“Back in bed, back in bed.” Stefano lurches to my side and scoops my legs back up onto the mattress. “What are you doing?”
“Stefano, I didn’t know about the bug—”
“Shh.” He puts his finger on my lips. “I know, bella. I know. I shouldn’t have doubted you. I’m so fucking sorry.” He pulls up the chair Sondra occupied and sits beside me, holding my hand. An IV is attached to my arm.
I rub my dry lips together. “Thirsty.”
Stefano jumps up and retrieves a water bottle, which he holds to my lips. I drink, liquid dribbling down my chin onto the thin hospital gown.
There’s suddenly too much to say and no words to say it. I stare up at Stefano, at a loss. “Are you still mad at me?” It’s all I can think to ask. It’s the only thing that really matters to me right now.
His brow furrows. “Hell yes, I’m mad.”
My heart plummets.
“Don’t you ever—ever—take a bullet for me again. I can take care of myself. Capiche?”
Tears spring to my eyes as I remember the moment of horror I experienced when I thought he would die.
“Hey.” He brushes my cheek with the back of his fingers. “Perdonami. Corey, I have to tell you something.” He looks around the room like it will supply him with strength. “It’s bad.”
The tears well up again, even though I don’t know what he’s going to say.
“I know we have a lot to talk about. I don’t even know if you would’ve forgiven me for what I did to you—how I acted. But I’ve done something even worse.”
The anticipation makes it so much worse. Or maybe it’s the pain. I can’t stop the tears from spilling from my eyes, even though I don’t know what he’s going to say.
“Your father’s dead. I killed him.”
Oh.
I blink the remaining tears back.
“Okay.”
He lifts a brow. “Okay? Did you hear me?”
“I heard you,” I croak, my raw throat grating. “He killed Leo. He almost killed me.” I touch the bandage above my heart. “Of course you shot him.”
Stefano strokes my hair back from my face, cups my cheek, concern etched into his features. “Leo’s not dead; we were wearing Kevlar. The doctor says you’re going to pull through. You’ll need physical therapy for your shoulder, but it should mend.” He picks up my hand and brings my fingers to his lips, kissing them. “Corey, say you’ll forgive me. For your father. For throwing you out. I messed up. Big time. But I’ll never doubt you again, I promise. And if you give me another chance, I swear I’ll work my ass off to make it all up to you. I’ll spend the rest of my life trying.”
“I love you, Stefano,” I blurt, my cheeks wet with tears.
For a second there, I swear I see moisture in Stefano’s eyes, too, but then my tough guy blinks them back. “Baby, I love you, too. I’m fucking crazy about you. Say you’ll come back with me when they let you out of here.”
I nod through my tears. “Yes, of course. That’s where I want to go.” I sniff. “You’re the only one who ever saw the real me.”
Stefano grows serious, picking up both my hands. “I want to discover everything there is to know about you.”
“I’m sorry I held back. I was a coward. My fear of getting hurt is exactly what got me hurt.” I give a watery laugh. “Ironic, huh?”
“I’ll never hurt you again,” Stefano swears.
I squeeze his hands. “What happened with my dad? What did the police do?”
“Your dad turned up dead in an alley in Detroit where he was working a case.”
“He was still working in Detroit? He told me he’d been transferred here.”
Stefano shakes his head. “No, he lied about that, too. He was here on personal time, looking for ways to manipulate his daughter’s situation to make money. Your winnings from Memphis have been recovered, by the way. The police will want to talk to you about the purse snatcher who shot you in the Hard Rock parking lot just before we found you. I imagine they’ll be in as soon as they hear you’re awake.”
“Got it.” I reach for the water bottle and drink some more down. I’m not even worried about talking to the police. I don’t question Stefano’s methods.
Justice was served, in its own way. It doesn’t matter to me if it happened on the right or wrong side of the law. My father didn’t uphold those laws.
“A little bit of good news? Turns out your dad never took your mom off his life insurance as beneficiary. She’ll be getting a quarter million as soon as things are settled.”
I smile. Yep. Justice has definitely been served. My mom deserves that money after putting up with my asswipe of a dad for all those years before he left.
She can retire from her job as a school attendance clerk, figure out how to make herself happy.
Me—I already know what makes me happy, and he’s sitting right in front of me.
Epilogue
Stefano
“You can’t keep me a prisoner in here forever,” Corey protests from where I have her tied to the bed.
“Mmm, isn’t this how our relationship started?” I work the knot on the silk tie securing her open and scoop her up into my arms. I’ve kept her prisoner in our suite since she returned home from the hospital two days ago. The doctors said she needed to rest and let her wound recover fully before she begins any activity and she hasn’t received the green light yet.
“I am capable of walking,” she protests as I carry her into the living room and settle her on the couch.
“No more TV,” she groans. “I’m bored. You can’t leave me alone here any longer. I’m going nuts.”
“I’m not leaving you. Nico’s got things covered tonight. I’m staying in with you.”
Her stubborn expression melts away, and the softness and affection replacing it takes my breath. She’s been showing me glimpses of this side of her since the hospital, and every time, it humbles me to my core.
I drag an end table in front of her and get a chair for me. “How about a game of cards?” I suggest, shuffling the deck.
She scoffs. “Are you serious?”
“Mmm hmm. We’ll bet clothing. Or”—I shoot her a wicked look—“sexual acts.”
Her lips twist. “You won’t let me walk from the bedroom to the living room, but you think I’m ready to suck your dick?”
I wink. “I’m sure we can find something that works for you.”
She grins and takes the cards out of my hand. “You’re on, buddy. You know you’re the one who’s going to find himself on his knees, right?”
I’m counting on it, amore.
She shuffles the deck and deals the first hand, which I promptly lose.
“So you wanted me on my knees?” I slide out of my chair and drop to my knees in front of her, pushing her thighs open. She’s in nothing but a short silk robe and a pair of panties. I run my fingertips up her inner thighs and she shivers.
“Stefano.” Her voice wobbles when I nip her inner thigh with my teeth. “I really don’t know if I’m for it. “I mean, I want it, but I’m afraid I’ll get too excited and—”
“Well, there’s other things to do on my knees,” I rumble, reaching in my pocket.
She watches me with a quizzical look until I produce a small ring box and pop it open. She gasps and covers her mouth with her hand. “Stefano.”
“I know you don’t like to rush into things, but there’s no way in hell I’m going to let you take a bullet for me without putting a ring on that finger,” I say in the world’s stupidest proposal speech. I clear my throat. “What I mean is… stay, baby. Stay forever. I need you by my side, lighting up my world. I know we don’t have our future figured out, but I want to figure mine out with you. I want to be a part of yours.” Fuck. I don’t know where I’m going with this speech. Are there issues I need to address? Or do I just ask her to marry me?
“Yes.”
It’s like plunging into warm water. “Did you say yes?”
“Y
es.” She laughs, tears glistening in her eyes. “I’m done playing small, playing safe. We don’t have time not to rush into this. We have our lives to start living—together.”
“Yeah?” I laugh. “You’re gonna wear my ring?”
She plucks the pink diamond from the box and slides it on her left ring finger. “I’m wearing it.” She holds her hand up to show me and I kiss her palm.
“Good. Now I’m going to assert my manly rights.” I kiss the inside of her leg.
Her fingers weave into my hair. “Stefano.”
“I’ll go easy on you just this once.” I wink before I shove her panties to the side and lick into her.
* * *
I hope you enjoyed Jack of Spades. Please check out the first book in Vegas Underground series, King of Diamonds now >
Sweet Captivity
By
By Julia Sykes
Prologue
“You don’t want to do this,” I choked out past the lump of terror that clogged my throat. I kept a wary eye on the wicked hunting knife Cristian Moreno held naturally at his side, as though it were an innocuous extension of his arm rather than a threat to my life. “Let me go.”
He threw back his head and laughed, his perfect white teeth flashing as the booming sound assaulted my eardrums. My hands shook violently, causing the ropes that bound my arms behind me to chafe against my wrists. The burn of the rough fibers against my skin and cold bite of the metal chair beneath me were peripheral; my entire focus was centered on Moreno and the way the gleam of the spare overhead light bulb made his dark eyes glint as sharply as the knife in his hand.
“No, Samantha,” he corrected me calmly, his light Colombian accent making his deep voice almost lyrical when he spoke my name. “You’re never leaving this place. Not alive, at least. If you answer my questions, I might be inclined to mercy. Otherwise…” He left the unspoken threat hanging in the air, the implication clear. I would experience agony before he finally disposed of me.
No. Don’t think like that.
I gasped in several deep breaths so I could manage to speak again.
“My friends will find me,” I asserted, knowing Dex wouldn’t leave me to die here. My best friend would do whatever it took to rescue me.
“If they do, they won’t find more than what’s left of your body.”
Ice crystallized in my veins. He took a step toward me, raising the knife. I tried to shrink away, but the unyielding metal chair behind my back kept me immobile.
“You can’t hurt me,” I said desperately, twisting against my restraints. “If you kill me, my friends will hunt you down.”
His dazzling smile illuminated his darkly handsome features with cruel amusement.
“I want them to know what I’ve done. Your death will be a warning. We’re going to send a little message to your friends.” He gestured behind him, and for the first time, my gaze darted away from the threat before me.
A man loomed a few feet away, the light on his smart phone indicating that he was recording me. A wicked scar puckered his tanned cheek, deepening his fearsome scowl. His black gaze bored into me, his dark glare penetrating my soul. I shuddered and tore my eyes away, unable to bear looking at him.
Moreno laughed again. “What, you don’t like my little brother?” He cocked his head at me. “Maybe I’ll give you to him to play with, after I’m finished with you. He has… very unique tastes.” He reached for me, his long fingers trailing down my cheek. I cringed away, my stomach churning. “I think Andrés will like you. Such pale skin. It will mark up nicely.” He shook his head slightly, still smiling. “But I’m getting ahead of myself. He can have you when I’m done. I’m going to extract my answers first.”
The cool tip of the knife kissed my throat, and I choked on a scream as horror overwhelmed me.
Chapter 1
One Day Earlier
I sat at my computer, my mind completely absorbed in the task before me. The fact that I was staring at the screen didn’t register; I’d fallen into my work, as though I was inside the code, surrounded by information. I was in my element. I might not be physically kicking ass, but I was powerful in this technological world.
Truthfully, I wasn’t all that good at kicking ass. I’d transferred from tech analyst to field agent a few months ago, and I was coming to realize it hadn’t been the best life choice. It had been a reactionary thing, a desperate cry for attention. I’d thought that maybe if I put myself in the line of fire, Dex’s protective instincts would kick in and he’d finally realize what had been right in front of him for years: me, hopelessly in love with him.
Despite a very small voice in my mind telling me I shouldn’t, I diverted from my mission and hacked into the webcam on Dex’s computer. He was seated only a few desks away from me in the FBI field office, but I couldn’t allow myself to be caught shooting furtive glances in his direction. This was much more discrete.
Some people might classify my activity as stalking, but I’d never quite been able to wrap my mind around unspoken social boundaries. Besides, how else was I ever supposed to work up the courage to look the man I loved in the eye?
Dex was frowning at something on his computer screen, deep in thought. With his chiseled features and piercing, pale blue eyes, he was painfully perfect. Not to mention his blond hair that made him appear like a fierce avenging angel when he was intent on protecting those closest to him.
But he’d never seen me as more than a buddy. I wasn’t even sure if he saw me as a woman at all.
I really shouldn’t have been surprised. With my skinny figure, shockingly orange hair, and decidedly tomboy-ish sense of style, my feminine side was all but invisible. Maybe if I’d put in more effort, he’d have noticed me. But seductress wasn’t exactly my M.O., and I’d probably trip in high heels.
I sighed. I was certainly the polar opposite of the brunette bombshell Dex had fallen for: perfect, gorgeous, sensual Chloe Martin. No wonder he was smitten with her instead of me.
Cruelly familiar pain knifed through my chest at the thought of them together, perfectly gorgeous and perfectly happy. Grimacing, I closed the connection to his webcam and threw myself back into my work.
“What are you doing?” I recognized the masculine voice, but I still jolted at its proximity.
I whirled in my office chair to face Jason Harper, the agent I’d been working for over the last few weeks.
Working with, I internally corrected myself, even though it didn’t feel that way. Jason tended to bark orders, and I tended to comply. We were supposed to be equals, even if he did have seniority as a field agent. But Jason had a commanding presence about him, and when his green eyes flashed, I jumped to obey.
“Sam,” he prompted me in that stern tone that made my insides quiver with unease. I snapped to attention, my gaze fixing squarely on him rather than darting around the room in my familiar nervous pattern. “What are you doing?” he asked again, somewhat impatient. He peered behind me at my computer, squinting at the code scrolling across the screen. He’d have an easier time reading it if it were Cyrillic script, and Jason didn’t know a word of Russian.
“Nothing,” I said quickly, knowing he wouldn’t approve of my activities. I mean, he wouldn’t like the stalking thing, but he’d be more annoyed at my personal distraction from my work. Jason and I were supposed to be working a case together, off the books. We were tracking the shadowy Division 9-C, a branch of a clandestine organization we knew little about. Well, we knew they were bad guys, and they needed to be taken down. That was enough for me.
Jason was the muscle on the ground, and I was the brains behind the operation. Or the tech goddess. I’d take either title, really.
Jason’s dark brows rose up to his neatly-styled black hair. “Nothing,” he mimicked me in a reproving monotone. “Do you want to try that again? The truth this time, Sam.”
I shifted on my chair and cut my eyes away. My gaze landed on the water cooler, the worn navy carpet, the shiny spot where the fluo
rescent lights caught on Jason’s highly polished leather shoes; anywhere but meeting his steady stare.
“You don’t want to know,” I mumbled. “Anyway, don’t we need to get out and run surveillance on Moreno? I can fill you in on the other thing on the way.”
The other thing was our Division 9-C investigation. Our official assignment with the FBI was hunting notorious drug lord Cristian Moreno, who had moved his business into Chicago in recent months after withdrawing from New York. He’d been pushing the date rape drug Bliss, and he was using it to start a human trafficking ring.
Division 9-C might be bad guys, but Moreno was his own special brand of evil.
The toe of Jason’s shoe tapped against the carpet in a condemning, staccato rhythm, but he decided not to press me. “Fine,” he allowed. “Let’s go. We can talk in the car.”
I blew out a relieved breath. I hated having all that alpha male power focused on me. It was bad enough dealing with men on a normal basis, much less working alongside walking testosterone like Jason. He was nice, but that didn’t mean he didn’t intimidate the hell out of me.
At least he kept a respectful distance while we walked across the field office and toward the elevator that would take us down to the parking garage. Once we were trapped inside the confines of the tiny metal box, I shifted my body into the corner to keep as much space between us as possible. It was a matter of habit. I wasn’t afraid of Jason, but I never allowed anyone into my personal space if I could help it. I didn’t do people. I much preferred to sit behind my computer screen, where I was a safe distance from everyone on the web, not to mention completely anonymous.
Now that I was a field agent, I had to actually interact with people. Talk to them. Look them in the eye.
Falling For The Forbidden Page 130
