by Stone, Piper
Suddenly, a sound. A slight rustle.
“Hello?” I croaked.
There were no voices, no instant answer. I felt like I was in a vacuum.
“I know you’re here. I can smell your stench.” My mouth and throat were like sandpaper. For every crazy psychotic reason, I needed to hear a human voice. Maybe just to confirm I was alive. I almost laughed at the strangeness of my thoughts.
Still nothing.
“I know who you are. Hired thugs of Mr. Dioletti. You don’t have to do this. Just let me go and we’ll pretend this never happened.” Right. As if my vague promise meant anything. I was risking their wrath, but I had to know.
Anger replaced some of the fear, a heightened level of adrenaline kicking in. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done? Kidnapping an officer of the law will garner you twenty to life. Do you want that to happen?”
“Keep quiet.” His voice was raspy, his accent thick and although I was unable to distinguish from what country, the asshole had to be sitting right across from me.
“Leave her alone,” another male voice commanded, coming from several feet away. This had to be the gorgeous dark-haired man, the one with some shred of integrity.
What the hell was I thinking? They were bastard criminals. Useless pieces of shit.
“Do you know who I am?” I dared ask, the slight rebellious tone sounding more like a misbehaving child.
The first captor exhaled, cursing under his breath. Russian. The man was speaking Russian. That didn’t fit in any manner with the type of men Dioletti hired. I’d read everything about the Kingpin, his likes and dislikes, and his hatred of the Russian Bratva was well known.
“Can you please untie my hands? I’m not going anywhere. Obviously. Please. Have some mercy.” Gaining leverage might mean the difference in living or dying. Escape was my only chance of surviving.
“I said, shut up!” the Russian growled. “You need to keep quiet.”
“And I said, leave. Her. Alone.” Exhaling, the second man’s voice seemed closer, full of concern.
Good cop. Bad cop. I knew the procedure well. At least I knew which was which. What about the bounty hunter? Where did he fit into all of this?
When I felt a hand on my cramped fingers, I jerked, unable to stop an anguished moan.
“Relax. We’re not going to hurt you unless you misbehave,” the second man half whispered as he lifted me into a sitting position, tugging on whatever they’d used to bind my wrists. “I’ll untie you as soon as we reach our destination.”
“And put me in a cage?”
“If necessary,” he said then sighed.
“Where are we going?” I lifted my chin, trying to see anything under the blindfold. I could hear his ragged breathing and the scent of him was intoxicating, exotic in nature. As his hot breath skipped along my jaw, I quivered.
He chuckled darkly then tugged on the back of my hair.
“Please don’t!” I hated the ugly squeal in my voice.
“Relax. I said we’re not going to hurt you,” he muttered. The utter nastiness in his tone wrapping around the snide comment was directed toward the bounty hunter. I would bet on it.
“Unless you don’t behave,” the Russian expounded.
I heard the hiss of disdain in the man touching me. I felt something hit my lips and I flailed, unable to stop a series of whimpers. Get control. Don’t let them see you afraid.
“It’s water. Just a bottle of water. You have to be thirsty.” His voice held an air of seduction or maybe just comfort. He was damn good at the game, an attempt to get me to trust him. After taking a deep breath, I parted my lips, allowing him to pour the cool liquid inside my mouth.
I struggled to swallow at first, finally gulping all I could take until I coughed, spitting out an entire mouthful.
“That’s enough.” He rubbed his fingers over my chin, the tips dragging across my lips.
A series of electric sensations rocketed through every cell, tensing my muscles. My God, how could I have this kind of reaction to yet another monster who was no doubt going to end my life? I shrunk back, once again trying to control my breathing.
“You Americans are all alike. You coddle them,” the Russian said gruffly.
“We have a job to do. I suggest you keep your trap shut!”
I was surprised at the vehemence in the second man’s voice, as if he actually gave a damn what happened to me.
“And pretty boy up there fucked that up right away, didn’t he?” the Russian snapped.
I heard the exaggerated sigh coming from the second man. “We still have our orders.”
“Right,” the Russian snorted. “This shit better pay well.”
“Why don’t both of you shut the fuck up?” The bounty hunter’s voice was several feet away. He was the driver, but he wasn’t the man in control. I gathered neither man was thrilled with the Russian.
The Russian exploded, words in his language spewing from his mouth.
“Christ,” the bounty hunter hissed.
I winced as the rope chaffed my wrists, digging into my skin. “I can’t feel my hands.”
“Careful of her, my friend,” the bounty hunter chuckled. “Remember who she is.”
“I know exactly who and what she is. Don’t worry. I’ll control her.” Once again, I felt the hands of the second man. This time when he spoke, his directed words were full of domination, the tone huskier than before. “I’m going to untie you. If you attempt to remove your blindfold, I’m going to punish you. If you attempt to get away, I’m going to punish you. If you scream, I’m going to punish you. Do you understand?”
I held my breath, nodding several times. He was the alpha dog. I could feel it in my blood.
“Okay. Good.” He exhaled before shifting me forward. The feel of his hands on mine was electrifying, sending tingles all along my legs. I was mortified that I could have any reaction but disgust. This wasn’t some kinky playtime. This was my life.
And it was in their hands.
When my arms were free, I slumped forward, rubbing my wrists. I could feel him. The man hovered over me, watching.
Studying.
Controlling.
After taking an exaggerated deep breath, he moved toward my feet, fulfilling his promise. As if I was going to fulfill mine. There would be a point I’d make a break for it. It’d get one chance.
“I suggest you get some sleep,” he said under his breath.
He didn’t wait for me to answer, merely eased me down, placing my head onto something soft.
The Russian snorted. “Be careful, Ruger.”
Whether or not spilling the man’s name was an unintentional slip, I could feel the tension kicking up another notch.
“Why don’t you both just shut up?” The bounty hunter remained very much on edge.
These two certainly weren’t friends. That much was easy to distinguish. They had to be mercenaries for hire, paid very well for risking a high profile kidnapping. My guess was that they were on no one’s radar, shadows of men with no real identity. This also didn’t fit Santana’s profile in any manner. The ruthless kingpin enjoyed every second of limelight.
I curled into a fetal position, pretending to relax, but everything in my life had just exploded. How could I survive this? Another round of fog slithered through the crevices in my brain, shutting down every concept of cognitive or rational thinking. Santana would stop at nothing to command me as his own, no matter the tactics.
What if I could convince my abductors to help me, set me free? Maybe? Everybody had a price. If I could make it worth their while, then maybe they’d eventually let me go. At least one of them hungered for me. Right? I could try and see if all three of them did. Whoa. Wait a minute. I was out of my freaking mind.
I wallowed in self-pity as well as fear for several minutes, going through several scenarios. Nothing made good sense, especially the fact the dark haired brute actually turned me on. Whatever drug they’d given me. That was the issue.
Ruger. The name suited the sexy brute and for some crazy reason, I fell into a moment of fantasy, thinking about his lips crushing mine, his tongue entwining with mine. His hands caressing my naked body, soothing my aching muscles. Fingers dancing down my stomach, teasing my clit before sliding between my legs. I was so wet, hot and aching with the most intense desire. I could hear his ragged animalistic sounds, a hunter capturing his prey.
And I wanted nothing more than to be taken roughly, used.
Fucked.
Fingers sliding all the way inside, thrusting in a primal manner, three fingers becoming four. I envisioned lifting my legs, giving him complete access. I just wanted...
“No, I... I don’t want...”
The rumble of the engine started to dull my senses, my throbbing head forcing me to close my eyes. I tried to stay awake, to learn everything I could, but I was so tired. So very tired. Every sound became muffled, every instinct I had going into lockdown mode.
I’d been abducted.
I was being taken to an unknown location.
I was at their mercy.
Tears finally slipped from my eyes, bitter anguish creating a knot in my stomach. I didn’t want to die. I would do anything to stay alive. Anything.
As the lull of the engine drew me into a dozy state, I had the distinct feeling the sexy blue eyed outlaw had remained close. Shielding me from the others. Caring as if I mattered. I felt his fingers. Caressing. So gentle. So...loving.
Ruger...
Words. A scattered whisper floated around me, soft and comforting.
“I promise you on my life, sweet Carina. I will protect you.”
Chapter Three
Ruger
They say that every man has a price, greed the ultimate master and that the Devil feeds on rage.
The mantra I’d embraced was true enough, although I hadn’t paid close enough attention to the real meaning. The Devil had my soul all right, every blackened inch. However, that had occurred long before accepting this particular assignment. I would never forget that day I’d been forced into the world of total darkness by a wretched man, the few minutes changing my life.
The evil bastard.
Lucian Masters. He was corrupt in every manner of the word but held far too many cards in the world of law enforcement.
“Ruger. How are you?” He laughed after asking the question.
“Cut through the bullshit. What do you want?”
“You are a man of few words. Then here goes. You’re going undercover on a very special mission.” His eyes held a raw and brutal level of power. He was holding all the cards.
I swallowed back bile, trying to keep my cool. “And the target?”
“Let’s just say a very important catch to a powerful friend of mine.” He flipped a photograph from his pocket, running his finger back and forth across the middle. “She’s very important indeed. And you will take very good care of her; however, you’re going to make certain she learns true discipline, no matter what is required. Breaking her is vital.”
Breaking her? What the hell was the asshole talking about? I pulled the picture from his hand. Within two seconds, stars floated in front of my eyes. Wait a minute. My mind reeled, rage and vile hatred shooting through my system as recognition slipped into my system. This fucker wasn’t going to push me into anything like this. “No way. No fucking way.” I glared at him, shaking my head.
“You will or everything you’ve ever cherished will be eliminated. Poof.”
The incident continued to fuel my adrenaline, as well as my anger but it had just been a reminder of the house I grew up in, the father who’d shaped my very soul. There’d been nothing but expectations, no sense of love or laughter. What I’d realized in a short period of time was that everything came in a full circle. Karma had come back to bite my ass and there was nothing tangible I could do about it.
I’d stared in shock seeing the face of the target. Then memories had rushed into my mind once again, just like they’d done the day I’d walked into the hallowed halls of the courtroom to a deposition on another case. My latest undercover operation had taken down a significant portion of Santana Dioletti’s organization, curtailing hundreds of thousands of dollars, but that was a drop in the bucket in comparison to his grand master plan. Still, the head of the most dangerous Mafioso family in the United States was being ripped apart in every direction. Whether or not he received prison time was the least of his worries, but Carina Crawford, the prosecuting attorney on the case, had certainly managed to paint a horrific portrait of the murderer.
That wouldn’t matter in the end. Santana had far too many connections outside of the country, people ready to harbor the criminal at a moment’s notice. The only hope was for his enemies to take him out. I snickered at the thought. Was I actually rooting for some shadowy figure I’d heard rumors about taking down the mafia?
Now, I was the criminal. I was the one who would be hunted and the Mafioso could walk free. The irony was difficult to swallow.
And now, I had a hostage.
To say I was fucking pissed off didn’t even begin to describe my anger. I clenched my fist, bringing my hand to my mouth and fighting my urge to beat the crap out of Damien. He’d bypassed the required initial instructions, not only spanking Carina but also fucking her. Yeah, I knew what Lucian Masters had explained, the various steps in his obvious disgusting game, but I couldn’t even think about what that meant at this point.
My head ached like a son of a bitch. If I wanted any concept of my life back, I would follow orders. At this point, lying to myself that I wasn’t capable of what was being demanded wasn’t in my best interest.
We were to do everything necessary to break her just enough, rebuilding her into an entirely different person. Nothing was off limits according to the asshole we were working for. Still, Damien had no idea how angry his actions had made me.
The worst part? I’d been the one to enlist Damien for this job. My mistake. I thought I could trust him, certainly more than the Russian, a man assigned to this mission by the powers that be. Damien had once had a certain level of honor. We’d been close back when our lives seemed like an open book.
Now, the man was nothing but a mercenary through and through. The fact we’d been friends since we were kids no longer mattered. We’d taken a different path in life the day we turned eighteen. I sat back against the cold steel of the stripped down van, running my hand through my hair. Hell yeah, I was nervous. Everything could go wrong.
Well, there was another reason I’d enlisted Damien for the job, but he would never know the true reason. He was far too much of a loose cannon to learn.
A cold wave shuddered into my system. I had to face the ugly truth, the very one I’d fought for a solid three weeks. Damien and I were no longer that different. We were both criminals. I snorted, closing my eyes as the very distinct reality raced into my brain. I’d given up my honor, my integrity and my concept of right versus wrong.
All for what?
Blackmail.
The memory had kept me awake for days. This undercover operation would have an entirely different end. Even my Captain had no idea just how deep I’d gone this time. In truth, I was glad. I didn’t want to sully his reputation as well as my own. The man had been important in so many aspects of my life, honorable and giving to a fault. Hell, the entire system was riddled with dirty cops, at least from what I knew. That was one of the reasons I’d continued to accept undercover assignments, to stay away from those hell bent on destroying the entire Baton Rouge criminal system.
I did realize there was a chance the captain was just as dirty as Lucian, but the reality was, it didn’t matter. If Captain Sykes was in on this from the beginning, then the nails were poised and ready to be hammered into my coffin.
I’d find out. I had my methods of doing so.
“Lieutenant Thurman. I need to see you.” The gruff voice floated through the nearly empty room.
I lifted my head, eyein
g my partner of five years. We both raised our eyebrows.
“Now,” Captain Sykes barked. He didn’t hang around in the squad room for long.
“What the hell is up his ass?” Tyler hissed under his breath.
Dropping my pen, I had the distinct feeling I knew exactly what the fuck the captain was pissed about. If I was right, I could be out of a job. “Hell if I know.” I shoved back my chair, hesitating for about a thousand different reasons. I was due a full week of vacation and I was planning on taking it, trying to return to some level of normalcy instead of pretending to be an assassin. Somehow, the lines had become blurred. I had fifteen minutes of paperwork left.
“Don’t forget we’re grabbing a beer tonight,” Tyler said, grinning. Boys night out, something I almost never gave a shit to participate in. However, the last undercover assignment had taken a significant toll on both of us. We deserved some kind of celebration.
“How could I forget?” I wiped my hands against my cheap trousers, taking a deep breath before walking into the hallway. The captain wasn’t in his office. Instead, one of the interrogation room doors was cracked. I could hear two male voices, including the captain’s. I walked closer, hesitating in an effort to identify the second.
“You have no jurisdiction here!” the captain snapped, keeping his voice hushed.
“I have all the jurisdiction I need. I suggest you don’t fuck with me on this. One phone call, Captain Sykes. That’s all I need to make.”
“Fuck you, Lucian. I’m not the kind of man to fall prey to bullshit threats. Ruger is one of my best men. You aren’t going to treat him like shit.”
“Then he shouldn’t have made a mistake.”
Fuck. I should have known. I sucked in my breath, a cold chill wafting down my spine. Lucian Masters. He had his hand in everything. A true evil fuck in my book, a once prominent leader of the boys in blue. Then he’d sold his soul to the Devil. I knew that better than most. Still, his command remained powerful, his enemies often running like scared rats. However, he never got his hands dirty himself. This should be interesting.
