She slapped a hand over her face, hating that he was saying these things because all it did was have guilt, disgust, and horror filling her. She knew all of this, and the guilt that she couldn’t have done anything to stop it made her just as sick as the men in her life. The tears came on fast and strong, but Kettah didn’t stop them. She had kept those tears bottled up, only unleashing them when she was alone in her room, with the darkness surrounding her and her muffled cries hidden in the pillow. But she couldn’t hold them in now, not when this lion pushed them in her face. The hiccups started to mix with the bone wrenching sobs that took over her whole frame, but she felt no shame in doing this in front of this male.
Covering her face with her hands, she cried for the faceless females she had heard about, but never saw, and cried because her father gave drugs to children not even old enough to vote. And she sobbed for all of the lives that had been lost at the hands of her father, and the men who had carried out those orders. She was no better than the evil that was Viktor Milokov. The bed dipped beside her, but before she could lower her hands or move away the lion had his arms wrapped around her and pulled her into his hard, muscular chest. That just made her cry harder, and she hated that fact. She was weak, had heard her father tell her that over and over again, and right now proved that fact more than anything else. This male was a stranger, but he was comforting her for no other reason than he felt her pain. She supposed she had answered her own question in regard to if Maverick had any emotion.
“It’s okay. Shh, it’s okay. I’m sorry for saying that. I shouldn’t have said any of that, Kettah.” His words were low, and strangely she sensed the genuine meaning behind them. “You’re safe, and I won’t let anyone come near you, let alone hurt you.” She liked how he said her name, soft and gentle, and so very unlike what she had seen of him thus far.
When her sobbing lessened to soft mewls he pulled her back so he could look into her face. There were worry lines on his forehead and between his eyes. “I’m sorry for breaking down like that. It’s just that I know how awful my father is, that he is a monster, and wish I had never been born into that life.” He brushed the pad of his thumb under one eye, collected the tear, and stared down at his finger like it was the strangest thing he had seen. He cleared his throat and looked confused as he stared at her. Something seemed to snap inside of him, and he dropped his arms from her and breathed out roughly. He didn’t move away, though. “You see, I know I am just as guilty of those atrocities as my father is. I never did anything to stop him.” He shook his head and looked around the empty room before turning back to her.
“How old are you?”
She brushed away the rest of her tears. “I’m twenty-one.”
“Fuck, you’re so young, Kettah.” It was like he was speaking to himself. He stared into her face, and for that one moment she felt like every emotion she held hidden inside was bared to him. “And believe me when I say there is nothing you could have done to stop your father. He is a powerful man with a lot of connections, and I know you feel responsible, but you aren’t.” He turned fully around so they were face-to-face, and said in a voice that brooked no argument, “You. Are. Not. Responsible.” He spoke so strongly that she wished she could believe him, but it would take a lot more than a few words to make her feel any differently.
“Thank you, but your words don’t change anything.”
He looked down, and she didn’t miss how his jaw clenched. His whole body was tense, and the way he looked at her, as a lion instead of a human, sent a shiver of awareness through her. Just staring at him, being this close and smelling the wild intensity that came from him, made Kettah feel very feminine, and very submissive. He was just so dominant, and it was that self-assured control that had her feeling like putty under the warm sun.
“So, yeah, I am running from an arranged marriage to a man more than twice my age.” The low rumble that left him had her heart racing, but not from fear. Excitement coursed through her veins, igniting her to a point that was scorching. She had never felt desire like this for another person, and certainly not after just meeting them only twenty minutes ago. Although she had never been with anyone sexually, she knew what the tingling between her thighs meant.
He watched her through half-lidded eyes, and the electricity bounced between them so strongly the hair on her arms stood on end. “Have they harmed you, Kettah, put their hands on you in any way?” Her mouth was dry, so very dry it was like she swallowed cotton. Slowly shaking her head because suddenly she didn’t trust her voice, she braced her hands flat on the bed when he leaned in just an inch. Their breath mingled, and it was strange things could change between them so rapidly, but just as quickly as he had leaned in, Maverick moved back.
“I’m taking you with me. You’ll be safer, because they will come for you, Kettah, and when they do I need to be there to protect you.” Her pulse pounded in her ears at the grave tone in his voice. He stood and went back to the window. He pulled only an inch of the curtain aside, and the light from the streetlamps spilled across his profile. It was in that one second as she stared at the back of his head, that her heart stopped, and her throat closed up. Despite the fact he wasn’t wearing a trench coat, and it had been years ago, Kettah knew who this male was just a few feet from her.
“Oh. God.” She snapped her mouth closed, only just realizing she had said that aloud, but it was too late. Maverick slowly turned around so he was facing her. They stared at each other for a long moment, and her fear rose higher and higher until she felt dizzy from it. The man she was dangerously close to was Marick, a lethal killer who was supposed to be dead. Did he know that she had realized who he truly was?
For several long, tense seconds all he did was stare at her. Maybe he was gauging what she was thinking, trying to decipher the threat she really was to him, or maybe he was realizing that taking her with him would be like signing his death warrant all over again. “Come on, Kettah. We have to leave now.” She was shaking her head before he even finished. A dark look crossed his face, and he took a step closer. She stood and held up her hands to try to stop him from coming any closer.
“Please, I swear I won’t tell anyone.” God, she had run from her father only to fall into the arms of Marick Leonous. But then again he wasn’t going by that name anymore, was he?
“Kettah.” He said her name harshly, and she couldn’t help but flinch. She had felt safe with him until that moment, smelled his honest intent to make sure she was okay, and although she still smelled that, this male was a silent killer. And now Kettah knew that he was very much alive when he clearly tried to convince everyone else of the opposite. “Do you want to survive, or do you want to take your chances out there where Viktor’s men will undoubtedly find you?”
Although he phrased it as a question, she knew he wouldn’t let her go. His lion was right on the surface, challenging her, but giving her the hope that she actually had a choice. She continued to stare at him, and then glanced at the door. Could she actually take her chances out there, trying to cover her tracks in hopes that she wouldn’t be found? She would forever be looking over her shoulder until they eventually located and killed her. That was a fact. She slid her eyes back to Maverick. Then again, even though he smelled honest, could she actually trust him? Surely he knew how to alter what people sensed coming from him? He was one of the most lethal hit-men in the organized crime circle. He was also her mate. That went without saying, and although she didn’t think he could harm her because of that, because his inner animal wouldn’t allow that kind of power to be claimed by his human side, there was still that possibility that he was far too deranged.
“Time is wasting away, Kettah.”
She held her purse close to her body. He was so still, hard and tense, and waiting for her to make the next move. Either choice came with risks. The only problem was which risk was she willing to take?
Chapter Five
Maverick glanced over at Kettah, who sat as far against the passenger side
door as she could get. He had given the choice of which route she was going to take, but then again if she would have tried to head out on her own he would have just followed her, and dragged her back with him. She hadn’t put up a fight, which had surprised the hell out of him, given the fact he had sensed the exact moment she knew who and what he was. He didn’t question how she had known him, though as far as he knew she had never seen him, but there was no denying the look of horror that had crossed her face when she realized she was in the same room with the male that killed ruthlessly And when she had softly told him she’d take her chance with him, he’d suppressed the need to smirk. His mate was a fiery little thing. It wasn’t like he was trying to be a bastard, but he meant what he said when he told her Viktor’s men would find her and she wouldn’t be able to fight them off once they caught her. She was his mate, and it was his right and duty to protect her. No way in hell was he going to let someone hurt her, take her away from him, and threaten the first good thing that had ever come into his life. He didn’t know what he had done in his miserable life to be given a mate, and he wasn’t even going to dwell on the fact on whose blood she shared, because the bottom line was Kettah was his mate. Maybe this would all blow up in his face when it was all said and done, but he had to try if it meant he could save one more life from Viktor. For the first time in his life he felt at a loss, and not like himself at all. Maverick had never wanted a female like he wanted Kettah, had never needed to protect someone with his very last breath, and certainly hadn’t wanted to do a lot of filthy fucking things to her because he knew it was his damn right as her mate. He had nothing redeeming about himself, but this one time he was going to help someone instead of hurt them.
Through her reflection in the passenger side window he could see her eyelids start to drop lower. They only had another twenty minutes before they reached Sweet Water, and then he’d have to figure out where to set her up in his one bedroom house. He had no fucking clue what to do after that, because although he could keep her safe when they did come for her—which they would—he didn’t know what to do when everything was all said and done. Would she stay with him? Could he allow her into his life even if he wanted it more than he had ever wanted anything else? He might see her as a gift in his life, and one he sure as hell didn’t deserve, but that didn’t mean he could be the mate she deserved.
He took the last turn that took him onto his street and pulled his truck into the driveway of the garage. She sat up straighter and looked around. “I thought you were taking me to your home?” He shut off the car and turned his upper body toward her.
“This is my house.” He pointed to the one bedroom apartment over the garage. “I own the mechanic shop, too.” She looked out the windshield at the apartment. “Come on. I don’t want to be out in the open with you.” He climbed out, and surprisingly she was out of the truck and right by his side only moments later. It would have been humorous if the situation wasn’t so tense right now. She followed close on his heels. He unlocked the front door and held it open for her. The lights were off, but he wasn’t about to turn them on. He knew they hadn’t been followed, and had been keeping a diligent watch the entire two hour drive back to his place. But it was late, and turning on the lights would only draw unwanted attention.
“You live here?” She covered her nose, and for the first time in longer than he could even remember, he smiled. It might have just been a tilt at the corner of his mouth, but it was one nonetheless.
“Kind of stinks, yeah?” She snapped her eyes up to his and dropped her hand instantly.
“I’m sorry. That was unbelievably rude.”
He waved off her apology. “You don’t need to be sorry. I’m pretty immune to the smell of grease and exhaust now, but I know it can be pretty intense to the ones not used to it. It doesn’t smell upstairs, though. Come on, I’ll show you where you’ll be sleeping.” He led her through the short, narrow hallway and opened the door that would take them upstairs. Once they ascended the stairs and he opened the thick metal door that blocked off his apartment from the rest of the garage, he moved to the side so she could step inside. He shut the door behind them and bolted it. The door had enough locks to ensure if someone was talented enough to get through it, it would take them a hell of a long time, and they would need to be pretty fucking experienced with locks. She eyed the door but didn’t otherwise say anything about it. He led her into the living room, and only then did he turn on the lights. When he bought the garage and then built the apartment above it, Maverick had done extensive work on it. The windows were bulletproof and mirrored so that he could see out, but no one could see in. He had two escape routes built into the floor plan. There was one in his office, under his desk. That led to an underground tunnel that ran under and parallel to the property. The exit came out inside the oversized shed in the back property. The upstairs had one that was hidden in the bedroom closet, and he had built a staircase behind the wall that led underground and met the other escape tunnel to the shed. Even though he had given up a life of murder, that didn’t mean he could relax. And tonight was a prime example of how shit could turn upside down in the blink of an eye.
****
Kettah stayed by the door that had so many locks and latches on it she didn’t think anything shy of a bomb could get through it. It was thick and brushed metal, and made her feel very safe, but it also frightened her. The fact Maverick needed something so impermeable scared the shit out of her.
“Do you want anything to eat or drink? I have water,” he started walking toward the kitchen and stopped when he got there. He ran his hand over the back of his neck and then looked over at her. “Or I have beer. Yeah, that’s all I got.” She couldn’t help but offer him a smile. “I might have some bread and lunchmeat, but I don’t eat in much.” It was a nice gesture, even if he seemed awkward in asking her, like he had never had anyone up here. But come to think about it he probably hadn’t.
“I’m not hungry, but a glass of water would be great, thank you.”
He nodded once and walked into the kitchen. Kettah took that moment to look around at his home. It was small, but much larger than what it appeared from the outside. The living room was to her right, with a flat screen TV hanging on the wall, a long brown leather couch across from that, and a matching leather chair sideways so it faced the lone window. That was it, and Kettah found it very depressing. No pictures of friends or family, and no sentimental items sitting in odd places around the room. But she reminded herself, for the millionth time it seemed, that Maverick was not a normal male, especially not with the life he had led. He held a lot of secrets, and ones she didn’t want to know. The kitchen was to her left. It was black marble with stainless steel appliances, but it was also bare. No coffee pot, knife block, or toaster … nothing. He came back out and held the glass of water out to her. She wasn’t really thirsty, but she had asked him for it because it looked as though he needed something to do. The fact he seemed on edge was crystal clear, and it was all because of her.
“Thank you.” She took a small sip and watched him over the rim of the glass. He nodded again, and they stood there for a moment just staring at each other until she started to feel slightly uncomfortable and looked away first.
“All right, well follow me, and I’ll show you where you can sleep.” He turned, and she had no choice but to follow him. There were only two doors down the hallway, one on each side of her. She presumed the one they passed to be the bathroom. He pushed opened the other door and stepped aside for her to enter. The room was just as barren as the rest of his place. The bed was the main focal point, but it was nothing more than a mattress on a frame, and covered with a dark comforter. A nightstand sat lonely beside that, and a stainless steel lamp atop it. “You can take the bed.”
She looked at him, and then again at the bed. She couldn’t help the image that slammed into her head, the one that had her picturing both of them on that mattress without a stitch of clothing on. God, control yourself. She clear
ed her throat, hoped her face wasn’t as red as she thought it was, and looked over at him. “But where will you sleep? I don’t want to take your room. The couch will be fine for me.” She was suddenly struck by how much bigger he was than she. But maybe that was because she was currently picturing them naked and between those sheets? He was tall and so very muscular, and although she wasn’t thin by any means, and had even been called fat by her father and brother on more than one occasion, Maverick made her feel tiny.
“You’re fine. I’ve slept on far worse, believe me.” She didn’t bother arguing, because she knew she wouldn’t win regardless. His scent saturated everything, and the idea that she would be sleeping in his bed, becoming covered in the dark smell that came from his inner lion, was like an olfactory orgasm. “I don’t have anything that will fit you, but you’re more than welcome to my t-shirts.” He moved past her, and the side of his arm brushed against her. Even with her life on the line, her father and his men no doubt hunting her down right now, and the fact she was in the bedroom of the once most feared and revered hit-man to run in the organized crime circle, she couldn’t help the tightening of her body, of the fact arousal started to take hold of her. It had only been that one small brush against her, and she hadn’t even felt any bare flesh, but her cat rose up and started purring. It was an odd feeling to have her animal take an interest in this male. Her Pallas’s cat was more reserved, kept to itself, and never emerged because survival was far more important than intimidation. The males she was constantly around had no qualms with shifting often, but they didn’t, because even though they were fierce and dangerous, their inner animals were of the smaller breed. There had been people that laughed when they realized her father and the majority of the males who worked for him were Pallas’s cats. They thought their breed wasn’t intimidating or something to fear. Needless to say all of those people were dead.
A Kitty in the Lion's Den Page 4
