Eve is curled up in the passenger seat. Head tilted toward the window, she’s silent as she stares out into the light of the growing dawn. She’s exhausted. Eyelids drooping, her honey colored hair is a mess around her angelic features.
Clutching the steering wheel, I focus on the road. Not once does Eve speak, and at some point, she drifts off into sleep. I don’t disturb her. Find the quiet tranquil. This woman’s presence calms and excites me. Why that is, I don’t bother to analyze. The thought of what those Russian bastards would have done to her sends anger pulsing through my veins.
How did they find me so quickly? The thought niggles, rolling my suspicions over and over. I’d been careful going to Paulo’s. If they know of my association with the Jilani Don, they could have been having him watched. The other alternative is unpleasant. This is more than a hit. It’s starting to feel like a grudge. I’ve made enough enemies in the past, but this feels…personal.
Pressing a button on the small black remote control in my pocket, I watch the garage door smoothly open. Maneuvering the car down into the underground carpark, I cut off the engine. The whole building belongs to me. Each apartment is rented to only those who can afford the steep price for such an exclusive address. My domain is the largest, located right at the top. No one enters it without my permission. It’s only one of the places I own. By far it’s the nicest. Under the name of shell corporations, no one knows I’m the owner. It’s something I’ve assured. A bolt hole if I ever need one. Guess my paranoia has paid off.
Sighing tiredly, I examine the sleeping woman beside me. Lips parted, she looks untroubled in slumber. Hair rumpled around her face, once more, she reminds me of an angel. One I’ve plucked from her unburdened life into Hell. They have her photo. It won’t take them long to ID her. There’s a target on her head, now, as well as my own.
My fingers clench and unclench around the steering wheel with supressed emotion.
The ping of the elevator breaks my thoughts. As the doors swish open, I catch sight of Alessandro. Gaze sweeping the area, he automatically searches for trouble. In my employ for years, he and his wife have become like family. They worked for my mother when I was a child, and I trust them not to sell me out.
“Hmm?” Soft, sleepy Eve stirs, her dark eyelashes fluttering as she wakes. “Where are we?”
“Somewhere safe.” Reaching out, I can’t resist caressing her cheek with a finger. It’s soft, smooth and makes me want to discover more.
Lust swirls in her baby blue eyes a moment before reality hits, and I see the swift change to fear and distrust. “I can’t stay here...”
Sitting up flustered, her attention bounces around her surroundings outside the car.
“Petal, I’m not in the mood for this,” I tell her, cutting off her protest. I’m not letting her go. Won’t take the chance.
A delicate hand clamps around my wrist. “Please…”
“They know your face,” I snap back, tone becoming cold. “You’re a target, too.”
With a glance, I see Alessandro waiting for us at a respectful distance. He’s probably wondering why the fuck I’m chatting to this female in the car. Since I met her, my behavior has been out of my control. It’s something I have to correct.
Not waiting to see if she obeys, I open my door and step out. I hear the click of the other side a second later and find Eve stepping out.
“Who’s that?” Distrust is etched over her features. After her run in with the Russians, I’m not surprised. I’d seen how shaken it had left her. It’s another reminder of how innocent she is.
“Alessandro,” I explain to alleviate her alarm. “He works for me. He’s loyal, so don’t think about asking him for help or trying to leave.” Moving around the vehicle, I take her arm. I guide her toward the waiting male. She doesn’t struggle. From the slump of her shoulders and the tiredness heavy under her eyes, she’s dead on her feet.
“Kay,” he greets me.
“Is everything ready?”
Jabbing the button, he calls the elevator. “Just as you asked.” He assures me in Italian. I don’t miss the curious glance he gives the woman at my side. All I told him was that I’d have a guest with me. He has no clue who she is. In the morning, I’ll explain to him exactly what’s going on. For now, I’m tried and need sleep.
The doors smoothly open, and we move inside the confines of the metal box. I deliberately keep Eve close to my body. I need a cigarette. The weight of the packet in my jacket is tempting, but I resist. In a matter of minutes, we’re stepping out onto the top floor. A staircase is to our left, leading down to the other floors and directly in front lays a thick wooden door. The penthouse apartment.
I haven’t returned here in years. An empty house full of memories that bring me nothing but pain. Alessandro and his wife have done a good job maintaining it. Taking the key, he offers, I unlock the door, pushing it open.
The instant the air hits me from inside, the scents remind me of home. A lump forms in my throat, but I swallow it down. I can’t think about that now. This place is full of ghosts for me. It’s the last place anyone would look for us.
Ushering Evelyn inside, I turn at the door.
“That will be all. Grazie, Alessandro. I’ll see you and Laura after we’ve rested.” I tell the older man in Italian.
“She’ll be happy to see you.” Giving me a small smile, he descends the stairs. Their apartment is below this one. As caretakers, they’re always on hand for the residents who pay to live here.
Closing the door, I secure the numerous locks. It pays to be careful, even in a good part of the city like this. Finishing up my task, I find Eve standing in the middle of the hallway.
She gazes around with curious interest. Expensive pieces adorn the corridor under a thin layer of dust. Antiques untouched and unloved since my parents died. Even though she’s exhausted, I can see questions turning behind her big blue eyes.
“Are you hungry?”
She shakes her head at my abrupt question. “No.”
Stowing my backpack and her leather purse on the surface of a chest of drawers, I gesture further along the silent hall. “Straight along and turn left. Go through the second door you find.”
Evelyn hesitates for only a moment. Shadowing her movements, I pad behind her, watching as she takes in the rest of the flat. Finding our destination, she twists the knob and pushes open the door leading into the master bedroom. Palm resting on the dip of her spine, I escort her inside.
Unlike the rest of the place, the room has been cleaned and aired. The mattress is new, and the sheets changed. Alessandro’s wife has made sure the space is liveable. Clicking the door closed, I turn the key in the lock.
Eve
Nervously I stand aware of Kay directly behind me. Everything inside me is centered on this man and his next move.
“I haven’t forgotten how you tried to run.” His raspy voice is like silk over my skin. I shiver in response. “I haven’t decided yet if I should either spank or fuck you in punishment. Strip and get on the bed.”
My stomach drops with apprehension, attention on the large mattress. “I want to keep my dress on.”
Stalking around me with the gait of a predator, he moves into my sight of vision. “I didn’t give you an option sweetheart. Take it off, or I rip it off.”
Looking away from his taunting stare, I slowly slip my coat from my shoulders. Toeing out of my trainers, my fingers shake as I tug the dress over my head and leave it in a puddle of material on the floor. As my case was abandoned on the street when I tried to escape, this dress is all I have left. A tiny part of me mourns the loss of my clothing and underwear. I’ve never felt so vulnerable, naked in front of a man before or restless.
“What are you going to do to me?” I ask, not wanting to truly know the answer but desperate at the same time to be aware of what’s coming. Thighs pressed together, I link my hands together in anxiety.
Kay gives me a smile that doesn’t meet his cold eyes. “Keep y
our mouth shut, and get on the fucking bed.”
“No.”
“Do you want to go back in a closet?” he growls. “I’m tired. My side is aching, and I’m not in the mood for this, so you either sleep on the goddamn bed with me or spend the night in a dark cramped hole. If you want your punishment tonight, just keep defying me. Your choice, petal.”
The thought of being locked away in a tiny dark space has my defiance ebbing. I’ve never liked confined spaces. Ever since I was a child, I haven’t been able to stand them. Bowing my head to hide my face, I slink onto the mattress and crawl to the far side. If I must share it with him, then it will be with as much distance between us as possible. Dragging the blanket up I cover myself from his scrutiny.
Producing a pair of handcuffs from his pocket, he wraps the metal around my wrist. The click as it closes has my heart sinking. Any thoughts of sneaking away while he’s asleep evaporate as he fastened the other side to the metal headboard. Straightening, he dangles the key between two fingers before tossing it onto the nightstand out of reach.
“Nice try, but I could see what you were thinking,” he confides, taking his gun from its holster. Placing it beside the key, he begins to strip off his clothing. The leather jacket is discarded on a chair. Next, follows his shirt revealing the inked flesh I’d viewed before. Muscles on his back rippling, he perches on the edge of the bed, removing his shoes. My glare bores into the side of his head. Twisting my wrist, the solid restraint keeping me bound doesn’t give an inch.
“Are you trying to set me alight, petal, with that look?” Kay turns to face me as he stands. “You have witch’s eyes. Captivating and mysterious. They’d have burned you as one back in the middle ages.”
When his hands fall to the buckle of his jeans, I roll over onto my side. His words confuse me. Soft, husky, they’d been a trace of warmth that contradicts his previous harshness.
The mattress dips behind me. Is he naked? Worming its way into my head, the insidious thought has me tempted to peek. The room is plunged into darkness. Without sight, fears coil around my mind. Will I ever go home? See my parents?
Even with the space between us, I feel the heat radiating off Kay. I shouldn’t want to but part of me wants to curl into him and feel safe. He abducted me. Kept me prisoner. Stole my freedom. Made me come. Saved me from those people who were after him. I’m still confused by his motives. Why he’s keeping me around. It doesn’t make any sense. If he needs to disappear, why take me with him?
Silence stretches in the darkness. Moving restlessly, I tuck my cuffed hand under my cheek, mind still a storm of unanswered questions.
“Thank you for saving me from those men,” I whisper into the dark.
Minutes trickle by without a reply. Closing my eyes and drawing me knees up into my chest, I burrow beneath the sanctuary of the blanket. Maybe he’s asleep already.
“You’re welcome.” It’s quiet and gruff, but I catch it nonetheless.
Kay
I wake with a sense of calm I haven’t experienced in a long time. A peacefulness within my head. Registering the weight curled into my chest, I study the sleeping woman’s profile. Her long blonde hair is a river of flowing gold. Thick black eyelashes lowered, Evelyn’s stunning eyes are closed. Bewitching innocent eyes that hold a tiny flame every time she looks at me. Smoldering desire and lust she refuses to act on. She has just the right blend of shyness and fierceness. A gentleness about her that shows the compassion she has for other living creatures.
I can feel the warmth of her body. Her naked breasts pressed against my flesh. Cock hard and resting on my belly, since the moment I opened my eyes, it’s eager to experience this woman’s touch. The grasping heat of her pussy. Her swollen lips as I fuck her face. Fantasies dance through my head, dark and seducing. I could take everything I want from her whether she wants it or not. The fact is I won’t. Play and tease with her, yes, but when I fuck her, Evelyn will want it, too. Tilting my head on the pillow, I spy my jacket where I left it. My cigarettes are in the pocket, and I need a smoke.
Moving my right hand, I’m surprised to find it trapped between her thighs. I’m not quite sure how we ended up in this position, but my petal responds to the tiny movement. Moaning softly, she presses them together harder, rocking into it. It’s an invitation I can’t resist.
Caressing the seam of her pussy lips, I dip a finger inside her. She’s already drenched. Has she been dreaming about me? The things I’ve done to her and plan to do? Making a tiny mewling sound and still asleep, her slender legs fall open. That’s it, petal. Such a good girl. She knows instinctively, even unconscious, that I’ll give her pleasure.
“You want another orgasm, greedy girl?” I murmur, placing kisses down her cheek to the curve of her neck. Lilacs. The smell is subtle but there. Breathing it in, I close my eyes briefly. I don’t understand the effect this woman has on me. Maybe she is a witch. A lovely siren who’s been sent to seduce and torment me. Pulsing my fingers in and out of her, I find a quick, steady pace. Evelyn’s thighs quiver.
“Give it up, petal.” Biting down gently on her shoulder, the shot of pain takes her over the edge. Dazed eyes open as she comes on my fingers, still buried deep inside her. I smile at her confusion, watching realization dawn. Bliss morphing into shock.
“Get off me, you pervert!” she demands, all outraged and angry. Dainty hand finding my chest, she unsuccessfully attempts to push me away. Still chained to my bed by the other one, she has nowhere to go.
“You started it sweetheart. I woke up to find you grinding yourself desperately against my hand.” I tell her, not budging from my position. I like having her imprisoned.
“Liar.” Uncertainty trembles in her voice.
Thrusting my fingers, I remind her where they are still covered in her juices and being squeezed by her spasming inner walls. “I wouldn’t be just getting you off with my fingers if I were. My cock would already be inside you. It wouldn’t be gentle. I’d pin you down to the mattress and fuck you hard like an animal.”
Heat infuses her cheeks. She likes that thought. I can tell by the way her pupils dilate and the fresh wetness that meets my palm between her legs. Gently removing my hand, I bring my fingers to my lips and suck them into my mouth. Evelyn’s taste dances over my taste buds, and I groan in my throat.
“Breakfast never tasted this good before.”
Gathering the blanket around her, she hides her nakedness from my pursual. “I need the bathroom. Can you unlock me…please?” Rattling the handcuffs still fastened around her wrist against the metal headboard, she looks anywhere but at me. Her embarrassment is endearing. Even though she enjoyed what I just did to her, she’s not going to admit it.
Rolling to the side of the mattress, I leave the warmth of the blankets and grab the key. Swivelling to unlock her, I don’t miss the peek she takes at my groin. Mortification flutters across her expression, but she can’t hide the lust at the fact I’d slept naked beside her. Setting her free of her bondage, I check the delicate skin of her wrist. A darkening discolouration mars the area. I’ll need to find some cream for them. Take care of the damage that’s been done. Tugging herself clear of my touch, she absently rubs the bruises.
Moving to my jacket, I find what I’m looking for and retrieve a cigarette. Placing it between my lips, I watch Evelyn scurry from the bed with the blanket draped around her nudity. She heads to the bathroom, closing the door behind her. I’m not worried about her barricading herself inside. There’s no lock, and the furniture’s too heavy for a light weight like her to move. We’re so high up it would be suicide for her to attempt the window.
Lighting up, I take a long drag off the end. Watching the white wisps of smoke curl into the air, I listen to the sounds behind the closed door. I’ve never been with a woman long enough to know their habits. Usually, it’s a one-night stand. The rare flings I’ve indulged in haven’t lasted more than a few days. I know enough, though, to work out when someone is stalling.
Stalk
ing to the door, I rap on the it with my knuckles. “Don’t think you’re spending all day in there, petal. You might feel safe with this piece of wood between us, but it won’t keep me out.” Inhaling from my cigarette deeply, I let smoke seep into my cells.
The toilet flushes. When the door swings open, Evelyn’s eyes flash me a look of annoyance. “Keep your hair on Mr. Control Freak! I want a shower.”
Blowing out smoke between my lips into her face, I smirk at her irritation. She’s still annoyed I gave her an orgasm. Most women would beg me to give them one, yet this female hates me for it.
“That’s a disgusting habit.” She scowls, wrinkling her nose in abhorrence at the smell. The fire I’d witnessed yesterday is back with a vengeance. It’s more entertaining this way.
“Get dressed. You can shower later,” I order. Stubbing my cigarette out in an empty ash tray, I collect my clothes.
“I don’t have anything clean to wear,” Evelyn points out in dismay. We both know the last time we saw her suitcase it had been abandoned on the street. It will be long gone by now. With only garments inside, there was nothing to implicate her presence.
“You should have thought about that before trying to run yesterday,” I point out a little more sharply than I intend. Finding a fresh pair of underwear in a drawer, I put them on before redressing in my jeans. I don’t bother to do up my shirt, but leave it hanging open. My shoulder holster goes on easily over it. Recovering my gun from the night stand, I tuck the weapon into its snug home.
She flashes me a forlorn expression, and I sigh. I’ve never understood women’s obsession with clothes. The desire to have more than they can wear.
I tug out some crumpled clothes. “Here you can use one of my shirts and a pair of boxer briefs until we can get you some new things.”
Taking them, she gives them a dubious once over. Her hips are smaller than mine. The underwear might not stay up, but the shirt is large enough to conceal her to mid-thigh.
His Salvation: Cavalieri Della Morte Page 6
