by Julia Sykes
His fear of my infamous, ruthless retribution would guarantee he obeyed.
I made my way down to the third floor, where my brother had commanded me to meet him. I knew he chose the brothel to bait me.
At least Lauren wouldn’t be there for him to touch and torment while I watched. The sweet woman—little more than a girl, really—had earned my affection and my pity. She didn’t flinch at the sight of my scars; she was devoted to me, despite what she suffered in my home. I treated her with a kind but firm hand. My commanding demeanor calmed and comforted her. She wasn’t afraid of me like the other girls. It was why I’d trust her to take care of Samantha.
I’d never touched the beautiful, willowy blonde with the haunted green eyes. The very idea of using her sexually made my stomach twist. But I was still determined to care for her and see to her wellbeing as best I could.
By the time the elevator stopped on the third floor, I’d concluded my threatening phone call to Ben. I took a breath in the final moment of privacy, unwilling to betray even the smallest show of weakness in front to Cristian. Still, I needed to brace myself for whatever he had in store for me. Especially now that Samantha’s fate hung in the balance. I believed she was a field agent—although a very inexperienced one. She’d never been tested in the field, and it was already obvious that she didn’t have it in her to lie or truly harm another human being.
Not even one as terrifying as me. Her instincts for self-preservation weren’t strong enough to quash her submissive nature, no matter how fierce she tried to appear.
The way she’d softened under my harsh hands and grown wet when I punished her let me know she was a perfect match for my more perverse needs. Even if she wanted to deny it, she would accept me eventually.
She didn’t have a choice.
Now, I had to convince my brother to let me keep her.
I returned to my penthouse as quickly as I could. My meeting with Cristian had gone surprisingly well, but he’d still insisted on coming to speak to Samantha in person. He would arrive at my suite only minutes after me.
I wanted to check in on Samantha and ensure she was covered before my brother came barging into my private haven. I didn’t want him breathing the same air as her, especially when I’d barely begun to tame her. Her fiery spirit might get her into trouble. I’d do what I could before Cristian arrived to encourage her good behavior.
A harsh male voice greeted me when the elevator doors slid open.
“Do you know what he’d do to me if I helped you? I have a future to think about. I’m not about to fuck it up by pissing off the boss. Especially not for some whore.”
Rage ignited in my gut, and my steps quickened, carrying me toward my bedroom. Ben had defied my orders. He was talking to her. He was looking at her. Looking at what was mine.
“I can help you,” Samantha said quickly. “If he’s threatened you, my friends can—”
He barked out a laugh. “You think I’m being threatened into staying here? I’m paying my dues, you stupid bitch. Don’t fucking talk to me ever again. And don’t you dare tell him I spoke to you, or I’ll—”
“You’ll what?” I demanded, the deadly calm of my voice belying the fury simmering within me. I paused at the threshold to the bedroom. If I continued advancing on him, I’d rip the boy apart with my bare hands. Samantha didn’t need to see that kind of gory violence. She’d proven how innocent she was—in so many ways—and I didn’t want to mar that with a show of brutality.
“She was asking for help,” Ben said quickly, his voice hitching. “I was just saying—”
I took a single step toward him, maintaining my icy mask. “You were threatening her. You were looking at her.” It took effort to keep the growl locked in my chest. “I told you not to look at her. You’re lucky she’s covered. Do you know what I do to men who look at what’s mine?”
The boy shook his head and tried to retreat. He made the mistake of moving closer to Samantha.
I was on him in a heartbeat, grabbing his upper arm and jerking him away from her. I stared down at him, and satisfaction threaded through my ire when he trembled in my grip. The monster inside me wanted more of his fear. He deserved to be punished for defying me. For daring to look at my pretty captive.
But I was mindful of her wide, pale blue eyes on me. I couldn’t spill his blood in front of her.
I might savor her fear, her tears, but I didn’t want her to shed them for him.
“Look at her again, and you’ll lose an eye,” I warned on little more than a whisper. “Threaten her again, and it’ll be the last thing you ever do. You’re relieved of your duties. Never come into my quarters again.”
He nodded, but he couldn’t seem to manage to speak. I finally released him, shoving him away from Samantha. Just knowing his eyes had been on her was like a taint on her lovely porcelain skin. I wanted to brush it away with my fingertips, to brand her with my touch, so her body knew I was her Master.
“Leave.” I bit out the order before I lost my tenuous restraint and snapped his neck.
He hastened to comply, ducking around me and darting out of the room.
My full attention riveted on my captive. Her eyes flew wide, and her pulse jumped at her throat. The way her pretty pink lips parted on a gasp made dark lust pulse through my veins.
She really was lovely when she was frightened.
She shrank away from me, scrambling across the bed: prey attempting to flee the predator.
The collar I’d locked around her throat stopped her short, but she yanked against the chain frantically.
I took a breath and dropped the cold, threatening mask I’d worn to intimidate Ben. I might relish her fear, but I didn’t want her panic. She’d hurt herself if she struggled too hard. I didn’t want the collar to rub her slender neck.
She flinched when I reached for her. That didn’t dissuade me. Samantha would accept my touch.
This time, my intent was to comfort with my hands rather than punish.
“Calm, cosita,” I urged in my most soothing tone. My rage threatened to rise again at the thought that Ben had incited this fearful state. I swallowed my anger and focused on her, stroking my fingers through her silken hair. “You’re safe. He won’t hurt you.”
“I’m not worried about him,” she said shrilly. “You’re the one who just calmly threatened to cut out someone’s eye. And I’m chained to your bed. Naked. I’m freaking afraid of you.”
I knew I’d been right to avoid mutilating Ben in front of her. She was shaken by simply the threats I’d made. Samantha was far more delicate than she’d like to think, I was certain.
She tried to push me away, but I easily captured her wrists and secured them at the small of her back with one hand. With her hands trapped, she no longer held up the bedsheet, and the fabric dipped slightly to reveal the upper swell of her small breasts.
After the few seconds it took to subdue her, I resumed stroking her hair as though there had been no interruption. I would touch her how I wanted, when I wanted. She needed to learn.
“He’s lucky I didn’t kill him for threatening you,” I responded, a calm statement of fact. “I ordered him not to speak to you or look at you. He did both. I can’t have a man in my organization who thinks he can disobey me.”
“So, you murder anyone who defies you?” Her melodic voice shook slightly. I could feel her pulse jump where I held her delicate wrists.
She didn’t understand yet that I wouldn’t harm her. Now that she was mine, no harm would come to her ever again.
No one would ever cause her pain.
Except me.
“I will never harm you, Samantha,” I promised, careful with my words. She didn’t need me to reveal my darkest plans for her yet. She wasn’t ready to truly understand what I wanted from her.
“No matter how defiant you may be,” I added, my scar tugging with another strange smile.
“But you spanked me. You said you want to punish me.” Even in her fearful state, she
remained argumentative. Her innocent, submissive nature didn’t diminish her fire.
“Only to correct your misbehavior,” I reminded her. “I’d never do anything that would damage you. But yes, I won’t hesitate to punish you when you deserve it.”
“I don’t deserve any of this,” she countered hotly, tugging uselessly against my grip on her wrists. It only took a fraction of my strength to keep her locked in place.
She was fragile, yet strong.
Fascinating. Bending her to my will would take time.
That thought cooled some of my mounting desire. I wasn’t certain how much time I had. I wanted to savor the process of taming my pretty captive. I wanted to train her, so she lived to please me.
She would be mine completely, but Cristian had his own timeframe in mind to coerce her compliance with his plans for her.
She’d claimed she didn’t deserve this, but that didn’t matter.
“Maybe not,” I allowed. “But you’re mine now, and there’s no going back. I’m keeping you, and you’re my responsibility.”
“I’m not yours,” she insisted, her eyes sparking. “And you’re not keeping me. You said that’s your brother’s decision. Did you tell him you believe I’m FBI? Have you both seen reason and decided to let me go before the Bureau comes for you?”
Just having her mention Cristian cooled all that remained of my lust. I didn’t want her to talk about him. I didn’t want her to think about him.
But even now, I could hear the soft slide of my elevator doors opening in the next room, granting my brother access to my home.
“I’ll let him discuss this with you,” I replied, pulling up my carefully blank mask.
I finally released her wrists and wrapped my hand around her nape, guiding her up onto her feet so she stood beside me. She clutched the sheets, covering her body.
Good.
I didn’t want Cristian to see her naked. I might have shamefully coveted the first glimpse of her when he sliced her clothes away with his wicked knife, but he would never lay eyes on her bare flesh again.
“Behave,” I commanded, a low warning in my tone accompanied by a soft squeeze on her neck to reinforce my control.
I called out in Spanish, inviting my brother and his two bodyguards into my room. My permission wasn’t necessary, but I preferred to keep the illusion that it was.
As soon as Cristian entered the bedroom, Samantha shrank into herself, her fire dimming. She took a small step back, moving closer to me.
Was she looking to me for protection? Or was she simply trying to put distance between her fragile body and my sadistic brother?
She’d have my protection, whether she sought it or not.
I eased my grip on her neck, my fingers threading through her hair to massage her scalp in soothing circles. I anticipated tears, possibly begging for her life. Instead, she drew in a soft breath and straightened her spine.
She didn’t shut down or panic. She stood by my side and faced Cristian.
Perhaps she was even stronger than I thought.
She started to ease away from me, but I fisted my fingers in her hair before she could shift more than an inch. She responded to my silent directive, stilling her efforts to get away from me before she’d fully committed to them.
I’d keep her at my side by force, if necessary, but it seemed a firm grip was enough to warn her to behave.
Pleased with her responsiveness, I resumed massaging her. Running my fingers through her copper hair probably soothed me more than it did her, but I indulged myself nonetheless. Touching her grounded me, as did focusing on monitoring her responses and controlling her. Around Cristian, control was something I lacked, and it felt good to have this lovely creature under my power and my protection. To have her on display for him, wearing my collar.
Mine.
“You are Samantha Browning,” Cristian announced. “Andrés is convinced, and I had my people look into your story. You’re a fed.” He sneered the last.
To my surprise, she didn’t shrink away when his lip curled. She lifted her delicate chin, defiant. “So, you’ll let me go?”
“No.” Cristian said the same word aloud that roared through my mind.
“But you have to,” she insisted in a rush. “If you keep me here, my friends—”
“They won’t find you here,” he cut her off, informing her of the cold facts. “One of my shell corporations owns this building. They won’t trace it back to me.”
“They know I was investigating your organization before you took me,” she said. “They’ll suspect you’re behind my disappearance. They’ll follow you until you lead them to me.”
“Then it’s a good thing I don’t come here often. This is my little brother’s home. Besides,” he continued. “It’s not like I’m stupid enough to get out of my car out on the street. And your people don’t have surveillance cameras in our private garage for this building. Which, I’ll remind you, they have no idea I own. So, Samantha Browning, no one is going to find you.”
Her shoulders slumped. I considered pulling her closer to me to comfort her, but my brother wasn’t lying or issuing idle threats; he simply told her the truth.
Her next words surprised me. “You’re going to kill me.” The words were soft, but heavy with defeat.
I firmed my fingers against her scalp, reminding her of my protective presence.
She didn’t seem to notice, or maybe she didn’t care for my protection or my presence at her side.
“No,” Cristian said before I could untangle my thoughts. “You’re going to work for me from now on.”
“What?” she asked on a little puff of air.
“You’re going to erase all the evidence the FBI has on me. You will protect me and my business from them. If you do, I’ll let you live.”
She hesitated for a heartbeat before her eyes flashed. “Okay,” she agreed quickly. “I’ll need a computer.”
I swallowed a chuckle. She really was terrible at deception. My little captive had no intention of helping us if I let her anywhere near a computer.
Cristian didn’t bother to smother his cold laughter. There was no amusement in the sound, only mockery.
“Do you think I’m a fool? You’ll contact the feds as soon as you get online. Now, I could just threaten to kill you if you try, but then you’d be useless to me if you’re dead. So, I’m going to leave you with my brother for a while longer. I’m sure he’ll break you in for me. He’s so good at that.”
I growled at his words. I didn’t intend to break her for him. I’d train her to obey my will. He wouldn’t touch her. Not once I was finished with her training. Not ever.
“She’s mine,” I snarled, the words ripping from my throat in my Spanish before I could think. She wouldn’t be able to understand me, but Cristian would. My fingers tightened in her hair, tugging at the fiery strands so I could yank her closer to my body. “I’m keeping her. I’ll make sure she’s compliant, but she’s mine.”
Cristian smirked, clearly pleased by my agitated state. “All right, hermanito,” he drawled. “You can keep this one. Just make sure she’s useful to me, and we won’t have any problems.”
I didn’t allow myself to take a breath to collect my roiling emotions. In the space of a second, I schooled my features back to a blank mask. I was becoming dangerously attached to Samantha already, and my brother wouldn’t hesitate to use her against me if I continued to sink into this obsession. I wouldn’t put her at risk by making her a target for his cruel games.
I was behaving like a boy with a new favorite toy. Samantha might be the first woman I’d had in my care since I’d been scarred, but that was no excuse for my childish, reckless behavior.
“Give me a month.” I told Cristian coolly.
“You can have three weeks,” he countered. “I don’t have time for you to play with your new toy. Break her, or I’ll find another way to guarantee her cooperation.”
My new toy. His use of the terminology that had
just run through my own mind let me know that I’d shown my hand. I’d always been possessive of my toys as a child, because Cristian reveled in stealing them and breaking them.
He’d do the same to Samantha if I gave him even a shadow of an excuse.
Keeping my expression carefully neutral, I nodded my agreement.
Samantha trembled at my side. “You can’t do this to me,” she whispered. Her porcelain skin was completely devoid of any trace of rosy color, her freckles standing out starkly on her slender nose.
Without thinking, I hooked my fingers through the collar at her nape, adding just enough pressure so it would pull snugly against the front of her throat. I controlled her body, her breath.
She belonged to me now.
“Quiet, cosita,” I chided, calm settling over me when her pretty eyes flew wide and she softened in instinctive submission. “It’s done.”
Her sensual lower lip trembled, and her thick lashes glistened as her tears began to overwhelm her.
I was dimly aware of Cristian and his men leaving my bedroom, but I couldn’t look away from the pretty tears shining on her pale skin.
A rush of jealousy soured my mounting desire. Cristian had caused these tears. I wanted her to cry for me.
And she would. She’d cry in pain; she’d cry for mercy; she’d cry from excruciating pleasure.
She wouldn’t understand yet, but she would learn.
I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her against my chest. The warm wetness on her cheeks dampened my shirt. I wanted to strip it off and feel her tears on my skin, but that could come later. When her tears truly belonged to me, I’d allow them to soak into me and cleanse my soul.
Chapter 4
“You haven’t eaten, sirenita,” I eyed the untouched food on the tray beside the bed. Despite the admonition, I continued to run my hands up and down her back.
She sniffled against me, and I savored the last little sound of vulnerability before she pushed away from my chest to fix me with a glare. I firmed my arms around her lower back, pinning her against me.