Mercy's Angels Box Set (Mercy's Angel #1-3)

by Kirsty Dallas

  “What are you doing, Malen’kaya?”

  “I don’t want to get your couch dirty,” I whispered.

  The grin that so rarely graced his face broke free, and he took a few short steps towards me. Placing his large hands on my shoulders he gently pressed down in a silent plea to sit, so I did.

  “Eli has already spilled soda, chocolate and some sort of green slime on this sofa. A little dirt isn’t going to make any difference at this stage. Welcome to my home.”

  Briefly I wondered who Eli was, but I was emotionally drained and just wanted to curl into a ball and disappear. Even though I slept on the jet, I still felt listless and flat. As my gaze floated over Mой’s home, I couldn’t help but shudder. There had been a moment of wonder and awe when I had first entered Master Jonas’ home, too. It turned out to be hell on earth.

  Dillon had Bomber sitting at the long dining table, his pants dropped around his ankles. He wore boxers that covered his nudity, but I averted my eyes regardless. It wasn’t that nudity bothered me, I just didn’t want anyone to get the impression that I was interested in them in that way. That lesson had been learned early with Jonas, that curious glances could bring unwanted attention.

  “You should live. It’s just a graze and doesn’t even need stitches,” Dillon confirmed. Bomber grunted as he pulled his pants back up. Dillon continued, “Down that hall you’ll find two spare rooms, take one and get yourself cleaned up.”

  Bomber disappeared as Gabbie slid silently through the back glass doors that overlooked a large pool surrounded with outdoor furniture. There was a small guest house in the very back of the property. Beyond the fence that bordered the property was nothing but thick sprawling firs that were a common sight for Claymont. The town was surrounded by mountains, which at this time of year were capped in snow. Unspoiled forest reserves, which began at the base, climbed steadily higher into the beautiful summits. Claymont was truly a picturesque town; it was comfortable with old-world charm, but was busy enough due to the renowned college on its outskirts. As I looked over the stunning countryside lit by moonlight, I found myself questioning once again why I ever left.

  I regarded the unfamiliar room around me. It was an open plan with a large modern kitchen, dining room and living area. The walls were white, the high polished tiles on the floor white, the furniture either white, black or chrome. Some people may have found it a little stark and impersonal, but I found it peaceful. Black and white photos of landscapes covered some of the walls, and even though I found myself drawn to the quiet yet expressive images, I couldn’t bring myself to move in for a closer look. Not until Mой entered the room from the wide open hall in front of me. Obedience reigned where my master was concerned, and I stood, pressing my tired shoulders back, my head slightly lowered submissively, and my gaze rested on his. He held out his hand, and I gingerly walked forward to take it.

  “I’ll show you your room. You can clean up and get some rest.” I began to follow him down the long hallway. “Are your feet alright, do you want me to carry you?”

  “I’m fine, Mой,” I whispered.

  “That’s Dillon’s room.” Mой nodded in the direction of a closed door to my right. “And over there is the study.” He nodded to another closed door on the opposite side of the hallway. “Bathroom.” He nodded to our left again as we passed an open door this time, revealing a bright modern and clean bathroom space. “My room.” This time he pointed out an open door on our right.

  A large king size bed with soft black comforter and pillows dominated the enormous room. A large framed black and white picture of a forest scene sat on the wall above the bed. The thick trunks of the trees took up most of the frame. A gentle fog hung in the air, giving the picture an ominous impression. To me it looked peaceful and quiet.

  “You can use this room.” Mой signaled to a room behind us, and I stepped cautiously toward it.

  He pushed open the door and led me through. There was a queen size bed adorned with a red comforter, and red and black matching pillows. Two small art deco lights sat on the wall above the bed and there was a small table, black table on either side. A large set of dresser drawers that matched the bedside tables was propped against the wall in front of the bed and to my right was a closed door which I assumed hid the closet. On the other side of the room were sheer curtains that stood as a barrier between the room and a sliding glass door, which led to the back patio.

  Mой must have noticed my gaze. “I don’t want you going outside, Em. Keep the curtains drawn.” He moved over to the windows and pulled a second heavier curtain across the view. “I’ll go get you a clean shirt to wear for tonight. I believe Rebecca has been busy shopping for you, so when you go home tomorrow you can finally wear something of your own.”

  His words took a moment to register. “Home?”

  When Mой looked up, his gaze was hard and even, a stark difference from the gentle, concerned looks he had spared me thus far. It frightened me a little to see him look at me that way.

  “Home, Em, your house. Actually it’s yours and Rebecca’s. Charlie lives there, too. They’ve been busy renovating it; you probably won’t recognize it—”

  “You’re giving me away, Mой?” I whispered, my lip trembling.

  Mой ran his hand through his hair with agitation. “Not getting rid of you, Em, just taking you home, where you belong.” Before I had a chance to panic he moved forward, pressing his hands to my cheeks. “Rebecca will flay me alive if I don’t take you to the house tomorrow. Let’s just take it slowly okay? You can see the house, your room, and then decide where you will feel more comfortable.”

  A short and sharp nod from me finished the conversation, though inside I was reeling at the thought of Mой discarding me. We’d only just arrive and he was ready to discard me, what could I have done wrong in such a short amount of time? When Mой headed toward the bedroom door, I called out in panic, “Mой?

  While I looked forward to having some time to myself, I was still nervous about him leaving. Talk about screwed up; my body and heart were at complete and utter war with each other. He turned back to face me. “W...where will you be?”

  Mой sauntered back to me, his hard face gentling once again into that familiar concern he seemed to wear for me only. There was no sign of the hard cold stare he had given me moments before. “I’m going to make sure the team is settled in, then we are going to have a quick meeting in the study. I won’t be leaving the premises, and if you need me for anything come find me. Try and get some rest though, it’s after midnight.”

  “Yes, Mой,” I whispered.

  He was standing so close we were almost touching, his wide chest so close I could reach out and press my palm to him, absorbing his warmth to heat the cold that filled me. Of course I didn’t. Instead I allowed my eyes to settle on his much darker ones that were presently regarding me with lustful interest. Although he tried to pass of an impassive presence, I could see the war raging behind those eyes, the need that he was trying so desperately to reject. He wanted me and that sparked a curious sensation in the pit of my stomach, much like a swarm of trapped butterflies. Mой squeezed his eyes closed and when they opened the intense demand was palpable.

  “I’m such a bastard,” he murmured right before his lips crushed against mine.

  Caught completely off guard, it took me a moment to respond. And when I did, it shocked me. I had never opened my mouth for a kiss, instead retaining that one piece of defiance during my entire time with Jonas. Jonas cared little; he didn’t even kiss me the first time he had taken me. He never once pressed his lips to mine. Neither did he care if others did. As soon as Mой’s lips touched mine though, I immediately allowed his tongue to caress mine. This was my first real kiss and it was hard, dominant, warm and passionate. It made my heart explode with emotions that I had never experienced before. Mой’s hands held my face, controlling the kiss, moving my head to the exact place he wanted it. My heart slammed hard in my chest and my hands gr
abbed hold of his bulging biceps hoping they would hold my suddenly weak legs. While my body responded appropriately to his kiss, a whimper of fear escaped me, causing Mой to abruptly pull away.

  The anger that radiated from him made my eyes widen slightly, but I didn’t shrink away. In the past such an action only led to pain. Without warning, he pulled his hands free of me and stormed out of the room. I was left standing in a confused daze as my fingers lightly traced the tingling sensation left on my lips. For just a moment my body had heated and I finally found the warmth that my life had missed, but with Mой’s departure I was left feeling the icy tendrils of isolation that had become uncomfortably familiar. My body moved towards the door automatically, ready to seek out the man who commanded that heat. Forcing my limbs to stop moving was difficult, but at the crest of leaving this private sanctuary I did it, and I stood unmoving before the doorway. Mой was offering me so much more than a blanket of warmth, he was offering me freedom; freedom from the invisible chains that kept me captive to this slave world. Although that liberty frightened me, it also teased me with hope. After a long time, just standing, thinking, breathing, I turned to face the bed at my back. Methodically I pulled off my clothes and left them in a small pile beside the bed. Mой said he’d be back with a shirt to wear, but I hadn’t slept in clothes in such a long time it was no bother to slide nude under the soft sheets. From the pocket of my shorts I brought with me the Zip-Lock bag and carefully unfolded the note from within it. Mой’s neat handwriting lay before me.

  “My name is Emily Maree Donovan and I am not a possession, I am a person. I am not a toy to be played with, I am a living soul. I do not need a master because I have the strength to be my own master. I am to be treasured, loved and protected, and I will accept no less. I survived my captivity and I will continue to fight and survive until my life is my own once more.”

  I wanted to believe these words, I wanted to own them. They scared me though. They represented uncertainty, and they came with the possibility of heartache. Folding the note I tucked it under my pillow. With the knowledge that Mой was close by to keep me safe, I feel into a deep and restful sleep.

  Chapter 10

  BRAIDEN

  Sitting behind my large mahogany desk I typed an email to my stepfather, my fingers hitting the keyboard in an angry tap. To say I was brooding and pissed off was an understatement. Consumed with self-loathing would be more accurate. The way I manhandled Emily sickened me. I had touched her—hell, I had more than touched her—I had mauled her. And it had frightened her. Nothing short of a brutal sparring session would ease the fury from my limbs and I was tempted to find Larz or Bomber and ask them to kick the shit out of me for being such a spineless, arrogant bastard. Instead I ended up here, at my computer thanking Alexander for the private jet and doing the unthinkable—asking him for another favor. The scales were going to tip back in his favor. I needed to find Jonas Levier and I knew Alexander had the ability to help me.

  Dillon entered the room and sat down before me. He stretched his long legs out and laced his hands behind his head like he didn’t have a care in the world. We already had a meeting with whole team earlier where I explained we would possibly be leaving as soon as tomorrow...today... I needed to take Jonas out. While he was living and breathing, he would always be a threat to Emily. Bomber and Gabbie would come with me, and Larz would stay here to watch over Em.

  Dillon sat quietly and watched me with far too much speculation in his eyes. With one final, brutal stab at the enter key, I sent my email and put the computer into hibernation mode before resting back in my comfortable leather chair. On a long deep exhale I tried to find composure and for one fleeting moment I reveled in the peace that coming home gave me, such an infrequent feeling that I relished. Having travelled the world, standing on every continent at least once, ‘home’ had been a word missing from my vocabulary. I had no regrets, I enjoyed travelling and learning about knew people and customs but I never felt truly at peace within any of them, not enough to put down roots and call one place home. And all those travels and experiences had eventually led me here. This is where I felt comfortable, finally. There was tranquil stillness here in Claymont that I hadn’t managed to find anywhere else. My life had taken a deadly and unusual path, but led me here. I was happy with here, but my moment of contentment didn’t last long. The image of the damaged girl sleeping at the end of the hallway filled my mind.

  I raised my brows in silent invitation, urging Dillon to get whatever it was on his mind out in the open.

  “What’s going on with you and Emily?”

  Never one to beat around the bush, his question didn’t surprise me. Can’t say it didn’t piss me off, but nevertheless, we were business partners and family. He had a right to ask, more so than anyone else.

  “I’ve spent two months searching for her. I found her, literally carried her out of captivity, and have spent the last three days keeping her alive while trying to keep her sane. To say I am invested in this case is a reasonable expectation.”

  It was Dillon’s turn to raise a brow. “You were invested long before Emily was taken from Claymont. The girl had you twisted in knots before you had even met her.”

  I shrugged, I couldn’t argue because it was the truth. Her story, her picture, it had touched a place inside of me that triggered a switch. Protectiveness had reared its head and there was no way I could switch it off.

  “She doesn’t need a new master or a lover, Braiden, she needs help.”

  My raised brow lowered into a pissed off scowl, irritated that he had judged me as a prick who would take advantage of Emily. What pissed me off even more was that he was right. I had messed up with Emily, and as much as I wanted her, I wanted to protect her more, even if it was from myself.

  “You think I would hurt her like that?” I growled.

  Dillon shook his head. “No, not intentionally, but your emotions are all over the place. I see the way you look at her. It’s with possessiveness and something else, maybe misplaced affection?”

  “There is nothing misplaced about the affection I feel for Emily. Yes, I care for her more than I should and I can’t help that. But I sure as hell can control what I do about it. I won’t be jumping into bed with her the first chance I get.”

  I cringed at the memory of kissing her. The tentative way her lips met mine, the soft cushion of her fuller lower lip had stolen my sanity. In that moment if she had wrapped her legs around my waist and pressed her heated core to my groin, would I have been able to stop? A better man might emphatically swear he would have, I wasn’t that man, I was selfish, and someone accustomed to getting what he wanted, and in that moment I truly wanted Emily. All sensibility went out the door where she was concerned. I needed to get her home, back to Rebecca, and then I needed to get the fuck away from her. I didn’t trust myself being so close. Hunting Jonas was just the distraction I needed.

  “The possessiveness comes with the territory, Dillon. You and Dave both agreed that it was possible I might need to assume a roll of dominance with Emily to help transition her from captivity to freedom. To play that roll takes something that you most likely won’t understand, but it needed to be done. With that control comes with proprietary. I’m not dead, I can’t help those emotions.”

  Dillon sighed and rubbed a hand over his buzz cut hair. “I know, I know,” he said, his hands raised in surrender. “I just don’t want her to get hurt,” he looked up at me, “or you.”

  “Did you grow a pussy while I was away?” I asked with a frown.

  Dillon laughed. “It seems I did.”

  A smile broke free on my lips. “Okay, at least you admitted it.” I sighed. “She needs to see Dave. She is definitely showing signs of PTSD, nightmares, possibly flashbacks. She has a strong armor, but underneath it she is terrified of pretty much everything.” Dillon nodded in agreement. “She is going to be pissed off with me when I leave, but I have to go, it’s for the best. She isn’t safe until Jonas Levier is six
feet under…and she sees me as her dom, her master, and she definitely doesn’t need that in her life. I think the more space between us, the better chance she will have at recovering. I hope Rebecca realizes what she is in for.”

  “I don’t think any of us are really sure what we are in for where Emily is concerned, this is knew territory for all of us. You’re the only one who has any insight into Emily’s psych, into the life she was forced to live. While it might be nice to have you around to help, I also agree. You leaving will be like throwing a child who hasn’t learned to swim in the deep end, but sometimes in this life we need to be cruel to be kind.”

  I sighed. “Fuck.” Rubbing my hands through my hair I pierced Dillon with a hard stare. “She is going to need help, Dillon, more than what we can offer her. Promise me you’ll find her that help, whatever it takes, however much money is needed, if you find it and I’ll pay it.”

  Dillon nodded. “I swear she’ll be taken care of and she will be protected at all times. You concentrate on Jonas. The sooner you deal with him the sooner Emily can begin to heal.”

  Satisfied Dillon had my back on this, I stood from behind my desk. I was exhausted, physically and emotionally, and I was pretty sure I had sand in places sand has no business being. The fine layer of salt from my ocean swim had left my skin dry and itchy. Guilt over the kiss I had given Emily clung to my shoulders, making the weight on them heavier than usual. Sleep beckoned me, but a shower to wash away the grime and guilt would come first.

  “I’m going to take a shower and get a few hours of sleep. Larz and I will take Emily home first thing in the morning. I’ve contacted Alexander asking for his assistance...” I glanced at Dillon waiting for his reaction. Nothing. If he was surprised, he hid it well behind a mask of indifference. “He’s going to ask around and try to get a location on Levier. I could do it on my own, but things will progress much faster with his help.”