A Stranger's Affection

by Charlene Namdhari

  “I could’ve gone back to my normal life where my parents sugarcoated the sick world we live in and watching a rich man carry on with his life as though he’d never hurt me in the first place. With no proof, I would’ve just become another stat in the system.” She shrugged. “Unsure if he knew I was responsible for killing his partners, I feared Jiten would come looking for me and hurt my family—”

  “Wait. You’re not talking about Jiten Rai, are you?” Colton squeezed her hand. He hated human traffickers and heard about the old man.

  “How do you know him?” Nishani gasped.

  “I don’t.” Colton slipped a comforting arm around her. “It was on the news. He was arrested for human trafficking, among other crimes and jailed. He had Alzheimer’s and couldn’t remember most of the things on the accusation list—”

  “Alzheimer’s? He fucks up women’s lives, and God blesses him with Alzheimer’s, How’s that for Murphy’s law.”

  “It’s over, Nishi—”

  She jumped up, her face a hard mask. “Never. Don’t you dare try to make what that man did seem like nothing? It’s not over until I kill that perverted fuck.”

  “Hey. I’m not the enemy here. I’ll never make it seem like nothing.” Colton stood. “The man died a month after being arrested. It’s over.”

  “No!” Nishi’s scream, filled with a mixture of hate and pain, crushed his heart. Her body shook with the sheer force of her anger.

  He pulled her into his arms. Screaming, she pummeled his chests with her balled fists. Colton clenched his jaw against the onslaught. He let her vent. When exhaustion finally slowed her punches, he tightened his hold. She resisted, but he refused to let go. “I know it’s not what you want to hear, sweetheart. And as hard as that is to accept, the bastard is dead. I can’t imagine what you’ve gone through. No one can. Maybe it’s time to put this all behind you and start living.”

  She leaned back to look at him. Her eyes were red and swollen. “It’s not fair. He ruined my life and got away with it.”

  Colton ran a thumb over her bottom lip, unsure how to make this right. “I know it’s not. At least you’ll have peace of mind that he can’t hurt anyone else. Jiten might’ve escaped you, but someone somewhere is going to fuck up again. Chances are you might be there to help another woman. Think about those men you killed. They can’t hurt anyone anymore.” He dropped a soft kiss to her lips. When he lifted his head, she heaved a long sigh and rested her head against his chest. “You were right about his family. They knew nothing. I met his grandson, who’s a highly respected businessman. He also bore the brunt of people’s hatred for what his grandfather did. Avinash paid task teams to take down human trafficking rings. Someone is helping to right the system, and he happens to be related to that sick bastard. He’s fucking Murphy’s law in the ass.”

  It took another minute before Nishi pulled out of his embrace. “Thank you.”

  “For?”

  “Listening and being here,” she whispered.

  He smiled. “Nishi, I’m not about to treat you like a porcelain doll that would break at the slightest nudge, you’re a strong woman, and I respect that. However, if you let me in, I promise no one will ever harm you again.”

  She turned away and moved to the window. Dawn was breaking over the horizon. “It will take a long time before I can commit to someone.”

  Colton stepped toward her, slipped his arms around her waist. “I’m not going anywhere,” he whispered against her hair. Together they stood there and watched the sunrise. Both caught up in their thoughts yet comfortable with the silence.

  Chapter Twenty Two

  “HEY THERE, GORGEOUS lady.”

  “Hi.” Nishani grinned as Rex pulled his body up onto the counter, where she attempted to bake a cake. She wasn’t much of a cook, yet occasionally Clara would rope her into the kitchen to help with some dish or the other.

  “I’m guessing you and Colton made up.” Rex reached for an apple, wiped it against his pants, and took a bite. He’d seen her leaving Colton’s room in the morning and offered her a goofy smile.

  She nodded. The previous morning on their return from the cottage, both she and Colton hadn’t mentioned what transpired in the early dawn hours. Later that night, he’d entered her room. Without a word, he carried her to his bedroom. There, he made love to her—not the usual hot sex but gentle, passionate lovemaking. Surprisingly, she’d slept peacefully, cuddled against his body. A distinct first—no man had ever spent the night. Given her past, the comfort of a man holding her, keeping her cocooned in his warm arms bordered on not likely to happen yet the last two nights in Colton’s embrace seemed right—perfect.

  Shaking off the musings, she teased, “Shouldn’t you be at work or something.”

  “The joys of being your own boss.” Rex chuckled. “I have to be in court this afternoon. I’m dragging feet before I head over to the office.”

  “Don’t you need to prepare, Mr. Hotshot?”

  “Yeah, yeah, mummy dearest,” he teased and slid off the counter. “I’m heading out.” At the doorway, he stopped and turned. “By the way, I’m happy you and Colton worked things out. He needs you as much as you need him.” Rex was gone before she could say anything.

  Nishani stared at the door, still pondering his words. She tucked her earbuds into her ears and upped the volume. Maybe Rex was right. A strange comfort existed between her and Colton. Despite sharing their pasts, there was no awkwardness. Their disclosures brought about an intimacy that usually rose from years of friendship. Might just be what she needed to start living. Right now, the loss of her memory and its possible return didn’t faze her anymore.

  An hour or so later, she stared down at the iced chocolate cake and smiled. Who would’ve thought that she could bake a handsome cake? Yes, one good looking enough to lick. She chuckled at her joke. As she moved to the sink, Nishani removed her earbuds then tensed.

  Something was out of place—a subtle displacement in the air behind her, a hint of something different, foreign, and a distinct danger. The hairs on the back of her neck rose, a second too late—she sensed him before she felt him. In one single breath, a big hand covered her mouth while a bulky body trapped her against the counter from behind.

  “Scream, and you die,” a gruff male voice whispered in her ear.

  Ignoring the warning, Nishani gripped the edge of the sink and pushed back.

  Something cold and sharp pressed against her throat. “Trust me, lady, move, and this blade will slice your pretty little neck.”

  Nishani didn’t freeze as would be the norm for most women caught in this position. She wasn’t most women. Without a sound, she held up her hands in surrender.

  “I’m going to remove my hand from your mouth,” he warned, “Make a sound, and you die. Got that?”

  She nodded. He lowered his hand. “Who—”

  Immediately, the blade pressed deeper into her skin. “I said, not a fucking sound. Move.”

  Nishani allowed him to walk her toward the door. When they rounded the passage, another guy in a black ski mask, came toward him. “Good, you got her. Let’s go.”

  Taking advantage of the interruption, Nishani elbowed the guy holding her in the ribs. As he fell, the blade nipped her skin. Ignoring the sting of the cut and the trickle of warm blood, she charged the second guy catching him in the stomach with a sharp kick. He went down, the same time the first guy got to his feet.

  Concentrating on tackling the two guys, Nishani didn’t notice the third until the last second when something stabbed her in the neck. A needle. Irritation at letting her guard down gripped her as consciousness slowly faded, and she sank to the floor. “Colton,” she whispered and closed her eyes.

  NISHANI OPENED HER eyes. It took a couple of seconds for her vision to focus. Her head throbbed, and her body ached, similar to when she overdid a gym workout. Nausea clenched her tummy muscles while her tongue resembled sandpaper. She tried to move. Her hands and feet were bound to the legs and
arms of a metal chair, a strip of duct tape covered her mouth. She glanced around the barren room and focused on a small window up on the wall. Even if she managed to get free, it was too high to see outside. Her gaze lowered, searching. A dirty, lumpy mattress on the concrete floor, the only other item in the room.

  Who dared to storm Colton’s home and kidnap her? Did it have something to do with the reason she ended up in Deepwater Ridge in the first place? Inhaling deeply, she studied her binds. They’d used ties. She pulled her hands and winced when the hard-plastic cut into her skin. That was a no go for the moment. She checked her legs—secured with rope.

  The sudden echo of voices filtered through the open door. Nishani dropped her head, controlled her breathing, and pretended to sleep. Judging by the shuffling of their feet, two men entered the room. One of them knelt in front of her and removed the duct tape.

  He shook her shoulder. “Wake up, princess. Nap time’s over.”

  Nishani opened her eyes and stared into the beady eyes of DeLuca’s douchebag guard. The lanky one she’d kicked. His new look showed she’d broken his nose. It hadn’t reset well and sat slightly off-center.

  He gave her a lewd smile, then removed the duct tape. “She’s awake,” he said without looking at his companion. “Remember me, princess?” He licked his lips while his fingers inched up her thigh.

  Nishani didn’t flinch at his touch. She smiled, and his neck jerked in surprise. It probably wasn’t the response he expected. “How can I forget. I gave you a pretty makeover.”

  “Fuck you, bitch,” he sneered, reached out and squeezed her breast through her t-shirt.

  “None of that, Joey. We’re just supposed to keep an eye on her,” his companion warned.

  “Shut the fuck up, Dino,” Joey yelled.

  Nishani looked up to find the fatter one who’s stomach she’d pierced, staring at her. His nervous gait a dead giveaway he feared his boss. So, DeLuca was responsible for her kidnapping. Colton wasn’t going to be happy about that.

  “The boss will kill you,” Dino mumbled as he glanced out the door.

  Joey stood and stared at his friend. “C’mon, man. Don’t you think the bitch owes us? I’ve got a fucking broken nose, and you’ve got a fucking hole in your stomach. She needs to pay. DeLuca is not here. If we both keep quiet, we can just say she got roughed up when she tried to escape.”

  “No, man, that’s suicide,” his friend muttered.

  “Fuck you if you’re to chicken shit to try something. I mean, look at her. She’s isn’t even afraid of us.” The cocky bastard glared at her.

  Nishani picked up on the opportunity. Using her best sexy voice, she whispered, “Forget about him, Joey, three’s a crowd anyway.”

  The moron bit. Hook, line, and sinker. “Hell yeah. See, now that’s what I’m talking about.”

  He pulled out a knife from his pocket, walked to the back of the chair, and snipped the ties. Before Nishi could get any circulation going, he grabbed her hands and secured them behind her back with rope. The clever bastard wasn’t taking any chances. She grinned.

  “Don’t do it, man,” Dino called from the doorway. His voice laced with open fear.

  “Don’t watch me then. Go out and keep guard.” Joey untied the ropes securing her legs, picked her up by the arms, and threw her on the mattress.

  Nishani landed with a soft curse as the breath left her body for just a moment. He dropped to his knees between her legs and spread her thighs as his friend went outside.

  His black gaze riveted on her, Joey sniggered. “I’m going to enjoy this.”

  In the second it took him to glance down at his belt buckle, Nishani arched her body, lifted her hips, and raised her legs. Using her ankles, she hooked him around the neck and yanked.

  “What the—” Caught off guard, he fell forward.

  Crossing her legs, she locked his neck between her thighs. Forcing all her strength into her muscles, she squeezed her thighs together and pressed down hard. Joey thrashed wildly, gripping skin to get free. Nishani didn’t flinch at his jabbing fingers. She’d done this way too many times, both in training and on the job. The resulting consequence. Death. No man had escaped her deadly hold, yet.

  Joey was close to suffocating when the door opened. Nishani looked up but didn’t let go of the man.

  “Now, isn’t this a pretty sight.” DeLuca chuckled. He moved further into the room, followed by two armed men and a nervous Dino. “Let him go, cariño.” The old man pointed to Joey, whose body finally succumbed to her grip.

  “No.” She shook her head. “I don’t like people touching me without my permission. And this douche hasn’t learned his lesson yet.”

  “Come now, cariño. Let Joey go. He’ll get what’s due to him,” DeLuca coaxed.

  Nishani offered him a sweet smile. “Sure.” With one last heave, she crushed Joey’s windpipe and released her hold then kicked him away. His dead weight rolled off the mattress.

  “Tsk tsk.” DeLuca shook his head. “I admire your strength, cariño. You’ll do very well—”

  “Hate to break it to you, old man, but I don’t intend sticking around.” She pushed her body up into a sitting position.

  He laughed. “And what makes you think you’re going anywhere other than home with me?”

  “For the simple reason that I know me, and you don’t.” She shrugged.

  “Finn was right. You’re intriguing, and Colton will become a pain in my balls over you. Any man would.”

  He nodded to one of his men who stepped forward, reached down, and gripped her arms. Nishani didn’t protest. With one swing, he threw her over his shoulder and carried her outside. When the man set her down beside the black SUV, DeLuca turned to Dino. Without so much as twitch, he pulled out his gun and shot Dino in the head.

  “I hate incompetence.” DeLuca climbed into the back of his vehicle. His man tossed her in beside him then replaced the rope on her hands with cuffs. The old man wiped his hands with a tissue before looking at her. “Hope I didn’t scare you?”

  Nishani laughed. “It takes a lot more than a gunshot to scare me.”

  “How disappointing. I must be losing my touch. I was once a highly respected and feared leader.”

  “Then Colton happened, right?”

  Nishani didn’t miss the flash of annoyance that crept over his features. She glanced outside as the driver pulled away, leaving Dino’s dead body to the birds and the rats. Given the surroundings, she was sure there’d be plenty of bottom feeders hungry for warm flesh. When she returned her gaze to DeLuca, it was to find him watching her intently. She arched a brow.

  He smirked. “Where the hell did Colton find you? You’re truly the first woman I’ve met who’s not only beautiful but strong and fearless. You remind me a little of myself. Yet, you possess this air of mystery I find intriguing.”

  “I can play pathetic if you prefer?” She shifted to get the blood circulating to her cuffed hands.

  “I like you just the way you are. Maybe I can convince you to be willing as well?”

  To any other woman, his stare would’ve been flat out creepy, but Nishani just smirked. “Have you seen Colton, old man. He’s beautiful and hot in bed. Why in God’s name would I be willing to forego that?”

  “I like your spunk. But Colton is made from the same cloth as me. We’re both hard men, have done things that cross the legal line. I’ve been burned, stabbed, shot. Yet I’m still standing. I’m meaner, tougher than—”

  “But you’re not Colton, right?”

  DeLuca’s eyes flared momentarily. Her defiance stumped him. “Don’t say I didn’t offer.” He went from friendly to furious in a millisecond.

  Nishani chose to remain silent. She’d just upset the applecart. But she didn’t care. He could try whatever the hell he wanted; she’d be ready for him. Nishani had learned a long time ago to bump fear and anxiety to one side—it was a hopeless waste of energy.

  “FUCK, FUCK, FUCK.” Colton punched the wall, not caring
that his knuckles turned purple from the assault. “Twenty fucking armed men, James. Appointed by you.” He glared at his head of security. “How the fuck did those men get by your team?” Colton paced the room.

  James sported a gaping hole to his hand where he’d taken a gunshot. Colton was on his way to a meeting when he got the call. Although he raced back, breaking every goddamn speed law on his way home, he wasn’t fast enough. Someone had rammed the gates, gotten into the estate, and taken Nishi. Maria was currently with Rob and a purple bruise to her jaw.

  “I fucked up, boss. I’m sorry. A woman drove up to the side of the gate and asked for directions. While Tommy talked to her, three SUVs crashed the gates and opened fire. I gave chase as they drove up to the house. We took down a couple of their men, but they outnumbered us quickly. I’ll get those fuckers if it’s the last thing I do.” The determination on James’ face was more than a promise to right a wrong.

  Colton fisted his palms and stopped pacing. Maybe her past finally caught with her, and someone had come looking. If that were the case, how would they have known where to find her. Think dammit. The only other person brave enough to attempt a break in would be DeLuca. He was fucked up enough to risk his men for a woman. DeLuca craved pussy, especially the ones he couldn’t have. Colton looked up.

  Rex and Brody walked in the door. “What the fuck happened here? Nishi?”

  Colton figured his brother already knew the answer to his question. “She’s gone.”

  “DeLuca?”

  “Only logical answer.”

  “I’ll kill the fucker,” Rex hissed. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go.”

  ‘Rex, we can’t go in half-assed. We’ll put her life in danger. We need to be a little strategic—”

  “Fuck strategic.” Rex roared.

  Colton acknowledged his brother’s rage. Over the few weeks, since she’d woken, Rex and Nishi became close. A bond like that of a brother and sister—one who’d unconsciously replaced a relationship with Alessia. “DeLuca is expecting an army. If I go in alone—”