by Stone, Piper
“So this is about revenge?” She almost burst into laughter.
“Very much so,” I added.
Carina shook her head. “And you went along with this?”
“I had no idea the real reason.” Dear fucking God, my words seemed lame.
“And you think that somehow makes this okay? Let me get this straight. You didn’t care that I would be sent off to some godforsaken country and what, used then killed?” Her words rang in the air. “Whatever they have on you, that didn’t bother you in the least? Are you some kind of fucking monster?”
Cringing, I scooted forward in the chair, moving the drink from one hand to the other. “I was deep undercover, as I’ve been for the last ten months. I was able to deeply infiltrate the Dioletti organization. Santana trusted me. I was one of his Capos.”
She tilted her head, narrowing her eyes. I could see the nervous tick appearing in the corner of her mouth.
“I made a mistake, trying to protect a guy who’d gotten himself mixed up in the organization, a kid really. I destroyed evidence so he would be exonerated.” The words were difficult for me to admit. “He was set free but somehow, Santana believed he’d turned on the organization, so he was murdered, and it was made to look like I had something to do with it.”
“Shit, brother. I had no idea,” Damien said, whistling.
I took a gulp of my drink, unable to look her in the eyes any longer. “Lucian Masters found out and he’s using this against me.”
“Lucian Masters? I’ve been trying to have the man indicted for two years. He thinks he’s bigger than the law, but he’s also not that bright.”
After she issued the words, I realized that she’d been targeted long before Lucian set his sights on me.
“Then you’re not so innocent in all of this,” Aleks stated.
“Innocent? I’ve been trying to uphold the law. What does Lucian have to do with the Raven? I heard this...person has been hiding out in a country with no extradition to the United States or the majority of other countries.” She jerked to her feet, shaking her head.
“Lucian only makes mention of a client that he’s working for. Aleksandr is after the Raven.” I watched as she walked toward the window, admiring her strength as well as her beauty. My cock twitched from the increasing hunger, the kind of longing that was meant for another time and place.
“And what the hell did you do to this Raven?” she hissed her question toward Damien.
He grinned. “Botched an abduction attempt for the man, or his motley crew of assholes. We’ll just say I’m not on his Christmas card list.”
Carina muttered under her breath. “Take me back. I’ll make certain you’re not arrested if you simply drop me off somewhere in Baton Rouge.”
“That much we can’t do. I have no doubt you will be killed.” I made certain my statement held utter conviction.
The same tick remained in the corner of her mouth, a warm flush creeping up the long lines of her lovely neck. All I could think about was wrapping my arms around her, holding her long into the night. What the hell was I thinking? After what was required, she’d never accept anything but watching all three of us forced into a prison cell.
And I didn’t blame her.
The tension between us was palpable. I knew given the chance, she’d try and escape. That was her nature and always had been. Estranged from her father, a man she never talked about, she’d forged her own world as soon as she hit eighteen and never looked back.
Including because of me.
“From what I’ve learned about Lucian, he has a very tightly woven group of friends he works with. The reason my office and the FBI could never get close to finding enough evidence to convict him of anything are those friends. There are certain members of the police force who believe there’s a clear line of police officers, attorneys, corporate moguls and influencers from Louisiana all the way to Georgia. Some rumors are that he works for Santana, but I never found anything to substantiate that. I was also pushed away from what was called harassing the man almost six months ago.”
Hearing her words, I gave Aleks a look. She had much more to do with this than I’d originally thought. “What else can you think of?”
Shrugging, she brushed her hand through her hair, the ice clinking in her glass as she attempted to take a sip. “I don’t know. I just... I need time to think. This is ridiculous. You kidnap me instead of asking for my help. There has to be another reason, Ruger. If you are the kind of cop I think you are, you would never have succumbed to that kind of tyranny and blackmail.”
“You don’t know me Sunshine, in the least,” I shot back at her without thinking. I could see the flash of hurt on her face a split second before she shut down almost all of her emotions.
Except for continued terror.
How the hell could I tell her the truth?
There was also an interesting look in her eyes, as if she held her own secrets. I had a feeling I knew exactly what they were, although the past had been buried a long time ago and not just between us.
What if ghosts had risen from the dead?
“I need some air. I don’t know who you are, but you’re all still lying. This isn’t possible.” She stormed toward the backdoor.
“Tell her!” Aleks insisted.
Carina stopped short, tilting her head ever so slowly in my direction. “Tell me what?”
I eased the glass onto the table and folded my hands. “Make no mistake, Carina that whoever is really behind this...assignment is dangerous. We were hired to abduct and break you down, just as you were told, and this person demands proof that we are doing just that. I assure you that none of us is willing to follow through with this scheme any longer; however, until we determine a plan, there is little we can do. I have reason to believe we’re already being hunted.”
“What the hell does that mean? Are you required to tie me up and lock me in a cage? Or is it simply that all three of you need to fuck me and take pictures?” Her words were too damn haunting, forcing a knot in my stomach.
Not a single one of us said anything. What in the hell was there to say?
“Oh. My. God,” she whispered. “You are. I’m not going to do this. This is insane.”
“Make no mistake, Carina, this is going to happen. We have two hours to conform with the requirements.” I moved closer to her, my desire raging like a wild beast.
She turned toward me, darting her eyes back and forth. “For a minute I thought you actually cared about me. There’s an odd connection between us, one I can’t figure out.”
“I...” Swallowing, I allowed a ragged breath to escape. “I care about you more than you know, Carina.”
“Then why are you doing this?” she asked.
The feel of her fingers on my face did nothing but place a scar on my heart. I’d already betrayed the woman I’d been in love with for years. I removed her hand, squeezing until a slight whimper escaped her mouth. “Because I have no other choice. None.”
“You are a bastard,” she said defiantly, ripping her hand away and striking me across the face. “All of you are. You might have your reasons for doing this, but you took away my life! Do you hear me?” Her words echoed in the room.
The sting was nothing more than a reminder that she was right.
“And what if you don’t follow orders?” she finally whispered, blinking several times.
“Then we’re all going to die.”
Chapter Eight
Carina
Dead.
I’d been right.
I was always right.
Tears rushed to my eyes, burning even as I tried to wipe them away. There was no reason I should care for Ruger, but I did. I’d felt connected to him from that first moment. Why couldn’t he be truthful with me? Why couldn’t he confide everything he knew?
Jesus. I was a mess, falling apart at the seams. Maybe this was exactly what all three of them wanted, just another method of breaking me down to a primitive level. Sniffing,
I took another sip of the bourbon, loathing the taste in my mouth. I hated the fact I couldn’t think rationally. I held my breath, counting to ten. I was a freaking prosecutor. I could put the pieces of the puzzle together.
I’d been kidnapped by three men, only one of which had done this before—supposedly.
They were just as upset as I was as to what was going on—supposedly.
They believed that we were all going to die if orders weren’t followed to the letter—supposedly.
I could handle this situation, even figure out a way to get the hell away from them.
Supposedly.
Fantastic. I was no better off than I’d been hours before.
Laughing, I took another swig of my drink, this time savoring the burn sliding down the back of my throat. I needed to look at this a different way, without making assumptions.
This ruse was going to lead to not just my death but also my three abductors. Of that, I had no doubt. Whether this was Santana’s doing or Lucian Masters and his gang of merry men, that much I could embrace with certainty.
The three abductors weren’t entirely in on their game, which meant this wasn’t a normal situation.
And the other even more wretched realization?
I cared about one of them very much.
Laughing, I rubbed my forehead, realizing I was shaking like a leaf. I’d been without sleep or decent food for several hours. Exhaustion was forming fantasies in my mind. There was no other explanation for my ridiculous thoughts.
The shit was getting even better and better. At least I wasn’t lying to myself any longer.
And at least I knew their names. I said them over and over again in my mind, trying to put the remaining pieces together. Just before walking out the door, Damien had accosted Ruger, demanding that he share whatever secrets the man harbored with me. I’d been right in my assumptions. Ruger was protecting someone else—a solid reason for accepting his role in the blackmail scheme. Damien had pissed off someone important—a possible reason for him to be involved. How? In what manner? Did it matter?
An idea shot into my mind.
The two of them did know each other, but from sometime in the past. That would account for their surly demeanors.
I held the glass to my head as I stood on the deck, shivering from a combination of the cold as well as the ugly realization that my death warrant had been signed.
This wasn’t just a nightmare any longer. This was playing Russian roulette with my life.
I was sick at my stomach, trying to weed through the information as well as what they were supposed to do to me. Was it anything worse than allowing Ruger to seduce me?
Stop lying to yourself.
“Think.” While Santana’s organization was like any other Mafioso family, always on the hitlist from a rival, this was something else entirely.
I would never forget the day my boss had told me in no uncertain terms that I was no longer allowed to invade Lucian Master’s privacy. As if I had been. Yes, I’d been vocal to my colleagues about my opinions, but they’d never gone public. Unless someone had betrayed me. Possible. Every piece of evidence I’d collected myself had been stripped from the computer, erased or locked down. I had no idea which and the single time I’d attempted to bring up the subject again, I’d been told to take a couple days off.
I should have followed my gut then, taking everything I knew to my buddy at the FBI. But I’d chosen to try and figure out what was really going on myself. Then the Dioletti case. Truth be told, I shouldn’t have been given his case to prosecute in the first place. I’d been...requested. By whom?
I gripped the railing, folding my arm over my chest, taking sip after sip of my drink. I’d been a fool about so many things in my life. Maybe running away from my friends and family at age eighteen hadn’t been my best choice, but I’d managed on my own since then. However, coming back had certainly brought out the closet full of skeletons.
I heard the door and bristled. I didn’t want to see Ruger right now, or the others for that matter. Since we were both lying to each other, I had no desire to confess my sins while facing some ridiculous demand by an unknown blackmailer. Seeing the Russian, I took a step backwards.
“I’m not here to hurt you, Carina. I’m not that kind of man,” Aleksandr said quietly, much less gruff than he’d been almost every time before.
“Then why are you here?”
He inched closer. “Just to talk. I’m certain you’re confused. Hell, I think we all are.”
The words were interesting.
“Why should I believe you care?”
“You’re right to be leery.” He glanced at the moon. “Where I’m from, I had views like this every day. I’ve missed the mountains.”
“I was right about your involvement with the KGB.”
“You were,” he said as he flanked my side, his eyes never blinking. “However, the truth is, Carina, that my involvement seems like a lifetime ago.”
“Hmmm... Said like a man running or hunting.”
He laughed, the tone sultry in nature. “Maybe a little of both I guess. I’ve been undercover for years, but recently took a leave of absence. Hunting the Raven became my life.”
“Oddly enough, that’s one of the more truthful statements I’ve heard from any of you. Why would you become a part of this? Did Ruger strong arm you somehow? As crazy as that sounds.”
“I’d never met the cop before this mission.”
“O-kay. Are you going to explain what you mean?”
Aleks turned to me, crowding my space. I could feel the heat of his body, the warmth almost inviting. Even in only the light of the moon, I was able to see every inch of his features. I’d never allowed myself to notice how gorgeous he truly was, but he was just as haunted as the others. I shuddered, trying to shove aside my irrational feelings. What did it matter who he was or what he’d been through? I shouldn’t give a shit.
“I’m not a bad man, Carina. Not really. I’ve done some terrible things in my life, but we all have reasons for embracing the wrong side of the law. Often, there is a fine line.” His words were merely scattered whispers. I could swear he’d read my mind, the anger directed toward all of them.
“I guess some more than others. You made me a part of this, all three of you, when you abducted me against my will.”
He nodded, glancing over my shoulder. “Yes. While I realize what I’m telling you has no bearing on the situation, you had no face, only a name, so the consequences of my actions really didn’t come into play. For some reason, I thought this would be easy for me, just like any other assignment. Often there are necessary casualties.”
“What a horrible life you lead,” I hissed.
“Do you think it’s any different for any police office or FBI agent in your country, Carina? Don’t you think they have to make difficult choices in trying to walk the fine line of right versus wrong? You should know that given your profession.”
I wanted to lash out, but he was right. Exhaling, I looked away. “I’m just another requirement you were given in order to complete your mission.”
“Not any longer. I was wrong. You just... never mind.”
I stared into his eyes, trying to determine whether there was any ounce of truth to what he was saying.
“Say it, Aleksandr. Give me a reason that I shouldn’t hate you and promise to find a way to destroy the rest of your life just as you’ve done mine.”
I was surprised when the tough Russian had tears in his eyes, the emotion so unexpected that I sucked in my breath. I hadn’t anticipated such a moment of tenderness coming from a man who seemed to have no heart.
Using just a single finger, he eased a strand of hair from my face, allowing the tip to trail down the side. “I honestly believe that the person behind your abduction is the Raven. He was responsible for the death of my wife. And my child. They were all I had, the only good thing that had ever occurred in my life. She was beautiful, my baby only four months old. I shouldn’t
have gone after the asshole. I should have stayed home like she asked. But I was close to catching him, the very man who’d taken so much from our city. People lost their homes and their lives. I’d been hunting him for two years and I knew he was in the city.”
I’d never felt so utterly cold, chilled to the point I could no longer feel my toes. The anguish in his voice was something I would never forget. “That doesn’t give you the right to do this.”
“Yes. You’re correct. That makes me exactly the same kind of man as the beast I’ve been hunting all these years.” Aleks exhaled, allowing his finger to fall to my neck.
I wanted to remove his hand, but his words were more than just compelling.
They were an entrance to his soul.
“I was hungry for the man’s blood. I wanted nothing more in my life than to be the person responsible for bringing justice to our people. Instead, I brought death to my family. It’s something I will never be able to forgive myself for, but the guilt fuels me to continue my path to finding the monster. I am sorry that you were brought into any of this. I had no other choice, at least in my mind. The Raven hasn’t been seen or heard of in over six months. This opportunity was one I couldn’t pass up.”
I had no idea what to say.
“I realize that doesn’t take away what we’ve done to you in any manner, nor should it. I simply wanted you to know that my intent is not to hurt you and it never was. Perhaps I was a fool to think I could protect you along with the others. I know exactly what the Raven and his followers are capable of. I played a part because I wasn’t entirely certain I could trust either Damien or Ruger. They don’t belong here and neither do you.”
He turned, walking away quickly.
Reacting, I rushed after him, grabbing his arm. “I am sorry for your loss, Aleksandr. I can’t imagine what you’ve gone through and I would hunger for revenge just like you. Still, I just don’t understand any of this. Why me? Why does it matter to this creature from Hell?”
He moved his hand over mine, caressing in a manner I never would have thought he was capable of doing. “Because Santana Dioletti desires you and my guess is that it’s only partly to do with the fact you single handedly managed to put him closer to prison than he’s ever been. If there is another reason, only you would know that. What I do know is that Ruger is a good man, an honorable person. Whatever is going on with him is literally destroying him from the inside out. And what’s worse, Carina is that he’s fallen in love with you.”
