by Julia Sykes
“Like what?”
“Like you’re some vanilla, boring man with a vanilla, boring life. You might not like our violent world, but you do like your toys. You like playing with women, dominating them. You like the control. You know this about yourself. I know this about you. Ashlyn isn’t made of glass. In fact, I’m sure she’s quite flexible. Can’t you imagine what she’d look like, tied up in your ropes?” His voice got rougher as he spoke, his dark words affecting him as much as they were tempting me.
“We can’t,” I forced out. “I can’t. Ashlyn’s not built for that kind of play.”
“I think she is. I think she was made for it. She wouldn’t be so infatuated with you, otherwise. I’ve seen the way she looks at you, the way she reacts when you touch her. Think about it, Joseph. She’s innocent, but you could be the first one to corrupt her.”
The first one? Fuck that. There wouldn’t be anyone else in her future. She was staying here, with Marco and me.
“I don’t want to discuss this anymore,” I said in clipped tones. “I’m not going to do anything that might frighten her. She’s scared enough as it is. A couple of days ago, she was a normal college student whose biggest worry was studying for finals. Now, she’s faced with the fact that she’s caught in the middle of a war within our family. She’s dealing with enough as it is. It’s a miracle she’s not trying to claw my eyes out for keeping her captive. She’s agreed to stay here, under our protection. If that means I have to protect her from myself, from us, then that’s what I’ll do.”
“You’re making a mistake.”
“Then it’s my mistake to make. Ashlyn is my responsibility, Marco. Mine.”
He flinched ever so slightly. If I hadn’t known him so well, I wouldn’t have even noticed it.
I knew he was interested in her. Any man would want her, but Ashlyn’s innocence would call to him as strongly as it allured me. Marco’s reasons for finding her appealing might be different from mine, but we’d always wanted the same women. That had never been a problem before. We liked to share.
But he didn’t understand Ashlyn like I did. He didn’t know her at all.
I’d do whatever it took to keep her happy, including denying my perversions and shielding her from Marco’s darker urges.
Chapter Eleven
Ashlyn
A week had passed since I’d seen Marco’s perverted drawings, but I still hadn’t told Joseph about them. It would be weird to tell him about his friend’s intimate, kinky sketches.
Wouldn’t it?
I couldn’t shake the image from my mind: Joseph looming behind me with a coil of rope. Every time he pinned me to the mattress or pushed me up against the wall, trapping me in place while he fucked me, the lewd drawing would pop into my head.
It was distracting.
Inappropriate.
And it always entered my mind right as I reached orgasm.
But I couldn’t tell Joseph about it. He’d think I was a pervert for even looking at Marco’s drawings. I couldn’t imagine what he’d say if I told him I thought about them when I climaxed. Not to mention what it might do to their friendship if Joseph found out that Marco had drawn me like that, bound and naked. Joseph might not seem particularly possessive of me when his friend was around, but this was on a whole other level. I highly doubted Marco showed Joseph his sketches. It would be like sharing porn, and that was just weird. Men didn’t do that.
Did they?
I supposed I didn’t really know that much about men. I’d had one boyfriend for a month in junior year of high school, and I’d dated a guy freshman year of college—Jimmy. He’d cheated on me, so I’d ended the relationship. I hadn’t really felt much of a connection, but the betrayal still stung. It only set me further back with my deeply-ingrained trust issues.
I’d thought I could move past those issues when I’d first met Joseph, but it turned out he’d been deceiving me all along; he hadn’t told me about his criminal lifestyle. There was honesty between us now, but I was still holding back my feelings for him. He hadn’t fully earned my trust back.
That barrier between us prevented me from bringing up Marco’s drawing. I couldn’t reveal the depth of my depraved thoughts to Joseph. Not when I couldn’t put my heart in his hands without hesitation or fear of getting hurt.
“What’s wrong, angel?” Joseph called me out of my brooding thoughts.
“Nothing.” I sighed and leaned my cheek against his shoulder, trying to focus on the TV again. We’d moved on from Stranger Things to Sons of Anarchy. I liked the show, but it wasn’t enough to hold my attention when I couldn’t get that lewd drawing out of my head.
Joseph picked up the remote and turned off the TV before turning to face me. He took my hands in his, staring into my eyes as though he could read my thoughts if he just looked hard enough.
“You’re not happy,” he finally said. “What can I do?”
I shifted, uncomfortable with his scrutiny. I cut my eyes away, unable to bear the weight of his crystalline stare.
“It’s just… I don’t know,” I hedged. “It’s hard being away from school.” That much was true. I was stressing about falling behind on my coursework, and while I loved being with Joseph, I was feeling a little cooped up in the big, empty mansion.
“Do you think Marco’s scheduled for the pool to be filled yet?” I asked, hopeful. If I could just go for a nice, long swim, I could clear my mind.
“I’m not sure. I’ll ask him again.”
This would be the third time Joseph had to ask about it. I wasn’t sure why Marco was dragging his feet. It shouldn’t be hard for someone with his kind of money to get the pool cleaned and filled in a few days.
“Thanks,” I said, holding in my irritation. It wasn’t Joseph’s fault that Marco wasn’t as concerned with my happiness as he was. Joseph adored me, pampered me. There was no reason for me to expect the same kind of treatment from Marco. He’d barely looked at me since I’d seen his sketches. I would have thought he was embarrassed, but he didn’t strike me as the type to get embarrassed. He certainly hadn’t seemed at all ashamed when he’d commanded me to turn the page and look at his drawing of Joseph tying me up.
The memory made my face heat.
Joseph’s gaze flicked to my pink cheeks and back to my eyes. A fine line appeared between his brows as he studied me, as though I was a puzzle he couldn’t quite figure out.
“I’m going to take you out to dinner,” he announced. “You must be getting tired of being on the estate. I know Marco is a great cook, but I think you need to get out for a little while.”
“Yes,” I agreed quickly. I really did want to get out of this house. It was huge and lonely, but on the rare occasions when Marco was in the room with us, it somehow seemed stiflingly small.
Joseph beamed at me, and I found myself grinning back. He was beautiful when he smiled, his sensual features lighting up with joy. I could hardly believe that this gorgeous, kind man was mine.
I closed the distance between us, initiating our kiss. His lips were still curved with pleasure when they met mine. I melted against him, losing myself in his arms for the rest of the afternoon.
“Why is he here?” I whispered in Joseph’s ear once Marco got out of the car. He’d driven us here in his shiny black BMW, and Joseph and I had sat in the backseat. I caught his hand, lingering in the privacy of the car for a few seconds.
“He’s here to protect you, just like I am.” Joseph squeezed my hand. “And this will be good. We can all have dinner together, and you’ll get to know him better. He’s not as scary as you think he is. At least, not where you’re concerned.”
Before I could say that I’d wanted to have a romantic date alone with Joseph, Marco opened the car door for me.
He held out a hand to help me out of the car. Since Joseph was getting out on the other side, I didn’t have the option of clinging to him. It would be rude not to take Marco’s gentlemanly assistance.
Even if I didn’t want i
t. I didn’t like being near him. It was… uncomfortable. Overwhelming.
I sucked in a breath when his thick fingers closed around my hand, engulfing my palm. It was the first time he’d touched me since the night he’d abducted me, when he’d trapped me against the wall and pressed his hand over my mouth to smother my screams.
A shiver ran through me at the memory, but he wasn’t acting aggressive right now. He held my hand as carefully as Joseph did, as though he might accidentally break my fingers if he squeezed too hard.
He probably could.
I got to my feet, and he closed the car door behind me. He didn’t release my hand.
I glanced up at him, and I found his black eyes burning down into me. His nostrils flared, like a predator scenting his prey.
I didn’t try to pull away. I couldn’t. All I could do was stand there, trapped in his dark stare. I felt small and helpless in his shadow, his huge hand on mine a reminder of his massive size in comparison to my much smaller body.
Joseph’s hand touched my lower back, and heat flooded my body at the familiar, intimate contact. The electric attraction that always danced around us surged, making the fine hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. My hand tingled in Marco’s, and I became very aware of the heat of their bodies surrounding me, shielding me from the chilly night air.
Despite the warmth, I shivered. The corners of Marco’s mouth curved, and streetlights caught in his dark eyes, flashing across his onyx stare. His thumb brushed across my knuckles, and I drew in a sharp, shocked breath at the light caress.
Joseph was standing right beside me, but he must not have noticed. He couldn’t have, or he would say something. He wouldn’t allow Marco to touch me like that.
He’s just holding my hand, a more rational voice in my mind reminded me. There was no reason for Joseph to get territorial over something so trivial.
I tugged my hand free from Marco’s grip, as though he’d scalded me. His expression went carefully blank, and he stepped back. Joseph’s touch on my lower back firmed, steering me toward the restaurant.
It was a small, quaint Italian place set on the small main street of a little town near Marco’s estate. I still wasn’t sure exactly where it was located, but it had only taken us ten minutes to drive here, so we weren’t as isolated as I’d thought we might be. I hadn’t seen a soul except Joseph and Marco since they’d taken me from school, and I’d assumed we were in the middle of nowhere.
Marco’s family must be even wealthier than I’d imagined, to own that much land so close to a heavily populated area. The real estate must be worth a fortune.
When we entered the restaurant, a pretty brunette showed us to our table—for three.
It was strange, being seated in an intimate corner with both Joseph and Marco. I glanced around, wondering what people must think of us. Surely, the other patrons thought it was odd, too.
But no one in the packed restaurant seemed to be sparing us a second glance.
Well, that wasn’t exactly accurate. A balding, middle-aged man caught my eye as I looked around. After a second of eye contact, his genial expression melted, and he paled. He quickly looked away.
I glanced up to find Marco scowling at the man. His face was harder than I’d ever seen it, the harsh lines of his square jaw set and his cold eyes narrowed.
He must have felt my gaze on him, because he blinked once and looked back at me. The fierce expression was gone in an instant. He didn’t smile at me, but he wasn’t scowling, either. I realized that the neutral expression he usually wore must be his default. I’d thought he was trying to be intimidating when his face was carefully blank. But I’d just seen his actual intimidating expression, and the neutral one was practically a silly grin in comparison.
I fiddled with my napkin in my lap to hide my trembling fingers beneath the table. Marco was even scarier than I’d imagined.
The server came by to take our order. Before I could look at the menu, Marco barked out a list of dishes that could probably feed five people.
“That’s a lot of food,” I remarked when the server left.
He shrugged. “I’m hungry. And this way, you can try some of everything.”
“Oh.” He still wasn’t smiling, but that seemed like a nice thing to say. Like he cared about whether or not I enjoyed my dinner. “Okay. Thanks.”
He tipped his head in a slight nod, acknowledging my response.
Joseph’s fingers laced with mine beneath the table, stopping me from picking at my napkin. My anxiety mostly melted away at his reassuring touch.
“Ashlyn was asking about the pool earlier,” Joseph told Marco. “Any progress on that?”
Marco’s granite jaw firmed, and his eyes narrowed on Joseph. I would have scooted away if he’d turned that glare on me, but Joseph didn’t seem affected. I supposed he was used to it.
“Well, keep me updated,” Joseph said when Marco didn’t deign to answer. “It’s really important to Ashlyn.”
Marco’s eyes riveted on me again, and I shifted in my seat. He wasn’t glaring anymore, but his gaze was… intense. I wanted to look away, but that strange sensation of being trapped by his stare alone kept me locked in place.
“Why 1997unicorn?” he asked.
I blinked. “What?” I said, a bit breathlessly. It was the last thing I’d expected him to say. I’d thought we were about to have an argument about the pool.
“Your password,” he prompted. “Why did you choose 1997unicorn? I’m assuming the university didn’t assign it to you.”
“Oh. Well.” I shifted again. Joseph’s fingers firmed on mine, grounding me. “That’s the year I was born. And I guess I just, um, I like unicorns?” The last came out as a question.
The corners of his mouth curved again. “What do you like about them?”
“What?” I was acting like a total idiot who couldn’t carry a conversation, but this entire line of questioning was baffling. Why would Marco care about my interest in unicorns, of all things?
“You heard me,” he said, his voice coming out in a rich, deep tone I’d never heard from him before. It was much warmer than anything he’d ever said, but somehow more… powerful.
“Well, they’re beautiful.” The words tumbled out of my mouth. “And, I don’t know, magical. I just like the idea of them, I guess. I used to love the movie The Last Unicorn growing up. I’d watch it all the time.”
He grinned. He actually grinned. And it wasn’t the scary, sharply amused smile I’d seen him wear once before. This was a genuine smile, and it reached his eyes. They crinkled at the corners, and warmth actually eclipsed the hard, cold light that usually reflected off them.
I’d never appreciated how ruggedly handsome Marco was. I’d been fully aware of his masculine physique, and I’d picked each of his harsh features apart in moments of fear. But when he smiled like this, he didn’t seem all that frightening. He was magnetic, compelling.
“I need the bathroom,” I said suddenly, almost surprising myself. Sitting so close to Marco was too… Well, I didn’t exactly feel uncomfortable around him right now. It was more… intense. Sitting close to Marco was intense.
“We’ll be right here, angel,” Joseph said, squeezing my hand one last time before releasing it.
I popped up out of my chair and hurried to the bathroom. Embarrassingly, I ended up getting a little lost looking for it. The brunette who’d showed us to our table directed me from the front of the restaurant back toward the kitchen. The ladies’ room was down a long hall to the left. Luckily, it was far out of sight from Joseph and Marco, so they hadn’t seen me wandering around like an idiot. I’d already made enough of a fool of myself, talking to Marco about unicorns.
And what the hell had all that been about? Why would Marco care about me liking unicorns? It was a silly, childish thing, and I was a little embarrassed by it. There was a reason I’d chosen it for my password; passwords were secret.
Even though I hadn’t particularly needed to go, I used the faci
lities and washed my hands. When I’d dried them, I lingered in front of the mirror for a minute longer, willing the pink blush to subside from my cheeks. My body was hot, flushed. It was cold outside, but I’d been far too overheated when surrounded by Joseph’s and Marco’s bulk.
Ice water, I told myself. I need ice water.
I unlocked the bathroom door and took a few more seconds to smooth my hair back from my face. I heaved in a deep breath, bracing myself to return to the table.
I wasn’t sure why I felt the need to brace myself. Joseph was there, waiting for me. He would make sure I was safe and happy.
The bathroom door swung open, and I jolted.
“Occupied,” I said, but the lady didn’t seem to care.
No. It wasn’t a lady.
A man stepped into the small, tiled space. He was almost as tall as Joseph, even if he wasn’t as broad. He looked leaner. Scrappier. Meaner.
His lips were curled in a sneer, a wicked scar on his right cheek puckering with his twisted expression.
“This is the ladies’ room,” I said, trying not to stare at his scar.
He shut the door behind him. Locked it.
“I wanted to talk to you, Ashlyn.” He took a step toward me.
I took a step back, and my butt hit the wall. The space was too small, and the man was too close.
Before I could open my mouth to scream for Joseph, the man pulled aside his leather jacket to reveal a gun holstered at his side. His other hand came up to his face, and he pressed his finger against his lips as he shushed me.
“What do you want?” I whispered, not daring to raise my voice any louder. “How do you know my name?”
“I know a lot of things about you.” He took another step toward me, but there was nowhere for me to go, nowhere to run. “Not as much as Joseph knows about you, judging by the pictures my friends took.” He reached up and brushed the backs of his fingers down my cheek.
I turned my face away, but he didn’t break contact. My heart hammered against my ribs, fear coursing through my veins. It was just as toxic as it had been the night Marco kidnapped me. Only, this man wasn’t reassuring me that he would take me to Joseph and keep me safe.