. She looked around her in tired curiosity as Jay ushered her into the back of a waiting vehicle.

  "We're just outside of Kelowna," he said.

  "Near mom's place?" Allie asked in surprise.

  Jay smiled fondly. "I bought a small vineyard in the area not long after she married Rob. It's only a few hours from Vancouver making it an easy weekend home for me."

  "Why didn't she tell me?" Allie asked. He’d been in the area for years and she hadn’t known.

  "I asked her not to," he said, his eyes piercing hers. "I knew it would spook you to have me nearby when you visited. You might have come less often."

  Allie opened her mouth to deny his words, but then stopped. He was right. If she'd known he was so close then she probably wouldn't have flown to Kelowna as often as she'd done in the past few years. Kelowna wasn't a big city. She could have easily run into him.

  He smiled grimly. "Transparent as ever."

  She looked over at him, so many questions hovering on the tip of her tongue. He shook his head. She understood. Now was not the time to do battle with Jay. Part of her wanted to defy him, wanted to demand he give her the answers she needed. Instead she remained silent. He didn't have a reputation as one of the most ruthless gangsters on the west coast for no reason.

  Jay’s vineyard was twenty minutes outside of Kelowna, nestled just above the valley on a private estate with enough security that even Allie, with her penchant toward naivety, could easily identify. She turned toward Jay and raised an eyebrow in question as they passed through the guarded security gates. A high wall extended most of the way around the property.

  “Are you expecting intruders?” she asked.

  He looked down at her seriously and shook his head. “A special addition.”

  She frowned. “What do you mean?”

  He remained silent as they pulled up to the house. Allie wanted to insist he tell her, but then she caught sight of the house and all thought fled along with her former tiredness. When Greg opened her door she climbed out in excitement, forgetting for a moment that she’d been kidnapped and simply taking in the beauty of the house.

  “Oh my goodness,” she breathed, reaching out to take Jay’s hand easily as she used to do when she was young. “It’s so lovely, Jay!”

  It was a sprawling house that, despite its cottage-like appearance, was deceptively modern. There were doors and windows everywhere, washing it in light and openness, which would make it more of a home for Jay who tended toward claustrophobia. But there were also castle-like elements of stone pathways and turrets that would appeal to the romantic in Allie.

  “I’m glad you like it,” he said quietly. “Let’s go inside.”

  Jay placed a hand at her back and ushered her into the house. Allie’s mood began to descend once more as he showed her around his home. She felt like a yo-yo. One moment elated to see the person she used to care so much about, a man that had practically saved her and her mother’s lives, and then upset with the way he was now controlling her. She turned to him as he showed her into the master suite, a massive open concept room with huge glass windows and doors along two walls.

  “Stop, Jay,” she said quietly. “Just stop pretending for a minute.”

  He stopped moving and stood still, watching her sharply. He nodded slightly not saying anything. She realized she must look pathetic next to him. He wore an expensive suit which, though somewhat creased after two flights, still looked incredibly good on his lean, muscular frame. The juxtaposition between the suit and the tattoos that snaked down his hands and fingers and up his neck appealed to her. When she was a kid he used to dress rougher, more like she did now. In jeans, T-shirts and running shoes. Allie dressed down so her clients would feel more comfortable with her. She kept her hair long and free so she would seem more disarming. Now she felt like a tangled, dirty mess. Her shirt was torn and bloody where she’d been knifed.

  “How long are you going to keep me here?” Allie finally decided to brave the questions she knew needed asking.

  His eyes sharpened on her face. “You’re here to stay, Allison,” he said implacably using her full name, which he did when he wanted her to know he meant what he was saying.

  She shook her head. “No, I’m not.”

  “This isn’t a negotiation.” His voice was hard, his eyes harder.

  Anger and a dose of panic rose up in Allie. She knew when Jay decided something he was immovable. “Jay, I can’t stay here with you. I’m still married to Derrick. I still have a job. I have to go home. I can see exactly what you’ve done. You’ve built this beautiful home and filled it with things that you know I love. But its too late for us, Jay. Even a beautiful prison is still a prison. You can’t just keep me here forever!”

  Something frightening flared in Jay’s eyes, stopping the flow of Allie’s words. He stepped toward her. Allie stepped back. He stalked toward her until only inches separated them. She felt the electric attraction jump between them, stronger than ever, and gasped. He didn’t touch her, yet every part of her felt alive from his nearness. It had always been there, the thing that lay between them, but Jay had suppressed it before, sending her away. He was doing nothing to hold himself back from her now. Her head spun from the knowledge that he was done hiding his attraction.

  “You’ve always belonged to me, Allison,” his quiet voice sounded guttural with need. “I should have taken you when you were eighteen, but I didn’t. For better or worse, I sent you away instead.”

  She nodded mutely, eyes wide on his face.

  “I let you go once.”

  Her lips parted and her breath escaped in a shudder.

  “It’ll never happen again.”

  Allie whimpered, half in fear and half in arousal, as he pinned her with his possessive grey eyes. He looked as though he wanted to reach for her, but was ruthlessly holding himself back so he wouldn’t hurt her. His long fingers curled into fists and his cruel lips compressed into a line. Allie shivered as he stepped away from her. Some of the tension diffused.

  “Get some rest,” he said.

  He turned and left the room, locking the door behind him.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Jay could hardly bring himself to believe that Allie was finally here with him, sleeping in his bed. If he was a better man he would have given her one of the other rooms until she was used to the idea of sharing his. He had spent a lifetime yearning for this woman. Even if her injuries ensured that he couldn’t yet touch her, she would sleep in his bed from now on.

  Her beautiful silky hair, so dark it was almost black, spread across his pillow like a halo. It was much longer than the last time he’d seen her. Of course, he had seen photos, but the reality was even more lovely. The texture was incredibly soft to touch. Her skin was as soft and flawless as he remembered, darker than his. Her mother was Aboriginal and her father’s ancestry wasn’t known, though Jay had his suspicions given the majority of Vancouver’s Eastside population. It didn’t matter to him though. He’d always thought Allie was the sweetest, prettiest thing to come out of that cesspool.

  Allie had always been somewhat petite, though he was pleased to see the past few years had added some more curves to her frame, especially her breasts and hips. Now that she was in his keeping he would work on getting her to eat more often, instead of the hurried meals his surveillance reported to him. He would ensure she took better care of herself. If Allie had a single fault, it was that she rarely took time to be selfish.

  He glanced up at the bedroom door and frowned at the man waiting there. If he could spare her the next few moments, he would. But he needed her to answer some questions first, then she could sleep through the worst of it.

  He ran a gentle finger down her cheek and lightly across her jaw. Her eyes opened instantly and stared up into his. The insta
nt accusation shining in those dark depths should have bit into his heart, but the hint of softness reserved only for him was still there, mitigating the anger. The anger that was about to grow. Anticipating her fear and upset, he placed a hand on either side of her waist, restraining her so she wouldn’t pull her stitches.

  “Allie, I need to ask you a few questions,” Jay said softly.

  She frowned and tried to push herself back a little so she could sit up. He shook his head and put a hand on her shoulder, holding her in place. “You won’t like my questions and I don’t want you to upset yourself and pull the stitches. Just lay still.”

  “What’s going on Jay,” she asked sharply, glancing around, finally catching sight of the man standing in the doorway. “Who’s that?”

  Jay ignored her question and said sharply, “Allie look at me.”

  She looked up at him with a frown.

  “Did you know Derrick was cheating on you?”

  Allie gasped, but she didn’t look surprised. Jay nodded. “You knew,” he said quietly.

  She struggled to sit up, but his hold was unbreakable.

  “When was the last time you had sex with him?”

  Allie stopped struggling and gaped up at Jay in embarrassment, her cheeks brightening. Tears glittered in her eyes and she whispered up at him furiously, “That is none of your damn business!”

  Jay shook his head, took her shoulders in a hard grip and leaned down. He spoke from between gritted teeth for her ears alone. “Listen carefully, Allison. I’ve let you live your life. You fucked it up. The only reason your motherfucking husband is alive is because you decided you loved him for some fucked up reason. If you don’t want me to fly out there and remedy that situation tonight then you’ll tell me what I want to know. Understand?”

  Allie nodded mutely, eyes wide with fear.

  “When did he last fuck you?”

  She closed her eyes and whispered miserably, “Almost a year.”

  “What the fuck!?” he snarled explosively, accidentally shaking her.

  Allie cried out in pain and cradled her injured arm. Jay released her, but then reached for her when she tried to roll away from him. She whimpered, but he held her loosely, looping an arm around her hips and anchoring her against him. He took her chin in his hand and forced her to look up at him.

  “Are you lying to me?” he demanded. When she shook her head, he asked, “Why haven’t you had sex in a year?”

  She shrugged helplessly. “He had Melissa.”

  “You knew the entire time that he was fucking that whore and you stayed with him?” Jay asked incredulously. He shoved a hand through his short hair and frowned down at her. How had he missed this? Between Vic and Greg, Allie’s every move had been well documented over the past ten years. He should have known this detail, yet somehow it’d been missed. Apparently his little Allie was as good at keeping secrets as Jay himself.

  “Honestly, we haven’t had much of a marriage since the first several months,” Allie said with a sigh and tried to sit up. This time instead of preventing her, Jay helped her, though he retained his hold on her hips in case she tried to pull away again. “I think Derrick only wanted me because I was exotic and different. Also my work in non-profit appealed to him for a while. He could parade me around his friends and show me off like a talking piece. But I got boring. I was too serious for him. I was always upgrading my classes and putting in extra volunteer hours. We were pretty much separated by the time Melissa came along anyway. Now, we’re basically roommates living in the same house. We barely speak. The last time we had sex… he came home drunk and… it was just easier to let him…”

  “Son of a bitch!” Jay snarled and ducked his head so she wouldn’t see the worst of his fury.

  Jay had known about her less than perfect marriage. He hadn’t known that she and her husband were no longer sharing a bed. Fierce possessiveness rose sharply within him. Now that she was here, she would never leave his bed. Her words made Derrick even more disposable than he had been before. He would deal with Derrick later, when cold logic was his once more.

  “There’s no reason for you to go back to him,” Jay said gently when he was able to look at her once more.

  Allie’s eyes grew stormy. “I’m not ready to stop fighting for my marriage. I’m not a quitter, Jay.”

  “It sounds like you aren’t the one that quit,” Jay pointed out.

  “It doesn’t matter, you don’t get to make that decision for me!” she snapped.

  His eyes hardened. “Actually, I am making that decision.” He nodded toward the man who was pretending not to hear their stormy conversation. “This is my doctor. He’s going to look at you.”

  Allie frowned at the doctor and then up at Jay who was leaning over her, ready to restrain her once her sharp mind figured things out.

  “But I’ve already seen a doctor. I’m fine for now. You were there, Jay, you heard what the doctor said…” her voice trailed off and her confused eyes searched Jay’s face for answers.

  His face remained implacable when he asked, “Was your husband having sex with Melissa the last time he slept with you?”

  Allie shook her head, but frowned. Finally she whispered, “I don't know.”

  “You haven’t been very responsible in seeing your doctor, Allison,” Jay said in a hard voice. “You should have gotten tested as soon as you found out about Mellisa. There’ve most likely been other women besides her.”

  Allie frowned angrily, “You’ve been spying on me!”

  “Do you really think I’d let you go that easily?” he asked, touching her cheek gently.

  “You didn’t know everything about me!” she snapped.

  He ignored her outburst and said, “We need to make sure that fucker didn’t give you anything.”

  She blanched and shook her head. “I would know by now.”

  “Not necessarily,” this from the doctor. “It’s safer to make sure, Ms. Klassen.”

  Jay shifted to block the doctor from her view. Her frightened eyes were latched onto the stranger who was proposing to examine her. She looked up at Jay and shook her head. “No, please, Jay. I don’t need to get checked.”

  He hardened himself against those beautiful velvety dark eyes. Besides her mother, Allie was the only person in the world that could soften him. Her fear called to the beast within him. Made him want to tear apart the world in an attempt to protect her. Unfortunately, it was him that was frightening her and there was nothing he could do about that. In order to protect her future he had to tear apart her world right now.

  Speaking softly, he said in a hard voice. “This is going to happen Allie. You are getting a complete physical. You are past due and we need to make sure Derrick hasn’t given you anything.”

  Tears trickled from her eyes. Jay knew that Allie was a very private person who didn’t often share herself physically with others. She hated going to the doctor and only saw female doctors for pelvic exams. Her face was now pale and she was shaking her head. Jay felt terrible for making this decision for her, but his doctor was one of the best and most discreet. He would make sure Allie was well cared for and that no word of her existence leaked beyond the walls of the vineyard.

  “Look at me, Allison,” Jay said quietly, his strong hands pressing her shoulders back into the pillows. “I won’t allow you to suffer. I want you to sleep now.”

  She frowned up at him for a moment, seconds before comprehension hit. She surged up against him, but he used his stronger body to press hers gently back into the soft pillows. He closed his long fingers around her wrists and pressed them down into the mattress.

  “No, no, no!” she cried, shaking her head.

  “Look at me!” he said sharply, pressing his body into hers, mindful not to put too much weight on her wounds.

  Allie’s eyes snapped up to his and became trapped. The fight drained from her as he held her. She made a soft sound of denial as the doctor pricked her in the arm, administering the medication that wo
uld render her unconscious. She fought it bravely, but within seconds her eyelids fluttered shut and her muscles relaxed beneath him. Jay rolled off of her and quickly checked her bandages for blood seepage to make sure she hadn’t accidentally pulled her stitches. He should have known that Allie would fight for her freedom. Though it was clear she wanted him as much as ever, she wasn’t willing to give up her independence easily.

  Jay cracked his neck and knuckles before leaning over and going about the task of undressing her. He knew he should probably leave the doctor to his examination. That seeing another man put hands on Allie was going to be an exercise in self-torture, but he couldn’t bring himself to put her through the experience alone. Even unconscious, he wanted her to have a friend nearby. The next several weeks were going to be enough of a trial for her as she adjusted to the reality of her new life.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Three weeks later

  Allie leaned back against the stone wall and glanced moodily at the approaching quad as it made its way over the dirt track toward her. She was hoping it would take longer for Greg to come pick her up this time. Digging her bare toes into the cool blades of grass under her feet, she plucked at the silver and gold cuff bracelet that had been attached to her wrist for the past three weeks. She had quickly deduced that it was used to track her whereabouts and there was no way to get it off.

  She hadn’t seen Jay since she woke up from her doctor’s exam. He had explained to a groggy Allie that he needed to tend to business in Vancouver and while he was away she could adjust to her new home. She had quickly discovered her new home was actually a charmingly impenetrable fortress with no way out except through the front gate, to which Allie was routinely denied access, though she tried on a semi regular basis.

  While she saw other guards on the estate, Allie’s only regular companion was Greg. Lucky for her, Greg was turning out to be extraordinarily even-tempered and kind. And although Allie tended toward both of those traits herself, her current incarceration within the vineyard walls was bringing out a previously unknown temper. She tried pleading with Greg and, when that failed, she raged at him. In a fit of anger, she broke some of Jay’s possessions and quickly discovered the windows were shatter-proof. Greg quietly cleaned up after her.