by Madison Faye
But really, it’s just one thing. It’s that I’m merciless.
I’ve held a man in chains in a fucking storage facility for weeks once, because that’s what was necessary for the job. I’ve stepped in front of bullets, crashed cars through walls, watched men I’d call brother fall, all in the name of duty. My mission, whatever it is, takes priority over every other facet of my life. The mission owns me, and I own it until its completion.
First, there was the Marines. Then came the blue shield of a cop’s beat. I worked the roughest neighborhoods in Detroit when I came back, fighting against gangs almost worse than the damn Taliban.
But now? Now I’m something different entirely. At forty now, I’m a contractor for the FBI, with my unique skills being used the way they should be. Unhindered by rules. Not weighed down with a badge. My job is to hunt now—to seek, to capture, and to secure. I hunt down the odd wanted man, but primarily, my job is to get ‘at risk’ witnesses into protective custody, and to get them there alive.
And that’s what brings me to this shitty college club tonight. Her. Because she’s in more danger than she could ever possibly imagine. Because it’s not just me hunting her, it’s pieces of shit that would hurt her. Badly. Kill her too. But that’s not going to happen, not on my watch.
Hell, I’m in danger too. And not just when it comes to the assholes trying to hurt her that might come after me if I intervene. No, it’s bigger than that. It’s more explosive than that. Explosive like the kind of news that makes headlines. Headlines like ‘FBI collusion with criminals.’ And here I am caught in the middle of it, with this particular job being the crux of the whole thing. I could always walk away, and just leave the whole mess behind me, but that is not gonna fucking happen. Not with her involved. Not when walking away could get her killed. Not a fucking chance.
I stop, my jaw clenching tight like steel as I melt into the shadows by the edges of the dance floor. My eyes scan the room, instinct working like an oiled machine to drown out the background sounds and distractions until finally, my gaze finds her.
And I growl.
I’m like a wolf who’s caught scent of his prey. A wild animal just waiting for the chains to come off so that he can pounce. Because this ain’t no regular job, and she sure as shit ain’t no regular mark.
Everything is different with Nina.
It’s more than just ‘protect the witness’ with her. It’s more than just doing my job. With her, it feels like I’m protecting a piece of myself. With her, the idea of failing doesn’t just piss me off, it gets me furious. The idea of those pieces of shit getting their hands on her, or hurting her, or even touching her has my blood boiling like lava in my veins, my fury barely contained as my muscles clench and my rage builds, standing there in the shadows.
I’ve been watching her for days now, ever since the bureau got wind that Sylvan and his men were after her. Surveillance footage placed her in the alley near the hit Sylvan and his men pulled on the rival arms dealer, and it was pretty easy to put two and two together and figure out what that jackal wanted with her.
He wants to tie up loose ends. Plug the leaks.
That’s not going to happen.
Yeah, I’ve been watching her alright. Watching, agonizing, and obsessing over her. And my obsession has only grown with each passing day, until it’s consuming every single part of me. I’ve watched the way she turns those college boys’ heads without even knowing it—heads I want to snap off at the neck for having the audacity to try to catch a glimpse of her. I’ve watched her slowly give in to the pressures of her shitty, terrible influence of a roommate. The sexier clothes. The staying out later. Going to parties, flirting with boys.
My blood boils again at the fucking thought of it. And when I watch the fucking punk with the stupid ass pencil-line excuse for a beard put his hands on her, I almost roar. I almost charge through the crowd like a bull set free to pound him into the ground for touching what’s mine.
Oh, and she is mine. Or, she will be. Duty? The job? The mission? Oh, I’ll be fulfilling all of those. I will make sure she’s safe from Sylvan Bucks and his crew. I’ll make sure she’s safe from the whole damn world. But after that? No, after that, she’ll be mine and mine alone. There’s that innocence to her that sets a fire inside of me. There’s that way she walks and the way she moves that tells my trained eye that she’s never been touched—not like that.
She walks like a girl who’s never had a man’s cock slide between her legs and plunge deep in her sweet, honeyed little cunt until she’s filled to the brim. She’d never been claimed, or ridden hard. She’s never had a man bend her over across the hood of a car, or gotten her on her hands and knees on a bed made for a queen as he’s given her every inch.
Oh, but she will. I’ll be the man to show her those things. I’ll be the man to take that sweet innocence for himself. I’ll pluck that rose. I’ll spread those pretty thighs and ease my thick cock deep inside her candy sweet pussy until I empty every single sticky drop of cum from my swollen balls against her womb.
I watch as the punk takes her hand, my teeth flashing and a red mist clouding my eyes. I watch her nod, and the rage only grows. He starts to pull her away, toward the back of the club away from her roommate, off to that dark hallway that leads to the men’s room. My pulse roars inside, and the sound tumbles from my mouth like a wild beast about to kill. It startles two sweet little things and some punk in tight jeans and a designer t-shirt standing near me. The three of them stare at my huge form with terror in their eyes, like they haven’t noticed me standing there in the darkness until the sound.
They move away quickly. I turn back toward Nina, but when I realize she’s out of sight, my rage explodes out of me. I snarl, shoving through the crowd, knocking these college boys and their stupid dates for the night aside. I plunge right through the middle of the dance floor, which starts to part for me, like I’m a force of nature about to destroy.
And I am.
I come around the corner to see her struggling, trying to pull her arm free of the punk who’s got her pressed against the wall. He laughs, and when his hand touches her thigh under that slutty short hemline of her skirt, something inside of me snaps. I roar as I thunder toward them, ripping him away and slamming him into the opposite wall. The piece of shit crumples.
“She asked you nicely.”
He starts to open his mouth, but when I snarl and move toward him, he recoils like the little predatory pussy he is. And I know he’s not getting up then. I turn, and suddenly, my eyes fall on her.
Fuck.
I’ve never been this close to her. I’ve never been close enough to smell the scent of her, or feel the heat of her skin. Close enough to reach out and pull her against me. Close enough to crush my lips to hers like I’m never going to stop kissing her.
But there’s danger close by, and I know it’s a matter of time, and not much of it, before it hits us. I spotted Sylvan’s guys outside the club when I came here, and I know he must be on the way. And when they spot her here, the shit’s going to hit the fan. We have to move, now.
“You’re coming with me. Now.”
She shivers, her big blue eyes blinking up at me. I’d say in fear, because, well, I’m a scary fucking guy. But with her, it’s different. She looks at me with something that isn’t fear at all. It’s fiery. It’s fierce. It’s got a little attitude to it.
“Wait, excuse me?”
“We don’t have time for the banter, princess,” I mutter. I look over my shoulder, scanning the crowd, hoping for more time. But time is up. I can see Sylvan’s guys stepping down the stairs from the entrance, glancing around the place. And I know Sylvan himself can’t be far behind them.
“We’re going, now.”
Nina’s brow wrinkles, and she gets this sassy look on her face that might just be cute if I didn’t know for a fact that men with guns were about to find us. “Uh, no? I’m here with my frien—”
“I’m counting to three.” My words
seem to knock her back a step.
“And what happens at three?” she whispers.
“I throw you over my shoulder and carry you out of here.”
Her jaw drops, that sassy look turning to outright disbelief as she stares at me. “You wouldn’t dare!”
Oh, wouldn’t I.
“One.”
She shakes her head. “Wait, hang—”
“Two.”
“Who are you?”
“Cormac,” I say quietly, my eyes burning into hers. I glance back at the main club dance floor again, and this time, I see the whole crew. Sylvan, along with Tommy DiFresno and his brother Tony—the three who Nina saw that night. My jaw tenses before I turn back to her.
No more games. No more bullshit. We’re getting the fuck out of here now.
“My name is Cormac, and you just ran out of chances.”
Her mouth starts to open, and I can almost hear the backtalk she’s just dying to throw my way, but like I said, I’m fresh out of time for games.
“Three.”
I snatch her up before she can even blink, tossing her small little body up over my broad shoulder like she weighs nothing at all. She shrieks, predictably, kicking and slapping at me in a way that makes me grin. Not because I like that I’m scaring her enough to fight back, but because she is fighting back.
She’s got fire in her, and I like that. Still, she keeps fighting me like this and I will tie her up if it means getting her sweet little ass out of here in one piece.
She’s clearly a little drunk from the drinks her shitty roommate fed her. And she keeps fighting me all the way out the back door to the parking lot, trying to catch me with a heel, or pummeling my back with her fists. But it’s no use fighting a man like me. Not when I’m on a mission. Not when she’s my mission.
She squirms against me again, and my arm tightens around her waist. She wriggles again, and this time, her short little skirt pulls up high across the backs of her thighs, all the way up over the soft curve of that tight little ass of hers. My eyes catch a glimpse of tiny pink lace, pulled right against the crease of her ass, and I fucking growl. My cock throbs instantly, heat and raw want blazing though me. My balls swell with cum, and it takes everything in my power not to slam her against the side of the SUV, rip those panties off, and plunge every inch of my aching cock deep inside her sweet untouched heaven right then and there.
Somehow, I restrain myself.
I get her in the car. I give her the basic gist of what’s going on. And finally, she stops trying to fight me. Finally, she takes a damn breath. I can feel my pulse roaring as I close her door and then march around to the driver’s side and climb in. The engine roars to life, and I glance once more at the back door as we pull out. No sign of Sylvan or Tommy or Tony, or their guys. But that doesn’t mean I’ve lost them, and I know it.
Nina’s hands twist in her lap as we roar away, her breath coming fast. I watch the swell of her breasts heave against her thin lacy top. I watch that tiny skirt ride up so high on her creamy, tempting thighs. I feel my cock bulging against the front of my jeans, and I feel my heart skip a beat as I take in the absolute angel sitting next to me in that Escalade.
I roar off into the night, and I know one thing: it’s my duty to protect her. But it’s my mission to claim her.
Chapter Three
Nina
The drive has mostly been in silence so far. No music on the radio. No banter. No “So, you kidnap people. How’d you get into that?” style conversations. Nothing. We’ve left the city, and what feels like all of civilization behind as we drive heavily forested roads, moving deeper and deeper into the wilderness. I can still feel the booze pulsing through my veins.
Finally, he pulls off the main road onto a dirt one, driving down that for another mile maybe until suddenly, we come to a stop.
“Where are we?”
My voice feels far away. I’d say it’s the fear, but then, I’m far less scared than I know I should be. After all, a big, muscled, growly stranger has just thrown me over his shoulder, stolen me away from my roommate and her friends, and driven me out into the middle of nowhere. By all counts, I should be terrified. Except, for some reason, I’m not. Instead, it almost feels like I’m anxious, curious even. Like there’s something new and exciting, and yes, even a little scary waiting for me, but that it’s something I’m dying to discover.
“We’re where you’re going to stay.”
He turns the car off, and I glance out through the windshield. The cabin is small, but nice looking, and behind it, I can see the moon reflecting off the smooth-as-glass water of the lake.
“Where’s here?”
“Blackthorn Mountain. Or, close enough to it.”
“I’m not sure I’ve ever heard of it.”
He turns to me, his eyes studying my face, and that heated look of his warming me all sorts of ways it shouldn’t be.
“Good,” he growls. He opens his door and steps out into the night, coming around to open my door. A kidnapper with chivalry, apparently. He leads me to the cabin, unlocking the door and ushering me inside as he flicks on a few soft lights. The place is cozy, that’s for sure. Although, something tells me it’d be cozier if I hadn’t just been taken here.
“Why…” I bite my lip and look at my feet as he shuts and locks the door behind me.
“Speak.”
The alcohol from earlier is still in me, and so is the courage to keep talking that it brings with it. “Why did you kidnap me?”
I know he’s told me that he’s protecting me, and that he isn’t going to kill me. But then, I’m still alone in a cabin in the woods in the middle of nowhere with a big, muscled, tattooed, older stranger.
“I didn’t kidnap you.”
“Yes, you did.”
His eyes narrow, his jaw clenching tight. “You want to pretend that we both don’t know what you saw the other night in that alley?”
I can feel the color draining from my face as the shiver teases up my spine. Cormac just shakes his head though.
“I already told you, I’m not here for that. I’m here to make sure those pieces of shit don’t hurt you.”
“Who are you?”
“Someone with a job to do.”
“And your job involves throwing girls half your age over your shoulder and hauling them away like some sort of caveman?”
A thin smile teases his lips. “When they act like little brats it does.”
I start to open my mouth to fling something back at him, but I shut it instead.
“Smart,” Cormac mutters.
“So, what, are you a cop or something?”
I’m pretty sure of the answer before he even turns back.
“No, I’m not.”
“Shocker,” I mutter.
“I work with the FBI.”
My brows shoot up. “Really?”
Cormac nods, turning to flick on some more lights and throw some kindling and logs into the fireplace across the big main room. My eyes narrow.
“Can I see your badge?”
He snorts, turning to glance back at me for a long second. His eyes move over me and make me tingle in places I shouldn’t, given the circumstances.
“No.”
“I think you have to show me your badge. It’s a rule.”
He stands from the fireplace. “No, it’s not. Now, the rules are, you stay put. You keep that ass in this cabin unless I—”
“Until I see a badge, I’m not doing a thing you say.”
He stiffens, and I can feel my core tighten as I watch the muscles in his arms tense and ripple. Slowly, he turns, and when that fierce, somewhat scary, and also totally hot gaze falls on me, I shiver.
“Are you still drunk?”
I shrug, stiffening my jaw. “So?”
Cormac’s throaty growl rumbles across the room, making my heart skip.
“If you’re going to act like a spoiled little brat, I’m going to treat you accordingly.”
I scowl
at him, but he just turns and stoops again, this time pulling a zippo lighter from his pocket and sparking it against the newspaper and kindling he’s stuffed into the fireplace. My eyes dart around the small cabin, across the living area where he’s crouched in front of the fireplace, across two half-open doors—one that I can see a bed through and the other a bathroom—and across the little kitchen area built into one corner. My eyes land on the big old-fashioned-looking teakettle sitting on the stovetop, and suddenly, the liquid courage flowing through my veins roars to life.
I move before I can even think it through, lunging for the big iron teakettle, whirling and rushing at his back. But Cormac turns and springs to his feet faster than I’d ever in a million years have imagined, like he’s some sort of machine, or jungle cat. He growls, his hand catching the kettle on the down stroke and easily wrenching it from my hand and tossing it away. I gasp as he grabs me, those big hands of his on me once again as he whirls us, taking my breath away and slamming me into the wall. I gasp as his big, muscled body presses into me, one hand pinning both my arms above my head, the other firmly on my hip.
His hands tighten, and again, I know I should be terrified, but I’m not. No, instead, I’m something else entirely; something that’s so wrong and so mortifyingly bad that I can feel my whole face bloom with the heat of it. Because when Cormac pins me to the wall and growls into my ear as his hands tighten on my body, I’m not scared…
I’m turned on.
Very, very turned on. The whimper bubbles from my throat, and I catch it with my teeth as they drag across my bottom lip. It’s so wrong, and I know with every part of me that I should not be feeling this way about this brute of a man grabbing me and pinning me to the wall of a cabin that he’s kidnapped me to, but I can’t help it.
He pulls back, that low growl of his still rumbling in my ear as his eyes flash pure hot fire into mine. I shiver, swallowing thickly as that fierce look burns into me, setting every part of me aflame. His jaw clenches, and my chest rises and falls with my breath. I’m aware of my skirt riding up high on my thighs, and the fact that I’m not wearing a bra becoming more and more apparent as my nipples harden beneath the flimsy top.
