by A. J. Macey
It wasn’t until we moved past a long dining table and reached the main living space, though, that I realized just how much money the man truly had. A curved wall made of glass looked out onto the water and lush greenery of the small yard. Two couches faced one another, with a few other pieces of furniture scattered around the space. The room filled with bright sun giving the modern room a homey feel.
I wonder what the rest of the place looks like, I mused while shuffling back and forth where I stood awkwardly.
“All right,” he started, unaware of my staring. “You can go ahead and get settled. Food and everything is in the kitchen over through that opening. Feel free to pick a room to stay in. That's my room right there,” he instructed, pointing over to an open door a few feet away. “Main guest bathroom is downstairs, but there is a small half bath over there in that hall. There's a movie room, pool outside, basically anything you want to do, have at it.”
He turned and started walking away, digging out his phone from his pocket before glancing back. “Just try not to make too much of a mess,” he instructed. “I need to make some calls.” With that quick not-really-a-tour run down of his home, he headed back down the stairs.
“Okay then,” I muttered, “not like I don’t have a hundred fucking questions that really need answering or anything.” I eyed the space once more as I grumbled under my breath in annoyance. Taking my bag farther into the house, I poked my head in each room until I found a smaller one that looked cozy. Only downside was it was the room right next to his, so if he had any women over… I shut the thought down, feeling an irrational stab of jealousy.
Dropping my bag on the bed, I flopped backward, expecting it to be hard as a rock as most guest beds were, but found it was soft and immediately made me want to nap. But I shoved the idea away when I heard his boots coming down the hall. His broad shoulders filled my doorframe a moment later.
“I need to go run an errand.” His tone was harsh, and he seemed pissed. Whatever call he had made, put him in a terrible mood. “Don’t leave the house while I’m gone.”
“Wait!” I called out as he started down the stairs once more. It probably wasn’t a good time to start asking questions but if he was leaving, I wanted at least one question answered.
“What?” he nearly growled, nostrils flaring.
“What’s your name?” I asked, realizing I’d agreed to go with a man whose name I hadn’t even learned.
His temper seemed to ease, but only slightly as he responded, “Liam. My name is Liam. I’ll be back in a while, shouldn’t be too long.” I didn’t even have a chance to say goodbye before I heard the front door slamming and locking. It was just me and this massive house belonging to a stranger named Liam.
“Well, Liam,” I murmured, glancing around the hall and out the double balcony doors a few feet away and watching him pull out of the drive. “Let’s see what I can learn about you while you’re gone.” The plan was random, but I wanted to know who I was trusting my life with, so with that in mind, I started searching.
I began with the living spaces, feeling awkward about snooping, but I couldn’t continue to stay with a man I knew nothing about. The living rooms, kitchen, and spare bedrooms took no time at all. Unfortunately, none of them had any information, not that I was expecting much, so I turned my focus to the master suite. Taking a deep breath, I turned the knob. It was light and airy, his bed unmade and some papers scattered over a small desk against one wall. Bingo. I smirked, heading straight for the desk.
Most of it was random receipts from various shops like the autobody shop, the market, and some travel information. All boring, not telling me much, but I found a paper with his full name on it.
Liam King.
“Why does that name sound familiar?” I whispered, digging out my phone. “Good ol’ handy dandy internet search should tell me who you are, Liam King. What the…” My heart rate started to pound in my chest at the first few headlines.
King Family suspects in the murder of rival gang member, Jack Williams.
Auckland Kings cleared of smuggling charges, no evidence found linking to crime.
Liam King, son of Auckland Kings mob boss, arrested for assault after late night bar fight.
Liam wasn’t my savior; he was my captor.
Liam
Leaving Harper alone to explore, I made my way to the main floor and into the other living area knowing that it was far enough away that she wouldn't be able to hear me on the phone. I dug out my cell, but before I could hit the button to start calling him, Theo's number popped up on the screen.
“Speak of the devil,” I answered. “I was just about to call.”
“Are you serious?” Theo immediately shouted.
“Serious about what?” I snapped, wondering where the hell his attitude came from.
“To bring a woman in? Right now. Amongst everything we're dealing with with the Phantoms. Your focus should be with us, the Auckland Kings, and not chasing some pussy!”
I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose.
“Yeah. Before you say anything, Andy told me,” he bit out.
“I’m going to punch that motherfucker right in the face,” I muttered under my breath before sighing loudly. “Listen, it’s not what you think—”
“Get over here,” Theo ordered, not letting me explain. “Boss wants to talk to you. Oh, and Liam?”
“What?”
“Leave the bitch at home.”
I didn't have a chance to say anything back before the silence of the other line met me, my mouth partially open to snap at him. What a fucking prick, I huffed, shoving my phone back in my pocket.
“Wonder if I have time to stop by the garage and lay Andy out?” I asked myself in irritation as I made my way back down the hallway. I had hoped to be able to come up with an explanation, a logical explanation for this before being berated or having it brought up to the boss, but it didn't look like that was the case. I had approximately twenty minutes to figure out what I was going to say and explain how I got roped into everything with Harper and the Phantoms before I got to the compound.
Glancing around, I looked for Harper as I walked through my home. I didn't see her, so I assumed she had picked one of the rooms. By the time I found her, I realized she happened to have selected the smallest one with a four-poster bed that was big and cozy amongst the tiny area.
Part of me was pleased that she had picked the room right next to mine, meaning I could keep an eye on her easier. At least that was the lie that I told myself, and not the fact that it was because she would be closer to me than anywhere else in the home. Leaning against the doorframe, I eyed her sprawled out across the bedding, her blonde hair fanned out above her. The sight sent my thoughts into the gutter and I had to resist the urge to stalk over to her and fold over her, trapping her luscious body between me and the soft sheets.
I ground my teeth, focusing on the anger that was still pulsing through me from my conversation with Theo. It was easier that way, simpler. I can imagine all the stuff I want to do to Harper later.
“I need to go run an errand,” I told her. “Don't leave the house while I'm gone.”
I couldn't watch her if I wasn't with her and I couldn't live with myself if she had gotten kidnapped right from under me while I was gone. I didn't wait for her to say anything, striding away as soon as I finished telling her what was happening, because the longer I watched her lying on the bed, the harder it was to leave. The sound of her feet padding down the hall after me filled the space, my lips thinning at the noise.
“Wait!” she called.
Closing my eyes, I held back my urge to snap. It wasn’t that I was angry at her, I was angry at my brother and the situation I was in. What I felt toward her was sexually frustrated to hell and back, knowing everything that I wanted to do to her but couldn't.
“What's your name?” she asked quietly, and I sighed. I hadn't even told her that before I took her to hide her away in my house.
“Lia
m.” I glanced over my shoulder at her. “My name is Liam. I'll be back in a while. Shouldn't be too long,” I reassured, before turning and leaving. The last of my resolve to not fuck her would crumble if I stayed any longer.
The drive to the compound was quiet. I didn't even turn on the radio as I drove, my focus entirely on coming up with an explanation, but by the time I pulled in and turned off the car, no clever or diplomatic solution popped up into my head. Well, let's get this fucking party going, I grumbled ruefully.
Striding past the men and few women that were a part of our family hierarchy, I watched them all either wave, dip their head in respect, or give me a smile hello. None of which I returned, too focused on the task at hand. I didn't bother to knock before busting into the boss' office. My brother Theo, the eldest of the three, and one of our top guards Sam stood on one end of the room next to the boss of the Auckland Kings crime family. My father, Oscar King, was propped up behind his desk, eyeing me with disdain. I might have been the youngest and damned good at what I did, I knew I was valuable, but my father liked to keep a short leash on the three of us, making sure no one could topple our hard work. Including ourselves.
“Dad,” I started.
He waved his hand, cutting me off. The move had always irritated me, but I kept my snarky response from escaping. Grinding my teeth, I curled my fingers into white knuckled fists, glad they were hidden in the pockets of my jacket. As he got up and came around the desk, I noted that my middle brother Hunter wasn't in the room, his absence catching my attention, but I didn't have a chance to ask about it. Here comes the third degree.
“I don’t want lies or bullshit, Liam.” My father’s voice was low, the hint of steel not lost on me. “Who is she and why the fuck did you think right now was a good time to get involved with a woman?”
“I’m not fucking her if that’s what you’re insinuating,” I snapped. Not that I didn’t want to. Theo scoffed and Sam cocked a brow at my response.
“No? Then what is it Liam?!” my father shouted.
“The Phantoms were trying to kill her!” I revealed, yelling back when the last of my resolve crumbled. “She witnessed them murder a man and they were chasing her through the shops when I was picking up the parts for the garage.”
Silence reigned after my tirade. Stone cold masks fell in place on each of the men before me, but I refused to apologize. I’d saved her life and bought us a possible ticket to take out one subset of the Phantoms for good. Dad muttered something I couldn’t hear, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“You’re an idiot for letting your dick do the thinking, Liam,” Theo told me. I glared, feeling the sharp sting of my nails biting into my palm.
“I already told you, we’re not fucking,” I ground out between clenched teeth.
“Maybe not yet, but I’ve known you for the last twenty-eight years,” Theo countered, coming forward until he stood right next to our father. “You want to. And knowing you? It’ll only be a matter of time.”
“Enough,” Dad commanded Theo, before turning his attention back toward me. “What’s your plan then?”
“Well, seeing as how it’s only been a couple of hours, I hadn’t exactly had time to come up with one before you were demanding me for a meeting.”
“Great. Thinking with his little head and not at all with his big one, just what we need,” Theo exclaimed in exasperation, throwing his arms up.
“You need to figure a plan out and fast,” my father ordered. “And while the Auckland Kings are here to help, this is your mess and you’re responsible for cleaning it up, so you better figure it out before the Phantoms make their next move.”
“That was the next step, thank you,” I said sarcastically. “Where’s Hunter anyway? He’s the one I was going to ask for assistance in finding the men.”
“We needed to know what was going on,” Sam stated, speaking for the first time since I’d gotten there. Ice started to slither through my veins at his disinterested shrug. “And to know if the woman was more of a danger than you claimed.”
“You—”
“Hunter is retrieving the girl,” my father cut to the chase.
Jesus fuck. Today just got a hell of a lot worse.
6
Harper
I had only been at Liam’s for about twenty minutes, but I was already leaving with the intent of never returning. Slamming the front door, I locked it behind me and made my way out onto the round drive. I reminded myself to take deep, calming breaths, telling myself that Liam wasn’t here and he couldn’t stop me.
When I reached the street, I looked around trying to figure out where the hell I was and where the closest place to a bus stop was. Unfortunately, I didn’t recognize where I was at first so I dug my phone out and started scanning the map, finding I was over a mile away from any big shopping or busy locations where I could catch a ride.
Grinding my teeth, I turned left, heading down the sidewalk. I scrolled through my phone looking for my friend Kara’s contact listing, to see if she would be able to come pick me up. As I scurried down the street, Liam's reminder about staying away from people I knew screamed in my head. But at that point, I knew I was way too far out from being able to walk and I didn't want to stay in one spot waiting for a taxi.
Meaning my only real option was calling a friend.
“Hello,” she answered after a couple of rings.
“Hey, girl,” I greeted. Kara was another exchange student, though she was from England compared to where I had flown in from the United States. “How's it going?”
“Not too bad. How about you? Enjoying your vacation? Oh! How'd your interview go?” She rattled off the questions, one after another. I wanted to feel peppy and lighthearted at the thought of nailing my interview, but it was difficult with the stress of the day.
“Not too bad. Uhm, what are you up to right now?” I asked, crossing the street when I reached the end of the block.
“Nothing really. I'm just finishing up making lunch. Is everything okay?”
I had tried to keep my voice level and normal, but apparently I hadn't succeeded.
“Oh yeah, I'm good. Just the nerves of the interview and everything still working their magic. It's been a long day.”
“All right,” she drew out the words, clearly not believing me. “Did you want to hang out or something?” she said after a long pause. I’d just opened my mouth to see if she could come pick me up when I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up. “Harper?”
I heard her speak, but it was far away as I pulled my phone down from my ear to glance around. On the first pass, I didn't see anyone and I tried to tell myself that I was just overreacting, but right as I turned to continue forward, I saw a car creeping up to the stop sign and turning on the street. It was a residential area, so I wasn't sure why I was reacting the way that I was. It could have been anyone that lived here, but something in me screamed, my internal alarm bells ringing loudly to get out of there.
I hung up on Kara after I heard her ask if I was still there. Shoving my phone in my pocket, I tried to keep my steps steady and confident, acting as if I wasn't practically terrified out of my mind. But when the car slowed down, pulling up next to me, I didn't hesitate. I spun around toward the direction I had come from and started running. I heard the car door open and steps pounding on the sidewalk behind me.
“Hey, wait up! It's all right,” the man hollered.
“Yeah, right!” I shouted back breathlessly.
Note to self, exercise more.
“I'm Liam's brother!”
I scoffed. “Oh, like that's supposed to help me feel better?” I threw at him, but I couldn't stop myself from slowing. Even if he was Liam's brother, I wanted to double check, to know if I was now being targeted by two groups of men.
Eyeing him with suspicion, I noted the similarities between them. The man before me was a little bit leaner than Liam and wore a plaid button up shirt and baseball cap, but they had the same colored eyes and dark stu
bble covered jaw.
“Yeah, Liam King, that's my brother,” he stated.
Another Auckland King, my brain whispered, the headlines flashing in my mind.
“He wanted me to come get you,” the man explained, stepping closer. My instincts were telling me to run, and when I took a step away from him, I saw his friendly smile curl into a harsh frown.
Running as fast as I could, I pushed myself past the tightness in my chest and the tunneling of my vision. Unfortunately, he was as tall, possibly taller than Liam, meaning he reached me before I made it to the end of the block. Just as I had earlier that day, I tried to kick and scream for him to release me. A cloth covered my mouth and nose, something soaked into the fabric making me feel woozy, before eventually knocking me unconscious, darkness pressing down on me in only a matter of moments.
“Ugh,” I grumbled, groaning as I shifted. I was lying on something hard, feeling groggy and disoriented. “Where the hell am I?”
Finally prying my eyes open, I glanced around. The remnants of the drug that the guy had given me vanished from my system when I found five men all staring at me from where I was lying on a bench. I jolted upright, wobbling slightly as I tried to stand.
“Where the hell am I?” I repeated sharply, trying to put on a brave face. I knew where I was seeing as how Liam was among the group of guys, but I wanted confirmation.
“Do you know who we are?” the oldest of the men asked. His tan skin was creased with wrinkles, his deep blue eyes the same as Liam making it obvious they were related. If I had to guess, I would bet money on it being Oscar King, mob boss of the Auckland Kings crime family. Smashing my lips together, I focused on Liam who stood stoic next to the man who had kidnapped me and another who looked similar. His brothers, I realized.
“I know he's Liam King, part of the Auckland Kings,” I admitted. Liam's expression didn't shift, but I could see the tightness around his eyes as I explained what I knew.
