Sergei looked around the group. “One of us should be with her, twenty-four seven.”
“Guess you’ll be covering nights,” Bear said, sarcasm dripping from his voice.
“Guess I will,” he said, narrowing his eyes. “I want her safe, but I don’t want her unduly frightened. After the kidnapping and Mexico, she’s been through enough.”
Boone raked a hand through his dark hair. “I’m not sure how long this will go on. We’re still investigating her uncle’s firm, hoping to find something we can use to build a case the FBI can move on. Until Marroquin and any muscle he might have with him are in custody, we’re on lockdown.”
With a final nod from Boone, they all rose. “Serge, stay a minute.”
After the room cleared, Boone turned to Sergei. “If I thought doing so would be safer, I’d send Tilly and Kara to New Orleans. But I don’t know whether the Omegas have any ties with local law enforcement there. We’re going into siege mode here. Your girl up for this?”
“What other option is there?”
“My FBI contact said he could bring in the US Marshals, get her into witness protection. If we can get the proof. Might have to happen anyway, if we can’t make the charges stick on Marroquin. She won’t ever be safe so long as he’s out there.”
Sergei’s stomach dropped. For her safety, he might have to let her go after all.
“It’s just something to think about.”
“If she goes into WITSEC…” Sergei met his best friend’s gaze.
“You might not let her go alone?” A shadow crossed Boone’s face, but he nodded.
Sergei fisted his hands at his side. Kara’s future was already shaky. Everything she’d been working so hard to achieve hung in the balance. If she had to disappear, he wouldn’t let her go alone, without a single person who cared. But the thought of leaving the team, his friends, made his stomach burn. “Let’s nail the bastard,” Sergei said, his voice thick. “Then we’ll worry about what comes next.”
Boone reached out and patted his shoulder. “I don’t want to lose you.”
“I don’t want to go.” His gaze locked with Boone’s and his voice grew hoarse. “But I’d do anything to keep her safe. And I can’t imagine her going that road alone.”
After he left Boone’s office, Sergei let himself into Kara’s darkened bedroom. Moonlight sifted through the edges of the curtains, providing just enough light for him to make out the shape of her slender body beneath the covers. A wave of tenderness swept through him, catching him by surprise. Making him feel unexpectedly weak at the knees.
Get a grip, man. He passed the bed and strode for the chair beside the window then lowered himself, slumping heavily against the upholstery. What had started as a cut-and-dried mission, a simple extraction, had turned his world upside down.
Like Kara, everything he’d worked so hard to achieve, career-wise, even his shot at redemption after Afya’s murder, teetered on the edge of a nasty, sharp blade. Could he give up everything to leave with her? Could he learn to be happy doing something else, starting over? Could the emotions knotting them together last… become stronger, or simply strangle them in the end?
Other than Tilly and Boone, he hadn’t really seen couples who’d been through tough times make their relationship last. His own parents had split beneath the weight of debt and infidelity. If Kara and he were forced to disappear, giving up everything, their aspirations, their own names… did they stand a chance?
Atop the chair arms, he curled his hands to fists. He couldn’t see into the future, but what he had now—this exhilarating need to sink balls-deep inside her every time he got a whiff of her natural perfume, to sweep away the shadows haunting her doe eyes—was addictive. Impossible to resist. But were these feelings love?
Sergei leaned his head against the chair back and stared at the ceiling. What the hell did he know about love?
* * *
Lucio opened his hotel door and turned to give her a look. One she had trouble deciphering. A hint of edgy excitement was in his dark eyes as he stared down at her. “Not changing your mind, are you, mi enamorada?”
Her body hummed with the wine they’d consumed over dinner and her own anticipation about what was about to happen. Her body tingled—her nipples were tight, the buds scratching against the lace of her bra, and a rush of damp heat wet her panties.
Her virgin status was about to change, and she had no regrets about that. Being one wasn’t that important, not an aspect of herself she’d withheld for the right man. She’d just been busy getting her life on track, and now that it was, she was ready to experiment. And who better than this wildly attractive, worldly man?
Ducking her head to hide her smile, she stepped past him, into his room, taking in the luxurious suite with a glance. Her gaze struck on a curious sight. A large dog kennel in the center of the sitting area. She turned to ask him whether he had a Great Dane, but he was right behind her, an arm encircling her chest.
Her breath caught as he clutched her breast. Not the first move she’d expected. Alarm rang along her skin. And suddenly, she wondered if she really was ready for this. She angled her head to look back, but his free hand was rising, something slender held in his grip. A syringe?
Her heart stopped, then thundered hard. Instantly, she knew she was in danger, although her mind couldn’t grasp what was really happening. All she knew was that she needed to fight. She wriggled inside his embrace, bucking against his hold, but he was stronger, and laughing, his chuckles low and tinged with an ominous tone.
The hair on her neck rose. She dug her fingernails into the forearm squeezing the breath from her and leaned away from the needle. “What are you doing?” But she didn’t wait for an answer; she stomped the spike of her heel into his shoe and reached back to rake his face with her nails.
She barely felt the prick, kept fighting, but her movements slowed. So did her mind. Her vision blurred and she slumped inside his embrace, aware of what was happening, but not really believing. He was drugging her? Why? She’d already made it clear she was willing.
Lucio waved his arm, discarding the syringe, then bent to sweep her up against his chest. “That’s better, niña. Damn, I’m bleeding.” The last bit, he snarled, the smooth cadence of his voice tilting toward rough aggression.
Kara blinked, fighting to keep her eyes open although all she saw was horror. Her helpless—his beautiful mouth twisting into something sinister. And even though she knew she was in terrible danger, her heart thudded slowly, her mind reeled in slow motion.
He sat her on the damask-covered love seat and removed her clothing. Then dressed her in silky pajama bottoms and a torso-hugging tee. Then he crouched in front of the sofa, combing back her hair with his fingers, pinching her lips. “That’s better,” he said, leaning her backward so she sprawled against the seat back. From his trouser pocket, he pulled his cell phone and held it up. A flash blinded her, once, twice, and then he bent over the phone, his fingers sliding on the screen.
When he turned back, he stared, his face set, then he lifted her, walking toward the dog crate…
* * *
Kara gasped and jackknifed up to sit in the bed, staring blindly into the darkness, relieved in the next second because she was able to. The image of the wire gate closing her in, of her legs pushed against her chest to make her small enough to fit inside the crate, screamed inside her mind. “Oh God,” she whispered, a hand clutched against her chest.
A dark figure moved inside the room, coming closer, and she scrambled backward until she crouched against the headboard, then reached down to pull up the sheet, because she realized she wore only the sheer nightgown she’d put on after her bath.
A moment later, a lamp clicked on and she could see Sergei. She launched herself into his arms and he caught her against his chest as tears filled her eyes and she sobbed.
“What is it?” he asked, stroking her hair.
She shook her head, nuzzling closer, trying to crawl inside him, beca
use with him, she felt safe.
After a step toward the window, he sat and pulled her across his lap. “Tell me, baby.” His hands framed her face and tilted back her head.
She knew she was a mess, her eyes thick with tears, her nose beginning to run. Her mouth trembled as she opened it, but how could she describe what had happened? “Nightmare,” she blurted.
“You’re safe here,” he said, his jaw tightening. “I won’t let anything happen.”
She nodded slowly, even though she didn’t really believe him. Lucio and his friends the Omegas had a long reach. Right across the border. They could be here, even now. She wasn’t safe. Would never be safe.
Squeezing his hold, he gave her a little shake. “Kara, you’re safe, baby.”
Lucio’s niña echoed in her head. “I’m not a baby.” This time, her words were clipped.
His mouth twitched. “No, you’re not.” He held her like that, forcing her to lock gazes with him while he studied her expression. “We learned something new tonight.”
For an instant, her gaze widened then dropped to his chest. “I take it the news isn’t good?”
His head shook. His chest lifted on a deep inhalation. “Agent Menchaca met with Marroquin. In New Orleans.”
Her body went rigid, and her gaze shot back up to his face. “He’s here?”
Sergei nodded. “We’ve beefed up the sentries. More are coming. Security’s tighter than a super max.”
“He’ll find a way,” she said, not really knowing with a certainty that he could, but fear made her shake.
“He makes a move, and we’ll have him. He might encroach past the borders of the property, but we have several layers of security in place. And you will never be alone.”
“You’ll stay with me?”
“As much as I can. When I’m not, one of my guys will be right here in the room.”
“Sounds a little crowded.” She dipped her head, wishing she could let go of her nerves. But the recovered memory of being crated like an animal was still too fresh.
“Tell me about your nightmare.”
She shook her head and burrowed against his chest. “It wasn’t really a dream. I remembered what happened.”
His arms tightened, almost imperceptibly, and his breaths slowed.
“I don’t know why, but I’m embarrassed telling you this. I feel like such an idiot. I remember when he captured me.” A small shudder passed through him, and she placed her hand against his chest. Had that shiver been for her?
“Did he hurt you?”
The texture of his voice, harsh and raw, caused her chest to tighten. She gathered her courage and lifted her head. “He drugged me, with something in a syringe, and I couldn’t move, but for a while, I was aware of what he was doing. He stripped me. Dressed me in the clothes you found me in, and then shoved me into a dog kennel.” Her mouth trembled, and the tears she’d thought were all dried up, flowed again.
He gathered her closer and sighed, bending his head to slide his cheek against hers. “I’m sorry you were scared, sweetheart,” he said, his voice gruff. “I’ve heard they used crates as a means to transport women, but I can’t even imagine what that was like for you.”
Slowly, she skimmed her hands around him, reaching up to grip his shoulders. He was so strong, so solid, and yet, he was shaking against her. Harder than she was.
“I hope it doesn’t freak you out, but if that bastard comes anywhere near you, I’ll kill him.”
The way he said it, so harsh she felt every bitten word rumble through her, made her smile. “Not if I do it first.” Then she leaned back and gave him a crooked smile. Confiding in him had helped ease her tension. “I think I’m okay now. Thanks for not keeping the news from me.”
“I need you to understand why I’ve asked you to do certain things. Like staying inside this house—and always within calling distance of my team.”
“I understand. Both for my safety—and your peace of mind.” She relaxed against him, listening to the beat of his heart, letting the sound soothe her. “This has to be really expensive… all that manpower. For me.”
“I can afford it. And Boone’s not making me eat all the costs.” A shoulder lifted. “We’re flush. Don’t you worry.”
“I hate being a burden.”
“You could never be that,” he murmured against her hair.
The feeling of security she got from his embrace settled the last bit of fear created by the nightmare. And now she was hyperaware of the solid body she rested against. “Still, I wish there was a way I could make it up to you,” she murmured, glancing at him from beneath the fringe of her lashes.
He grunted and his hands swept down her back to cup her bottom. “I can think of a few ways. Maybe a dozen or so. And if we get creative…”
She smiled. “My imagination doesn’t stretch that far. I was a virgin, remember? Although, I have read a few things in books I’d like to try.”
His hands smoothed upward, taking her nightgown along with them.
Obediently, she raised her arms.
When she was naked, Sergei stared, his dark gaze smoldered, giving her body a quick, sweeping glance before resting on her face again. “You’re beautiful, Kara Nichols.”
His words sent warmth spreading through her. Her smile stretched. “I’m glad you think so, because otherwise, I’d feel completely outmatched.”
He cupped her breast, lifting it, and then bent to kiss the nipple. “Did you like the suction cups?”
She remembered the devices he’d attached to her nipples when they’d played in the cabin. “I did. Very much.”
“I’d like to use clamps next. They’ll sting a bit, but I think you’ll like the sensation.”
“I love everything you do.” She opened her arms, holding them spread wide. “I’m yours. sir.”
He leaned to the side, reached into the drawer of the nightstand, and pulled out something that looked like alligator clips she’d used to bundle documents, but with rubberized tips. “I really need to rummage through that drawer sometime and see what other goodies you store there.” She tilted her head. “Do you keep it stocked like that for all your guests?”
His steamy gaze rested on her chest. “Lean back on your arms while I attach these.”
Kara did as he asked, arching her back but raising her breasts as he attached first one then the other clamp to the base of the turgid buds. The pinch was light. But then he turned a small screw at the side of the first one he’d placed. The grips squeezed harder, and she bit her lower lip to keep from moaning.
After he tightened the second one, he toggled the exposed tips. “I’d like to stand you at the balcony and fuck you in the rain,” he said, his voice as smooth as whiskey, “but since we have to keep you inside, I want you to come with me.”
The pressure on her nipples caused a flood of desire to wet her pussy. So did his words. Just the thought of being naked and taken, in view of any of the unknown men patrolling the estate, sent a thrill of the forbidden straight through her. She shook her head. Who was this wanton woman? How had he managed to unleash desires she’d never have imagined existing deep inside her?
She licked her lips. “Yes, sir. Whatever you want, sir.” Without thinking, she reached for her nightgown, but he shook his head. Her nipples tingled again, tightening as the seconds ticked by. He wanted to love her in the open, where someone might see. And since she was being truthful with herself, she wanted to be watched. Something about being exposed—both her body and her emotions—with men he trusted definitely supercharged the experience. She could almost imagine him pushing her down on the dinner table and taking her from behind as the others talked about their day. Somehow, she knew they’d be into the act, accepting of her passion, even while the table shook and the cutlery clattered.
So many thoughts and scenarios flashed through her mind that she felt a little dazed, realizing he now stood beside the bed. When he held out his hand, she placed hers inside his, trusting he’d take car
e of her. That he’d keep her safe, but also that he’d push her again, past her inhibitions. She could hardly wait.
Chapter Seventeen
Sergei led her down the hall and the staircase, and walked into the salon off the foyer.
Bear and Eric were inside, sitting on a sofa, beer bottles in their hands. Their eyes widened for a moment when she and Sergei entered, then their expressions quickly shuttered.
“Evenin’, Kara,” Bear said, one side of his mouth quirking as he scanned the clamps on her breasts. “You’re up late.”
“Sergei’s idea,” she said softly, one thigh nudging the other as a wave of shyness swept her. Yes, she’d been eager for this, but now that two of his very large and intimidating teammates sat in front of her while she stood without wearing a stitch of clothing, she was losing her nerve. Somehow, tonight was different from when she’d been here before. Tension was riding Sergei, so apparent in his taut features. Tonight, she had the distinct feeling his friends were going to do more than watch.
Her body tightened. She sucked in a slow breath, lifting her chest. Not because she wanted them looking at her tortured nipples, but because she couldn’t help needing their attention anywhere but on her face. She was afraid they’d see too much. Her need, her fear. Kara felt as though her world was spiraling. Somehow, she knew Sergei was doing this for her. Giving her a sweet distraction.
Sergei lowered to the chair opposite of his two friends. “Kara, I’d like you to get me a beer from the fridge behind the bar, and bring me a bowl of ice.”
Her cheeks billowed as she blew out a breath, but she strode around the bar, aware that every step caused her buttocks to jiggle, and the guys were likely enjoying the sight.
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